to not understand people who never read...

[upsylazy]

Books, I mean - not Heat or Closer. I know it's none of my business and I know they're not doing anyone any harm by not reading books but, to a bookworm like me, I find it as baffling as someone saying that they don't like music. I suppose it's people like Victoria Beckham who positively boast that they've never read a book who particularly annoy me. Go easy on me, I've got a headache.

I forgot to say the OP is BU. Each to their own. I might not entirely understand their lack of interest,but it doesn't mean that they're deficient in some way.

I used to read, then I got severe asthma and it affected my ability to focus which makes reading difficult.

I've recently read the new SVH book, and have been re-reading childhood faves, as the print is bigger and they are shorter. I love the Adventure series, by Enid Blyton and my old Judy Blume's

I mainly read recipe books now.

Clearly I don't read enough though, when I manage to put random apostrophes in words.

As for what people read,again each to their own. I don't care if someone reads only what's known as chicklit,and nothing else.

Different people like different things.

I can't type today.

I don't read as much as I used to, because I don't have a long commute. I used to read on the train. Now I try to read before going to sleep but sleep often takes over. When I do read I quite often read non-fiction these days. I just read several books about keeping chickens :) I've read a few of Michael Wood's history books. The book at the top of my pile at the moment is The No Cry Sleep Solution!

My MIL said she was never interested in reading for pleasure much until recently, she was a science teacher and is quite a clever lady so I wouldn't necessarily think you have to be a bookworm to be bright and well informed.

Netto, I love the Adventure series too - not many people seem to have heard of it compared with the Famous Five. I read them recently and still thought they were great. I used to read by the street light as a kid when my parents thought I was asleep and even when eating breakfast had to be reading even if it was the back of the cornflakes box. I only ever read light stuff now, can't bear anything serious that has won a prize. Got locked in the library once as I was so immersed in a book and hadn't seen everyone leave.

YABU. People could have some kind of learning disability that saps all the joy out of reading. Dyslexia for example. And what about people who have been forced to read from the first day they started formal schooling? Forced to read stuff that was too boring and dry for them? People whose experience of learning to read as a child was filled with punishment and coercion? People who have had lots of negative experiences as a child with regards to reading?

My friend who is an employment lawyer always used to whip out the latest Hello magazine at lunch time and general stuck to lightweight fiction otherwise. She considered it a light relief from her job.

I don't understand it either. As someone else said earlier in thread; it is almost a compulsion with me, I HAVE to read. Yet himself just doesn't read at all. Barely glances through a paper even. He says he can't concentrate on reading. Weirdo :-)

My sister does not have A SINGLE BOOK in the house. She has children and people give them books. She puts them in a cupboard. Hates clutter and hates dust. I always give the children books as presents - just to annoy her.

I read all the time. I am also a writer so it would be poor form if I did not.

It is great for your vocabulary, for learning about other worlds etc....

I agree LTBR - surely reading history or biography or something about sport or cars would be a better preparation for a pub quiz than reading Jane Eyre.

Tabliope, I have 5 but am missing three.
I'm dying to order them on Amazon

I love EB, and they suit me now as I really can't focus well so I read 4 or 5 pages at a time.
Anything that requires thought just doesn't work.

I really do miss reading whatever I want though.

I love reading also-always have a book on the go & read every day, even if it´s only half an hour.

Husband the same.

But both children only read when they "have to" for school.

Really saddens me tbh.

valiumbandwitch "My brother would look down on me slightly for only ever reading fiction! He reads books about science, economics, autobiographies,,,, all very worthy I'm sure."

I used to work with someone a bit like this. He was an intelligent and articulate bloke and read quite a bit but he said that he never, ever read fiction, couldn't see the point in it and thought it a complete waste of time.

Several of us on the team were bookworms and tried to argue the point with him but he just couldn't get it at all.

Chez 5foot5 we are all avid readers and the book situation is getting slightly out of hand at the moment and we need more book cases and to re-arrange the furniture a bit to fit them in. We do have a sort out from time to time and send books we don't want anymore to the charity shops and we do borrow from the library alot rather than buying, but they still multiply.

diddl, DD's the same, she did read the flower fairies books and loved Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but won't touch anything else.

She thinks I'm odd for loving books!

Most of my best memories involve a book.

I really do miss reading properly

Netto, I had my dad's old hard back Adventure series books from when he was a kid but he was missing a few so I bought the set a few years ago from Tesco as they had them 2 for the price of 1. I love them. They were all so exciting. I think the Ship of Adventure is my favourite but love them all really. Least favourite is the Circus of Adventure. I always wanted a parrot like Kiki. I recommend them to every kid to read. Go and treat yourself on Amazon :)

What I don't understand is people who claim to love reading but then say that they hardly read anything now that they are parents. For me, reading is like breathing and I'd be no more likely to stop reading because of children than I would stop eating or washing. Or maybe I am just A Bad Parent!!!

To me, a world without books is incredible to imagine but I suppose people differ and I have to accept that not everybody is the same as me (thank goodness!). :)

I couldn't imagine not reading but then there are people out there who could not imagine ever watching the soaps every week. Everyone is different. As long as people don't try to stop me from reading then I have no problem!

I have to read. I can't not read. I love reading, mostly fiction because I use it as a form of escapism.
DH rarely if ever reads for fun. He has read a few books in his life - mostly biogs of rockstars like Axel Rose and Motley Crue - but he can't really see the attraction, he'd rather read the football news or watch a film or tv.
And his general knowledge and vocabulary is rather limited as a result, I believe.

YABU to not understand
YANBU to recognise that their lives are poorer than yours.

I'm another of those people for whom reading is a part of my life, and I've always got a book on the go, thinking about what I might like to read next, etc. I think it's a real shame that people don't read. I don't understand it, but then a lot of people don't ride bicycles (something else I couldn't live with) but we're all different.

I agree with those who say that not reading is like not speaking or not eating. Just something one does when one is alive

the thing about reading fiction is that you pick up a lot of general knowledge about a period or place or whatever whilst following the story and you tend to remember it more than if it was a non-fiction book. From the newspaper blurb I gather the Apprentice contestants had to gather some items together and one was a "cloche". I have never read a book about hats but have read enough period fiction to know that a cloche is one! I know a surprising amount about animals that I learnt from Tammylan in the Children of Willow Farm series by Blyton . There is a reason why, in pre-literate societies, parables were used as a method of communication - they are more memorable than lectures or rules.