10 different kinds of readers

Reading fiction & nonfiction books offer much needed respite on a journey called life. Although, this activity is a solitary affair it guarantees a plethora of benefits. Reading provides unadulterated entertainment, tickles our emotional and intellectual senses, and allows us to introspect and spend time in our own company.

However, the approach to reading a book differs from person to person and the same can be broadly classified into 10 categories.

1. The Voracious Reader 

At the top of this list are people who thrive on reading, called the avid / voracious readers. They are glued to the book most of the times, even at odd hours, chewing nails or biting lips, wearing a frown, and completely disconnected from the real world. Readers of this kind are not too fussy about their reading space; even a washroom is good enough. They are writer’s muse and a delight when it comes to beta reading. Unfortunately, they are fast becoming extinct species.

2. The Procrastinator

Readers from this category will buy a book and then literally sleep over it for weeks. And then, out of the blue, pick it up from the shelf and accomplish the task with amazing discipline.

3. The Traitor

They are the ones who will never finish reading a book even if the plot is intriguing and the writing compelling. They are habitual offenders and have no regrets. Some of the reasons for their irrational behaviour are mentioned below.

1. A new ‘Must Read’ list recommended by a close friend.
2. An abrupt visit to a bookstore, and then falling in love with a new author.
3. Out of habit.
4. All of the above.

4. The Exhibitionist

Now, some people love the company of books. They carry them to office, college and even picnics, but never read a single page or maybe they do read a page or two, and then indulge in it only on their next sojourn. It seems the musty smell of the book somehow satiates their reading hunger more than the written words.

5. The Bibliophile

A bibliophile is an ardent lover of books and therefore collects them like a philatelist would collect postage stamps. A person from this class of readers decorates his/her immaculate wooden bookshelf with latest books and not ashamed to brag about it. A bibliophile makes sure the books are indexed, dusted regularly, well protected and also keeps a vigilant eye on the books which have been lent out to friends and family.

6. The Genre Mercenaries

Then there are genre specific readers. They rarely cross the self-imposed boundary of the literary kind. In a way readers belonging to ‘Genre Specific’ class are often fanatic about what they read.

7. The Bedtime Readers

Yet another family of readers are those that indulge in reading activity just before they hit the bed ( Or in the bed ). While some find reading a sleep inducing affair there are others who choose this hour because of time constraints.

8. The Vacation Reader

As the name suggests, readers belonging to this category carry paperbacks and eBooks when on vacation. It sounds weird and to a certain extent self-defeating because vacation is synonymous with fun and relaxation and so are books. Nonetheless, there are times during vacation when one feels like flipping through an unfinished book.

9. The Travelling Reader

A certain section of people like to read while commuting. It reduces the drag and the boredom of indulging in the same routine day after day. It also offers a great opportunity to people who are always short of time, and therefore find ‘Workplace Travel’ a perfect period to catch up with reading or listening to music / book podcasts.

10. The ‘Book made into a film’ Reader

Yes, there are people who prefer reading a book which has been adapted into a film.

So, which category do you belong to?