A fun article about people fibbing about the books they have read in order to impress the opposite love.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7776046.stm

Never mind what an article says, have you?
I know im quite open about what little books i do read lol

Read all the HP books, and a few JC books, but i do read the paper...alot.

Have I done it?

For me reading books is almost a compulsion, due to a constant need to find something to think about, and with the more technical books providing a fine way of getting to sleep as well.

I was pretty embarrassed that I didn't really manage to complete reading either Frankenstein or Dracula recently, although Dr J & Mr H was a breeze. Ask me on a day of low moral fibre and I might claim to have read the first two, as I mostly did.

I've read some Lovecraft too and it is probably worth noting that Ramsey Campbell has done good Cthulhu Mythos books as well. It's something that I read up on as background for the classic Call of Cthulhu role-playing game.

The last serious reference book I read was "Medieval Civilisation" by Jaques Le Goff, although I have just fibbed about the way it was spelt because it was translated into American rather than English.

So I'm not really the one able to cast the first stone on this subject at all ...

I haven't really lied much. I'm not really a great fiction fan, and I don't think many people are interested in hearing about the woodland management, garden history and PIC programming books that I've read. I just keep quiet

I read a hell of a lot but I don't read books. Only book I read was Andy McNab's Bravo 2 Zero and that was at the time when I was stuck in my guest house in Kathmandu as I didn't want to get shot in the war going on outside. It was the perfect read lol

I've twice PMed people on here and asked them about books/authors their profile said were their favorites, to be replled "I dont read books, books are boring, I just wrote that to look good on my profile"....
No, I've never lied about reading books, except at school perhaps haha, if I've not read something I am more than happy to admit to it. Though, like kadushu I dont always admit to some books I've read simply because I fear boring the arse off people!
(I dont tend to read fiction unless its dickens or goldsmith etc) - I have a quirky taste in non-fiction that might raise a few eyebrows, so best if I act like I dont read, personally the majority of people I've come across arent interested in books so I dont get the opportunity much to share my enthusiasm.
If a person lies about having read a book just to impress I think it makes them less attractive, I'd be more impressed if they were honest and admitted to being totally illiterate, but then they probably not be PM-ing me - ha!

This is exactly what that article says, that people try to look interesting (generally for the purposes of dating) through claims to have read more broadly than they have.

This is a very good sign for people who genuinely read and might even be interesting as a result!

Dickens was a fascinating author. Not only did he prepare his works to be performed in public, complete with voices, but he also actively used them to campaign on social issues to promote compassion, fairness and further social equality.

A Christmas Carol, for example, is a work to encourage people to celebrate Christmas in a generous, good-humoured way while keeping an eye on the poor, who were prone to die during that time!

I didn't read the article but from what you've said I would disagree with it. I would say most people would lie about that to look intelligent rather than interesting and although I would never lie about it myself, I could understand it. I have thought in the past that people would judge my intelligence by my lack of book reading.

I don't read books because in general I find other peoples stories boring. All I need to do for entertainment is think and my mind comes up with stories far more interesting that any thing anyone else comes up with.

I would much rather go to a bar/club or take a walk and live my own stories for real than read a book. Then again i'm not sure that's always possible for most people. Its one of the benefits of living in central London.

I think some people have just ticked the names of authors they 'recognised' I for one probably didn't tick Shakespeare and I don't care how good his works are, I'm not particularly keen on them, although I may watch a production of the odd play. Loads of people say they like Shakespeare and I don't believe a lot of them!
Most of my possessions are paper by way of books and art materials, but most of what I read wasn't listed on here anyway.
I don't know whether to list books makes somebody seem intelligent..... I prefer books full of pictures!

I didn't bother to tick the authors on the site, as I felt it was a bit pointless. I read loads and sometimes don't even look at who the author is (unless I know them, and have specifically got their book on purpose).. I enjoy a whole range of books from chic lit to a bit more weighty fiction.. Jane Eyre and Rebecca are favourites, and I like the odd biography. I've even been known to read a Haynes manual or two lol.

I definitely wouldn't dumb down or fancy up my reading list.. can admit I've never read Dickens or any other of the Bard's than Romeo and Juliet for O level.

No I haven't, never. I have read a handful of books which I have mentioned before, in this forum infact to baggie. On holidays I have read a book or two that was left behind by other travellers, yet the author names escape me,the titles too. I remember the content though. So to start lying over books read? Is there really any point?;When you recieve a barrage of author names and relative points of conversation that fly over your head proving your ignorance and looking quite the fool.

I must admit I have read so many books quite often I either don't remember the authors name or the books title, I do read a lot less than I used to.

That said The Harry Potter books were all superb and arguably better than the film , the bourne (identity trilogy) were also fantastic books (and films) though completely different from there movie counterparts.

Will admit I find it more difficult to read off a screen than from a paperback book (I have 700 sci-fi and thriller type stories in pdf)