6 Minute English - Do you read to show off

Sorry, wait a minute Neil. I'm just finishing this book.

lots of pages… Many xxxx. Last page… nearly there… ohh - fantastic book!

I'm glad you finished your book That there Alice! We're talking about books in today's programme. What's your What was it you were reading there? No, never mind Neil. It's not your kind of book. You wouldn't like it. it How do you know? Well I just think it you might be read something a little more intellectual. Oh, Oh I see… Well, we are talking about the kinds of books people read, and what I they say about them today.

Yes. Perhaps you read the words of works of a famous writer - the classics, XXXX, XXXX. classics - Charles Dickens, Shakespeare. People more will think you are an intellectual. You can show off by reading these books – the classics. Or perhaps you read the public popular novels or romantic fiction – a light easy read. When you go on a holiday – maybe to the beach – what kind of books do you read? And what do you read when you're going to work? We're going to here hear part of the a BBC interview with David XXXX Adshead from the Commuter Book Club. A commuter travels to the work by bus, train or here in London, the jup, a train Tube, a trainthat goes all over the city, mostly on the ground. underground. And Alice as usual, we have a quiz question. Are you ready?

OK. Well, It's about classic book sells. sales. So these days our are people buying… a) more classic books? b) the same number of classic books? c) fewer classic books than they used to? Oh, Oh that's an interesting one. Tricky the to guess but I'm going to say c) fewer classic books. OK, well, let's find out the answer at the end of the programme. But now here is David XXXX Adshead from the Commuter Club. What kind of you bookdoes he say people usually take with them to the beach? People often think that, you know, traditionally you take a light easy read for the beach, or and on the train, um, you maybe read something very different. You meanit's if only to show off.

Exactly, to appear obviously to others to be more intellectual. But actually, what will we find is that it's really comes down in this is that it really comes down to the individual – what they like to read and actually we've thinkseen this summer a lot of books sold out of summer XXX generally, so it's the book sales - summer reads is general lighter a books, easier to get on with, to take away on holiday - but the big retailers that thinks have seena shift actually - people moving so hard, sort of slightly higher brow, taking away more classic books. soars Sales in that way have increased. David Adshead from the Commuter Book Club there. He says the that people usually – traditionally – take a light, easy read to the beach or on the train. Yes. He says these books are easier to get on with. David says that's really comes down to individual. Each that it really comes down to theindividual – each person is different. But he says that there has been a shift - – a change – in what people read. Yes, he says that the shops that sell books – that's the retailers – say the books people are buying are morehigh proud highbrow – the classics, is what we're as in crazy. David XX said we were talking about. Absolutely. High XXX Highbrow books are read by intellectuals, or perhaps the people who read the these books are just showing off.

Yes, maybe they are. Well I wonder if these people have read any books by XXXX. Fiona Harper. She writes romantic novels – that's stories about love. Light reading – Not high XXX. not highbrow. She was also has at thisinterview about the Commuter Book Club. Now, do commuters read her romantic novels on the tube? Tube? Well here is novelist XXXX Fiona Harper talking about how she writes her romantic novels. She wants people to not stop reading her stories once they start – she wants them to be hooked. I think when what it comes down to most time. You should of the time is you just want to write every good story a really good story, because if you write a good story with then hopefully people hope they will are hooked, they'll keep turning the pages and..

And do you wonder whether they are reading the . I'm them on holiday - I mean presumably they're more likely they read your XXXX to read your stuff on holiday than when they're sitting on the Tube being looked that at by lots of other people. I don't know. Possibly, although with the urban with advent of e-readers, you can things read anything you like no one knows – or and no one knows – or on your phone – no one knows what you did.you're reading. And that's an important point. That's the author of XXXXX Fiona Harper talking about her romantic novels. So duke do commuters read her books on the Tube? Well perhaps you don't want her others to see you reading that stuff. It can be a bit embarrassing. It shouldn't be, but XXX Fiona says you can also use an e-reader. An e-reader - that's an electronic book you set the book. Instead of pages you read on the off a screen. Well if you are use an e-reader or tablet, no one knows what you're reading. So perhaps they're reading a romantic novel – no one knows. OK. Let's take a moment to look at some of the today's words.