Spotify’s announcement of the introduction of audiobooks in the U.S. comes with an infographic about audiobook listening habits.

A month after bringing audiobooks to users in the U.K. and Australia, Spotify has extended the offer to the United States.

If you are a Spotify Premium member, you can get instant access to a large selection of audiobooks, with no extra cost.

You can go directly to this link on the web to browse the catalog of Spotify audiobooks. Currently, there are over 200,000 audiobooks included, compared to 150,000 at the beginning of October 2023.

However, you have to keep in mind that you can listen to Spotify audiobooks for only 15 hours per month. An average audiobook takes around 10 hours, so your Premium subscription will let you finish one audiobook.

The blog post announcing Spotify audiobooks coming to the U.S. includes a few interesting facts about audiobook listeners. The data was gathered in a consumer survey of over 1,000 Americans.

The key outcome is that Gen Z and millennials lead in audiobook listening. 72% of 18-to-34-year-olds report that they listen to audiobooks. Relaxation (63%) and comfort (51%) are the top reasons for audiobook listening.

Here are other interesting facts:

▸ 37% of audiobook listeners have listened to an entire audiobook a second time or more.

▸ 66% of 18-34-year-old audiobook listeners in relationships say they’ve listened to audiobooks with their partner to “spice things up”.

▸ Almost half of audiobook listeners consume audiobooks while traveling or on vacation.

▸ 70% of audiobook listeners are more likely to listen to additional audio content after listening to audiobooks.

Are you a Spotify Premium subscriber? If yes, are you going to try the audiobooks?

Source: 200,000+ Audiobooks Are Now Available to Spotify Premium Listeners in the U.S. – Spotify Blog

Keep reading. Here are other news and lists:

An infographic from Grammar Check puts together the most common literary devices, together with their short descriptions and example phrases.

Literary devices, such as metaphors, oxymorons, or isocolons, are a way to take writing beyond its literal meaning. They are the main reason why literature is so enchanting, and reading is so addictive.

Grammar Check, a popular online spell checking tool, has just released an infographic that lists the most popular literary devices, metaphor, hyperbole, anaphora, chiasmus, and juxtaposition among them.

The visual is a great learning tool not only for writers who want to master their skills, but also readers who want to put the enjoyment from reading literature to a new level.

Click or tap the infographic to see it in full resolution.

Via Grammar Check blog.

Keep exploring. Here are more infographics about reading and writing:

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100% of novels set in Pearl Harbor belong to the historical fiction genre. New York City is the most common literary setting in the United States.

An impressive set of literary infographics has just been released by Crossword Solver. Called Books Across America, the visuals analyze in detail the locations where popular novels are set.

The infographics are a great book discovery tool, especially if you are planning holidays in a specific location and would like to give it a bookish touch. They are also a fantastic reference point for book authors, as most of these locations were chosen for a reason.

How was the data for the visuals collected and processed? The team at Crossword Solver used location tags added by Goodreads users for books set in the United States. Then, the books with the most ratings were identified for six most popular genres: romance, fantasy, historical, mystery, sci-fi, and thriller novels.

Please make sure to visit the original article at Crossword Solver blog to find more details about the methodology, as well as an extremely interesting tool that reveals books set closest to you. I will write about the tool soon, so let’s keep in touch.

Crossword Solver is a free online search tool every fan of crossword puzzles should add to their browser bookmarks. The platform is designed to help find all possible words made up of the clues, letters, and word length you provide.

All the visuals were designed by NeoMam Studios, a UK-based digital agency that created some of the most stunning book infographics, including writing lessons from successful authors and house plans of homes from classic novels.

The entire set of literary America infographics includes nine visuals, and I present them below with short highlights.

Top literary hotspots in the US by state

In which state are the most books set?

▸ New York and California are the states where the plots of the most novels are set (4,887 and 4,505 books, respectively). Texas takes the third position with 2,064 books.

▸ Vermont is the least popular state for storytelling, with only 41 novels taking place here. Two other states with less than 100 literary hotspots are Delaware (75) and North Dakota (80).

Where are the most books set in every state?

▸ New York City is the most popular literary spot, picked by authors of 2,609 books. It’s the only place in the United States that is used as a location in over 1,000 books.

▸ Los Angeles comes as the second most popular literary hotspot, appearing in 984 books. It’s followed by Chicago (953 titles).

