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Super Readers Share Their Best Tips to Read More Books
As we head into New Year's resolutions season, we'd like to make the case for our favorite and most fun resolution: Making more time for reading. To help you out, we thought we'd reach out to some Goodreads members who manage to read an impressive number of books each year and ask them for their best advice. You can also see their up-to-date reading for 2019 under their names!
We want to hear your tips and tricks as well! Let us know how you carve out time to read!
See Miranda's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
My reading goal for this year was 240 books.
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
Audiobooks! More specifically—free audiobooks. As someone who loves to read, it can be hard to find the time—especially once I enrolled in graduate school. The first few months were so jarring—I loved the academic challenge and the rigorous coursework, but all of my free time was suddenly gone. And as someone who used to average a book every two days, I really missed reading.
My local librarian came up with the solution. She told me to try downloading audiobooks (or ebooks) from my state's digital library. My state had thousands of books available in their digital format, ready to be downloaded right to my phone! I was hooked—speeding my way through The Raven Boys, Harry Potter, Michelle Obama's Becoming, and so many more.
Now, whenever I'm in the car, doing chores about the house, walking from place to place, etc., I always have a book playing. I've laughed and cried my way though (no exaggeration) hundreds of audiobooks within the last few years and will likely go through hundreds more in the future.
Roughly 60 percent of the books I read are audiobooks and the best part is I never have to shift my schedule or try to squeeze in more reading time when the book is really good. I just continue working on my instrument, taking data or editing my figures—all while finding out if Mia will survive the Nevernight Chronicles (don't tell me—I have six hours of the audiobook remaining!).
Melanie Parker/Meltotheany
See Melanie Parker/Meltotheany's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
100
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
I know it’s cliché, but my greatest advice for reading more is just to make time for reading. I don’t go anywhere without a book, whether that is a physical book, my iPad, or an audiobook on my iPhone. Reading before bed is also just a part of my nightly routine now, and I really cherish that downtime and look forward to it each day!
Also, never forget your love for reading. I think sometimes we get so caught up with numbers (and reviews) that it’s easy to forget how amazing it is to escape into stories and then be able to share that experience with friends here on Goodreads!
Jennifer Tar Heel Reader
See Jennifer Tar Heel Reader's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
I expect to read 250 books this year
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
I take a book, my Kindle, and the Kindle app on my phone with me everywhere, and I read any chance I get. I’ve also recently gotten back into audiobooks and have the libro.fm app on my phone to sneak in audiobooks on my commute or during household chores.
Lastly, I watch very little TV. The less TV I watch, the more I read, and the more I read, the more relaxed I am!
Jessica
See Jessica's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
I am on track for hitting 365 books read for my second year in a row. While there are many contributing factors in my personal life that allow me to read as much as I do (which may not be applicable to other readers), it really can be summed up in one statement—I read what I enjoy.
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
This may seem like common sense, but I cannot stress how important it is to read books that interest you. I can get through 400 pages of fantasy in a day, but 75 pages on socioeconomic growth would take me weeks to read.
Additionally, if you aren’t enjoying a book, don’t force yourself to finish it. It’s not quitting or a failure to set a book aside if you hate it. Duds happen. So rather than struggling, wouldn’t you rather be spending that time reading something you do enjoy? Once I personally accepted that it’s okay to not finish a book, my reading experience improved significantly.
In short, read what you love and love what you read. Do this and, if you’re anything like me, you will be reading more books than you can probably manage.
Kai
See Kai's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
Since I've already reached my goal of 75 books this year, I might try and aim for the big 100. It's ambitious, but I might just make it.
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
Here are a few things that totally count as reading:
1. Audiobooks
2. Graphic Novels
3. Fanfiction
4. And yes, even picture books. 100 percent valid.
Still, there are a few things that help me read more. I try not to read more than two books at a time. Granted, I usually fail at doing that. One book for pleasure and one for pain—often something I have to read for class. And then there's a third option: a buddy read, a poetry collection that I will pick up occasionally, or a graphic novel that simply reads much quicker.
