Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Bestselling Books by Lisa Adams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this book, the authors explore the titles on the Publisher's Weekly bestseller lists over a period of ten years. Looking for trends and reasons, they group these books into the following general types: Diet, Wealth, and Inspiration; Good and Evil; Love, Romance, and Relationships; Religion and Spirituality; Reading for Redemption. There are a lot of great genres not represented here, but that's because they weren't present on the bestseller lists.

Their conclusions here are a bit sad. Based on their analysis, Americans read to find themselves cathartically reflected in the story, or to find an easy way to a more perfect life. And most men don't read.

Although I enjoyed this book, I don't really buy it. If it's accurate, we are a nation of really shallow people.

Speaking of not really buying, I would love to see a similarly constructed book that examines the books with the top library circulation during this same period. Many people prefer to borrow than buy.

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