London - They are technological marvels that allow you to carry around an entire library in your handbag or coat pocket.
But they are also harbourers of our guilty secrets.
A quarter of readers admit to using Kindles or similar devices to read books they wouldn’t be seen dead with if other people could see the cover, according to a survey.
The most common genre they are used to conceal is erotic fiction, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, which 35 percent of people said they would normally feel too embarrassed to read in public.
Romantic novels were next on 32 percent, followed by books by celebrity authors, such as Katie Price, on 26 percent.
‘Chick lit’ also featured high in the embarrassment stakes at 19 percent – yet only nine percent felt silly reading a children’s book in public.
Men were generally more sensitive than women about being caught reading the “wrong” book, according to a survey of more than 2 000 people for the Royal National Institute for the Blind. It was commissioned to highlight the “unacceptably low” number of books that are accessible for people who have problems with their sight.
Despite the fears of embarrassment, just 11 percent of people said they judged others on the book they are reading. - Daily Mail