And while we're at it: comics and graphic novels do read themselves much faster than novels. And YA reads itself faster than adult fiction. And 300 pages take much less time than any George R.R. Martin book ever. If on the last day of the year you're one book away from making the finish line, Rupi Kaur is your woman. Or Dean Atta. Even the Rainbow Fish.
Something else that helps me is to go all Marie Kondo on books that don't bring me joy. It's boring? Bye. Can't connect? Sashay away. It's problematic? Well...I'll probably finish it just so I can write a scathing review. But feel free to throw it out with the trash.
A few last words: Don't forget that reading should be fun. Fast readers usually a) have a lot of free time b) work in publishing c) study literature or d) have a devilish talent to devour books in mere hours.
Don't put yourself under pressure just to lose the joy of reading. Breathe, pick up that book you've been dying to read, and forget the world around you. That's all that matters.
Sam Shove
See Sam Shove's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
I'm probably going to manage 250 books this year but normally average between 175 and 200, depending on what I read.
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
For me, I find reading more than one book at a time helps me read more. I make sure the books I'm reading are from different genres so I always have something to read that suits my mood and alternatives for when I hit a slow spot in one book. For example, at the moment I'm reading a fantasy novel and a crime thriller and will probably be starting a non-fiction that I picked up on the weekend this evening. It seems counterintuitive but seems to work for me.
Chaima
See Chaima's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
I'm hoping to read 200 books this year I've read 173 so far, and quite reassuringly, Goodreads tells me that I'm 7 books ahead of schedule!
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
Keep a book on you all the time. Sometimes, right before you leave the house, you’ll halt on the threshold and hear a voice saying, “Maybe you don’t need to take a book with you to the grocery store...” That’s the devil talking. Always have a book on deck. Trust me, I learned that lesson the hard way, but you don’t have to!
It’s okay to DNF a book. It’s okay to be picky about how you spend your reading time. I used to feel so bad about not finishing books, but I learned that once you find yourself crawling across every sentence with the peak of each hard-won page unveiling yet another page beyond, the words floating under your gaze, incomprehensible, and the boredom of it all almost bleeding your brain front to back—it’s time to stop. Give it to a friend or move onto the next title—but don’t read books you don’t enjoy.
Also, don’t shy away from reading books concurrently. I love to mix up multiple books from different genres across multiple mediums (happily switching between physical copies, e-books and audiobooks), or juggle both required reading and pleasure reading. This really helped me—someone with ADHD who has the attention span of a commercial break—plow through my TBR pile faster.
Join the Goodreads’ Reading Challenge! I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by a community dedicated to books, filled with those who feel just as giddy with enthusiasm as I do about setting reading goals, who will encourage you and remind you that “you got this!” and also help stir your motivation when you see how much they’re reading. It’s a really fun challenge, but it also helps you hold yourself accountable because Goodreads lets you know if you’re ahead, behind, or right on track to meet the reading goal you set.
Last but not least, you can’t just find time for reading, you have to determinedly carve out time in your schedule to read. Setting a dedicated reading time will help make reading a habit, and ensure that you’re reading at least an hour every day. I like to read in the mornings, so I wake up a little bit earlier and set aside 20-30 minutes to read my book—it’s a great way to start your day!—or sometimes at night, when I can’t marshal my tired eyes to the task of squinting at the pages after a particularly wearying day, nothing gladdens my heart more than listening to an audiobook while cocooned in a warm blanket.
I also claw hungrily at any spare moment to read—you’d be amazed at the number of intervals throughout the day in which you can pursue the joy of reading!
Lola
See Lola's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
I am hoping to read 200 books even if I set my Goodreads goal to 220.
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
If you want to read more, try to read between tasks or events happening in your daily life. Like if you need to take a 15-minute bus ride to get to your workplace and back, read then! If after washing the dishes for 30 minutes you need to sit down and relax for 5 minutes, read then! If you're attending a salsa class and you're feeling awkward while waiting for the class to start, read then! You might fall off your chair discovering how many opportunities to read you actually have…and then read while getting back on your feet.
