Books, books, books. Everyone reads at least once in their life. But what’s your reading criteria? Do you go for a specific genre? Or maybe a certain type of book? All types are valid and many people enjoy a range of books when reading, but what does BASH say?
Genre
On the subject of books, there are many genres of books. In a survey taken by students around BASH, results say that about 31.8% of students prefer Fantasy books. This genre is a whimsical ride typically set in imaginary universes that are, not always, devoid any real locations, events and or people. Magic and the supernatural are very popular in books of this genre. Some popular titles under this genre you may recognize include: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Fairy Tale by Stephen King, and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Jason DiMarzio, who claims fantasy is his favorite genre of book, said that he likes “the freedom the genre gives authors to use every aspect of the world as a narrative device, where everything in the world can be designed to elevate the story. That and giant fantasy worlds are just awesome.”
Realistic fiction was the second most popular genre from the poll, with 22.7% of students from BASH preferring Realistic fiction to another genre. Popular titles under this genre you may have seen or heard before include: Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Realistic fiction is a genre that consists of stories that could have actually occurred to people or living things in a believable setting. These stories resemble real life fictional characters within these stories that react similarly to real people.
Aislynn Weidenmoyer, a freshman at BASH, who shares this common favorite said this on the matter. “I like realistic fiction because it gives the book a unique feeling that hits close to home which makes the writing and the feelings enhanced. Realistic fiction also makes topics that I am uninterested in interesting, and helps me to learn.”
Coming up as the third most popular genre is horror, with a 15.9% vote from BASH students. Horror is a genre of literature, film, and television that is meant to scare or shock their audience and keep them on their toes. The key focus of a horror novel is to elicit a sense of dread in the reader through frightening images, themes, and situations. Some popular books under this genre show: Goosebumps by R.L. Stine, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, IT by Stephen King.
Gabriel Wilson, “chose horror for the fact [that] I like the mystery aspect of some horrors, but also the action some can have. I feel that some of these books can be really good, and with Stephen King (one of my personal favorites of this genre) he executed some of his books perfectly.”
Short Stories vs Novels
A novel is a long narrative that is meant to entertain and tell a story. It is a description of a chain of events to tell a fiction, or nonfiction story, that includes a cast of characters, a setting, and an ending. Most novels include 80,000 to 120,000 word range, depending on the genre. A short story is a story that follows 5 elements: setting, plot, characters, conflict, and theme. Most short stories fall between 1,500 words and 7,500 words long so about 3 to 30 pages long. 68.2% of students from BASH would rather read a Novel rather than a short story. Some people like novels more because it allows for characters to be expanded upon and gives more background information while others enjoy short stories more because they like the shorter story concept with having to read less words.
One student in particular said they found, “books that have enough time for proper plots, storylines, and characters to be developed become much more enjoyable to read as they provide a longer period of interest and value then a short-story would. Novels also leave stronger memories and takeaways than short stories because of the longer development and or reading time they have.”
While another student, who believes short stories are better, had this to say, “I’m not good with holding my attention to a long wordy book, not to say that they’re bad or anything, there are good books that I have read and could pay attention to.” Many students of the 31.8% who believe short stories are better shared similar opinions and reasons stating they could not find themselves holding their attention to a novel.
School Assigned Reading
The students of BASH were asked if they enjoyed reading when it was assigned in schools, and there was a small skew towards the dislike of assigned reading. The votes showed that about 56.8% of students did not liking assigned reading. Jace Townsend, a student of BASH, agrees with the majority saying, “it feels forced, and a book can become unlikeable if it’s associated with something negative. And you can’t enjoy it as much either, as you’re getting quizzed and have to write notes more often which can ruin a mood.”
Another student at BASH, Sophomore Naomi Dyer, said she enjoyed assigned reading because “it gives [me] an excuse to talk about my opinions on different subjects.”
Favorite Author
The interviewed students of BASH were asked who their favorite author is. Of the responses received, about 18.2% of them stated Stephen King as one of their favorite authors. Stephen King is the author of the famous book, more than likely known by the movie adaptation, IT. For those of who aren’t familiar with the title, this horrific tale is about the story of 7 kids who call themselves the Losers Club, who live in the town of Derry, Maine. Within this town, there is a clown named Pennywise, or IT to the kids. This clown wakes every 27 years and feasts on humans, typically children, before returning to the house on Neibolt. If that is intriguing maybe the Horror genre is a better fit than originally thought. Other recurring authors were Holly Jackson, Alice Oseman, and Edgar Allan Poe.
“There are many ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
