An interesting exploration of the reading lives of women. Lots of reader responses to questionnaires that we will all recognise in our reading lives.

I fell outside the majority perspective being a solo liver not constrained by the needs and wishes of others. My book group also doesn't quite fit the 'norm' in that, pandemic aside, it is open, has a couple of regular male attendees, has had people of colour and with origins outside the UK, currently a Polish and American attendee. It has been running for 20 years with three founder members still attending. I have been attending for 13 years.

Not much new to me, but nice to have collected together. Lots of nodding went on. ( )

Not what I wanted. If you're interested in selling and conference stats, interviews with readers and authors, etc., this is your book. But the explanation that Austen and Brontè were what was read 30-40 years ago in high schools in Britain doesn't quite explain the phenomenon that exploded in the US. And the inclusion of Du Maurier seemed a bit irrelevant given that I am the only one, outside of my library acquaintance, who knows the book.

What I want are stats, combined with scientific studies about why women read books. It's a book that has never been written and needs to be. ( )