Emily Fox
See Emily Fox's Year in Books
How many books did you expect to read in 2019?
Hoping to make it to 100 (but 90 would be nice!)
What advice do you have for people who want to read more in 2020?
Audiobooks! They're a lifesaver for whenever life gets crazy. I can listen to one in the shower, on the bus, while cleaning, cooking, walking, getting ready... Even when I don't have time to sit down and read, I end up finishing a couple books a month that way.
We want to hear your tips and tricks as well! Let's talk books in the comments!
Check out more recent articles:
Goodreads Staffers' Top Three Books of the Year
Very Short, 4-Star Books for Your Reading Challenge
The Most Popular Books About Books for Avid Readers
Check out more recent articles:
Goodreads Staffers' Top Three Books of the Year
Very Short, 4-Star Books for Your Reading Challenge
The Most Popular Books About Books for Avid Readers
Comments Showing 51-100 of 241 (241 new)
I don't get how so many people can work and listen to audiobooks at the same time. I get that truck drivers, builders (sometimes) or professional knitters or, hell, bakers can listen to audiobooks while working but most people can't ! How do you guys do it ? You have to be focused to work, right ?
Kim wrote: "Maybe I'm a purist or something, but listening to an audiobook is not the same as reading a book."Sometimes, it is better!
My 2019 goal was 175. Average page counts are 350 - 500, so not small reads. I am currently on book 184, which I will finish in about an hour or less. I will probably achieve 185 books read before 2019 is over. I only read print books, only ones I enjoy and am a fast reader. I never could get into audio or kindle. If a book isn't appealing to me, I will usually just skim it and read the final few chapters to find out what happens. Thankfully this doesn't happen very often. Once in a great while, I do not finish it, but that is rare. I think I will keep my goal at 175 for 2020 as well.
My goal last year was 400 and I read 426. This year my goal was 300 and so far I've read 413. Guess I don't need any assistance. ;)
I have zero problem with listening to audiobooks (whether you want to count that as “reading” is a personal choice that is really no-ones business) and graphic novels/comics/short stories/poetry are just as deserving of value and consumption as traditional novels. But there’s something a little extra about counting literature that are not books as “books” just because they are shorter so they make your read list seem more impressive. Like if you want to read a 30 page comic because you genuinely like it, go for it! Comics are great! But acting like you have valuable advice on how to teach everyone how to read more books because you “read” (didn’t read) hundreds of “books” (not books at all) is a little disingenuous. tl;dr Saying you “read” hundreds of “books” a year when you listened to most on tape, and most weren’t even books, is disingenuous.
Numbers are immaterial. Did you enjoy what you read? Did you savor those books? Did you think about those books after you finished reading them? Did you remember reading them? Do you remember what they were about?Everything does not have to be a competition. And the number of books is not as important as the quality.
Some years, reading one book a week was more than I could do. Other years I read twice that. But much more than that and I can't remember what I read or what the books were about. So 70-90 a year seems to be my sweet spot.
That said, I rarely go anywhere without a book. So enjoy. I am.
I did 100 last year and am on-track for 52 this year. The difference? Scripted drama. Good TV — really, really good TV — scratches for me the same itch as reading a really good novel. It’s all about the story, all about the narrative; as one of the “super” readers said above, the more TV you watch, the fewer books you read . . . and, for me, 48 books is more than a fair trade for the brilliance, the audacity of Lindelof’s “Watchmen.” A story is a story is a story.
Suz wrote: "A movie is the director/screenwriter/and producer's vision. An audiobook is the author's vision with the possible influence of the actor/narrator. A movie has composite characters, added or removed secondary arcs, sometimes the story doesn't even resemble the book. An audiobook is the book, read by another human.Apples and oranges, folks.
I can only assume the folks who think listening to audiobooks isn't reading have never actually listened to any."
Agreed. Also, audiobooks are an incredibly useful accessibility tool for those with sight or literacy issues, or special needs. It's not "cheating" to listen to an audiobook - sometimes that's the only format available to someone who literally cannot read or see print, or who struggle with reading written words.
