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Hot Reading Challenge Tips from Pros Who Read More Than 100 Books a Year
More than 2.8 million readers have pledged to finish more books in the 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge. For those stuck in a midyear slump, we asked avid readers Dan Schwent, Julie Ehlers, Bill Kerwin, and Kathy Habel for advice. These pros have read more than 100 books a year, so of course we asked them for their recommendations as well. Make sure to add their picks to your Want to Read shelf!
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Dan Schwent: In 2017, despite getting married, vacationing in Maine, and remodeling three rooms in my house, I managed to read 137 books.
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
DS: One thing I learned the hard way is that there’s no shame in not finishing a book that you’re not enjoying. If there’s one thing you’re definitely in control of, it’s the books you’ll spend time reading! The book-finishing police probably don’t know where you live anyway...
Sometimes, change is good. If your genre of choice isn’t doing it for you anymore, try something else! Switching it up every once in a while is healthy and fun. Or it will be disastrous and you’ll go running back into the comforting arms of your genre of choice. It’s win-win!
Lastly, time is your biggest enemy in your Reading Challenge. If you’re behind on your count, maybe it’s time to look at what else you’re doing and make some changes. Scouring social media* for info on the newest Marvel movie might be fun, but reading about what some curmudgeon in Kansas hates about Avengers: Infinity War isn’t getting you any closer to your reading goals.
*This does not apply to Goodreads, of course.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
DS: Nothing will bust you out of a reading slump like a fantastic book. Here are a few I enjoyed quite a bit over the last few years:
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Julie Ehlers: In 2017, I read 141 books (my Reading Challenge goal was 101).
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
JE: Follow your bliss! I think sometimes we read particular books because we feel like we should, or we dutifully plow through books we’re not enjoying because we feel bad about setting them aside without finishing them. Don’t do any of this! Read what calls out to you from the shelf. If something’s not working, quit it and don’t feel guilty.
Also, when you have a spare minute, pick up your book instead of scrolling through your phone. Not only will you get more reading done, but you’ll be improving your focus and concentration…and then you can get even more reading done! In my experience, it’s also much more rewarding.
Finally, make sure your goals are realistic! I’ve exceeded my challenge goal every year, but I’m not interested in setting a higher number—I don’t need that kind of pressure. The Reading Challenge should be fun and motivating, not make you want to change your name, move somewhere where nobody knows you, and start your life over again.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Bill Kerwin: 240 books.
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
BK: Diversify. Read books of different types and genres, lengths, and levels of difficulty. Just make sure they are all from genres you like. Every month I read 18 separate works. The variety is what keeps my interest alive.
Read more than one book at a time. If I’m not in the mood for one book, I quickly shift to another. With four or five books at hand at any time, I can satisfy my reader’s mood, whatever it may be.
Always take a book with you when you leave the house. If the book is small, the inconvenience is, too. Even better: Take your Kindle along. Waiting is always easier when you have a book.
Read books you want to read, not books you think you should. Just because a book is on somebody’s “great list” doesn’t mean it’s the book for you. And if a book doesn’t please you after 50 pages, cut your losses and move on.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Kathy Habel: In 2017, I completed my fourth Goodreads Reading Challenge, completing a total of 161 books. I'm hoping to double that number this year!
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
KH: Reading slumps are a real thing, especially for an avid reader. Life happens to all of us, and sometimes things get too stressful. I think it's healthy to take a break when it's needed, but if your slump goes on too long, here are a few suggestions to get back to reading:
No required reading. I used to force myself to finish every book I started. However, it's been years since I was in school, so there is no longer any "required reading" in my life. So give yourself permission to only read books you love.
Audiobooks. Try listening to audiobooks. While I love professional narrations and often listen to them through Audible or Overdrive, not every book I want to read has been professionally narrated. I often take advantage of my Kindle Fire's text-to-voice feature. Listening to audio versions of books while driving, exercising, and cleaning helps boost my book count.
Reread. Go back to an old favorite. What's the best book you've ever read? Which book elicited strong emotion when you read it? What is an unforgettable scene that is burned into your memory? Maybe it's time for a reread of an old favorite or maybe try another book written by a favorite author.
Compare books. If you have not yet found trusted friends with similar reading tastes, then choose your favorite book and find someone who has posted a five-star review similar to yours. Go to their profile and use Goodreads' "compare books" feature to see how compatible your reading tastes are.
This feature has led me to find a couple Goodreads friends who I am nearly 100 percent compatible with. Our ratings and reviews on books are so similar, I know that if they give a book five stars, I'm going to love it, too. When I'm in a slump and looking for something to pull me out of it, a great way is to choose a book one of these trusted top friends has raved about.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
KH: Anything by Amy Harmon (Making Faces, The Law of Moses, and From Sand and Ash are my favorites) and anything narrated by Jim Dale (The Night Circus, Harry Potter, Peter and the Starcatchers). Also, I'm with You by Taylor Dean and The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel.
