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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 401-450 of 479 (479 new)
Katsuro wrote: "Amy wrote: "Who cares how many books you read if they are formulaic garbage?."I didn't see anybody encouraging people to read formulaic garbage, though."
True, and even if they are what some might deem unworthy choices, how is that relevant? It's a personal thing. Some of the brightest people come home and want to read the fluffiest thing they can find, and that's their business. Reading serves many purposes, and light-hearted entertainment is one of them.
Michelle wrote: "People are only in it to be competitive or to show off. (Some, maybe? But the average person I know is doing it for their own happiness and satisfaction, and encouraging of others. One of the people posting here keeps on saying she is unimpressed by people who read a lot of books, as if it's a given people are seeking to impress her. Okay.)"I know, right? My goals are for me and personal growth only - I doubt anyone even looks at my numbers. It's definitely not a competition - if it were, I'd be too discouraged to even try! I belong to several reading challenge themed groups, and the numbers of some of the those readers would put my average to shame - none of us care or compete with each other on that. That's never been the point. And I certainly never brag about any numbers, that's just silly.
Erin ☕ *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Fin wrote: "With a few notable exceptions, I think most of the negative comments stem from thinking GR is pushing the idea of reading hundreds of books and that the only people who have viable idea..."
I agree. I averaged 147 books a year for the last four years but one of those years I set a goal of 200. I met it, but it was a mistake to try to read that many on a personal level. I'm much more comfortable with 115-125 books. That's just a natural pace for me.
I took the article at face value even though I didn't agree with some of the suggestions. Other have really become defensive and what I stated before is about the only reason I can think as to why.
I agree. I averaged 147 books a year for the last four years but one of those years I set a goal of 200. I met it, but it was a mistake to try to read that many on a personal level. I'm much more comfortable with 115-125 books. That's just a natural pace for me.
I took the article at face value even though I didn't agree with some of the suggestions. Other have really become defensive and what I stated before is about the only reason I can think as to why.
Audiobooks!! Surely that is cheating - Oh I've watched the film - does that count!!
Georgy wrote: "Audiobooks!! Surely that is cheating - Oh I've watched the film - does that count!!"Cheating on what? Watching the movie does not count as movies rarely are entirely faithful to a book and rarely depict the entire plot and cast of characters.
When my son was doing competitive swimming in high school, they had the concept of “personal best.” It does not involve comparing yourself to someone else, but setting a goal and competing against yourself. That is the spirit in which I take the Goodreads challenge.
My mother lives with me and macular degeneration has taken a great deal of her sight. She installed a love of reading in me and the library in my childhood home took up the entire finished basement.Fortunately she was able to sign up for audiobooks and even as I post this, I can hear the sound of a book being narrated. She can still read with a magnifier and I try to find large print books at the library, taking them out for her and after she's finished, I'll read it too. At the library sales, one of the first areas I stop at is the large print books so she can actually have the physical weight of a book in her hands when she wants one.
The reason I'm saying that is - audiobooks have found a place in society today and there are so many people that are availing themselves to them. Let's just simply agree to disagree, be glad that books are being enjoyed and move on.
Amen, Claudia! Glad your mother can still enjoy books, and that she gave her love of books to you!
I feel like instead of shitting on each other for how we each choose to read- ie physical/ebook/audiobook, number of books vs. just reading for the enjoyment of it and not caring about a goal, etc.- we should just appreciate that reading is still a thing many people love. It doesn't have to be a contest and it isn't about status.
Writer's Edit has presented a pretty fair and balanced article on whether listening to an audiobook should count as reading.The Science
One scientific study required participants to write a brief summary of a story after either listening to it or reading it. The content of the summaries produced by the participants were extremely similar, suggesting that the processes involved in reading and listening, as well as the end results from these activities, were very similar. The authors stated that, on the basis of their findings, “reading and listening involve identical comprehension skills”.