Read print if you prefer or like it, but let's not denigrate an entire medium of experiencing stories simply because it's not your personal favorite way.
Becky wrote: "Suz wrote: "A movie is the director/screenwriter/and producer's vision. An audiobook is the author's vision with the possible influence of the actor/narrator. A movie has composite characters, adde..."Then the original article should have been about best tips to "experience" more books or "consume" more books. The word "read" has a specific meaning that would exclude audiobooks entirely as they can't be read. That an audiobook is just a book in an audio form, or even the debate about wether that form is equivalent to the printed one is irrelevant here.
Yacoob wrote: "Then the original article should have been about best tips to "experience" more books or "consume" more books. The word "read" has a specific meaning that would exclude audiobooks entirely as they can't be read. "But if the brain doesn't make a practical distinction between listening and looking at the words in a book, why should we?
https://www.thecut.com/2016/08/listen...
This paper vs audio book debate is all centered around the decoding of words stage, and has nothing to do with the comprehension stage of reading. For me it's the meaning and story that's important, not the format the story is experienced in.
I have heard similar grumbling about ebooks not being real books, and not counting towards reading as well.
I would honestly say that my best tip for reading is to read what you love. if a book doesn't work for you, let it go.If you WANT to read more, these are all great suggestions.
But sometimes, things just don't come together, and there honestly isn't time, or you have a job where you literally don't have any downtime, or whatever.
My most important advice to EVERYONE is this:
It's not about the numbers. Reading is beautiful and valuable, and in today's society, readers are a rarity period.
Do you know how many people I talk to at my job that look at me after I've read 10 books and they're like "DAMN, that's a lot"?
EVERYONE AT MY JOB!
Nobody reads anymore these days, so the bottom line is this: If you're reading ANYTHING, and i mean anything, from comic books to Shakespeare to Harlequin romance, reader's digests, audiobooks, wahtever, it all counts, so who cares? As long as you're reading SOMETHING, anything, feel good about that, and know that you're helping to keep one of the most magical industries that exists alive.
Don't fall into that trap of feeling obligated to read more, because if it feels like a chore, you won't want to do it. Read when you want, what you want, how you want, because when your reading is purely about pleasure, an you get to just have fun, you'll want to do that.
Yacoob wrote: "Then the original article should have been about best tips to "experience" more books or "consume" more books. The word "read" has a specific meaning that would exclude audiobooks entirely as they can't be read. That an audiobook is just a book in an audio form, or even the debate about wether that form is equivalent to the printed one is irrelevant here."I agree with you that the debate as to whether audiobooks are equivalent to a printed book is irrelevant. However, I was commenting on this because many other people in this thread seem to find audiobooks invalid or "not reading". Which is fine, that's their choice, but that does not dictate the actual site's criteria for what "read/reading" means.
Goodreads does not define what "read" completion looks like, whether it's format or completion percentage, etc. The reader is free to claim as "read" whatever format, and to whatever degree they choose. Therefore, audiobooks are "read" as far as Goodreads usage is concerned.
Same with picture books, or art-based books, etc. They may not contain words, so we can't "read" them, but they are books and can be marked as "read". Chopsticks or The Arrival are two examples.
Valentina wrote: "250 books? 365 books? Honestly, these numbers are hard to believe..."I agree, I don't know how they can read so many. My goal for 2020 is to read 52 and if I have the time to read more then I will.
I reached my goal of 30 books on Dec 27 and have completed 2 more books since. This year I have been focusing on the books that I own with some of the books being autobooks. My fiance and I listened to 3 autiobooks on a road trip this summer and I listened to a couple more through out the year while cleaning the house. I have about 15 more books to read that I own, 2 of which I am reading right now. I always have at least books on the go at all times; one nonfiction and one fiction book that way if I need a break from one of them I can always switch to the other. I have always loved reading and I am hoping to read my entire "to read list" of 48 books in 2020. But honestly if I can complete the list of books that I own in 2020 that would be great too.