▸ Buffalo Valley is where the 4th novel from Debbie Macomber’s Dakota Series is set. It’s the only literary location in North Dakota, based on data from Goodreads.

Top 10 most popular US locations to set books

▸ New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, are the most popular literary locations in the United States. New York City is home to 2,609 novels, Los Angeles – 984, and Chicago – 953.

Top literary hotspots in the US by genre

Top 10 US locations for romance novels

▸ Bloomington, located near the Lake Monroe in Indiana, is the most admired city by romance authors and readers. Almost 93% of all books taking place here belong to the romance genre.

▸ Top love spots in the US are Bloomington, Lancaster City, Flint, and Clear Creek. Over four fifths of all books set in these towns are romance novels.

Top 10 US locations for fantasy books

▸ Over 30% of all books set in Blue Ridge Mountains, Arizona, are fantasy novels, including This Size of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

▸ The top 3 US locations famous to be full of vampires, goblins, and witches, are Blue Ridge Mountains, Spokane, and Tulsa.

Top 10 US locations for historical books

▸ Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the only literary location in the United States belonging to one genre. 100% of novels set here are listed as historical novels on Goodreads.

▸ Pearl Harbor, Lowell, and Jamestown are favored by authors of historical fiction. Over 80% of all books set in these places belong to this category.

Top 10 US locations for mystery novels

▸ Bisbee, Arizona, is a popular location for mystery novels, with over 80% of all books being from this genre.

▸ Top 3 locations for mystery novels set in the United States are Bisbee, Arizona (80% of all books), Fort Lauderdale, Florida (55%), and Greenwich Village City, New York (54%).

Top 10 US locations for sci-fi books

▸ Sedona, Arizona, is the most popular place for science-fiction. 25% of all books set here belong to this category, including River Rising by John A. Heldt.

▸ Top 5 US locations where sci-fi books take place are Sedona, Reno, Chattanooga, Spokane, and Rochester.

Top 10 US locations for thrillers

▸ Almost 18% of all books that are set in Washington, D.C., are thrillers. Among them is Dan Brown’s Deception Point.

▸ Top 5 locations for thriller novels set in the United States are Washington (D.C.), Memphis (Tennessee), Miami (Florida), Atlanta (Georgia), and Long Island (New York).

Keep exploring. Here are other infographics about books, libraries, and reading:

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First, let me share this well-known fact one more time: Reading for just 6 minutes each day can help reduce stress by up to 68% – you may have a significantly slower heart rate and reduced muscle tension.

Yet, the time we read for pleasure is on a constant decline. Statista shared for World Book Day 2022 a chart showing that an average time spent reading for pleasure per day was 16 minutes in 2019, compared to 23 minutes in 2004.

It’s 7 minutes less. And 6 minutes of reading can reduce stress by two-thirds, remember?

Statista’s chart is based on an ongoing survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The latest reported year is 2019, because the pandemic disrupted the data collection.

According to the survey, employed Americans read only 9 minutes during a workday, but those who are 75 years and older are the most avid readers. In 2019, they spent 44 minutes per day reading for personal interest.

Via Statista.

Keep exploring. Here are other infographics about books and reading:

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In 2021, 1,597 books were challenged or banned in the United States, according to the newest report by the American Library Association.

The most challenged book of the year 2021, as reported by the American Library Association in State of America’s Libraries Report 2022, was Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.

This touching memoir about Kobabe’s path to identifying as nonbinary and asexual, was banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content, and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images.

In 2021, 1,597 books were affected by censorship attempts. Most attempts – as many as 39% – were initiated by parents. Library patrons were behind 24% of challenges, followed by board administration (18%) and political or religious groups and associations (10%).

Over 80% of challenges took place in the libraries (44% – school libraries, 37% – public libraries). The most common reasons for challenges were sexually explicit content and critical race theory.

Stephanie Hlywak, ALA’s Director of the Communications and Marketing Office, wrote in the introduction to the report:

Books reach across boundaries and build connections
between readers. Reading—especially books that extend
beyond our own experiences—expands our worldview.
Censorship, on the other hand, divides us and creates barriers.

You can read and download the full report for free from ALA’s website. There, you can also find visual materials that you can share to spread the word about the current state the American libraries, and the report itself.

Top 10 most challenged books in 2021

1. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to have sexually explicit images.

2. Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.    

3. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.    

4. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Reasons: Banned, challenged, and restricted for depictions of abuse and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.

5. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, violence, and it was thought to promote an anti-police message and indoctrination of a social agenda.

6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Reasons: Banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and use of a derogatory term.    

7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Reasons: Banned and challenged because it was considered sexually explicit and degrading to women.    

8. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Reasons: Banned and challenged because it depicts child sexual abuse and was considered sexually explicit.    

9. This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

Reasons: Banned, challenged, relocated, and restricted for providing sexual education and LGBTQIA+ content.    

10. Beyond Magenta by Susan Kuklin

Reasons: Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.

Book censorship in 2021 by the numbers

In 2021, 1,597 books were affected by censorship attempts. Most attempts – as many as 39% – were initiated by parents.

Library patrons were behind 24% of challenges, followed by board administration (18%) and political or religious groups and associations (10%).

Keep exploring. Here are other lists and posts about libraries:

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A new infographic includes tips to create a functional in-home library, types of shelving and light, as well as alternative ways to find great reads.

With a growing popularity of digital books, you may assume that you no longer need a home library. You can now have all your books on your Kindle or in a book-reading app, right?

Think again. Most modern book lovers will never become 100% digital. Many users, me among them, found a balance between print and digital books. Sometimes, I reach for a Kindle, but sometimes I find it much more enjoyable to read a hardcover edition.

A place devoted to books, be it the smallest one, is a tribute to little objects that made your life meaningful.  It’s a special place where you can enjoy the presence of books and access them easily.

Combine a home library with a cozy reading place, and you have everything to be happy every single day.

Even if your collection of print books is limited to a few dozens of titles, you may still want to organize them in a logical and functional way. And, no, sorting books by the color of spines is not the best approach.

From Hippo, an innovative property insurance online platform, comes a list and infographic How to make a home library. It’s a one-time guide to setting up a home library. The visual includes answers to the most common questions you may have when you start thinking of organizing – or reorganizing – a library at your home:

• Which place at home is best suited for a library?
• What type of bookshelves should I choose?
• Which type of reading light is best for me?
• Which way of organizing books works best?

If you visit the original post on Hippo blog, you will also have a chance to read about the benefits of a home library. Improving literacy levels and reducing stress are among the most important ones.

Click or tap the infographic to see it in full resolution.

Via Hippo blog.

Are you interested in infographics about books, reading, and libraries? Keep exploring?

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Data visualizations are one of the most involving ways to explore literature. Here is a new – and brilliant – visual shared on Twitter by data analyst, photographer, and visual artist @FilmicAestetic.

The infographic compares emotions in five most famous novels by Jane Austen: Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, and, obviously, Pride & Prejudice.

The designer has used NRC Emotion Lexicon to collect and process emotions. The lexicon is a list of English words with eight basic emotions and two sentiments. It has been developed and is maintained by Dr. Saif M. Mohammad at the National Research Council, Canada.

As you will see below, joy, trust, and anticipation are the dominating emotions in all the analyzed novels. Fear is visibly higher in Northanger Abbey, which shares a relatively high level of sadness with Sense & Sensibility. There is almost no disgust.

If you want to go deeper into emotions in literature, make sure to explore our infographic Love DNA of famous classic novels, which, among many other things, collects data about the use of words “love” and “kiss.”

Click or tap the infographic to see it enlarged.

Interested in infographics about books and libraries? Keep exploring:

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Every year, the U.S. Census Bureau surveys over one million Americans, asking about their lives and families, including the language they mainly speak in their households.

English and Spanish are the most popular languages, but what happens if we exclude them, and focus on the rest?

A result is shown in the new infographic designed by the Visual Capitalist.

It turns out that Mandarin and Cantonese are the most common, with almost 3.5 million speakers across the country, out of 309 million people aged five and older. It’s over 11%, and it’s these languages are the most common in 17 states.

Tagalog, an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines, is popular only in Nevada. However, as many as 1.76 million people use it daily. It makes it the second most commonly spoken language in the U.S., when we don’t count English and Spanish.

The next places are taken by Vietnamese (1.57 million) and Arabic (1.26 million).

When it comes to European languages, the German is spoken in four states, but fewer people speak it daily compared to French. The latter language is also spoken in four states (Louisiana, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire), with 1.17 speakers.

Click or tap the infographic to see it enlarged.

Via The Visual Capitalist blog.

Interested in infographics about reading and languages? Have a look at our recent additions.

