Read them and weep: We take to the streets to uncover Britain's book habits
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Your support makes all the difference.Sarah Bokete, 17, student
"I love sci-fi. If I really like a book I've read at the library I'll get my auntie to buy it for my collection"
Abdul Seidu, 17, student
"I'd like an e-book; it would be more environmentally friendly then buying books"
Edie Preece, 9
"I've borrowed Shocking Shooting by Michael Coleman from the library. It's about a football team called Angels FC. I'm really enjoying it"
Thurston Preece, 9
"I'm reading Diary of a Trainee Rock God by Jonathan Meres, about a kid who wants to become a rock star; it mentions lots of my favourite bands"
Richard Harrison, 72, semi-retired
"I don't buy books; I come to Borders in the afternoons to read. I have to choose things that are easy to put down and pick back up – like John Mortimer's short stories"
Shevaun Haviland, 36 account director
"There's enough misery in everyday life, so I love to buy uplifting, escapist books like Life of Pi, which is what I'm reading now"
Adrian Shankar, 25, cricketer, Lancashire Cricket Club
"I don't buy many books, I exchange with friends. I've just swapped State of Africa, by Martin Meredith, for The Scramble for Africa,by Thomas Pakenham"
Clive Biden, 57, artist
"You don't choose a book, a book chooses you"
Louise Biden, 53, businesswoman
"Non-fiction helps you grow. It's far better to browse in a bookshop then buy online – books talk to you"
Daniel Saether, 23, student
"The cover of a book sells it to me"
Anthony Cherrie, 26 musician
"There's something cool about books. It's like CDs – you want to have a real copy you can hold, rather than something you downloaded"
Eddie Blagbrough, 21 fashion photography student
"I've just downloaded a book called Reading Sex and the City to my laptop for uni. It's a lot more convenient then going into the library"
Mark Pollock, 32 motivational speaker
"I've been blind for 10 years, so I download audio books from Audible.com. It's been the biggest change in my life since I got a computer – incredibly empowering"
Nathalie Castano, 21 student
"I've just read Milan Kundera's Unbearable Lightness of Being. I loved it. I buy my books on Play.com"
Jane Esterson, 51, freelance journalist
"I do a book group. The last one we read was Half of a Yellow Sun. Everyone says it's fantastic but I couldn't get through it, so I just told them: 'I can't make it this week' "
Andrew Esterson, 8
"Mum gets audio tapes for the car – I like The Time Paradox, by Eoin Colfer. It's really funny"
Vera Stanlay, 8, retired
"I find books relaxing. I'm reading Amanda Quick at the moment"
Jasmine, 7
"I like Harry Potter"
Zak, 10
"I like reading stuff about made-up monsters"
Helen Gelbier, 36, mother
"I can't bear any of the Harry Potter stuff – I only go for factual things that I can relate to"
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