Marlene wrote: "Valentina wrote: "250 books? 365 books? Honestly, these numbers are hard to believe..."I agree, I don't know how they can read so many. My goal for 2020 is to read 52 and if I have the time to re..."
My average book length is about 365 pages, which has the nice result that the average number of pages I read a day each year is equivalent to number of books I read each year.
I read three or four hours a day on average. I can easily read more than 100 pages in 3-4 hours. So I read more than 100 books a year. Faster readers probably could read 250 pages in four hours quite easily. Finding 3-4 hours a day to read is quite easy to achieve for many people if you cut out/down TV, social media, Goodreads...
BTW: For those who think audiobooks are cheating, keep in mind that the average audiobook is spoken at 150 words a minute, whereas the average reader of paper books can manage 250 wpm or more. Even listening to an audiobook at 2x normal speed, only equates to a reading speed of 300 wpm. The main advantage to an audiobook is that you can "read" when otherwise busy—like now when I go to cook dinner.
Eleanor wrote: "Paul wrote: "My 64 books I've read this year looks poultry in comparison"Don't let yourself be henpecked."
This made me chuckle far too hard! :-)
Michael wrote: "If listening to a story is "reading", then is watching a movie of the book also reading? Where do you draw the line? And who gets to draw that line? All I know is that if one of my students claimed..."A movie is an interpretation of a book not the direct text. So it is different. If a student were to write a report or take a quiz based on a book but watched the film instead they would have different answers for somethings. An audiobook -- unless abridged is the exact same information. Regardless, of how that information is absorbed.
Some people learn and absorb things better while listening than they do by physically reading. So, as a teacher you are saying that even if your student has absorbed the information -- they won't get credit for the assignment if they listened to the book instead of physically reading it? Isn't the end goal for the student to learn -- regardless of how the information is absorbed? If I had a child in your class and you pulled that kind of a stunt withholding credit -- there would be a lawyer involved.
I've noticed that I'm getting a bit fed-up of some of my 'friends' who are posting review after review every week - some of them very wordy and frankly looking a little fabricated and just 'for the review' I feel. I'd love to be able to read way, way more than I do (and I'm just catching up with a few reviews to store what I have read towards the end of the year). All of this said and I realise that I have to be realistic - a full time job, washing-up, ironing and some pretty fantastic travel trips both at home and abroad have to be fitted in too! I just thought I would share ...
Completely agree Moonlight. It has to be about quality as well as quantity. I'd love to have the time to read more but at least I know that I use my time wisely in processing and digesting what I read - that's so important too. Happy future reading for you - Jules.
Stacy wrote: "Michael wrote: "If listening to a story is "reading", then is watching a movie of the book also reading? Where do you draw the line? And who gets to draw that line? All I know is that if one of my ..."What if a movie was faithful to the events of the book?
The interpretation issue is interesting in that it could also apply to some translated books, in the sense that the events themselves might be available in both the original and translated books but the tone of the original author might not carry over to the translated work.
Yacoob wrote: "What if a movie was faithful to the events of the book?The interpretation issue is interesting in that it could also apply to some translated books, in the sense that the events themselves might be available in both the original and translated books but the tone of the original author might not carry over to the translated work."
My main argument for that last post was concerning education and a teacher not accepting the audiobook for credit when consuming a book. Regardless if you consider it reading or listening. As long as it is the same text as the physical book it should be interchangeable because people have different learning styles and some have disabilities. For most people it takes longer to listen to a book than it does to read one -- especially if you listen to it at normal speed. So, the student may have spent more time with the book that way. Either way learning and absorbing the information is the goal. Regardless of how it is consumed.
So in the vein of Education -- as far as films are concerned. Even when they are faithful to the events of a book there are usually small differences or things left out. I love to watch movies based off of books and I have seen a few that are very close to the book. I agree that you can get the same feelings and attachment to the characters and even the same message from a movie. However, if I were take a test while just consuming the movie chances are that I would get some answers incorrect and often you lose some of the nuances. For that reason I can understand a teacher not accepting a movie in place of a book.
