Books

Long before movies, electronic gaming or computers, the world had a different form of entertainment, reading. Today, even with an influx of high-tech entertainment options, millions of people around the world seek pleasure and escape through books. As the accessibility, range and price of books continues to improve, the global literacy rate increases and print technology advances, the popularity of this ancient pursuit heightens. More and more people every day discover the amusement to be had from literature as the number of books printed purely for entertainment and illustrative social commentary skyrockets.

Most commonly books are divided into fiction and non-fiction categories and within these are an array of different genres to suit all interests and reading abilities. No matter how seemingly insignificant or unique, there is sure to be a book out there written on any subject you can imagine! Of course there are many other classifications books can fall into, but these are what the majority of collections, bookstores and libraries use to organize and catalogue books. Books are also classified according to their formats, bindings and covers such as: hardcovers, paperbacks, dust-covers and spiral bound books.

Some of the most popular genres are listed below, but the list is far more extensive than just these!

Fiction Genres

Classics, Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Literature, Chick Lit, Romance, Crime & Mystery, Poetry, Short Stories, Graphic Novels, Action, Adventure, Western.

Non-Fiction Genres

Reference, Philosophy, Military, Biography, Cooking, Gardening, Sports, Humour, Business, Finance, Economics, DIY, New Age, Family, Health, Politics, Science, True Crime.

There are many different places people can get books from including libraries as well as new, second-hand and online bookstores. A more recent trend that has begun to sweep the world is the purchase of books via online auctions like Ebay where people are able to bid on and buy a massive variety of titles. Some of the best online bookstores to check out include:

• Amazon
• Borders
• Dymocks

E-Books

Today the book industry is continuing to improve and use progressions in technology to their advantage. A major new type of book now available is electronic books, known as e-books. Conventional print books are now obtainable in digital versions online. E-books offer an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional paper production books and are an interesting idea as they allow unrestricted and infinite redistribution and availability to the public.

One of the best sites on the internet to visit for free access to a great range of e-books is Google Books.

So whether you want to escape into a fantasy world, read about the world’s worst crimes, emerge yourself in a collection of poetry, read up on how to make your garden bloom or want to increase your knowledge on any other subject, jump online or head down to your local bookstore and pick up a book today!