How many books do you read a year?

These days, it seems that everyone I meet has written a book. As an author myself, I’d much rather for everyone to have read a book in the past week. Or, gee, even a newspaper.

Trying to get solid figures on how much is being published or read is trickier than you might suspect. But to get us started, let me offer some findings, albeit with a grain of salt. And, to further complicate matters, I’m not exactly sure how the researchers are defining “book.” I’m assuming textbooks, instruction manuals, catalogs, and the like are excluded. But cookbooks? They’re big in our household. That said, in the United States:

1. Readership averages four books a year.
2. A quarter to a half of adults admit to reading no books.
3. A typical bookworm, on the other hand, devours 14 a year.
4. Non-fiction dominates over fiction, three to two.
5. History, biography, and memoir are major sellers.
6. Two-thirds of book readers are women, but they comprise 80 percent of the fiction audience. Some surveys suggest that women age 18-24 are the most frequent fiction readers.
7. On the other hand, half of American book readers are over age 55.
8. Romance is the best-selling fiction genre, accounting for a third of the books sold. Mystery, fantasy, and sci fi are also boffo.
9. Fiction titles still dominate bestseller lists.
10. Books aren’t just for readers. They’re also for collectors. And gift giving.