Dan Schwent: In 2017, despite getting married, vacationing in Maine, and remodeling three rooms in my house, I managed to read 137 books.
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
DS: One thing I learned the hard way is that there’s no shame in not finishing a book that you’re not enjoying. If there’s one thing you’re definitely in control of, it’s the books you’ll spend time reading! The book-finishing police probably don’t know where you live anyway...
Sometimes, change is good. If your genre of choice isn’t doing it for you anymore, try something else! Switching it up every once in a while is healthy and fun. Or it will be disastrous and you’ll go running back into the comforting arms of your genre of choice. It’s win-win!
Lastly, time is your biggest enemy in your Reading Challenge. If you’re behind on your count, maybe it’s time to look at what else you’re doing and make some changes. Scouring social media* for info on the newest Marvel movie might be fun, but reading about what some curmudgeon in Kansas hates about Avengers: Infinity War isn’t getting you any closer to your reading goals.
*This does not apply to Goodreads, of course.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
DS: Nothing will bust you out of a reading slump like a fantastic book. Here are a few I enjoyed quite a bit over the last few years:
Julie Ehlers: In 2017, I read 141 books (my Reading Challenge goal was 101).
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
JE: Follow your bliss! I think sometimes we read particular books because we feel like we should, or we dutifully plow through books we’re not enjoying because we feel bad about setting them aside without finishing them. Don’t do any of this! Read what calls out to you from the shelf. If something’s not working, quit it and don’t feel guilty.
Also, when you have a spare minute, pick up your book instead of scrolling through your phone. Not only will you get more reading done, but you’ll be improving your focus and concentration…and then you can get even more reading done! In my experience, it’s also much more rewarding.
Finally, make sure your goals are realistic! I’ve exceeded my challenge goal every year, but I’m not interested in setting a higher number—I don’t need that kind of pressure. The Reading Challenge should be fun and motivating, not make you want to change your name, move somewhere where nobody knows you, and start your life over again.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
JE: This is tough because obviously everybody’s taste is different, but when I think of Reading Challenge busters, I think "funny" and "lively," and nothing embodies those qualities more than David Sedaris’ essay collections. I’ve been enjoying his new one, Calypso, but all of them are great.
JE: I also think reading something completely different from what you’re used to can get you out of a slump. Lately I’ve been reading novels-in-poems, like Jacqueline Woodson's Brown Girl Dreaming, for a change of pace.
JE: A lot of the best graphic novels are kind of dark and disturbing, but a good lighthearted one is Over Easy by Mimi Pond. As a bonus, this and Brown Girl Dreaming can be read pretty quickly, so you can feel an immediate sense of accomplishment.
JE: Another book that got me out of a recent reading slump is Christopher R. Beha’s novel Arts & Entertainments. I thought it was fun and so interesting, and really unpredictable. Unpredictability is good for keeping the pages turning.
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Bill Kerwin: 240 books.
Goodreads: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
BK: Diversify. Read books of different types and genres, lengths, and levels of difficulty. Just make sure they are all from genres you like. Every month I read 18 separate works. The variety is what keeps my interest alive.
Read more than one book at a time. If I’m not in the mood for one book, I quickly shift to another. With four or five books at hand at any time, I can satisfy my reader’s mood, whatever it may be.
Always take a book with you when you leave the house. If the book is small, the inconvenience is, too. Even better: Take your Kindle along. Waiting is always easier when you have a book.
Read books you want to read, not books you think you should. Just because a book is on somebody’s “great list” doesn’t mean it’s the book for you. And if a book doesn’t please you after 50 pages, cut your losses and move on.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
BK: A horror/adventure novel featuring a black family in 1950’s Chicago who discover they have an occult family connection to a society of evil wizards on the East Coast.
BK: A Catholic family from London journeys north to visit a shrine and encounters evil in the countryside.
BK: This second entry in the series featuring Roxane Weary—Columbus, Ohio’s bisexual, hard-drinking private eye—is just as good as the first book, The Last Place You Look.
BK: The first and best collection by the master of the English ghost story—a classic not to be missed.
Goodreads: How many books did you read last year?
Kathy Habel: In 2017, I completed my fourth Goodreads Reading Challenge, completing a total of 161 books. I'm hoping to double that number this year!
Goodreads: What tips do you have for someone stuck in a Reading Challenge slump?
