Though some consider reading important as a form of entertainment, that's not always an option for students at Ball State -- not because they don't want to read -- but because they don't have the time to do it.
With all the other options available for entertainment, such as Playstation and DVDs, one might ask why reading for pleasure is important, even if people don't have time for it.
According to the Web site for the National Institute for Literacy, children who are read to at least three times per weeks are more likely to score in the top 25 percent in reading than those children who are not read to as often. The study also said 46 percent of parents read to their children every day, and the CIA World Factbook shows the United States has a 97 percent literacy rate in both men and women.
The next question to ask is what are people reading?
USA Today compiled a list of the top 150 books in stores now. Among some of those are "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" by J.K. Rowling and "Black House" by Stephen King.
Some of the same books from USA Today's top 10 list are also on the list for Bookland at the Muncie Mall.
Junior Assistant Manager Joseph Townsend said a lot of people have been buying Tom Clancy's newest book, titled "Red Rabbit," "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold and "Let's Roll" by Lisa Beamer, widow of Todd Beamer who died on Pennsylvania Flight 93.
The list of best sellers is not specifically from the Muncie area, but is based on nationwide statistics of the bookstore chain, Townsend said. His store does not keep records of best sellers in Muncie, just the one the national chain puts together.
Townsend said there is generally an increase in textbook and general literature sales around the beginning of each semester and usually lasts a couple of months.
Some Ball State students don't do a lot of extra reading simply because they are too busy.
Sophomore Brittany Chalmers said she does not read for fun because she doesn't have the time, not even enough time to get her homework done.
Chalmers said she likes to read Patricia Cornwell books because they have to do with what she is wanting to study.
"She writes about forensics, and that's going to be my master's," she said.
Both freshman Bridgette Beers and junior Brian O'Boyle said they do not do a lot of leisure reading either.
Though Beers said she does not do a lot of leisure reading, it's not because she doesn't like to. She said she doesn't have a favorite author, but likes books dealing with certain topics.
"I love to read," Beers said. "There are two books similar to 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' and I like those."
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