1. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Books - How many a year?

    Discussion in 'Discussion of Published Works' started by Lemex, Feb 17, 2009.

    How often do you read? And what’s your average book count per year?

    I try to read a chapter every day, and I read about 35 - 45 books a year.
     
  2. Bob Magness

    Bob Magness New Member

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    Hard to say. The books I read typically range anywhere from 300 pages to 1,200 pages with most of them falling around 450 pages. I tend to read one or two books a week, so on average I would say I read about 70 books a year. That is going off of how much I read now that I have my Kindle. Before my Kindle I only read about 1/3 as much.
     
  3. Daedalus

    Daedalus Active Member

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    Around two a week, so about a hundred every year.
     
  4. Gone Wishing

    Gone Wishing New Member

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    I go through various phases... Sometimes I'll read voraciously - maybe two-three books in a week (that's voraciously for me, anyway), other times I won't read a thing for a month. I suppose on average I read about 30 books a year (for pleasure - I read other books for research/study...and I also read comics. :))
     
  5. Gannon

    Gannon Contributor Contributor

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    Simply, not as many as I'd like. About 25 I'd say, which are primarily plucked from the prizes, and sprinkled with a classic here and there. My favourites are C20th classics for their readability and blend of style and substance.
     
  6. KP Williams

    KP Williams Active Member

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    Not many at all--ten at most, I'd say. I usually just read to pass the time when I'm waiting for something, and for me, time passes very slowly indeed while reading... Plus, I usually don't read an entire book unless I think the first few pages are "Great!" Rarely will I go on if I get the "I guess it sounds interesting..." kind of feeling.
     
  7. Acglaphotis

    Acglaphotis New Member

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    I'd say.. 20? Give or take two or three. I can't really buy books I want because they don't sell them where I leave. But about every three or four months I go to the US or somewhere else and buy eight or nine books at once. I have to research them a lot so I don't get disappointed and think of it as a 'lost' purchase, so quite often I get spoiled unintentionally T.T.
     
  8. laurelin

    laurelin New Member

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    I'd say it doesn't really matter how many books you've read in total during a year - rather, the number of pages is more important, but I guess that would be more difficult to estimate. A single series can last for several thousand pages, so it can take you a year to read just one.
    Although I can't imagine being interested in writing without having any interest in reading.
     
  9. JGraham

    JGraham New Member

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    I honestly just started reading this year. when i was in high school i just didnt care. So after i graduated i slowly started to read. I have read about 12 books in the last 6 months, but this is really my first year as a reader lol. Im sure it will increase in time.
     
  10. Atari

    Atari Active Member

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    My reading is sporadic, and when I do start reading, I generally finish the book within a week.

    I am terribly picky, so I don't read as much as I might.
     
  11. Dante Dases

    Dante Dases Contributor Contributor

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    Since last June, I've read 60, so I'll read 80-90 per year. 70 of those will be in the genres I like the most, with certain classics and alternative books sprinkled in and among. Not all of those are new books, mind, I quite enjoy a good re-read of an old favourite - I must have read Dune six or more times in the past three years.

    I do need to start using my local library more, though. It's a great resource, packed with a huge range of books (even if they are a little tatty), and I can't believe I've only borrowed one book from there in the past decade.
     
  12. Becky Johnson

    Becky Johnson New Member

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    I belong to a monthly book club. I usually read one more book in addition to the book club book. Occasionally two. So I guess that's about 24 books a year. I have no idea how to estimate the pages. I would happily read more that two books a month if I didn't spend so much time writing.
     
  13. yellowm&M

    yellowm&M Contributor Contributor

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    No clue how many I read in a year, but I read alot
    usually I read mulitple books at once (like right now I'm reading somewhere around 4 or5) but one is primary so it may take me forever to finish one of the others
    but as I said I don't know how many I read in a year, just alot.

    Edit: And usually I read some every night, or just anytime I feel like it
     
  14. thirdwind

    thirdwind Member Contest Administrator Reviewer Contributor

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    Maybe 15 books a year. But this is excluding poetry and short stories.
     
