October 12, 2010

New Poll: Mysteries Top Reading Choice over Romances - Finally!

Well, looks like pollsters are finally catching on to what many of us already know - that mysteries and thrillers are favorite reads.

A recent Harris Poll cited in Publishers Weekly noted that mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels beat out chick-lit and romance novels by a large margin; and that more women than men read mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels.

The August online poll of 2,775 U.S. adults found that of those who read at least one book in a year (only one?):
* Nearly half (48%) read mysteries, thrillers and crime novels
* Science fiction was read by 26%
* "Literature" (?) was read by 24%
* One in 10 read graphic novels (11%) in the past year.

Top nonfiction reading choices were history (31%), biographies (29%) and religious/spiritual books (26%).

By age, 61% of readers 65 and up -mostly women - were more likely to read mystery, thriller, and crime novels.

Guess I'm a statistic; mysteries -mostly cozy or a thriller - are my first reading choice, along with some horror and occasional sci-fi.

** That said, what are your reading choices?

4 comments:

Christina said...

Romance for me I'm afraid. mysteries and thrillers bore me.

Enid Wilson said...

Huh? I thought there are more romance readers out there. It's lucky that my next book will be a romantic mystery.

My Darcy Mutates

CA Verstraete said...

Romances... were...

Boring? Well my next mystery I'm sending around is set in a diner with a mother-daughter team and a little romance, and a flirty waitress... I don't think it sounds boring. ha!

CA Verstraete said...

Romances... were...

Boring? Well my next mystery I'm sending around is set in a diner with a mother-daughter team and a little romance, and a flirty waitress... I don't think it sounds boring. ha!