The premise of books and the act of reading them as a dying hobby always comes up in conversation with my literary friends. However, the recent coronavirus pandemic has me wondering if those stuck at home are reading more.
From Publishers Weekly:
While demand for books has historically been steady, McLean said, buying patterns have changed as a result of the pandemic. Between March 1 and April 4, demand spiked in such categories as outdoor skills (with print units up 74% over last year); medical history, including books on the 1918 flu pandemic (up 71%); games and activities (up 42%); and literary fiction (up 10%).
Read the whole article here.
I also noted from the article that, “the pandemic has changed where people buy books, with print sales at online retailers growing since March 1 and sales at physical retailers declining. Covid-19 has also had a marked impact on the largest book-buying metropolitan areas.”
I’ll be interested to see what happens after the pandemic. I’m sure unemployment plays a large part in not only the time to read, but the ability to purchase new reading material. I hope everyone is taking the time to read, not only to pass the time, but to explore new worlds and gain new knowledge.
Don’t waste this time on sadness!