  15. JMoore1982

    JMoore1982 New Member

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    I'd say anywhere from 50-75 a year. I read A LOT. I have read some long Stephen King books in two days. I should note that I don't have any kids and a good Friday night for me and my girlfriend is watching a documentary, then reading on the couch until 2/3 AM. Yes we have no social life, but we like it that way. Actually tonight (Friday Night) we watched a surfing documentary, she went to bed early and I finished up a story before heading over to this board to read/review some stories.

    I got a Kindle for Christmas this year and I'd say that my eyes strain less from reading now and it helps me read a lot more. Here's to breaking the 100 "serious" books in a year!
     
  16. RurouniGriffin

    RurouniGriffin New Member

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    I don't read very often anymore, though I used to average well over ten books a month when I was in High School and the first two years or so afterward.

    My average books per year for the last two years has been about ten-twelve. My personal best was 60-70 during my High School years.
     
  17. sweetchaos

    sweetchaos New Member

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    I probably read about max 5 - 10 books a year until recently. I was a book lover, but didn't have the money and never had the motivation to go to the library. I generally read the same books over (ie, Harry Potter, The Fall of Ile Rien, etc)

    This year, however, I decided that I would like to make an effort to read more books as well as diversify. Since the beginning of 2009 I've read 12 books (all in Jan) and have a whole stack of books I'm working towards finishing. I would have a larger list done, but I moved at the beginning of the month and my hours at work increased so I kind of lost the feel for it.

    I hope to have at least 30 new (read: haven't read before) books done by the end of the year, but at the rate I'm going, I'll probably have far more done. I also plan to keep it going and read as much, if not more, each year. As well as varying my choice in books.
     
  18. St Saint

    St Saint New Member

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    Well, it shames me to say it but I usually only read 10 or so a year, and out of those most of will be due to a film being released based on it. I dunno, I usually just watch movies to pass the time rather than read, because I feel like I can share the experience more with a film than a book, which is partially because i'm 14 and most of my friends aren't interested in reading.
     
  19. Rabid Fox

    Rabid Fox New Member

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    Gosh, I forget now the total I read in 2008. I think it was somewhere between fifty-five and sixty books. I'm by no means a speedy reader, but I am getting better than the time before I got back into writing. Before putting pen to paper, I could spend as long as three weeks to read a single novel. Nowadays, I read one to two books a week depending on length.
     
  20. CharlieVer

    CharlieVer Contributor Contributor

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    Last year I read 106 books. I actually have a list of them at work.

    At the rate I'm going, it will be quite a few more this year.

    (I count listening to an audio book as reading. A large number of them are audio books. I commute.)

    I always have 3 books going at once.

    1 book at home. (hardback)
    1 book in the car. (Audio book)
    1 book at work. (paperback)

    The audio book, when I'm not commuting, I also listen to (portable CD player) when I'm walking the dog or shopping.

    Update... just for fun, last year's books! The date is the day I finished reading.

