Reading is fun, yes yes?

[JohnSmith]

Well my family has seven bookcases full of the reasons we like to read, and for the most part I have found that people who don't like to read fall into two categories; Those who aren't very good at it, which makes reading a novel a rather tortuous process and those who simply haven't been introduced to good books. Now by good books I do not mean classics often they are the absolute worst for a new reader, and if you throw someone who doesn't read much Heinlein or Tolkien they aren't going to cope with the density of the writing. The Terry Pratchet books are good for introducing someone to recreational reading, particularly someone who lost interest in reading because of the school system forcing them to read, dense depressing poorly written pap.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

We don't like it because we're trained not to like it. (the latter part goes *snip*)

I'd have to second that. Quite a few people go from books being read to them straight to being told to read (some don't even experience the first part). And don't you just hate being told to do stuff?

A little example from yrs truly: one of the books I had to read in high school was "The Great Gatsby". First time I read it, I hated it. It seemed boring, unimaginative and a chore on all counts. A few months later, on the verge of plunging into insanity for want of anything to read, I picked it up and read it leisurely, with no deadlines and consciousness that someone told me to read it. And it sucked me in like... Yeah, you all know what.

Another thing I've noticed - not really applying to school age - is that when I've started working full-time, coming back home after 8 hours of work, I was just too tired to read. I can usually only spend some time reading over the weekend, otherwise I'd rather play a videogame or watch something. Less effort involved.

 

[eelel]

I really enjoy reading but in my town it's because people can't appreceat how much better they can be over movies (I know plenty of people who would rather wait for the movie and never touch the novel even if the film is just hollywood trash (not the film by jhon travolta I mean in general))

that is sad because i really liked the first 5 hary poter books and the 4th movie inparticular sucked

 

[Fruitloops89]

I went a looong time without reading for fun because I was always being told what to read then spoiled when I finally pick the damn thing up. That is why I started not bringing up books in public and read when I do a mini hermitage

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I don't read a lot because i find that most of the speed and tension of action packed situations are completely ruined by descriptions of the environment around the characters and things of that nature. Also, in any given book I'd say at least 50% is describing things i don't care about. For example most authors would say something like "bob woke up on a cold winter morning, with jackfrost nipping at his scrotum. He yawned, made his way off the bed and groggily made his way down the stairs" VS what i want to see, which is "Bob woke up and went downstairs"

Only author ive read that doesnt bore me to tears is Matt Reilly

 

[shaboinkin]

while there are a few fiction books that i like, and c.s lewis, i mainly read to inform myself. The amount of hours wasted on wikipedia just reading about history and shit is crazy. I read multiple physics books and I go online just to read shit that would benefit me.
Other then that, im kinda picky when it comes to fiction books.

btw, Dracula is fucking amazing

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

4Kids' Al Kahn is at the head of a conspiracy to make children stop reading so they can buy more merchandise.

....I'm not kidding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0-jWzqMTp8

 

[d7rth j0e]

hells yeah reading is fun. I love sci fi, anything fiction really, though I like some history books, especially those written in the 20's cause those have such drascially different viewpoints on things. Sadly, I study so much that once I actually get done studying, I don't want to pick up another book unless I in the middle of something really exciting. I usually go outside and bike, walk the dog, or play videogame.

 

[TaborMallory]

I couldn't accurately exaggerate how much I prefer reading over movies, so I'll just state why I do.

Books:
-Provide prolonged entertainment
-Are far more immersive
-Are far less restricted than movies (i.e. No actors, no props, etc.) and thus aren't as easily destroyed
-Go way farther into detail

That's all I can think of right now. I'm too busy reflecting upon Michael Crichton's infinitely amazing books.

 

[Maet]

Aside from everyday reading (newspapers, articles, forums, manuals, instructions, reviews, etc.) I hardly ever read fiction for leisure. The only "books" I read are classical texts, such as Homer, Virgil, Plutarch, Ovid, Thucydides, Cicero, Caesar, Martial, Horace, etc.

Quite simply, I just don't enjoy reading very much.

 

[Motti]

What I say to people is that I don't like reading per se, I just like reading good books. I don't get a kick out of text, it's just that a good book will keep me absorbed. I find the classical texts to be fairly boring (it's easy to tell that Charles Dickens was paid by the word). The books I read aren't meant to be art, they're meant to be fun, to entertain me. For example, Matthew Reilly. Not exactly the greatest literature, but it's a fun read,

Also, I want to be an author so I try and read as widely as possible.

 

[DoctorWhat]

I think the main reason kids don't read is they either find it uncool or find it difficult. If a slow reader has to read an entire book its like a chore.

This.
I personally will read anything, anywhere. If I don't have a book, I resort to reading the labels on jars, toilet paper packages, I have even been known to take off my tshirt to read the labels on them.

 

[ironmace2.0]

I dont think people read because they have found much quicker sources of entertainment Games, Movies,TV you get that picture.

But me nothing beats a good book!

 

[AhumbleKnight]

I love reading a good series of books anf getting lost in the story. A good author can create a universe that is detailedand exciting with characters that you can really get to love/hate/identify with. I prefer a good book to a good movie any day of the week.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

i read occasionally, and enjoy it when i do for the most part, but my attention span is short and i often devote it to more visceral entertainment - movies and video games. Not a positive quality...

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I used to read tons when I was a kid, pretty much stopped when I got to Secondary school where work and the pleasures of youth kept me occupied so I read very rarely. After that I took up WanderFreaks suggestion.
I have recently picked up "The Vampire Genevieve", (almost) the only decent GW novel (collection) out there and should really get round to reading it.

Why don't people like reading? Because there are other things they enjoy doing more.

 

[justnotcricket]

I love reading all sorts of books, from thrillers to classics to sci-fi/fantasy stuff (although I do admit to preferring the tongue-in-cheek stuff like Terry Pratchett rather than the interminable Robert Jordan-type 'epics').

Unfortunately, all I get the time to read these days is journal articles. Admittedly, some of them are about really cool stuff like self-assembling molecular-scale nano-cars with buckyballs for wheels, but sometimes you just want to relax with a novel. I used to spend whole days reading before I hit graduate school... =P

 

[MasterSqueak]

I love to read, I just hate books. Stupid pages never stay open.

 

[Agent Larkin]

I will read anything if i am asked too. Unless the book is horribly bad. I will read anything by Bernard Cornwell without prompting though.