Oh dear, we don't read as much as we claim

by: Garry Pierrepont (21 April 2017)

According to a report by the BBC, we Brits say can't find the time to read.

This is tragic – and it doesn't just apply to youngsters. It's adults too. The BBC report (Too busy to read? You're not the only one) is based on a survey suggesting that Britons would like to read more, but apparently can't find the time.

The survey by The Reading Agency of 2,000 adults says that 67% would like to read more, but 48% say they are too busy. An amazing and sad 35% said that they struggled to find a book that they really liked.

And seemingly, some people claim to have read a book, when they've only actually seen the film! Examples are James Bond books, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Da Vinci Code and The Hunger Games.

Millennials seem to know that they should read (but don't), with 64% claiming to read more than they actually do. A quarter of 18-24-year-olds admitted to having lied about reading Tolkein's Lord of the Rings.

I guess it's a sad reflection of modern life, when we're all clutching mobile phones all the time, life is fast and we 'just don't have the time'.

World Book Night is on 23 April – the day when book lovers are asked to give a good book to someone who doesn't read often enough. Let's do it!

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