KH: Reading slumps are a real thing, especially for an avid reader. Life happens to all of us, and sometimes things get too stressful. I think it's healthy to take a break when it's needed, but if your slump goes on too long, here are a few suggestions to get back to reading:
No required reading. I used to force myself to finish every book I started. However, it's been years since I was in school, so there is no longer any "required reading" in my life. So give yourself permission to only read books you love.
Audiobooks. Try listening to audiobooks. While I love professional narrations and often listen to them through Audible or Overdrive, not every book I want to read has been professionally narrated. I often take advantage of my Kindle Fire's text-to-voice feature. Listening to audio versions of books while driving, exercising, and cleaning helps boost my book count.
Reread. Go back to an old favorite. What's the best book you've ever read? Which book elicited strong emotion when you read it? What is an unforgettable scene that is burned into your memory? Maybe it's time for a reread of an old favorite or maybe try another book written by a favorite author.
Compare books. If you have not yet found trusted friends with similar reading tastes, then choose your favorite book and find someone who has posted a five-star review similar to yours. Go to their profile and use Goodreads' "compare books" feature to see how compatible your reading tastes are.
This feature has led me to find a couple Goodreads friends who I am nearly 100 percent compatible with. Our ratings and reviews on books are so similar, I know that if they give a book five stars, I'm going to love it, too. When I'm in a slump and looking for something to pull me out of it, a great way is to choose a book one of these trusted top friends has raved about.
Goodreads: What Reading Challenge busters do you recommend?
KH: Anything by Amy Harmon (Making Faces, The Law of Moses, and From Sand and Ash are my favorites) and anything narrated by Jim Dale (The Night Circus, Harry Potter, Peter and the Starcatchers). Also, I'm with You by Taylor Dean and The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel.
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What tips will you be trying for your Reading Challenge? Let us know in the comments!
Check out more recent blogs:
The Best Books of the Year (So Far)
The Unputdownable Domestic Suspense Thrillers of 2018
Catch Up Now: These Big Series All Have Books Coming Out in July
Check out more recent blogs:
The Best Books of the Year (So Far)
The Unputdownable Domestic Suspense Thrillers of 2018
Catch Up Now: These Big Series All Have Books Coming Out in July
Comments Showing 51-100 of 479 (479 new)
Cindle... wrote: "137 books, 141 books, 240 books, etc; plus, they want to double their amount next year. So I’m curious, are they retaining any of the plots and or characters they are reading about?"That's what I'm wondering. And how many of these hundreds of books are just badly written fiction, not really worth remembering anyway, books with little value and underwhelming stories. The 'best' years I had for my challenges were nearly a hundred books, and they were all young adult (or middle grade!) fiction. I finally started trying out adult fiction and every one of them has been the same quality as the YA ones were.
I'm making this year about as much nonfiction as I can get my hands on - it's the first time in literal years that I've felt excited about reading and actually had multiple books I wanted to check out from the library. It's not all the same stuff, plots, characters, worlds. It's real people, and real consequences, real problems to mull over and learn from. It's been fantastic.
In the past, I'd set my challenges at 50 or more a year. Like others have mentioned, I found myself pushing longer works to the side to find shorter, lighter reads to rack up the numbers with. Now I've got it at 20, which I just achieved today actually, and make sure I review each one to go over what I thought about them. I'm sure there are at least some people who make the big numbers with serious reads; it'd be nice to hear exactly what kind of books those interviewed are reading and how much they affect them (or not). Though, based on their recommendations, it just looks like more of the same.
Lori wrote: "I have to wonder if people who read over a 100 books a year either (a) don't hold full time jobs or (b) read a lot of graphic novels/chapbooks/poetry. The best reading year I ever had, while holdin..."In my free time, I choose to read. I have a full-time job, a husband, 2 dogs, and 2 cats. I have dinner with my parents, siblings, and their families once a week. I always have an e-book, an audiobook, and a physical book going at once. You *make* time for reading. There's always time, it's just how you prioritize it. My weekends are off from work and mostly I'm reading, I try not to leave the house. lol. I also listen to audiobooks while commuting to and from work, that amounts to 10 hours a week plus I listen at 1.5x speed. I have read a couple of graphic novels and novellas this year but of my current # of books read so far this year, 127, those amount to less than 10 of them. https://www.goodreads.com/user_challe...
Louis wrote: "I'm gonna have to join the "audiobooks are not reading" bandwagon. I watch TV shows on my phone in my pocket while doing other stuff sometimes and for me, it's the same thing. Fast readers who pref..."That's you personally though. You're saying a vision impaired person isn't reading because they only listen to audiobooks? I don't think so. Good thing it's not up to other people and only up to yourself!! You may not be able to focus on an audiobook but I can and I do. And I prefer to speed up slower narrators, I don't do it to affect my reading number or to "skim" audiobooks. Narrators read at different rates of speed just like people physically read at different rates. Some read 50 pages an hour and some read 15. There's nothing wrong with that.
