Reading: a lost art?

[Scarf]

First, a quick survey. (Don’t worry, it’s optional!)

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
► How many books have you read so far this year?
► Is there anything else you read regularly?
► Describe what kind of reader you are.

Now that that's out of the way, and to give this thread some validity, is reading becoming a lost art?

[mondays suck]

I love reading, but I'm kind of a scumbag when it comes to books - I don't own a lot of books but always borrow lots of them from my friends. The genre usually happens to be Fantasy, which I don't mind, I can read anything other than love stories though. My favorite time to read is before sleeping and depending how fast I feel like reading and how excessively I read, it will usually take me between two days and a week to finish a book, longer if the book s not all that interesting but I intend to finish it anyway.
Have I been reading anything this year? I honestly don't know, the last time I borrowed a pile of books was, even though it feels just like a month or two ago, in autumn of last year. I just didn't have a lot of time to read during the first half of 2012.

What I have an aversion against is this stupid trend called e-books, the idea just doesn't seem right to me, it's just not the same.
Also, reading even somewhat long texts on screens already quickly gives me a headache, so it would be even worse with hundreds of pages long texts.

[CarcharOdin]

Reading isn't really a lost art. After all, people read everyday, just not books. As far as I'm concerned, if you're even just going onto a chat website, you're reading something. You're reading this right now.

Even reading books isn't a lost art, it just takes finding something you enjoy. I enjoy reading humor books, like Maddox's Alphabet of Manliness, but right now I'm reading Fight Club and I'm definitely interested in reading Chuck Palahnuik's other novels. I've also been reading Johnny Got His Gun and Jaws. I've put off reading Lord of the Rings for now, but I plan on picking it back up again...some time.

As for reading in the transportation though: not for me. Hell, I can't even play handheld video games in the car anymore. I prefer driving and blasting music.

If I'm really into a book, I usually read several chapters or two each night to make the experience last, but when I was into Harry Potter (not anymore) I read Half-Blood prince in only two days.

Even with the onset of e-books, bound sheets of paper are still an effective means of containing information.

[droomph]

^Ha you wish.

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
Buy, borrow, I don't care - as long as you don't bore me I'll get you in my hands for at least a week.

► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
No. I get carsick quite easily, I've found out - even looking at a screen is enough to make me sick during a car ride. And on a boat if I stand up while it's moving I'll get dizzy. I suck generally with riding cars.

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
Anywhere from a day to...never. I can't finish a book if it's even mildly boring, and I can't put down a book if I like it even a smidgen.

► How many books have you read so far this year?
Zeeeeero. But if ya include the magazines (Time, Reader's Digest, etc.) probably fifty.

► Is there anything else you read regularly?
PC. Forums. Magazines. I dunno really.

► Describe what kind of reader you are.
AAAAAAH BOOKS SO SCARY oh this isn't so bad.

Now that that's out of the way, and to give this thread some validity, is reading becoming a lost art?
Seeing as you spelled everything correctly in that post, nope. If you can understand what I'm saying, and I can understand whatever the hell you're saying I'm sure reading isn't a lost art. I mean, society today is based on the art of reading (text messages, chat rooms, the goddamn Internet), and if you can get your point across without speaking, you've accomplished the only reason that reading/writing was invented - to communicate ideas to people you can't see. Doesn't matter how accurately you spell it - if you can implant a seed of knowledge, no matter how mundane, in someone's noggin you have reached the full purpose of written communication.

[Harlequin]

