Poll of the Day > 20+ books? Is that all?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've set myself a target to read 100 this year, regardless of length, and am at 94 as of this week, midway through David Weber's second Honor Harrington novel, The Honor of the Queen.

Before the past year or so, my annual average was nearer to 200-230. I get wearier all the time, and find less spare time to read depending on whatever other hobbies were most prevalent in that particular calendar year, but most of all it's about fatigue.

What's the usual figure on average for the rest of you? I simply can not begin to believe so few people here ever read 20 a year!
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How old are you? Do you have a job and/or family?

I would love to be able to read that much but there simply isn't time.

"I read more books than you!"

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Trialia posted...

I've set myself a target to read 100 this year, regardless of length, and am at 94 as of this week, midway through David Weber's second Honor Harrington novel, The Honor of the Queen.

Before the past year or so, my annual average was nearer to 200-230. I get wearier all the time, and find less spare time to read depending on whatever other hobbies were most prevalent in that particular calendar year, but most of all it's about fatigue.

What's the usual figure on average for the rest of you? I simply can not begin to believe so few people here ever read 20 a year!

I'm guessing you're jobless and no kids

I have read 4 books this year and they're all for school. I'd love to sit down and read like you can but I work, have college classes and a family to take care of

r/iamverysmart

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also 20+ encompasses any amount over 20
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People can be snobby and elitist over the silliest things. Why look down your nose at people for reading less than 20 books a year?
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In my twenties I'd be reading three books at once and easily over a hundred in a year.
Now I'm in my late thirties and consider myself lucky if I can finish one novel in a month.
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Trialia posted...

I've set myself a target to read 100 this year

That would be 20+ yes.
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You know that as you read nonfiction, the're harder to read right? Or the more in-depth, the harder it is.
Raw books read is useful metric up to about, 10 per year or so. If you beat that number, the question is what kind of books you read. Anyone can punch through The Dresden Files or whatever else series is around.
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weird flex but ok
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I'm a slow ass reader, but for someone who aims for 20 books a year, it is more than most amongst my peers.
I live close to a university, so most young people don't read because they already are for school. It seems a good chunk wouldn't mind if some of their reading was for pleasure.
The average person just doesn't seem to read much. Most of us readers at my job greatly vary from 1 or 2 a month (me) to 5+ a week. Most of feel that as long as you're reading, it's whatever and we just hope there's books we've both read.

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I read a lot and listen to audio books rather than music, does that make me epeen bigger?

Clearly the only way to become more enlightened is by reading the most books.
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i read the covers of magazines while waiting in line in the grocery store, that counts.
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Yeah I dont get enjoyment from reading books, so I think even one is a lot.

If Im reading its usually on Wiki to learn.

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I'm doing the Goodreads challenge this year (for the first time in a few years) and have read 48 books so far. Some non-fiction, some fiction, some manga, mostly just whatever I find interesting.

I found that I stopped reading while I was in school except for what I was assigned to read, and then stopped reading completely while I was in the midst of a major depressive episode and having electroconvulsive therapy.

Now I work about 32 hours a week (no kids) and find that I both have time to enjoy reading again, and the capability to enjoy reading again now that the depressive episode has somewhat remitted.

It's something I enjoy, so I do it. It's not something that everyone enjoys, and I imagine those people who don't enjoy doing it, don't do it. No big deal.

I was also "20? That's really low" but my POV is as a library worker, soooo... :shrug:
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Trialia posted...

Before the past year or so, my annual average was nearer to 200-230. I get wearier all the time, and find less spare time to read depending on whatever other hobbies were most prevalent in that particular calendar year, but most of all it's about fatigue.

nobody believes that you finish a book every 1.5 days
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Goodreads says I've read 21 so far this year. I read 60 last year.
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GhettoFlip posted...

Trialia posted...

Before the past year or so, my annual average was nearer to 200-230. I get wearier all the time, and find less spare time to read depending on whatever other hobbies were most prevalent in that particular calendar year, but most of all it's about fatigue.

nobody believes that you finish a book every 1.5 days

Thats not really that difficult depending on his personal life.

Bulbasaur posted...

also 20+ encompasses any amount over 20

And, realistically, is a reasonable lower bound to use there, given that even people who are reading on a reasonably regular basis aren't likely to exceed that number by much. Given the results, going with 30+ and having a 21-30 option would probably have been more reasonable, since this poll question would be expected to have fewer people choosing the highest option if the response are structured properly, but they nonetheless have covered every possibility.
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Hell, I read 30 books in one day setting up a children's program.

Picture books count as books.
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Cacciato posted...

GhettoFlip posted...

Trialia posted...

Before the past year or so, my annual average was nearer to 200-230. I get wearier all the time, and find less spare time to read depending on whatever other hobbies were most prevalent in that particular calendar year, but most of all it's about fatigue.

nobody believes that you finish a book every 1.5 days

Thats not really that difficult depending on his personal life.

FWIW, I actually know people who read twice as much as I do. One of whom is a full-time graduate student (Anglo-Saxon and Classics). I have no idea how they manage that.

As for "20+ includes anything above 20", yes, that was rather the point of the original post. ;) I have a lot of friends who use GoodReads to track their reading per year, quite a few of whom run the annual GR challenge, but very few of them read less than 25-30, and the mean average is something like 75. These are mostly people with jobs and/or families.

I don't imply anyone working 40+ hours a week could easily read as much as I do if they have other hobbies to keep up as well - though yes, I do count reading for study, work, or audiobooks (whether read while commuting or not). As it happens, my annual number drops as my health continues to deteriorate, and much of the time I might not be able to read at all if not for adaptive tech, but that comes along with having multiple impairments. I am no longer in a position to hold down a regular job, so I acknowledge that to some extent I may have more "free time" (depending on how you consider that) than someone working all week (although it can get a bit complicated, and I don't know whether counting the fact that I sometimes manage to read while in-patient might skew anything). That said, being single doesn't really mean I have more time than someone married with or without kids, because married people get to split chores, and I can't.

Also, before we revisit it: I'm 33, and yes, I really do read that much, between audiobooks, ebooks and print (though less of the latter than I used to, now I have days where turning pages dislocates my fingers), and I read both fiction and non-fiction. I suppose it might be more if I weren't using some of the time for chores or other hobbies (I'm a chorister, for the benefit of the person who mentioned music ;) as well as, obviously, a gamer, else why would I be here?).
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I've read a compliation of all 6 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee's last novel published before she died), but haven't gotten around to reading Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency yet (checked out a couple of pages but that's all so far). Usually I'm too busy writing books to read them (working on two novels at present) but that doesn't mean I won't attempt to read another book soon.

GastroFan posted...

I've read a compliation of all 6 Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee's last novel published before she died), but haven't gotten around to reading Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency yet (checked out a couple of pages but that's all so far). Usually I'm too busy writing books to read them (working on two novels at present) but that doesn't mean I won't attempt to read another book soon.

Fair enough! I'm glad to hear you do read, though, as I have no confidence whatsoever in writers who claim they don't read. Do you write in any specific genre(s)? I used to write a lot more original fiction than I do nowadays, but mainly stick to poetry and fanfiction now (which reminds me, I have a New Year's Resolution to write for the Yuletide challenge)...
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My target is now 101 books.
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