    1. The Time Machine H.G. Wells 01/04/08 Audio
    2. Headlong , James Underwood, 01/11/08
    3. The Presidents Collection Washington, Jefferson, Grant 01/15/08 Audio
    4. Holy Blood, Holy Grail, Michael Baigent 01/19/08
    5. The Black Order, James Rollins 01/25/08 Audio
    6. Everything’s Eventual, Stephen King 01/28/08
    7. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain 01/30/08 Audio
    8. In Their Footsteps, Tess Gerritson 01/31/08
    9. Islam: A Short History, Karen Armstrong 02/04/08 Audio
    10. The Fourth Hand, John Irving 02/11/08 Audio
    11. Inventing a Nation, Gore Vidal 02/13/08 Audio
    12. The Q Document, Robert Duncan (James Roberts) 02/15/08
    13. The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins 02/19/08 Audio
    14. The Summons , John Grisham 02/26/08 Audio
    15. History Corruptions of Christianity, Joseph Priestly 02/27/08
    16. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho 02/28/08 Audio
    17. Ghost Girl, Tory Hayden 03/05/08
    18. Panic, Jeff Abbott 03/06/08 Audio
    19. Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell 03/07/08 Audio
    20. The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama 03/12/08 Audio
    21. The Secrets of Judas, James Robertson 03/17/08
    22. The Red Tent, Anita Diamant 03/19/08 Audio
    23. The Vampire Armand, Anne Rice 03/23/08
    24. Demon Seed, Dean Koontz 03/26/08
    25. Burr, Gore Vidal 03/27/08 Audio
    25. The Essential Gnostic Gospels, Alan Jacobs 03/28/08
    26. John Murray Lectures II, Unitarian Universalist Assoc. 03/29/08
    27. The Apprentice, Tess Gerritson 04/14/08
    28. Outlander, Diane Gabaldon 04/17/08 Audio
    29. Violets are Blue, James Patterson 04/21/08 Audio
    30. Web of Evil, J.A. Jance 04/25/08 Audio
    31. The Secret Supper, Javier Sierra 04/26/08
    32. Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, Stephen King 04/30/08 Audio
    33. The New Testament Code (quit p110) Robert Eisenman 04/30/08
    34. Life Support, Tess Gerritson 05/08/08
    35. Don Quixote, Cervantes 05/13/07 Audio
    36. The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman 05/27/08 Audio
    37. Secret Societies, Sylvia Brown 05/29/08
    38. The Gunslinger 2, Drawing of the 3, Stephen King 06/03/08 Audio
    39. Stone Cold, David Baldacci 06/10/08 Audio
    40. Body of Evidence, Patricia Cornwell 06/14/08 Audio
    41. A Drink Before the War, Dennis Lehane 06/16/08
    42. The Assault on Reason, Al Gore 06/24/08 Audio
    43. Dreams of my Father, Barack Obama 06/27/08 Audio
    44. Wolf by the Ears, Ann Rinaldi 06/28/08
    45. Jefferson at Monticello, Edited by James Adam Bear 07/04/08
    46. Twilight at Monticello, Alan Pell Crawford 07/04/08 Audio
    47. Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare 07/05/08 Audio
    48. The Subtle Knife, Phillip Pullman 07/19/08 Audio
    49. While My Little One Sleeps, Mary Higgins Clark 07/19/08
    50. Negro President: Jefferson Slave Trade…, Gary Willis 07/23/08 Audio
    51. The Gospel of Mary, Karin L. King 07/27/08
    52. Absolute Power, David Baldacci 07/31/08
    53. The Godfather, Mario Puzo 08/01/08 Audio
    54. The Manola Matrix, Julie Kenner 08/06/08
    55. Jefferson Secret Death/Desire Monticello, Andrew Burnstein 08/07/08 Audio
    56. The Amber Spyglass, Phillip Pullman 08/17/08 Audio
    57. 21st Century Guide to Improving Writing, The Princeton Language Institute 08/18/08
    58. Post Mortem, Patricia Cornwell 08/21/08 Audio
    59. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe 08/25/08 Audio
    60. Insomnia, Stephen King 09/05/08 Audio
    61. Jefferson’s Nephews: A Frontier Tragedy, Bouton Merrill 09/12/08
    62. Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, Al Franken 09/16/08
    63. Last Man Standing, David Baldacci 09/16/08
    64. Undaunted Courage: Lewis, Jefferson…, Stephen Ambrose 09/16/08 Audio
    65. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand 09/20/08 Audio
    66. Mike’s Election Guide 2008, Michael Moore 09/25/08
    67. Dark Tower Gunslinger 3: Wastelands, Stephen King 09/27/08 Audio
    68. Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare 09/28/08 Audio
    69. Jihad: The Jerk at Work, Edward Ferguson 09/28/08
    70. Fingerprints of the Gods, Graham Hancock 09/29/08 Audio
    71. Odd Hours, Dean Koontz 10/03/08 Audio
    72. In Odd We Trust, Dean Koontz 10/04/08 GrNovel
    73. Dear Mr. Jefferson, Laura Simon 10/06/08 Audio
    74. Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M. Auel 10/16/08 Audio
    75. Killer Dreams, Iris Johansen 10/17/08
    76. Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond 10/20/08 Audio
    77. Shooter , Walter Dean Diamond 10/21/08 Audio
    78. I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou 10/23/08 Audio
    79. Dead Cert, Dick Francis 10/25/08 Audio
    80. The Jury, Steve Martini 10/28/08 Audio
    81. Revising and Self-Editing, James Scott Bell 10/29/08
    82. The Hounds of Baskerville, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 10/30/08 Audio
    83. Utopia, Sir Thomas More 10/31/08
    84. Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick 11/03/08 Audio
    85. Dispatches from the Edge, Anderson Cooper 11/06/08 Audio
    86. Uncle John’s Book Extraordinary Facts, BR Reader’s Hysterical Society 11/08/08
    87. Catch a Falling Clown, Stuart Kaminsky 11/09/08 Audio
    88. Let me call you sweetheart, Mary Higgens Clark 11/10/08 Audio
    89. A Bound Man (Barack Obama), Shelby Steele 11/12/08 Audio
    90. Universalism in America, George Huntston Williams 11/14/08
    91. Tour of Duty (John Kerry), Douglas Brinkley 11/14/08 Audio
    92. East of Desolation, Jack Higgens 11/15/08 Audio
    93. “C” is for Corpse, Sue Grafton 11/16/08 Audio
    94. Case of Curious Bride (Perry Mason), Erle Stanley Gardner 11/17/08 Audio
    95. Potshot , Gerry Boyle 11/19/08
    96. Gold finger (James Bond), Ian Fleming 11/21/08 Audio
    97. Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut 11/22/08 Audio
    98. Jefferson, the Virginian, Dumas Malone 11/29/08 Audio
    99. Two Little Girls in Blue, Mary Higgins Clark 11/29/08
    100. Wizards and Glass (Dark Tower IV), Stephen King 12/04/08 Audio
    101. Sea Wolf, Jack London 12/06/08 Audio
    102. The Hired Man’s Christmas, George Givens 12/07/08 Audio
    103. The Key to Midnight, Dean Koontz 12/11/08
    104. Twilight, Stephanie Mayer 12/12/08 Audio
    105. Church and State in American History, John F. Wilson 12/24/08
    106. David Copperfield , Charles Dickens 12/26/08 Audio
     