By far the biggest source of books in my life is from the library, as ephemeral their stay in my house seems to be. I love stocking up on books from the library, they're always kept in far better condition than my books, lol. I love borrowing from my friends or my mother, for their books are always better kept than mine plus they're more recent than mine (I usually don't buy books unless they're second hand, I'm a total cheapass, lol) so it's good to borrow from them. Fun fact: my copy of Gone with the Wind was on loan from a friend. When she gave it to me, it was a PERFECT book. Perfect spine, cover, everything. The cover has since been accidentally torn off, the spine is in tatters and I'm missing about 19 pages of the first chapter. Plus, I may or may not have dropped it in the toilet while reading it. I haven't even finished reading it yet! She's still wondering why I haven't given it back to her, but I don't think she'll be very happy with me just when she finds out why I'm not giving it back go her. I'm sorry, Faye!
Anyway, my library cards (that's right, plural, suck it) are usually maxed out to their absolute limit and it's not uncommon to see me lugging multitudes of books onto the bus to read on the way home. Which comes to the next part of your question, I guess. I can read anything on buses and trains, but cars and planes? Nope. Bye. No way in hell. I get sick and I've vomited in those particular modes of transport more than I care to imagine. It's not a pretty sight, to say the least.
It doesn't take me very long to finish a book. In my youth, I powered through the final Harry Potter book (the name of, to my horror, I cannot remember right now) in just one day. Dedication! I tend to power through them in a matter of a week, two at max, regardless of length. For example, the latest Katharine Hepburn biography I've read (I've read many in my time) was about 500 pages long, not counting the acknowledgments and whatever. That took me a week to finish, though I could have done it earlier had I had a two hour period to power through the majority of the book. So, in short, it doesn't take me long at all to read a book.
How many books have I read this year? ****, too many. Probably about 50? Even though I'm busy at work, I often have a lot of spare time waiting for customers or for paperwork to magically flutter into my office so instead of socializing with the crew like any other normal person, I read to my hearts content. It doesn't bother me that the other employees think I'm the ultra bookworm with no social skills, because despite what they think I know, I know all that they think of me. But, anyway, back to the thread at hand.
I always read the latest issue of TIME, plus I go on CNN regularly, even if the majority of my visits there are to check if some celebrity has died or to see how Egypt is going. Although I read the New Zealand Herald regularly, I tend to not trust what they put in the paper, for the paper is far too biased and conveniently forgetful for my tastes. I also happen to read 748292929384884838292928384747483829291918282723736373738181928373737374747373738382828282737373747373728282 gossip magazines/tabloids every day, particularly ones involving Jennifer Aniston, so it's fair to say I read a fair amount of everything, lol.
What sort of a reader am I?
I'll tell you, I'll make it short and sweet.
Vivid, baby. Vivid. I'm a vivid reader.

Now here we are, the focus point of the thread! Here we go!
I do not believe reading is a lost art, no. If you've read all the way down to here, which is a commendable effort, then clearly that shows it is not a lost art in the physical sense of the word, correct? Besides, if I didn't read so often, would I have developed the skills to write such a post?
Reading is by no means a lost art, we're just simply occupying our time in different ways. Like, I'm not saying we've stopped reading, but in the 21st century, we have so much technology to grasp our attention, so much to distract us from reading books. But make no mistake, we're still reading, because chances are whatever you're doing still has text for your brain to analyze, therefore, you are reading!

[Drakow]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)? Yup.
► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle? It makes me feel queasy actually so I don't do it.
► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.) A few days?
► How many books have you read so far this year? A couple.
► Is there anything else you read regularly? The internet.
► Describe what kind of reader you are. Passionate when there's something I want to read.

Yeah I think it is. I just think with all the new advancements in technology and such, overall, people are reading less and less frequently.

[Astinus]

I buy my books mostly. I tend to stick to the same authors, so I know that I'll like the story enough to want to read it again. Plus I have a collection of a certain author's work, so I buy all of his books. It works better for me to buy them. My library doesn't really carry a lot of the books that I like to read.

I can't read in the car. It's not that I have motion sickness. It's just that my neck gets stiff. I also like looking out the window on car rides because I enjoy the scenery.

Last year, I was getting through an average-sized book a week. Now I'm not reading as much as I used to. So it's taking me a while to read anything. I just don't set aside the time to read like I used to. Which explains why I've only read twelve books so far this year. The fastest I've ever read a book was ten hours straight.

Mostly I read fantasy and science fiction. I might read outside of those genres if something sounds interesting or just catches my eye. Really, I read a lot, and it's very rare to see me without a book in my backpack. I've always enjoyed reading, and always will.

