Categories of readers

A few days ago I panned a book called Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops ("Bookshop rants," Oct. 28, 2022), in which the author targets mostly those who enter bookshops without actually buying anything. Now comes Jo Hoare's So You Think You're a Bookworm?, which tries the same kind of thing with people who actually read books.

Hoare's book is slightly more successful, and that has much to do with the amazing artwork of Paul Parker that decorates just about every page.

Like Shaun Bythell in the other book, Hoare tries to group people into various categories: The Binger, The Book Thief, The Scholar, The Faker, The Sci-Fi Lover, etc. Her humor is more often humorous, fortunately, and if you happen to be a target of that humor (as I am frequently), the hits prove painless, for unlike Bythell she is obviously just kidding.

In addition to these profiles, Hoare tosses in quizzes and lists of various kinds. For example, there's an amusing piece called "How to Upset a Book Lover" and another gem called "12 Thoughts All Bookworms Have When They Go Into a Bookstore."

Most of the humor falls flat, however, or seems forced. Still, there are all those illustrations to enjoy.