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I read some nonfiction about topics I'm interested in, such as LEGO or mathematical and scientific history. Two nonfiction books I really love are Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea, which is about the history of the number zero, its importance in science and math, and the controversy it has had in some cultures, and Discarded Science, about pseudoscience, particularly those ideas that were once accepted by mainstream society but which have since been disproven... things like phlogiston, the four humours, Lemuria, vaccine scares, and the geocentric model of the universe.

 

I also like reading nonfiction books about nature, particularly ones with big, colorful pictures. These are the sorts of big coffee-table books that you can sometimes find on the "Bargain Books" shelves at chain bookstores like Barnes & Noble. Books about ocean animals are some of my favorites.

 

Overall, though, most nonfiction I read, other than things about LEGO, are books I receive as gifts or pick up on impulse. The books I actively seek out for my own amusement tend to be fiction books. For instance, I really love Neil Gaiman's fantasy stories, such as The Sandman (a series of graphic novels), American Gods, and his latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I would definitely recommend Neil Gaiman to anyone, though some of his stuff is a bit mature, so I'd recommend readers who dislike mature imagery stick to his children's books like Coraline and The Graveyard Book.

 

Eoin Colfer is another author I love reading. He writes books mostly for children and young adults, though he has written some adult novels like And Another Thing..., the sixth installment in Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Trilogy. I greatly enjoyed reading The Supernaturalist and the Artemis Fowl series.

 

Douglas Adams is another good author. His stuff tends to be somewhat satirical humor with sci-fi and fantasy elements. He wrote The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the next four books in the Hitchhiker's Trilogy. Most recently I read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, which are two quite funny mystery stories.

 

Since I've done a poor job singling out American authors I like, let me throw Lemony Snicket's name into the mix. A Series of Unfortunate Events was an incredibly exciting story full of mystery and intrigue, and it's also incredibly funny with its use of wordplay, irony, and melodrama. The movie really failed to do it justice in many respects. I haven't read any of his new series, All the Wrong Questions, but I plan to do so at some point.

 

I also enjoy picking up books related to the LEGO themes I collect, such as Hero Factory and Ninjago. Greg Farshtey has done a very good job writing exciting side-stories for both themes.

 

And finally, I've been enjoying the Avatar: The Last Airbender and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic comics and graphic novels. Both are excellent reads for anyone who enjoys the respective TV series.

 

Anyway, I know you weren't really asking for recommendations but I think just saying "I like fiction" or "I like nonfiction" would be pretty inaccurate at least in my case. There's plenty of fiction and nonfiction alike I have no interest in, and plenty of both that I consider incredibly fun to read. I first read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when I became incredibly bored of a post-apocalyptic fiction book I was instructed to read for a high school summer reading assignment. Maybe something here would pique your interest, maybe not, but regardless that provides a pretty good picture of the kinds of books I enjoy.

What I was really asking was if anybody found themselves reading more nonfiction than fiction, as I do. It doesn't appear to be very common. Most people I meet find nonfiction boring.

I read about an even mix of both. My tendency to read everything in sight is nondiscriminatory. I certainly don't find nonfiction boring, unless math textbooks count as nonfiction.

I read about an even mix of both. My tendency to read everything in sight is nondiscriminatory. I certainly don't find nonfiction boring, unless math textbooks count as nonfiction.

Math textbooks count as hate literature. Because I hate math and math hates me.

 

Chemistry textbooks, also.