How many books per month/year we read to improve writing, to sleep better, for a course, for leisure, just because . . . there are tons of posts already in the forum about this topic, often related on how to motivate ourselves to read more for writing purposes. But I came to find that while reading more has its benefits, especially on my mental health and writing ability, I cannot really enjoy or even read as much/fast as some people on the internet who claim they read over 120 books a year. The pace of reading that allows me to read a book enjoying it, to ponder over its thoughts, and to view and review its writing mechanisms, while feeling refreshed by the exercise of reading is around 1-2 books (of average length) per month. I finish a book in less than two weeks, but then I need time to bask in the pleasures and questions that struck my imagination before moving to the next. I would like to read more because my list of books to read just keeps getting longer. But I will stick with the 1-2 books per month, at least for now.
it depends. i really should be reading more than I am, not just for writing purposes. Sometimes i read more if i find a subject i'm really in to (i went down a hole reading about islamic relations and finished 4 books in a month.... then i binged all 3 of Caitlin Doughty's books on death AND her colleagues books also on death.... that was about 5 books in a little over a month). im in a slump right now. im barely clocking in 2 books, and the ones I pick are borderline novellas, but i read them just to say i've been reading. what slows me down, though, is reading for work. i'll prepare for an author event by reading the authors work and developing interview questions. and i'll read through a few books i've ordered so that i can promote them better. these things feel like "work" so i enjoy it less than leisure reading which makes me slower at it and the books more tedious to get through. Like now, I have to read a novel by the end of the month for a staff book club that i was volun-told to host, and i also have to procure and read another book also by the end of the month because i was invited to another book club that the author of the book will be at. (i havent started either of them....)
Degree has been kicking my ass for like three years now. Basically been burning through around three or four books a month for the last few years, though it sometimes dips to two. Sometimes it's five though, so that makes up for the slumps. Or sometimes the books are just huge. I read an awful lot though. I would read a lot more if I wasn't having to critically write about almost every book I've been reading.
you guys make me feel so slow Still, it sounds fun to organize the event+PR, your job sounds interesting, especially for a writer. Are you a librarian at a public library? (No need to answer if it reveals too much of your personal life in public) I also go to libraries, although I enjoy owning books because I make annotations, so I don't go to libraries as often as I should.
Yep, public library. I suck at returning library books. I always want to keep them! I once got a letter in the mail tht said my book was over due by 4 months..... I work there and i was so embarrassed!
Depends on the length. 1k word mini papers take a couple hours usually. Mostly research. More generalized standard papers in the 2.5k range take a couple days. Large papers in 5k+ range can take weeks or even months because the planning and research are exponentially more complex.
Last month I read thirteen books. This year altogether I've read 60+ and those are only the ones I've finished. Most are novels, a few were novellas, and then a handful were shorts. I DNF books weekly around the 20-65% complete mark as well. However, I'm an asocial homebody with very little current hobbies. Plus, I consider this research and study for my full time job (self publishing). I honestly wish I read less and rounded myself out better but right now I feel like I'm grinding my gears to build up a career just over the next hill.