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The most detailed and comprehensive book infographic this year puts together the latest facts and figures about reading habits, literacy rates, and popular books.

Back in 2020, we read more books than ever. 35% of the world population read more due to the pandemic and frequent lockdowns. How has the situation evolved the following year?

World Reading Habits 2021 – the new infographic created by Isabel Cabrera for the Global English Editing blog is even more detailed than the previous one. It reveals which countries read the most books, which books and book genres are most popular, and compares literacy rates between people of different ages, among others.

Most data is collected from different sources, so it was not possible to compare the reading stats between continents. That’s why the infographic groups the facts and figures regarding each continent.

At the end of the infographic, you will see a few interesting comparisons between print and ebooks. As you may have expected, the popularity of ebooks is still way behind paper books. In fact, 2021 saw ebook sales decline by 8%, with print books outselling ebooks four to one. In 2021, ebooks made only 9% of total book industry revenue.

The trend is positive for audiobooks. Their popularity is rising, and North America is leading the market with a share of over 46%. Audiobooks are also getting more and more popular in China. Almost 35% of adults and 43% of minors listened to audiobooks last year.

Here are other interesting highlights:

• Americans read in 2021 almost one-fourth more than last year.
• Americans aged between 20 and 34 spent about 6.6 minutes reading daily.
• 39% of Americans prefer newly printed books, and only 5% go for audiobooks.
• On average, people in Europe spend more than one hour per day reading a book.
• Finland, Poland, and Estonia are the biggest bookworms, based on the share of people reading books.
• Almost 17% of the Finnish population claim reading books is one of their main activities.
• In Asia, readers in India, Thailand, and China spend the most hours reading per week. And China has the highest percentage of everyday book readers.
• In 2020, almost 35% of adults and 43% of minors in China listened to audiobooks.
• Reading books is the 5th most popular leisure activity in Africa, with 7 in 10 adults claiming they read for pleasure.
• The worldwide adult literary rate was 86%, almost unchanged since 2015. The literacy rate is expected to grow to 90% by 2030.
• Andorra, Luxembourg, Norway, and Liechtenstein are the countries that report 100% literacy rates.
• Two-third of over 780 million illiterate adults worldwide are female.
• In age groups, Millennials read more books than any other generation. They mainly use libraries to source reading materials.
• Boomers and The Silent Generation choose bestsellers, while Generation Z prefers to use social media to find books.
• 66% of readers believe printed books offer a more unique and fulfilling reading experience than digital format.
• The publishing industry employs 315 thousand people worldwide.
• Ebooks sales make only 9% of the total book industry revenue. They have decreased by 8% in 2021 but still are higher than in 2019.
• Ebook subscription usage is up 26% in 2021, compared to the time before the pandemic.
• Dues to pandemic-related school closures, more than 100 million children worldwide are falling behind the minimum proficiency level in reading.
• Book genres that made the most money are romance ($1.4 billion), mystery & crime ($730 million, and spiritual & self-motivation ($720).
• Over 50% of kids aged between 6 and 17 borrow from school or public libraries.

Please note that it may take longer than usual to load the page, as the visual is long and resource-heavy. Please make sure to visit Isabel Cabrera’s original post on the Global English Editing blog.

Interested in infographics about books and reading? Keep exploring:

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It’s 50 years since the world’s first ebook was released, and 14 years since the launch of the 1st-generation Kindle. How are ebooks doing today?

I still remember how breaking the news was that Amazon customers were buying more Kindle ebooks than print books combined. It was over 10 years ago, in May 2011.

E-books are now a part of the publishing landscape, and many book lovers have already found a balance between print and electronic format.

Are ebooks still on the rise? Had they finally overcome printed books, but we all have missed it?

No. According to data from Statista’s Advertising & Media Outlook, the popularity of ebooks is still way behind paper books. Respondents from ten countries were asked last year about their purchases of print and electronic books.

In the United States, 45% of the population have purchased a printed book last year, compared to 23% buying an ebook.

Ebooks are most popular in China, where 25% of the population is estimated to have bought an ebook, while 32% went for a printed book.

Europe is where ebooks have not been embraced. They have been bought by 14% of the population in Spain, 10% in Germany, and only 7.5% in France.

Below, you will see all the data in a gorgeous infographic designed by The Visual Capitalist.

Via The Visual Capitalist blog.

Keep exploring. Here are more infographics about books and reading:

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