Another scientific study focused on mind wandering, interest and memory when reading silently, reading aloud and listening. Using excepts from Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything, participants read one section aloud, read another section silently and listened to a third section while looking at a blank screen. The results showed that when listening, the participants’ minds wandered the most, and they remembered the least. The study presents the idea that “a more physically engaged reading experience means readers are likely to spend less time mind wandering”. The authors also noted that “while listening to an audiobook may seem to be a convenient and appealing option, our findings suggest that it might be the least beneficial to learning, leading to both higher rates of mind wandering and less interest in the material.”
The most obvious argument in favor of audiobooks’ legitimacy is that the content is exactly the same regardless of whether the words are being listened to or read. A listener experiences the same story as a reader, they should be just as able to contribute to a discussion about the book, and have as much of a legitimate claim to having read it.
However, one of the main arguments against audiobooks as a legitimate form of reading is that by having someone else read you the book, you may be influenced or guided into certain assumptions based on their tone or expression. In other words, the narrator interprets the text and passes these impressions onto the reader, thus excluding the reader from ever needing to form their own impressions.
As I have stated here, I have never listened to a complete audio book rendering and consequently have never recorded an audiobook as one that I have "read". I certainly understand and appreciate that audiobooks are absolutely beneficial for the visually impaired. As I've grown older and my eyesight has begun to waver I've turned more and more to large print books. I suppose that with even more wavering eyesight I might need to turn to listening to audiobooks. Only time will tell.
At this point, aside from the visually impaired, I'm not completely onboard with recording an audiobook as one read. That's just my personal opinion. Others here can elect to believe whatever they wish.
Elyse wrote: "Catka wrote: "How do you record a book as dnf and not count it in your read book number? It needs to be in one of the three primary categories: tbr, currently reading or read and then you can add a..."Thanks so much for explaining this - I've now managed to create an exclusive "did not finish shelf" :)
Jason wrote: "Do they count the books they don't finish? What are other people's thoughts on that?"Personally, I only count books if I read all of it to the end - unfinished books go on my "did not finish" shelf and, as I don't put an end date on them, they don't count towards my total.
How about this? What if a book has a long forward/introduction or two, which usually happens with classics? Do you have to read the junk that is not the text of the novel or body of the work? :)
That's all very worthy and I absolutely applaud the reading of everything. But does anyone have children? Or a job?
Yeah, some people do, and some people have one and not the other. And some people have more help at home, and... Some people have work, and kids, and still manage to read a lot.
Michelle wrote: "How about this? What if a book has a long forward/introduction or two, which usually happens with classics? Do you have to read the junk that is not the text of the novel or body of the work? :)"To me, no. I consider a book read when the actual story has been completed. I don't need to read additional thoughts others have on it as long as I have read the novel.
Amy wrote: "I think challenges like this discourage picking up meaty books and pushing yourself as a reader. Who cares how many books you read if they are formulaic garbage? We should be encourage to tackle th..."This is so true. I feel like I've been steering clear of heavy books and sometimes I have to wonder whether it has to do with getting in as many books as possible for the year.
You "big book" people should check out the Tome Topple challenges on youtube and social media for bigger books. :)
While audiobooks are an excellent way to experience a book, I hesitate at a definition of "reading" that would allow someone who doesn't know a single letter of the alphabet to say they have read "War and Peace." As to counting audiobooks towards one's goal, I'd say that's a matter of personal preference.
To get out of a slump, I'll generally try reading some of the classics (I usually read nonfiction so this is a major change in genre), or work on organizing my thoughts on the books I most recently read, which makes me realize I want to read more books instead. The "new books" shelf at the library also tends to help.
Charlie Munger says that Warren Buffet reads 500 pages a day and that anyone can do that but nobody does.
John of Canada wrote: "Charlie Munger says that Warren Buffet reads 500 pages a day and that anyone can do that but nobody does."I read an average of 501 pages a day in March 2017 and 521 pages a day in December 2017. Take it from me, it's not an easy thing to do.
I like the idea of finding someone who rates books the same as I do and then looking at ones that I haven't read that are rated 5 stars. I found someone who rated a lot of the science fiction the same as I did and even read numerous non science fiction that I had read and rated the same. Now a have a list of their 5 star reads to add to mine.