As far as translated books go that brings up and interesting point. Somethings that are cultural in nature and don't translate well are almost certainly left of the cutting room floor when books are translated. In some countries the censorship laws could cause things to be removed as well. So, yes -- in a translated book could also be an interpretation of the original work. However, if a teacher assigns someone to read a specific book for their class -- one would hope that the test would pertain the language version that the test would be presented in so that wouldn't be an issue.
Personally, It's a matter of preference more than anything. Like one other commenter said "It's comparing apples and oranges" Personally, I love movie adaptations of books. I read and I listen to books. If I have both I read while I listen. I do consider listening to be a form of reading. I have problems with my vision and sometimes when I can't focus my eyes properly -- I can continue my book in an audio form. If I'm doing a task like cooking or cleaning I often listen because I can't hold a book and chop onions.
It's fine if people have differences of opinions about audiobooks. No one is going to force you to listen to one. Yacoob thanks for bringing up the translated books thought. :)
Well, I was really proud that I reached my goal of 52. And then I read this and all you speed-readers and audiobook listeners made it feel like nothing. So if the mission of this article was to encourage people, then: Mission failed...
Quality not quantity Michael. You may be the best reader out of all of us! Chin up chuck!
It doesn't matter how many books you read, it is what you get out of a book that matters the most.
Guys... you don’t need to bash people for their preferred book format or how many books they’ve read.I would like to point out that some books are shorter than others. Some books are under 200 pages and some books are over 1,000 pages, so reading over 100 books a year is definitely doable.
If someone read 10 books that were under 200 pages and another person listened to an audiobook that was over 60 hours long, aren’t either of those things something to be proud of?
Really saddens me to see fellow book lovers arguing over something they all enjoy.
I don’t feel that I need to set a challenge number of books read. That’s only putting pressure on myself that I don’t need. If others like to that’s fine, except that it seems to me that folks want bragging rights. I keep track of my books on Goodreads just so I know what I’ve read and what I want to read so I don’t forget! I also keep a small separate list on my iPad notes so I can quickly skim over it to review my favorites and make a top 3 of the year list. I will give those a plus if I particularly like them, rarely a minus. I guess I don’t feel that reading should be a competition, even with oneself.
AV wrote: "Guys... you don’t need to bash people for their preferred book format or how many books they’ve read.."I agree with this comment 100% Everyone has different tastes. Do what you enjoy!
Anne wrote: "I don’t feel that I need to set a challenge number of books read. " I can understand and respect that! If setting a goal takes the fun out of it then -- there is no reason for you to set a goal. I would quite honestly do the same thing if it stressed me out.
Personally though, I like to set a goal for myself because it encourages me to read more. I have tons of books that I want to read and without setting a goal I get lax about continuing to read and my stack of to TBR gets longer and longer. The nice thing about the goodreads goal is I can set it for as few or as many books as I want. If I want to challenge myself to read 10 books for the year -- I can do that. If I reach my goal early I can adjust it and add more.
But for me goodreads is mostly a place for me to:
1) keep track of the books I've read
2) keep track of the books I want to read
3) find new book recommendations
I've only done the goal setting for the past 2 years now and I do it for me....no one else. And like Stacy, I like to keep track of the books I've read, keep track of the books I want to read and find new book recommendations.
Dawnlouise1987 wrote: "Jessica obviously doesn't have a job...or leaves the house...or stops reading EVER"Nah, she's just a quick reader, or like me, reads a lot of graphic novels.
And audiobooks, when not abridged, contain the same words as the physical books, including the descriptions and exposition, movies don't. They are not the same. Audiobooks are books.Physical books that have the written word are decoded in the brain using the listening apparatus in the brain, at least when we are talking about phonetic alphabets such as English, and most European alphabets. It works differently for non-phonetic alphabets where the symbol encodes not a sound but a semantic meaning like Chinese. Most people who read to themselves are sounding out the words in their brain and are 'listening' to themselves reading it to themselves. It's only fairly advanced readers of phonetic alphabets who do not hear themselves in their head. Actually, when enough books became available for people to practice their reading skills and people started to be able to read silently without actually reading aurally other people thought that they were magicians, like Julius Caesar.