  21. Natalia

    Natalia New Member

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    I try to read every day and go through about 60 books a year and a couple at the same period of time.I sometimes have marathons were I swerve people for days and just hibernate with my books.Sometimes I neglect them.Im going to start getting audio books for when Im at the gym or travelling as I always have my Ipod on me and walk a lot.
     
  22. Killey

    Killey New Member

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    Last year probably around 30 books.
    When I do read they are often very long fantasy type books. Over the past while I have been reading the Wheel of Time series. Those books range from about 600-1000 pages a piece.

    Im aiming for at least one a week this year. Its just finding the time.
     
  23. Benska

    Benska New Member

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    It varies for me, as I often get distracted by other things, life, hobbies etc. Sometimes I may read upto 6 or 7 books in a week, though I can go a couple months without reading an entire book.
    I'd say I read about 40 or so last year, which is probably about my maximum.
     
  24. Kratos

    Kratos New Member

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    I really don't know. I go through phases where I'll read, and phases when I don't read. Now that I'm in high school having to juggle school, homework, afterschool band practice, watching Battlestar Galactica (I'm on season 3) and 24 (still only halfway though season 1) dvds to get caught up, playing video games, writing, and hanging with friends, I really don't have that much time to read. However, I'm planning to read a lot during the summer, as I usually do. So I'd say anywhere from 10-15 books a year. Usually a book a month. It doesn't take me that long, but I'll stop reading for a week or so sometimes. Currently I'm reading like 4 books at the same time though.
     
  25. Anthem

    Anthem New Member

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    I'm erratic in my reading habits. There are phases were I may be able to pump out a book every couple days for three weeks, then I won't read for a couple months. Then I'll pick up a book and that book will randomly take me a month, follow that with another two weeks with no reading, then the following week read three books etc. Confused? Yes so, I am. I just have weeks where I really really wanna read and other weeks where it just doesn't intersest me. So for a total number of books a year that's hard. I'd say somewhere in the 25-30 range.
     

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