Earlier this week we asked you to complete a silly holiday survey, and more than 500 people responded! Without further ado, here are the revealing results. (Here’s a hint—BookPage readers do not give away self-help books for Christmas . . . maybe that’d be presumptuous? And Dr. Seuss beats Jonathan Franzen on Christmas Day.)
What percentage of your gift list will be receiving books this year?
- 46% — Less than 50%.
- 34% — Between 50% and 100%.
- 15% — 0%. I save all my book buying for myself.
- 4% — 100%, same as every year. (I’ll give the receivers until Valentine’s Day before I start asking to borrow.)
What genre of book are you most likely to give?
- 28% — Novels
- 25% — Children’s books
- 18% — Other
- 9% — Bestsellers
- 8% — Biographies and memoirs
- 7% — Cookbooks
- 3% — Art books/coffee table books
- 1% — Self-help/how-to
Favorite holiday book?
- 25% — ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
- 25% — Other
- 23% — A Christmas Carol
- 22% — How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- 2% — Anything by Richard Paul Evans
- 2% — The Corrections
It’s 4 p.m. on Christmas Day. You’re . . .
- 40% — Hanging out with loved ones.
- 37% — Holed up in a corner with your nose in one of the 10 books you received under the tree.
- 8% — Other*
- 5% — Asleep on the couch. Too much ham!
- 3% — Taking a walk by yourself. Too much family!
- 4% — Watching TV
______
* The “Other” responses for this question ranged from funny to practical to envy—inducing. Here are a few examples:
Cleaning up since the family has just. Getting ready to unwind with a mug of hot chocolate and a book.
Strolling the beach. Why stay home on Christmas with so many places in the world to explore?
Impatiently waiting to escape my loved ones so I can read a book on the couch because I had too much ___.
I’m Jewish. I’ll be eating leftover Chinese food from Christmas Eve and reading a great book I bought myself.
Washing dishes
On the beach with the dogs and my grandsons
Putting toys together
Riding home from relatives’ house – husband driving, me reading!
Holed up in a corner with my nose in a book I had to buy myself! (how many times can you say, no clothes–books!)
