Guys Reading in the Wild

 

Last week I posited that books aren’t pink. In other words, guys read too. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a fellow reviewing a book who stated he reads 100 books a year. For proof, he referred the reader to his GoodReads account. That’s doggone incredible. He’s to be commended.

Sunday, I was in the airport. Aside from myself, I saw two guys reading while waiting for their flights, and another one carrying a book. I didn’t see a single woman reading. They were eating or talking.

Guys do read. Period. End of story.

If the data is correct that women make the majority of book purchases, then the question that needs to be asked is, how can we get more guys to buy books? Assuming, of course, that the book purchases women make are all for themselves. Which may not in fact be the case.

It could be a situation where guys are using the credit cards and accounts of their mothers, wives, sisters, or girlfriends. Which happens to be what my nephew does. It could also be the case of men such as Michael Anderle, who read 180 books a year on Kindle Unlimited before becoming a writer. One hundred and eighty books read, but not purchased.

It might also be a situation where women buy more books than men simply because they are romance readers, and romance readers are the acme of the voracious reader.

A man buys a science-fiction novel, and a woman buys half a dozen romance novels. Just looking at the statistics, women buy six times the books that men do. Never mind one man and one woman bought those seven books.

This is the kind of slight of hand the publishing industry engages in to justify whatever they wish to justify. Such as the claim they made a few years ago about the renaissance of the physical book versus the ebook. In fact, there was no renaissance of the physical book because the supposed increase was due to the coloring book fad that was occurring at the time. The industry made the claim because they don’t like ebooks. A brilliant illustration of industry bias skewing the data.

But let’s assume for the moment that the myth is true: guys don’t read or buy books. How can we change that? We need to cultivate a positive masculine image around books. Real men read books. And that message needs to be spread far and wide. Probably on the same level that we spread the news that cigarette smoking is bad for your health.

Only in this way, will we be able to counter the damage done in public schools, where boys are taught subliminally that books and reading are for girls.

Guys do read books. And this is a good thing. Reading stimulates the mind, and I think a good imagination and good mental health is important for the male of the species.

Women, encourage the men in your life to read. Men, encourage your buddies to experience a good book and share with them the good books you have read.

Comments are always welcome. And until next time, happy reading!