Louis wrote: "I'm gonna have to join the "audiobooks are not reading" bandwagon. I watch TV shows on my phone in my pocket while doing other stuff sometimes and for me, it's the same thing. Fast readers who prefer audiobooks just need to slow down, it's easy. Also, since it happens to me sometimes while reading a real book, I'm pretty sure someone can "zone out" while listening to an audiobook but much more frequently, that makes it poor quality over a physical book. Anyway, I realize we're not fixing this debate today."What's your basis for saying people zone out more during audiobooks? Is that the only reason you think it doesn't count as reading? You know you can rewind audiobooks, just like you can reread sections you glaze over in physical books. I don't really understand your argument. In both cases, I have absorbed and enjoyed the story being presented, so why should it not count? I can summarize the plots, and tell you my favorite chapters and characters from audiobooks I've read just as well as physical books, how does that not count?
Also, as I posted earlier, research has shown that listening to an audiobook and reading a physical book are basically the same thing. The same language processing section of your brain is activated and reading/listening comprehension are fairly even in the average adult. The only difference is with audiobooks you don't have to decode the text, but since most books do not contain incredibly difficult to understand language that we need to spend significant amounts of time analyzing for meaning, this is not very significant.
http://www.danielwillingham.com/danie...
Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"Nothing. The goal is more quality books.
Agree with the quantity over quality comment. Perhaps I'm wrong but by challenging yourself to read over 100 books surely you're going to be compensating by picking a nice short story rather than a tome in order to reach your target? Some books deserve pondering time, time for them to weave into your mind and take you over, to make you think.
Louis wrote: "Fast readers who prefer audiobooks just need to slow down, it's easy"Audiobooks slow me way down. I can read much faster than I am able to listen to and comprehend an audiobook. Even at 1.5 or 2x speed reading is much faster for me than listening to an audiobook.
Elyse wrote: "I always have 3 books going at once; e-book, audio, and physical. Usually they're different genres so as to not get them confused. I'm up to 127 books read so far this year."My name is Elise, and I do the exact same thing! :D
Jessica wrote: "So do you count audio books as "reading" a book? I never had but if I did, it would for boost my numbers. What is the general consensus?"It should definitely count! Getting through a book is getting through a book, no matter the route you take to get there. So whether it's a tangible book, an ebook, your kindle reading to you, an audiobook, or whatever, give yourself the credit.
Sarah wrote: "Agree with the quantity over quality comment. Perhaps I'm wrong but by challenging yourself to read over 100 books surely you're going to be compensating by picking a nice short story rather than a..."Yes, but like they are saying, if you choose books that you aren't interested in, they will take up a lot of time that would be better spent on books you enjoy.
Elise wrote: "Elyse wrote: "I always have 3 books going at once; e-book, audio, and physical. Usually they're different genres so as to not get them confused. I'm up to 127 books read so far this year."My name..."
It's got to be in the name! ;)
Well, I'm off to continue my reading. I really don't need to spend all of this precious time responding to comments. :)
Maureen wrote: "Dana wrote: "Some good tips in here. However, I have one minor (pedantic) peeve:Listening to audiobooks is not reading. You get a completely different experience reading something than you do fro..."
Disagree. The intake method does NOT negate that you have finished getting through a book. And perhaps having a hectic schedule (or whatever reason) where audiobooks work best for you also does not negate that you made it through (and hopefully enjoyed) the book. I'd also never tell a blind person listening to audiobooks they're not really reading because they can't see. Audiobooks count as books. Just like we all learn differently - visual, aural, kinesthetic, etc. - we "read" differently as well. Lastly, the world "book" is even part of the word "audiobook."
Jessica wrote: "Jessica wrote: "So do you count audio books as "reading" a book? I never had but if I did, it would for boost my numbers. What is the general consensus?"Following up on my own comment, I just fin..."
Absolutely LOVE this take on audiobooks. Thanks!!
Mary: Harry Dresden's Love Slave wrote: "If a person with vision problems has to listen to books, does that mean they can't say they read? It's still going into the brain, just via a different medium. "
I mean, they can say it, but it wouldn't be true. Listening to somebody talk isn't the same as reading. Like you say, it's via a different medium. It's not reading, it's listening. Admitting this doesn't disparage audiobooks, in my opinion. I've listened to lots of audiobooks, and I'd never claim to have read them--after all, it was the narrator who read the books. What I did was to listen to the narrators telling me what the text on the pages said.
