How many books will you read this year? (MULTIPLE CHOICE)

[beej231]

Originally Posted by KingOfMyWorld

I think the idea of counting books is flawed and pointless, and I will probably derail this thread to say so repeatedly.

This option seems best for my count, Last year I kept a spreadsheet on the books I read, but it felt flawed because some were 30-70 page "short" stories, some were 1000 page ones...so do we not count the 30 page one, do we triple count the 1000 page one...it seems flawed, so I'm going with the I feel the average page count I read this year will be in the 8,000 - 10,000 range for the year based on an average of 33 books a year at an average 225-250 pages a book that gives me roughly 2000 pages of extra in case I fall upon some real good book series and need to read them all now now now.

I did the spreadsheet thing because as soon as I was on to a new book, could not remember what I had read last. Around Dec 2011, I started to forget to do the spreadsheet as well. I'm not sure what to do next.

[Katsunami]

Obviously, pay more attention to what you read . Maybe that can be said about all people who claim to read 200 books a year. When putting an average mass market paperback at 300 pages (and that would be on the thin side for most of mine), you'd need to read 164 pages each and every day, out nearly a book every other day. That's a huge amount, when having a full time job and a normal life for the rest of the time.

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Obviously, pay more attention to what you read . Maybe that can be said about all people who claim to read 200 books a year. When putting an average mass market paperback at 300 pages (and that would be on the thin side for most of mine), you'd need to read 164 pages each and every day, out nearly a book every other day. That's a huge amount, when having a full time job and a normal life for the rest of the time.

I read 150 - 200 books a year. I have a family and a reasonably responsible job. I pay attention to what I read.

If you feel that you are not capable of reading that many books a year then fine, but please don't assume that the rest of us are the same as you.

[Katsunami]

I can believe 100 books. With some effort, I maybe can believe 150, or even 200 (which comes down to 4 a week) if they're stories of 200 pages or under. One person even mentioned 730 books in this thread. That must have been a joke. I can't even do that when just turning the pages without reading

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I can believe 100 books. With some effort, I maybe can believe 150, or even 200 (which comes down to 4 a week) if they're stories of 200 pages or under. One person even mentioned 730 books in this thread. That must have been a joke. I can't even do that when just turning the pages without reading

Last year, although I didn't keep an official count, I read approximately 200 books. The vast majority of those were over 200 pages. I read them 'properly' whilst working and having a family.

The fact that you can't believe that is possible is immaterial - it happened. Please don't assume that your own reading speed is the only one possible.

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

I can believe 100 books. With some effort, I maybe can believe 150, or even 200 (which comes down to 4 a week) if they're stories of 200 pages or under.

Since I actually do pay attention to what I read: 210 new books last year, plus about 2-3 dozen re-reads and novellas/stories counted separately. Many of them were fairly long books, too, at 5000+ Kindle locations.

I am also a full-time student and spend hours of my life on public transit most days (which gives me the time to read many, though not nearly all, of said books).

This count does exclude course-related books which I read on my own for further understanding or for assigned essays/research stuff.

And I'll likely be in the > 100 < 1000 range again this year, since I don't particularly want a bucket of kittens.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

I read 150 - 200 books a year. I have a family and a reasonably responsible job. I pay attention to what I read.

If you feel that you are not capable of reading that many books a year then fine, but please don't assume that the rest of us are the same as you.

+1
Apache

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

The fact that you can't believe that is possible is immaterial - it happened. Please don't assume that your own reading speed is the only one possible.

Let's just say that my speed, around 45 paperback pages an hour (in Dutch and English, 30 in German), is considered to be very much above average in the Netherlands.

Still, it doesn't allow me to read 200 books a year, because 200 books of 300 pages would cost me 3.6 hours a day. You, and others, must be either fast to the extreme, or have much more time to spend reading than I do; I certainly haven't got 3-4 hours a day to spend reading, not even when including public transport

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

Let's just say that my speed, around 45 paperback pages an hour (in Dutch and English, 30 in German), is considered to be very much above average in the Netherlands.

Still, it doesn't allow me to read 200 books a year, because 200 books of 300 pages would cost me 3.6 hours a day. You, and others, must be either fast to the extreme, or have much more time to spend reading than I do; I certainly haven't got 3-4 hours a day to spend reading, not even when including public transport

When I still went by train to work, I generally read about 2 hours a day. 1 hour on the train and 1 hour before falling asleep...

But it also depends on the book. Some books I can (and want to!) read fast and I might completely finish a book in 2 days (normal sized book, don't ask me for page count because I won't be able to give it). And some books, of the same size, will take me a month or more...

[Apache]

I do not know how many pages I read in an hour. When I read I am oblivious to anything going on around me. This infuriates my wife by the way, when she starts talking to me while I am reading.
When I read everything is happening in my head just like I am watching a movie. To paraphrase Louis L'Amour "I could sit in the middle of Sunset Blvd and not be distracted, when I am reading". Unless I get run over.
But, I do read a lot as I am an addict when it comes to books. If I have a spare minute any where I will pull out my book and read. I do not mind when I have to dine alone because I can read while I eat. Although it can take me twice as long to eat. But, hey it means more time to read.
Apache

[Katsunami]

Hmm. I've also seen people who say that they read while walking to the train station... And now you say you read while eating. I don't do all of that, apart from reading while waiting for a train (and not while walking) or when eating a sandwich. I also don't read during lunch at work and that sort of thing. (Btw: you can get addicted to reading, and I don't think that it's a good thing; no other addiction is.)

[FlorenceArt]

I think the idea of counting books is flawed and pointless, and I will probably derail this thread to say so repeatedly.

That's me. Though I will make a huge effort NOT to derail the thread. I won't. Really. Why spoil people's fun? Live and let live.

Argh, I can't help myself, I have to say it at least one: COUNTING BOOKS IS STUPID.

Phew, I'm feeling better now. Please ignore me and keep counting.

[Apache]

Reading while eating is better than just staring at walls or other diners while eating out.
Apache

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

Phew, I'm feeling better now. Please ignore me and keep counting.

You've been karma'd for making me LOL.

[Joykins]

In the past few years I've kept track due to book journaling/goodreads.

2008 - 98
2009 - 295
2010 - 507
2011 - 430

I feel reasonably certain I'll end up somewhere between 100 and 1000 this year as well, seeing as I've already read more than 20 books this year.

It is quite possible I'm addicted to reading.

I partially attribute the increase in numbers to an increasing preference for genre romance in the past few years--shorter books and they read fast, as opposed to SF epics and nonfiction, which read much slower and I read more of in '08.