As for the final question of the OP's post: It depends on what you mean by "art." Personally, with the invention of ebooks, I think people are reading more because it's easier for them to do so. They don't have to carry around an actual book (which can get difficult if you're reading a 1000+ page book), so it's easier to handle. Plus the ebook device can read out loud with audio books or its own voice program, so people don't have to only be reading. There are people who listen to audio books as they drive, and are able to read more books than just sticking to printed books. So while reading doesn't seem to be as widely practiced as it is now, it's still being done in different ways.

Plus, as was said, it is necessary to be done in order to communicate with others.

[Keiran777]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?

Both. I only buy books, or keep them on hand, if they are some sort of reference book or educational. For fiction and non-fiction, if I can't buy/borrow them from Amazon on my kindle I'll check the local library. I love my kindle fire AND the library very much.


► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?

Yes! That's what I do most during transportation. :D

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)

Well it depends on how interested in it I am, of course. Shorter stories that I've really enjoyed I sometimes read in one sitting of a few hours, most recently "Around The World In Eighty Days" which was only around 330 pages in the format I read it in. Some that I don't really care for have taken months or so. On average, maybe a few days or a week, maybe a bit more if it's exceptionally long or headache-inducing.

► How many books have you read so far this year?
I don't know..30 major ones at least...I don't keep count. :< Feels like most of that is pretty much the second half of the Wheel of Time series.

► Is there anything else you read regularly?
Nintendo Power and stuff on the internet.

► Describe what kind of reader you are.
Obsessed. I pick a few books at a time and cycle reading through them erratically (unless one is really good then I just ignore the rest until I'm done with that one).



Anyways, about the topic. Depends what you mean by "lost art", but I don't think it is either way. Books are secretly driving parts of our culture. Tons of incredibly popular tv shows and movies are based off books or comics, and inspires a lot of those who haven't read them to do so. I know a lot of people are just now beginning to read the Song of Ice and Fire series because of the Game of Thrones tv show- and that's just one example.

As an art though, I don't know. The 2 most read books in the world are hardly works of art, but there are many beautiful stories out there. I think what should be defined as 'art' are the contents of an authors writing, and not the amount of readers it's had or the popularity reading literature has as a whole.

[Scarf]

Just to elaborate, when I said "art" I was trying to bring up the idea of how people approach reading: For fun or practical reasons, literal reading, critical thinking, imagery, etc. etc. Anyone can read a tweet or facebook post, but are people still able to read a novel and figure out what the theme of the book is? That kind of stuff.

[PlatinumDude]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?: I mainly buy my books; I used to borrow from the library a lot, but I don't go to any libraries nowadays.
► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?: I can, for around a few minutes, before I either get drowsy or dizzy.
► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.): On average, around 2-3 months.
► How many books have you read so far this year?: Around 1-2 novels and a whole lot of magazines and comics.
► Is there anything else you read regularly?: Magazines, manga, Sunday newspaper comics and manga
► Describe what kind of reader you are.: I'm more of a science fiction novel reader, but I go into comics every so often.

[Ryoutarou]

I buy my own books, and for various reasons, I don't like to borrow books. I guess the number one reason I don't like borrowing books is because it puts you on a time table and I like reading at my own pace, so having that time table sort of ruins the experience for me. At the moment I have somewhere in the neighborhood of 170 books, so it's not a giant collection, but at the same time, I've already taken up three full shelves and can see the appeal of borrowing for those with limited space.

I can read anywhere sitting down. I'm one of those people who can't read in bed or in any other position that isn't sitting upright. Generally I'm fine with the conditions in a vehicle while I read, but I do tend to feel out of it when the sun is out in stronger force than usual. I guess the heat sort of makes it difficult for me to concentrate? I've never figured it out, but that's the only time I find myself having trouble reading in a car.

As far as averages go...whew, I really do not have one. My reading pattern is essentially "Psht...well I don't feel tired today, let's read!" I can sometimes finish a book in a day, and sometimes I spend three months on a relatively average length book. I wanna say maybe two weeks because that was my average when I read five books within a short amount of time last year.

I've read 12 books so far this year and I'm shooting for 25 by the end of the year. Though best case scenario, I hit at least 30.

Other reading materials for me are generally comics and Reader's Digest. I'm an old man, I know.

