The United States does not seem like a nation of readers, according to a recently released poll.

Just over 1,000 adults were interviewed by the Associated Press-Ipsos poll. One in four (or 25 percent) of those people said that they had not read ANY books last year. Not a Harry Potter. Not a Hemingway. Nada. The majority of people interviewed said they read up to five books last year. People who had read more than five or fewer than five were just about equal in the poll.

Religious or popular fiction books were the top choices of readers. Women also claimed to be bigger readers.

So what does this all mean for our nation? Can nonreaders learn the love of reading? Are they busy doing something else? What are the differences about readers and nonreaders? Does it come down to time, interest, or other distractions?

Has anyone gotten a nonreader to love a certain book? I gave my copy of The Poisonwood Bible to a  friend like that, hoping she would love it like I did. Never happened. I guess it's difficult to convince someone who's never been lost in a book to give it a try.

Should readers care about what nonreaders do with their time? Maybe. Some people worry that a lack of interest in reading will damage the publishing industry. I don't want this to mean there will be less of a selection for me and my reading allies.

Readers unite! (So what should we do now?)