Harry Potter or Fifty Shades: What do your book choices say about you?
With rockstar looks, bold ideas, and business savvy, there are plenty of reasons one could describe Richard Branson as ‘attractive’.
But today, even reading about the Virgin CEO can push up your sex appeal.
Who are you reading?
We know (mostly from our train commutes) that the humble book has the power to attract or repel – and the same it seems goes for online dating.
British men who say in their profiles that they read books by Richard Branson receive 74% more communication from women, dating goliath eHarmony reveals today.
Women can also benefit from the serial entrepreneur, with Branson books pushing interest in them up by 19%.
Sadly, not all authors have this positive impact. Top writers including Stephen Fry, James Patterson and the late Terry Pratchett appear to turn off would-be lovers.
Men
Women
Author
Difference in number of messages received from women
Author
Difference in number of messages received from men
Richard Branson
74%
Richard Branson
19%
John Grisham
29%
Stephen Fry
-1%
Dan Brown
28%
Dan Brown
-3%
Lee Child
23%
Terry Pratchett
-9%
Dean Koontz
-10%
Dean Koontz
-17%
Stephen Fry
-11%
John Grisham
-20%
James Patterson
-14%
James Patterson
-21%
Stephen King
-26%
Lee Child
-24%
Terry Pratchett
-39%
Agatha Christie
-29%
Clive Cussler
-42%
Danielle Steel
-56%
What are you reading?
It’s not just namedropping that has a knock-on effect on your chances of finding ‘the one’. Specific book titles can also help to put people in the mood.
Women are most piqued by men who read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Male Harry Potter fans however, are better keeping their love of Hogwarts to themselves.
Men most prefer women who mentioned The Hunger Games, while passion killers include the Bible and (ironically) the kinky novel, Fifty Shades of Grey.
Men
Women
Book
Difference in number of messages received from women
Book
Difference in number of messages received from men
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
36%
The Hunger Games
44%
1984
21%
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
31%
World War II
16%
A Game of Thrones
30%
The Da Vinci Code
5%
To Kill a Mockingbird
21%
The Hobbit
-15%
Pride and Preudice
18%
A Game of Thrones
-19%
Harry Potter series
16%
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
-22%
Lord of the Rings series
10%
Lord of the Rings series
-24%
Twilight
-6%
The Bible
-37%
Fifty Shades of Grey
-16%
Harry Potter series
-55%
The Bible
-63%
Be an open book?
While the new data from eHarmony will give heterosexual daters food for thought, we were sad to see no feedback on how reading shapes the LGBT community.
It is however – in an age where fake news and social media dominates – reassuring to see that lots of people, regardless of who they love, still love a good book: simply listing ‘reading’ as an interest sees both men and women receive more messages over all.
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