I said ... Audiobooks!! Surely that is cheating - Oh I've watched the film - does that count!! Some comments are a little derogatory - I am merely being a pedant' as to me 'reading' means 'reading' ! I am not saying it is wrong to listen ('listen') to audiobooks and I do think they are fantastic ...
Personally I'm not counting ANY Audiobooks in my 'read' pile as I see it as a very different activity. Each to their own!
Barbara wrote: "Bill wrote: "I don't really see reading as a competition. Sorry Goodreads! I love your site, but this is silly. I'm gonna read what I'm gonna read."Agree 100%. I'm with you Bill!"
I second that opinion . Leisure reading is not a competition to me either .
Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"POINT.
I cannot read 100 books a year, with 90% of them bad or I hated.
I would like to read 12 books a year, with 90% of them I loved.
Zeeshan wrote: "Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"POINT.
I cannot read 100 books a year, with 90% of them bad or I hated.
I would like to read 12 books a year, with 90% of them I loved."
It's a difficult one, as I try not to complete a book if I am not enjoying it after 100-150 pages of trying. If that is the case, it doesn't get put on my reading challenge. Out of the books I have read, 23 have been 5 stars and 52 have been 4 stars, compared to 9 2 star and 3 1 stars. I read for enjoyment, so if I am not enjoying I stop reading
Pocket wrote: "People aren't saying it doesn't count. What people are saying is "Reading" is not the same as "Listening". By every definition of the word. Why are people ashamed to say "I listened to the audiobook"?..."
People are not ashamed to say it. People who listen to audiobooks are sick of people saying that they didn't read the book. THEY DID. They COMPLETED IT. It doesn't matter how.
Elyse wrote: "Pocket wrote: "People aren't saying it doesn't count. What people are saying is "Reading" is not the same as "Listening". By every definition of the word. Why are people ashamed to say "I listene..."
I agree with you.
I would have thought that if you can discuss the book in the same amount of detail as someone who read a physical copy of the book then what is the problem?
Garima wrote: "can you suggest some website(s) where one can find/listen to audiobooks?..."Hoopla, Scribd, Audible, Overdrive/Libby, LibriVox, Libro.fm, Playster
Erin ☕ *Proud Book Hoarder* wrote: "Unfortunately I am one of those who always zones out with audiobooks despite my best efforts and just can't seem to bring myself to enjoy them much..."I was this way! So I started out easy, I listened to celebrity memoirs read by the author. They were entertaining enough to hold my attention and if I spaced out a little, it's not like I missed a crucial part of a story. I learned to pay more attention and now I can listen to any genre and I've trained my ear to listen at 1.5x speed as well if the narrator is a slow speaker. I highly suggest listening to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Anthony Bourdain, Nick Offerman, Ellen DeGeneres, Trevor Noah's books on audio.
John of Canada wrote: "Charlie Munger says that Warren Buffet reads 500 pages a day and that anyone can do that but nobody does."On weekends I easily do that. I usually completely read 2-3 books a weekend when I participate in Readathons on GR or FB. I devote the time to reading, as it's my favorite hobby.
Not to brag but I have already read 168 books this year and my goal is 375. Granted I don't have much of a life outside my books but that's ok I just can't seem to help it!!!! In 2017 I read 350, 2016 I read 306, 2015 I read 231. So I just keep increasing my goal each year... I wonder when I finally set a goal so high it's impossible... but then again nobody ever believed I could read 300 lol. This is the main reason I'm about to go back for my Masters Degree so I can become a Young Adult librarian.
I don't really understand the point of the challenges of the type read-as-many-books/pages-as-possible...."
I don't feel it as a duty. For example, last year, my reading challenge was 60 books. I "only" read 57 because I was studying for my civil service examinations, but it was OK. I didn't feel bad or guilty. This year, my challenge is more realistic: 55. I have already read 33. I have made a list with the books I have read since 1993 and I have calculated that my average is 55 books a year. With or without challenge, I try to read as much as I can. One year I read 27 books. Another year, I read 106.