Now, if somebody who listened to Great Expectations on audiobook claimed to have read it, I wouldn't correct them, because it's just an expression. But to actually claim that listening is the same as reading is, if you'll pardon my French, just silly.
When we say that a child could read before starting school, we don't mean that the child listened to people reading aloud. We mean that the child looked at letters and formed them into words.
If you read the entire Bible aloud to your child when he or she was two years old, you wouldn't say that "my child read the entire Bible at the age of two!" Because we can all agree listening to the Bible at age two is not the same thing at all as actually reading the entire book when you're just two years old.
We can all ask a Chinese person to read Chinese writing aloud to us. But we wouldn't claim that this means that we all are able to actually read Chinese writing.
Audiobooks are a perfectly fine way to experience a book. I've enjoyed lots and lots of books that way. When I talk about one of these books, I say "I listened to it," not "I read it," because I didn't read the book--I had the narrator read it to me. I see nothing wrong or shameful in admitting that. :)
I am a very slow reader and "read" 90% of the books I "read." They are physical books. I just read Anna Karenina and it took me 19 days to finish the book. I'd like to weigh in on the audiobook thing. I used to be rather snobbish and look down upon it but as audiobooks became more common I listen to them regularly while I sit and play Mah Jong on my computer. Some of the books I listen to are tomes that require careful listening just as they would require careful reading. Sometimes I have to listen to them two or more times to grasp all the information and ponder the ideas. I don't consider this intellectual laziness at all, though I will admit to being intellectually lazy (hence my name on here--a bad transliteration of the Thai word for "lazy." :). Just saying to the naysayers re; audiobooks being counted as being "read" that, like a hard copy of some books, many audiobooks require a great deal of careful listening and effort and slogging through a 40-hour audiobook chock-full of difficult concepts is much harder than reading ten slick novels of the sort sold in airports around the world.
Wonderer wrote: "Dana wrote: "Listening to audiobooks is not reading. You get a completely different experience reading something than you do from listening t..."Listening to audiobooks is superior to reading boo..."
Forgive me while I ROTFLMAO- Humble brag, much? Best laugh I've had in ages- thanks! Happy 'reading'!
Regarding audiobooks- I count them. You don’t have to. When I’ve finished an audiobook, I’ve finished a book. Lots of research out there about the subject. I’ve posted it before and it doesn’t change anyone’s mind. I also read ebooks and I will kick it old school with a paper version. I will say listening to someone talk is not the same as listening to an audiobook. Different processes.
I love books, and I love the pleasure I get when I discover amazing author or an amazing book, but in one moment in my life I realized that putting too high number on Goodreads makes me dislike in a certain way reading because I was no longer doing it for my own pleasure, I was doing it solely to fulfill a quota. So I put a number, quite a realistic number and said 'that's fine'. Btw, it was 12 books in a year. So, if reading or listening to an audiobook gives a pleasure and makes you happy, who cares about everything else. At the end that is a personal experience just as it is our perceptive of a certain book.
For me, reading is relaxing, learning, challenging and most likely it brings more 'things' in my life I will ever consciously know as it shapes my thoughts and ideas about the world (Now, that's why reading is a dangerous craft :p ).
That's why I always have book-reading apps on my phone, a book in my purse and ability to read a book while walking, and the best of it a desire to read even if it's just 5 minutes.
So if it's only 1 or 1000, just enjoy!
I like that the general consensus is to read what you like. I do feel the pressure to read “important books” even if I’m not necessarily in the mood for it. I’m nowhere near reading 100 in a year but happy with what I set myself and love to use goodreads as a secondary motivation tactic to actually block the outside world and concentrate on a book. Always have my kindle with me and the kindle app on my phone. I tend to use these for rainy day reads where I can hold the device in one hand under an umbrella. Usually have two physical bookshop the go too, one I class as public worthy and one not public worthy (I work with kids so bringing out a book like FSoG isn’t the best idea in the world). Size also makes an impact on how many I read at once. Currently - one around 750 pages and the other 1500 pages! Both very detailed and thought provoking that I find I reread paragraphs and sentences to make sense of my constant questions. I do feel the stress to complete these and within a set amount of time but am going to pick up a chick-lit romance from the bookshelf for the weekend as a mini holiday. I still have 6 months left.I really like to meet my gr challenge target by the end of the year but focus more on the number of pages I’ve read as that, to me, is a more accurate interpretation of how much I’ve read. 1 book of 1000 pages is more than 5 books of 100. Averaging out at a minimum 9000 pages a year which is probably not a lot compared to other people but to me is a decent amount, and there is always room for improvement.
