Reading data

Much of the loudest buzz within the book business is of Random House's plan to swallow Simon & Schuster.

S&S among other advantages could enjoy more outlets for its books. But such a vision still reeks of "shuffling chairs on the Titanic."  Read more

Look at a large set of data for long enough and you'll see a story. It could be a dystopia or the early part of a post-apocalyptic horror, but in this case, it's the story of a dysfunctional relationship.  Read more

The most popular books genres in the UK

It turns out we're a nation hooked on crime and thrillers, with over a third of Brits reading these genres regularly. Mystery and drama follow in third and fourth position, with 34.9% and 32.9% of the population selecting these as their favoured genres.  Read more

Literacy remains one of the UK's biggest challenges. One in six adults lacks basic literacy skills* and, as a result, faces a high risk of unemployment, poverty, poor health and crime**. Add to this the fact that low literacy is set to cost the UK economy £32.1 billion by 2025*** and you start to see the immensity of the challenge we face.

The number of adults in the US reading novels and short stories has hit a new low, with the decline of almost 8% in the last five years seen mainly among women, African Americans and younger adults, according to a major new survey.