I don't feel it as a duty. For example, last year, my reading challenge was 60 books. I "only" read 57 because I was studying for my civil service examinations, but it was OK. I didn't feel bad or guilty. This year, my challenge is more realistic: 55. I have already read 33. I have made a list with the books I have read since 1993 and I have calculated that my average is 55 books a year. With or without challenge, I try to read as much as I can. One year I read 27 books. Another year, I read 106.
Hey, I just DNF'd a book at 78%. There goes that book from my goal number, and that's okay. :)
This is great! Thanks for the AMAZING ADVICE!! Will definitely make use of it!Are you approached to be a part of the interview or is it something you apply for?
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..."I actually thought the same things, lol. I didn't even reach 80 yet. But that's because I reached a slump. But I'm up and running again! :)
Jacquie ♡ wrote: "This is great! Thanks for the AMAZING ADVICE!! Will definitely make use of it!Are you approached to be a part of the interview or is it something you apply for?"
I was approached and asked if I would be willing.
I typically read 3 or 4 books at once, from different genres; Ebook, audio and physical.
Christine wrote: "I typically read 3 or 4 books at once, from different genres; Ebook, audio and physical."Yep, that's where I'm at. I've put in a lot of hours at my business this week, and that meant lots of hours on my current audiobook. :)
Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"Good question!!
Michelle wrote: "Christine wrote: "I typically read 3 or 4 books at once, from different genres; Ebook, audio and physical."Clever ! I usually read three books at a time also , but never thought to do it in three different forms . Thanks for the idea .
Yep, that's where I'm at. I've put in a lot of hours at my business this week, and that ..."
Renee wrote: "Wouter wrote: "Whatever happened to quality over quantity?"Good question!!"There is not necessarily a trade off between quality and quantity. Reading many books does not mean that you have to choose bad books. Last year I re-read Herman Wouk’s “Winds Of War” and “War and Remembrance”, each terrific books, over 2,000 pages in total. I’m too old to read bad books. If I can only read 100-120 books a year, I’m not going to waste my time on bad books!
Ha , ha , ha ha ! Life's too short to waste it reading lousy books . I totally agree with you .
Erin ☕ *Proud Book Hoarder*Catka wrote: "How do you record a book as dnf and not count it in your read book number? It needs to be in one of the three primary categories: tbr, currently reading or read and then you can add additional shelves such as unfinished. So either it stays eternally in tbr or reading shelves or it is counted among your read books."This took me awhile to figure also.
Go to 'My Books'
Next to 'Bookshelves', click '(Edit)'
Fill in 'Add A Shelf' and make sure you mark 'Exclusive'.
This means any book on this list, can not be on any other, including 'Read'. You can create as many 'Exclusive' shelves as you like.
I agree, but my family does not go many places, I have a two and three quarter year old sister that I'm help watch until late at night. When she goes to bed I am on Goodreads and for about ten minutes reading. I'm too of that I sometimes get grounded from reading and when school starts up again I am taking three honors classes with a foreign language course, and all other courses i need. I am an avid reader, however I have to balance reading with several other things throughout the day. This summer I have only read about six books, all historical fiction, and one I had to write an essay about. Is that number too low for a month into summer vacation?
Sarah Knitter wrote: "Is that number too low for a month into summer vacation?"In my opinion - no. There is no number too low except maybe not even one started. You have other obligations on your time. Take the opportunity to enjoy your time with your younger sister - she's going to grow so quickly.
Are people adding books that they don't finish to their count?I would not qualify that as "reading" a book.
Sean wrote: "Are people adding books that they don't finish to their count?I would not qualify that as "reading" a book."
The consensus is that we create an exclusive DNF shelf and put no end date. I only count DNF if I got more than halfway through. And those only occur once or twice a year. I still complete over 150 books a year.
I can understand being aggravated with that - the title pro readers doesn't necessarily help that perception - but I think it was meant as an encouragement on broadening the reading horizons. I still stand firmly by my opinion that a person who reads under a 100 books a year can love books and reading just as much as the person who reads 100s a year - but I was dismayed to see so many negative comments aimed towards the latter group. I know some non-readers may think those who read a lot don't have lives, but for this to come from other readers??