The Overflowing Inkwell wrote: "Cindle... wrote: "137 books, 141 books, 240 books, etc; plus, they want to double their amount next year. So I’m curious, are they retaining any of the plots and or characters they are reading abou..."My thoughts exactly. I’ve read a dozen kindle books that all had <100 pages but reading my current book of 1500 pages would only count as 1 book even if it is a longer. I set myself a realistic target of around 30 books a year, a mixture of fiction, non fiction, fantasy, romance, crime and of course Indy authors. I’m not for reading rubbish just because it looks good. I’d rather read something I want to read and than something I’ll forget before the week is done. I use the extra tool of pages read to set targets for myself. At least that way I have an accurate reading target.
Do they count the books they don't finish? What are other people's thoughts on that?
I read a little over 50 books a year. When I worked I was reading trade magazines. I count audio books. I also spend some time doing needlework instead of reading and that is usually when I watch a movie on TV. I also have learned to quit reading a book after about 50 pages if I do not like it.
Jason wrote: "Do they count the books they don't finish? What are other people's thoughts on that?"I wouldn't. After all, by that logic you could just read the first chapter and then say you've read the book.
All the people crapping on audiobooks need to sit down and let people with visual impairments enjoy books that haven't gotten a Braille translation yet. Once again, able people shame something good for disabled people cause ability apparently comes with zero awareness of others.
People are letting their emotional view of audiobooks cloud their judgement on whether it classifies as a certain action. Reading is interpreting physical symbols, so listening to an audiobook simply can't be considered reading. This has nothing to do with enjoyment, absorption of information or any other factor, it comes down to the literal action you are performing.On the noun becoming verbs topic (e.g. google becoming a verb) that deals with a scenario where a noun becomes a verb because there isn't already a word to satisfy that action. In this scenario "listen" is the verb, it already exists, and it isn't reading.
That isn't to say that listening is any less valuable, it's just not reading.
Jason wrote: "Do they count the books they don't finish? What are other people's thoughts on that?"Great question! I was wondering the same thing...
Only year I've read 100 books was when I was teaching middle school and read a lot of middle grade fiction. The next year I was teaching high school and set a realistic goal of 60, but managed to get 40-something. Now, I keep a YA novel in my classroom library in my teacher desk drawer during the school year when I finish with my work during planning and have one or two books set aside to read at home. My goal this year is 53, which was adjusted from 50, because I reread Lord of the Flies and previewed a couple of picture books I'm giving as birthday gifts.
Scott wrote: "People are letting their emotional view of audiobooks cloud their judgement on whether it classifies as a certain action. Reading is interpreting physical symbols, so listening to an audiobook simp..."YAAAASSSSS!
It's always quality over quantity. You don't have to read hundreds of books but I do because I love reading and have zero interest in TV. If you rarely read books and your personal challenge is to read 10 in a year, that's great!I'm severely dyslexic but I read 180 books last year. My record was 365, a book a day for a year, I was much younger then only about 12 or 13 and mainly reading children's fiction and non-fiction. I read everything: from comics, fiction to non-fiction textbook types and classical literature and poetry. I listen to audiobooks when I know the book I want to enjoy is far too challenging for my reading level and would therefore take too much energy especially with certain non-fiction and classical literature. I read whatever I want; anything with an ISBN (library cataloguing number) counts. I almost always read cover to cover unless I hate the book but I don't usually add hated books to my read counts.
Quality and quantity aren't mutually exclusive. I read 150 books last year, and sure, some were better than others, but that's going to happen if you read more than a single book. And my comprehension and retention are just fine, thank you. (And yes, audiobooks count, though I don't use them. If you've taken in the story/information, you've read the darn thing. I understand the inclination to insist that 'read' has to mean a very specific thing involving marks on paper, but it's sort of silly to insist that no one can use the alternate meaning of taking in a book in the way it was written.)
Hi! I guess I'm the rare one who doesn't believe in not finishing a novel. Most often, I consider the time you did invest, more of a waste if you don't see how it ends. And most times, a book got more interesting to me as I went along. I did stop my first book, ever in my life, recently! It certainly is not a case of expecting too much action right away, being picky, or giving up easily! If you think it would be a pain to proceed, fine but let that be rare. I can't count the books that got great and even neared 5 stars, after 100 pages.There are two keys to hitting a reading groove or stride. Choose books you think you will love and choose to read over other activities. 100 to 150 books a year, my goal, sounds high but I only read a couple of hours before going to sleep: nothing by day. Ditch the TV and aimless surfing and snuggle into bed a little early!
