Ann Arbor ranks on top of many “Best City” lists, but recently Ann Arbor has another benchmark they can check off: 6th Most Well-Read City in the United States. Compiled by Amazon.com, Ann Arbor has shown its position as a city that loves to read – including books, e-books, magazines, and newspapers. Beating out cities like Berkeley, California and Seattle, Washington, Ann Arbor is letting the nation know we are interested in everything fiction and non-fiction.
How Did We Make The List?
Amazon.com’s list is created annually after they thoroughly analyzed the sales of print and Kindle-format materials on a per-capita basis in cities of more than 100,000 as of June 1, 2012. The list is proof that the country is reading, according to Sara Nelson from Amazon’s Editorial Department. But the more interesting question is what book is Ann Arbor’s favorite? That answer is “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn. It was the most purchased book in Ann Arbor as of this year.
Are Ann Arbor Residents Buying Books Locally or Online?
According to Nicola Rooney, owner of Nicola’s Books, the answer is yes and no. Though Amazon does consist of a majority of book sales, Rooney has noticed an increase of local business since the downtown Borders closed. Customers are looking for recommendations, local expertise, and the right atmosphere to find their books. With this in mind, people love visiting book shops, perusing a little bit, and maybe bringing a copy to a nearby coffee store. Reading is apparently on the top of Ann Arbor’s mind and is no doubt contributed by the University of Michigan’s student base.
Amazon’s Top 20 List
- Alexandria, VA
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- Miami, FL
- Cambridge, Mass.
- Orlando, FL
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Berkeley, CA
- Cincinnati, OH
- Columbia, SC
- Pittsburgh, PA
- St. Louis, MO
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Seattle, WA
- Vancouver, WA
- Gainesville, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Dayton, OH
- Richmond, VA
- Clearwater, FL
- Tallahasee, FL
With this in mind, the better question is what book have you read recently? Feel free to share in the comments sections below!