#LostGeneration
Are we in danger of losing a generation of potential readers? The PHS investigates...
As we get busy with things like higher education, career building, travelling and having fun with friends, then move on to falling in love, building a home together and starting a family, there may not be time for reading. But will we come back to it one day? What if we didn't read to begin with? These are the kind of questions which led to the creation of the PHS reader survey, the results of which we will share in six months' time.
In the meantime, we invited a random group of women to share their reading habits with us. This is what some of the 18-25s had to say...
Name: Holly
Age: 18 - 25
Do you read much? As I've got older I haven't read as much, the most recent books being biographies such as Gaz from Geordie Shore, Cheryl Cole, James Arthur etc. However, when the 50 Shades Of Grey books came out I was obsessed. I work a lot now so never find myself having a lot of time. What little I do have I spend socializing. But I would like to get into regular reading again.
Do you have any favorite genres or tropes? My favourite genre used to be chick-lit but now I prefer dark, mystery type books.
Where do you find books? I've always found my books in bookstores and still love going in to see what's new.
Do you stalk your favorite authors on Social Media? The only author I've ever loved enough to do that with was Roald Dahl but I did love the Harry Potter books and want to read Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them so I guess I should think about following JK Rowling.
Name: Liddy
Age: 18 - 25
Do you read much? I try to read as often as I can but my eyesight is not as good as it once was so I am obliged to partake only of those books I can find as eBooks or Audiobooks. I would love to read more often, but it's physically too painful, so I have to pick and choose a bit. I only read about one/two books a month now, so I want to make sure I choose good ones!
Do you have any favorite genres or tropes? Anything with an emphasis on family. Little is more romantic, in my view, than people building a family together. It's the ‘little’ moments that turn a good story into a great one. I also enjoy Fantasy/Supernatural books because, say what you will, there is something perpetually intriguing about the Unknown.
Where do you find books? My mother often has recommendations, or I’ll find some on Tumblr. The people I follow on social media tend to have the same likes/dislikes as I do as regards to literature. I have been known to spend a few hours just wandering bookshops, running my fingers across the spines, but most of my book searching is online. Google is golden and Amazon tempts me towards bankruptcy!
Do you stalk your favorite authors on Social Media? Absolutely! Their websites, too! I love knowing about the people who’ve written the books I’ve read. It's fascinating to see a person’s face and think, “This whole thing came out of their BRAIN. They IMAGINED this.” I also like stalking them to find out when they’re releasing another book.
Name: Katie
Age: 18 - 25
Do you read much? ALL THE TIME. I love to read. When I’m busy with essays or exams I sometimes find it hard to find the time, but it is my favourite pastime. I use novels as motivation to finish my degree reading, and it’s an excellent incentive to get through piles of scholarly stuff!
Do you have any favorite genres or tropes? Romance, in all its forms. I am a History student, so I love Historicals and Regency Romances especially. Honestly, I read any Romance, whether it be historical, contemporary or comedy. The only Romance genre I think I haven’t read is Paranormal, but I would like to give a try sometime to see what it’s all about!
Where do you find books? Amazon Kindle is my go-to place to find books. The beauty of online is that you have access to a wide range of books, without ever having to leave the comfort of your own sofa!
Do you stalk your favorite authors on Social Media? I follow some of my favourite authors, like Tessa Dare and Julia Quinn on Twitter, but I wouldn’t say I stalk them though! I tend to visit their author websites more than their Twitter accounts, as this is normally where they have their blogs, which I really enjoy reading to be nosey!
Name: Lara
Age: 18 - 25
Do you read much? I pretty much only read when I'm on holiday, but when I'm on holiday I read constantly, this is because I have far more free time than I usually would in my normal day to day life. Therefore my reading is quite irregular, but I do thoroughly enjoy it.
Do you have any favorite genres or tropes? Definitely crime/thriller novels. I have read romance novels before and I do enjoy them but they're not my favourite.
Where do you find books? I just go into book shops and look in the genre sections that I like, then read the blurbs of several books to choose the one I want to read.
Do you stalk your favorite authors on Social Media? I don't have particular authors I look out for unless I'm looking for a sequel to a book I've read.
Are you a reader who has less time to read these days? Have your reading habits changed over the years? Can you suggest any romance books for our 18 - 25's to try? Let us know on Social Media or in the comments below and don't forget to direct your friends and family towards the PHS reader survey.
Come back next month to meet some of our 25 -35 yr old test subjects!