I go more for comprehension than speed reading, so I try to take it slow with the things I read. The reason I've only read 12 books so far this year is because I try to limit myself to no more than two chapters of a book per day. I like to read and reread certain passages and let the context of certain things sink in. ...of course you can't do this with all books, so there are certain ones I'll just burn through cause, hey, why not?

I don't see reading as a lost art, but it's definitely an evolving one. More than ever, I think reading has become a casual thing for a lot of people. You can see this reflected in the massive book blogging and BookTuber communities out there. Though, that always makes me realize I'm not a fan of a lot of these people because they do tend to stick to Young Adult, which is fine and dandy for them, but it's not an area of literature I'm too hot on. There will always be that portion of the population who can read something and zone in on the themes of it in an instant, along with those who take a bit longer, but still get to the same place in the end. ...however, I think because of the explosion in casual readers over the last decade, that portion of readers that go for the meatier stuff seems a lot smaller. It's no different than with movies as a medium, more people enjoy popcorn flicks that cerebral stuff.

[Lightning]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
Getting an e-reader kind of killed my ethics. I download pretty much all my books now, though if I really like a book, I'll run out and buy a copy for my shelf. I don't borrow from the library anymore because I don't have a library card for the city I'm in and it's impractical to borrow from the library in Toronto since I'm never home anymore. But I used to borrow books every week last year when I was taking a break from school. I have no problem with borrowing books and I'd go out and get that library card for this place but I know I'd just end up downloading the book and putting it on my e-reader anyway so I haven't bothered.
► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
Yup. I tend to get a bit carsick if I read for a long time in a car/bus but I can read on the way to/from school just fine. On airplanes, I seem to be just fine too.
► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
It depends on the genre/style. If it's a thriller or YA, I can usually finish it in a day or less. Generally it takes me a few days to read a book if I'm really into it. If I'm not, it'll take a week or two depending on how often I pick it up.
► How many books have you read so far this year?
I've read 12 books this year and I'm aiming for 25. So I'm on track, I suppose, although I haven't really done any reading in a few weeks.
► Is there anything else you read regularly?
I read textbooks here and there for fun and I'm always reading blogs, forums, or news articles online. And I play a lot of video games with heavy story, if they count in some capacity. But I don't read any magazines and I'm not really into comics.
► Describe what kind of reader you are.
I read casually. I read to be entertained or to learn something and I'm never concerned with themes or underlying meaning. Sure, some books will hit me and I'll slow down and read through them a lot more carefully, but generally I don't take the time to think about what I read. I'll discuss books no problem if someone reads the same thing I have and occasionally I will find a book that leads me to spend hours speculating what the author meant by a certain passage or the meaning of a character's actions but this isn't a normal thing for me. I didn't enjoy English class all that much in school and while I was good at picking literature apart, I don't really like it for the same reason I don't like finding symbolism in visual art. :P

--

I don't really consider reading to be an art, nevermind a lost art. Writing is certainly an art but reading is much more passive to me. I definitely believe it is something to be encouraged in youth because it's discouraging how many kids/teens I see saying "ugh, I hate reading!" But even those people do a lot more reading than they think--anyone who uses an internet forum (even if they're going the way of the dinosaur :P) has pretty good reading skills. In fact, any kind of social networking has people reading a lot more than they expect. There are still plenty of popular video games that are more text-based than anything else. What are those if not interactive stories? People may not pick up magazines or newspapers very much anymore but is there a difference between reading an article in a newspaper compared to reading it on your computer screen? I don't think so.

None of what I mentioned are really traditional mediums as far as reading goes, but they're very important nowadays and very much in use. I'd argue that people read now more than ever, it's just a matter of what they're reading. Books are still important but they're by no means the only way to gauge readers. They're just among the easiest. Reading will always be one of the most important skills a person can have.

Just because they aren't reading traditional literature and applying their critical thinking to them in order to extract themes, values, intention and meaning doesn't mean they aren't using their critical thinking to do the same thing to more modern forms of communication. (Although I do wish more people on the internet would apply their crit thinking skills from English class to what they read. Comments on news sites where you would expect people to be actively using that skillset are the worst.)