Lori wrote: "I have to wonder if people who read over a 100 books a year either (a) don't hold full time jobs or (b) read a lot of graphic novels/chapbooks/poetry. The best reading year I ever had, while holdin..."Well, I read 102 books last year. I don't read graphic novels or comics or poetry. For the first half of the year, I was literally working 7 days a week, 9-10 hours a day. Then I finally started getting one day off, and by around August had an actual 2-day weekend ... but was still working 10-11 hours on my work days. (Yes, it was shitty.) So please don't assume that the only way people can read a lot is because they're just less busy.
For me, reading is pretty much my sole entertainment. I don't go to movies or concerts or ball games, I don't travel, etc. I make a point of devoting most of my free time to reading, because it's what I enjoy. So even when I was working insane hours, I was still also reading a lot because I didn't take up the little free time I had with other stuff. And it's totally fine if people want to do other things like go to movies and such, but it's a choice everyone makes for themselves.
As far as the strawman "quality over quantity" argument upthread, point me to the person who said "Read a bunch of crappy books so you can increase your total!!" No one said that here, nor has anyone probably ever said that. But for me, and I'm sure for a lot of others, I have a massively long TBR list and I really want to be able to read as many of those books as I can. And since science hasn't yet discovered the secret to immortality, then yeah, I'm gonna do what I can to get to as many books as possible.
I would like to know how they chose these readers and not any who has read more than 300. Here's my tip just pick a number to aim towards and read whatever you want and read at your own pace. If you don't reach it then try again the next year. It's a challenge not a competition and the only challenger is yourself.
Alanna wrote: "If you've taken in the story/information, you've read the darn thing. I understand the inclination to insist that 'read' has to mean a very specific thing involving marks on paper, but it's sort of silly to insist that no one can use the alternate meaning of taking in a book in the way it was written."To me, listening to audiobooks isn't reading, because I'm not the one reading--the narrator is reading, while telling me what the book says. I can't really agree with a definition of "reading" that makes it possible to be illiterate and still read books.
Here's the thing: Some people here seem to think that either you believe that audiobooks are a valid way to experience a book and that listening to them counts as reading, or that they're not a valid way of experiencing a book and do not count as reading. But obviously, you can also believe that they're a valid way to experience a book without believing that listening to them actually is reading.
The impression I get is that when they say "listening to audiobooks counts as reading too!" what they really mean isn't that it literally is reading, but that it's a valid way of experiencing a book (which I agree with).
I read lots of audiobooks. They're great fun! I can enjoy them without claiming that listening to the narrator telling me what the book says counts as literally reading the book. Having somebody read the book to me isn't the same as me reading the book, and I don't feel that it insults audiobooks to be honest about that.
Why does it seems ok to judge a person because they read more than a 100 books a year with statements like quality over quanity or they must not work, have a family and what not. You don't hear a person who reads a large number of books say to a person who only reads a few books a year, well if you read faster or some other derogatory statement.
Jennifer wrote: "I have three books on the go at the moment. One I am reading on my kindle, one I am reading at work during my break and one I am reading before I go to bed."Just like you, except, i have an audiobook for my daily commute
Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"I agree but sometimes the only way I can find a good book is going through the books I don't enjoy as much as I would like to find the books I do enjoy. Which means I go through a lot of books and authors; it is a long process for me. I have come to call it my reader's block.
Jessica wrote: "So do you count audio books as "reading" a book? I never had but if I did, it would for boost my numbers. What is the general consensus?"Yes! Of course it does! You are enjoying what the author wrote no matter that you read it to yourself or if someone read it to you!
Jessica wrote: "So do you count audio books as "reading" a book? "Jessica, I pretty much exclusively listen to audio books and most definitely count them as 'read'. I read about 5 physical books a year, and a few ebooks, and dozens of audio books.
Some time ago I worked out that my reading speed is about 1 page per minute - not particularly fast - and assuming an average book length of 365 pages (a generous estimate), the number of minutes I spend reading each day will equate to the number of books completed in a year.So to read 100 books a year = 100 minutes reading per day.
100 minutes... coincidentally about the same as my commute + lunch break...
Depending on how much school work I've had throughout the year I've had various reading challenge goals. I have broken 100. It helps to abandon books you're not enjoying. Most of my reading is done before bed. My problem is that I need silence to concentrate on anything, and that's hard to come by. If I could read with noise I'd read way more.
Jason wrote: "Do they count the books they don't finish? What are other people's thoughts on that?"I don't. Why lie to myself? What point would it serve?
I have "sampled" and "DNF" shelves for books I start and don't want to finish, but only so I can make notes to myself about what I didn't like or why I decided not to read them. Comes in handy for book clubs when it's time to vote on future reads or when the occasionally library book that has to be returned before I get to the end and there's a wait list.
