As streaming services and social media dominate the lives of Australians, it can feel like a chore for some to remember to pick up a book.
With the COVID-19 lockdowns a thing of the past for Australians, some may be finding it harder to fit in some reading time during the day.
According to the 2021 National Reading Survey by Australia Reads, 75 per-cent of the general public read just one book a year. So, how can the Australian public read more?
By reading just 10 minutes a day before bed or on public transport, people who read only occasionally could become frequent readers and could go from reading one book a year to at least 12. On average, a person can read 300 words a minute which would mean that they could finish a novel every month, with the average book containing 90,000 words.
Reading just 10 minutes a day means more people could finish one book per month.
How many books are people reading?
Finding time to read is the first step for most people, with the next challenge being to choose what book to read.
When choosing a new book to read everyone has different criteria, whether that be the genre, author, how long the book is, the price or the overall aesthetic of the novel.
Factors people consider when choosing a new book
In a reading survey conducted by the Australia Council for the Arts in 2017, it was found that genre is the most important criterion for people when finding a new book to read, with the least important being it’s front cover.
To take a closer look, we can now see the order of importance for both women and men of how they choose a new book to read.
What females find important when deciding on a new book
Although each chart produces similar results, it is indicated that women tend to hold criteria such as a book’s popularity, reviews and the price of novels with higher importance.
What males find important when deciding on a new book
Data also reveals that both female and male audiences tend to find that the genre of a book to be the most important when finding what to read. This is 89 per-cent for males and 90 per-cent for females, with only a one per-cent difference.
As Australia finds its new normal and people try to get back into routine, one thing is for certain: everyone could spare 10 minutes a day to pick up an interesting book and get their words in.
(FEATURED IMAGE: Michelle Wong stands on Melbourne’s public transport reading ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie. In an interview for BBC Culture in 2017, Ms Wong said she “discovered a love for reading on the train” after getting bored on her phone.)