[TRIFORCE89]

How is a reading an art? One day in the future, are we going to consider watching television a "lost art"? If so, I'm quite the artiste :p

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
Buy sometimes, if I find something discounted. Used to do library, but haven't been there in ages. And my aunt unloads her collection on me sometimes

► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
Yeah. I read two books on a trip to Quebec once. All in the car

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
Depends on how often I pick it up. I can be hardcore about it and finish it a few days, or a day - depending on the length. Right now, I read for about 30min-1h a day? On a train to work

► How many books have you read so far this year?
Lots of comic books! But you probably don't mean those. For legit book...I think 4 or 5?

► Is there anything else you read regularly?
Not really. The Interwebz?

► Describe what kind of reader you are.
Very casual and occasional

[Mr Cat Dog]

Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
I can't remember the last time I went to a library for the purposes of reading for pleasure (academic libraries, on the other hand, I'm all too familiar with...) If I want to read a novel, or the like, I'll probably end up buying it. Or just reading it chapter at a time in the bookshop... which I have done on more than one occasion!

Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
Yep. I don't do it all that often, but I've read books on all of the vehicles mentioned, as well as buses during my time on earth so far. My dad can do this as well, but my mum and brother get sick when they try... so they don't!

About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
Normally when I start a book, I tend to plow through it and give it all of my attention and focus. In recent years, I've tended to spend 2-3 hours a day on any given book that I'm reading, so it normally takes about 2-3 days of this to finish an 'average length' book.

How many books have you read so far this year?
I believe I've read 6 books this year, but I might have forgotten some that were particularly bad. Three of them are non-fiction (mainly about the economics of film/TV - YES I AM A NERD!) and the other three are fiction (Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell; The Magicians - Lev Grossman; A Clash of Kings - George R R Martin).

Is there anything else you read regularly?
In terms of actual physical bits of paper, just stuff for school/work. And there's a loooooooooot of that. That's why it takes a lot to get me into a book - as I mostly just associate honest-to-God reading with the opposite of pleasure.

Describe what kind of reader you are.
I'm a very fast reader. I'm not one of those people who can curl up and explore a book and all of its cavernous ways; I like to get to the end as quickly as possible. That's not to say that I don't enjoy reading - I do! - but I don't like spending aaaaaages reading, if that makes sense. Because of this, I do tend to read faster than a lot of people I know.

[Graceful]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
I usually buy them but I do also borrow them from friends and family.

► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
Yep. I can read in a car/train...I haven't really been on a plane or anything else, so I can't really say anything on that one :'D

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
It depends on how busy I am and how into the book I am, but maybe a few hours to a day or so.

► How many books have you read so far this year? 2 new ones and I've also reread a few.

► Is there anything else you read regularly?
Magazines, my local newspaper, articles on the internet

► Describe what kind of reader you are.
I'm actually really dedicated as a reader. I've been reading since when I was 7/8 years old, thanks to my Literacy teacher. I like just sitting down and reading for hours and I won't even realise that the time has passed. (^-^)

[Kyoko]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
95% of the time I buy my books, especially since there's a bunch of bookstores around my campus. My favorite are the used bookstores where you can find really obscure books for dirt cheap. I got a biography on my favorite artist for $2!

► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
I not only can, but highly prefer to read when I'm traveling somewhere :)

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
Hmmm...it really depends on my schedule. During the school year it can take me a few weeks to a month since I have classes and work, but over the summer? A few days to a week tops.

► How many books have you read so far this year?
14

► Is there anything else you read regularly?
I tend to read political blogs and world news every couple of days or so.

► Describe what kind of reader you are.
A picky reader with broad interests. Just about any story has the ability to fascinate me, especially if it's non-fiction BUT I am so unbelievably picky about the writing style. If I'm not totally engrossed after the first chapter, I get bored and give up on it.

I don't think reading is a lost art, FAHRENHEIT 451 WON'T HAPPEN IN MY LIFETIME >:O While yes, we are going more digital, people are still reading. Just not in the same format. I hope it's never a lost art :(

[CarcharOdin]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?

