Every reader has their own idiosyncratic style of reading. Mark O’Connell, who writes for the New Yorker’s Page-Turner blog, confessed to being a promiscuous reader: a reader that abandons one book for another. O’Connell writes: “I’ll be reading a novel and thoroughly enjoying it. Then I’ll be in a bookshop and I’ll see something I’ve been anticipating, and I’ll buy it. I’ll start reading the new book on the bus home that evening, and that will be the end of the original affair… I can’t help myself from pursuing whatever new interest happens to turn my head. Perhaps that’s just a tortuous way of admitting to being a pathetic serial book-adulterer who’ll chase after anything in a dust jacket.”
Inspired by O’Connell’s confession, Jen Doll of the Atlantic Wire developed a classification of book readers, based on her own observations, so that bibliophiles everywhere can diagnose themselves accurately and seek professional help if necessary. You know who you are.
The Book Buster: reading books any where you are or go, with very little concern of how you treat the books.
The Chronological Reader: reading every book you buy, borrow, or steal.
Delayed-Onset Reader: Buying several books at a time, but taking a long time to get to them.
The Hate Reader: reading books you love to hate.
[The Show Off Reader]: Buying books to display them to impress people.
The Bookophile: Buy and read books to rescue or to cherish them.
The Cross-Under Reader: Buy and enjoy children’s books as an adult.
The Book Snob: Reads only hardback edition of classics.
The Multi-Tasker Reader: Reading from several books at one time.
The Hopelessly Devoted Reader: Only reads books from their favorite author(s).
The Sleepy Bedtime Reader: Reading only at bedtime and falling asleep to a book.
The Conscientious Reader: Only reads nonfiction books that are meaningful.
The Critic: Reads books in order to discuss them with others.
The Easily-Influenced Reader: Easily influenced by the books he or she reads.
The Sharer: Shares favorite books with others and enjoys discussing them.
The Re-Reader: Reads the same books over and over.
Read related post: The Power of Literature
How Many People Read Books?
Why Do People Collect Things?
For further reading: theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/08/what-kind-book-reader-are-you-diagnostics-guide/56337/
theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/08/many-more-types-book-readers-diagnostics-addendum/56425/
newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/08/promiscuous-reading.html#entry-more
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