Lori wrote: I have to wonder if people who read over a 100 books a year either (a) don't hold full time jobs or (b) read a lot of graphic novels/chapbooks/poetry. The best reading year I ever had, while holding down a full time job and raising two kids, saw me complete 80+. Gosh I wish I could make reading books a full time gig : )
I have 115 books so far this year, mostly because (1) I have a job that allows me to read audiobooks at work and (2) I read text very quickly. As in, can easily read a 250 page paperback in a day kind of quickly. Even last year, when I hit 300 books, relatively few (probably less than 20) were graphic stories or poetry. It's the speed of reading that taking stories anywhere possible that make the difference in book count.
Also, quantity doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing 'quality' (although quality is largely a matter of taste). Somewhere between 40% and 45% of my books are educational nonfiction, certainly not 'low quality' books, and the rest are the fantasy and scifi novels I use to maintain sanity because there's only so many books on science, politics, and public health that I can take without some sort of mental rest period.
The magic of the GR challenge is that all of it is entirely up to you. You get set your goal wherever you like, you can change up or down as suits you, you get to choose which books to read and decide for yourself which ones to count. The only reward is the pleasure of reading. I don't have the option of listening, but I am thrilled that readers of all ages and abilities have so many choices.
Wonderer wrote: "Maureen wrote: "Forgive me while I ROTFLMAO- Humble brag, much? Best laugh I've had in ages- thanks! Happy 'reading'!."You rolled on the floor laughing your ass off? Seems a bit extreme, but you likely don't have much else going on in your life"
Wow, way to drag the conversation down into the gutter. She laughed (and no, I'm sure she wasn't literally on the floor) because you appeared to be boasting about being a speed reader. So you choose to insult her by saying she has no life and that's the only reason she would react that way? Grow up.
So much of this thread seems to be people criticizing others for how they choose to read. Just chill out, my dudes. It's for fun! If you don't like audiobooks, that's okay, because no one is making you use them. People who read a lot of books may or may not retain the stories within, but if they're enjoying themselves, who cares? If you take pride in finishing every book you start, that's great! If you give up on books that are not interesting to you, that's great! It's all about your own personal reading experience, so please remember that those experiences are not universal, and let people live!
I know I read books which are funnier, or light hearted faster that books which are serious or tension filled. As much as I like books by patrica Cornwell, Mercedes Lackey and Laurell k Hamilton. I read books by Drew Hayes, R.J. Ross and Molly Harper faster per page count because their funny. And don’t dismiss book because they’re for kids... (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson) a good book is a good book.
Weighing in...Prior to joining Goodreads, I kept a list of books I read each month and generally read 125-150 books a year. At the time, I was a single parent with a full time job (granted, at a library!). I would make myself diversify - I read at least one non-fiction and one literary fiction a month, no more than 2 YA or MG books a month and the rest, anything I wanted to read. They were all physical books.
When my daughter went off to college, I had more time to read and began to read 150-180 books a year. I still kept a list and still made myself read a variety of books. When I was transferred to a location that necessitated a one hour commute each way, I began to "read" audiobooks - I would check out both the audio version and a physical copy. I would listen while stuck in gridlock and read during my lunchbreak - and often take the book in at home when I got really caught up in the narrative (I listened to both non-fiction and fiction).
I've now been transferred back closer to my home and my daughter is grown. I'm now reading right at 200 books a year - still diversifying and participating in reading challenges in some of my Goodreads Groups. This encourages me to read books I might not have picked up, so that I can meet the challenge requirements.
If I find I'm getting "behind" in my yearly challenge, I'll turn to some guilty pleasures - graphic novels, YA novels (I participate in my library's Mock Printz discussions), cozy mysteries, an occasional re-read or "chick-lit" as a palate cleanser. These often serve to create a desire to read something with more substance and I'll pick up a highly reviewed literary title or a non-fiction.
Do I remember everything I read? Of course not. But a customer can bring up a book that I have read and I can generally give a brief review of the book 8 out of 10 times. I enjoy almost every book I read - with few exceptions, if I'm not enjoying it, I will return the book to the library. There's alway something else on the shelf!!
Listening to audiobooks is not reading. You get a completely different experience reading something than you do fro..."
Maybe you should look into the research on audiobooks that shows the same exact parts of the brain for learning lighting up (with fMRI research) with audio and visual reading. with the only difference being the optical vs. visual additional parts of the brain lighting up. But the parts of the brain for memory, learning, etc. are activated in the same way.
Honestly, I take offense to your comment that "audiobooks are not reading." There are many people who have physical disabilities that inhibit their ability to read physical books. and others, like me, who have learning disabilities that make it difficult too.
This 100%. Audiobooks are amazing.
Also, I assume this is some of the research you're referring to?
http://www.danielwillingham.com/danie...