I usually buy my books/textbooks. Manga I usually read online due to numerous volumes and the costs of certain series I read, but I occasionally buy some.

I rarely use the library due to my procrastination causing me to not finish books by the time they're due back.

► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?

Not really in a car. Screws with my head. I can in other vehicles, however.

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)

At my best, it takes me no more than a week to finish a book of about 200-250 pages if I'm at least moderately interested. Fastest I've ever done is read Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows in only about two days. Of course, I'm a chronic procrastinator, so sometimes it takes me a lot longer, especially if the book isn't particularly interesting.

► How many books have you read so far this year?

So far, about 4-5 completely, if we count humor books. This is probably going to increase due to my recent interest in Chuck Palahnuik. I've been casually reading Lord of the Rings, so that one is going to take a little while.

The number is probably higher if we count manga/comics (especially the number of volumes in Pokemon Adventures). Another thing that'll make the number go up is my textbooks and other books I haven't finished.

► Is there anything else you read regularly?

I read TV Tropes so much it's not even funny; or maybe it is if your sense of humor is that sick. I read manga from time to time as well.

► Describe what kind of reader you are.

I'm a casual reader. Books with a lot of humor tend to pique my interest the most, but I get into other genres on occasion. I spend more of my time listening to music, playing video games, or working, but I read pretty quick when I'm in the right mood.

[death_note]

Originally Posted by Scarf

First, a quick survey. (Don’t worry, it’s optional!)

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
► How many books have you read so far this year?
► Is there anything else you read regularly?
► Describe what kind of reader you are.

Now that that's out of the way, and to give this thread some validity, is reading becoming a lost art?

-Library
-I read when I'm bored on the bus, or at home
-idk, maybe if it's good/addicting I can read it in a week
-I don't keep track
-I love reading manga.

[YungKnowledge]

Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, ect)?
I buy most of my books but I do borrow some from friends and family. I love my tablet and nook because I have found some very awesome and Cheap books on both machines.
Can you read in car/train/airplane/or other vehicle?
Yes, I do a lot of the time.
About how long does it take you to finish a book?
It can take a couple of days to about week. It just depends how into the story I am.
How many books have you read so far this year?
About 10 to 15 not including ones for my classes.
Is there anything else you read regularly?
Information Technology Textbooks, Fantasy, Fan Fiction, Manga, Comics and Romance.
Describe what kind of reader you are.
I read to relax most of the time unless its a text book for one of my classes.

I really don't think read is a lost art. I just think most people have gotten lazy and have decide to take the easy way out like watching the movie instead of reading the book.

[Omer.]

► Do you buy books or borrow them (from friends, the library, etc.)?
I prefer to own my books rather than borrow them, since I don't have to be as careful with them anymore if they're mine. I'll usually download an e-book of a book which I want to read, and if it's really good, I'll usually get the hard copy.

► Can you read in a car/train/airplane/other moving vehicle?
This is a mixed bag. I've never had a problem reading on aeroplanes, but sometimes I'll get motion-sickness from reading on a land vehicle, especially if the ride is a bit rough.

► About how long does it take you to finish a book? (Assume an “average” length book.)
If it's a really good book and I have nothing to do, I'll have it done in a few days. If I don't like a book, or if it's too long for me to bother with, I usually just drop out of reading it after the first chapter or two. XD

► How many books have you read so far this year?
I can't put down an exact number, but it must be at least 10, since I'm doing IB English and we were assigned a ton of books and plays to read this year.

► Is there anything else you read regularly?
Do Wikipedia articles count? XD;

► Describe what kind of reader you are.
I love reading. I'll read anything that captures my fancy, and I'm really entertained. Sometimes I'll catch myself reading the nutritional information on food containers while I'm eating. Of course, when it comes to books and stories, if a story or book isn't interesting enough to keep me engaged for its entire plot, I simply won't bother to finish it.

Now to the thread question. I think that people are reading books less and less, or at least from what I've observed. Can you really blame them? There's so much alternative media to choose from and for some people, watching a movie or playing a video game simply beats sitting down to read a good book. That's what I've observed, anyway.