Anyway, if you are interested in the mechanics of reading and how the brain interprets the written word, there are a bunch of good books out there. I would recommend Koda's Insights into Second Language reading if you want to know how various languages writing styles affect reading.
Have to say, as much as the reading challenge has helped me immensely in getting back into reading after going through a pretty serious reading funk for about 7 years (went from reading 1 - 3 books per week to 1 - 3 books per year, at a pace so slow and sporadic that I'd have forgotten all the characters' names and what they were doing from one reading session to the next) the idea of deliberately choosing short books to increase the number of books read is... concerning to me. If it's kept to just an end-of-year squeeze-in-one-or-two-more-books thing, that's fine (I do that anyway since I like to start the new year fresh with a new book, so if I find myself 2 or 3 days away from New Years, I'll pick something short I can finish before Jan 1st) but I feel like it could quickly lead to the mindset of seeking out short books (or avoiding long books) for the sake of a "high score". I would really like to see the reading challenge altered so it's a bit more... fair? (not that I like the idea of reading being a competition, but having that competition with *myself* (I always try to beat last year's "score" by 1 book) is a nice bit of extra motivation to read instead of scrolling through social media endlessly) In counting number of books, you end up equating all books as an equal "accomplishment" when they really aren't - I love graphic novels and comics, but lets face it, reading a single graphic novel that takes an hour or less to finish is not nearly the same thing as reading something like, say, Les Miserables. (Although I suppose it could encourage certain types of people prone to snobishness and gate-keeping to pick up books they never would have considered worth their time... but I also feel like those types of people probably wouldn't be concerned with consuming books en masse for the goodreads reading challenge lol)
Would be nice to see it tracking pages rather than books. Or even better, tracking number of words, since the number of pages is highly dependent on format (ebook vs hardcover vs trade paperback vs large print etc., and then audiobooks would present a bit of a problem) and I'm not about to go digging through every edition of a book to find one with the same number of pages as the one I'm reading, and you still have the problem of picture books or comics or graphic novels being much faster to read than a novel with the same number of pages. But the number of words is the number of words, and usually a more accurate reflection of the time needed to read (or listen to) a book.
Ellen wrote: "Have to say, as much as the reading challenge has helped me immensely in getting back into reading after going through a pretty serious reading funk for about 7 years (went from reading 1 - 3 books..."I actually really would like to know that information too. I was really happy when they included pages in the stats section on goodreads because this year I had made an informal page goal for this year and was able to see that I had made it without manually counting up all the pages.
I also think it would be really cool if Amazon would give you the stats of how long it took you to read each book, and your speed in wpm of reading. It should be capable of doing that with a kindle, right? Then you would have a much more accurate view of your speed than taking a timed test as just the knowledge that you are being timed can affect your reading speed, let alone the topic of the reading. (On a side note, I am really loving this idea, do you realize how much research you could get done on reading with this kind of data at your fingertips!?)
When it comes to giving each book the same acknowledgement, although it may be the case that each book is just a number to goodreads, I don't think it is to the reader. Or at least it isn't to me. I, for instance, am way prouder of finally finishing Adam Smith than I am of all of the manga that I have read this year. I think it depends on how each person approaches it. I read manga because I enjoy it, not because it gives me higher numbers. I suppose there might be some people who read comics just to bunch their numbers up, but I don't really care about them. I'm competing with myself, not comparing myself with other people. I think goodreads is a fantastic place to learn about my own reading habits, and what works for me.
To me personally reading 365 books per year, or even more, it's just too much. That's one book per day. To me there doesn't seem to be any time left to absorb or think about what you read. But that's just me, if that works for you, then great. To me it just seems too much.I know I'm on a low end here since I read 25 books this year.
But I've noticed that there are really some tricks that can make you read more:
- Reading more than one book at a time. All my life I've always read one book at a time. But recently I figured out that by reading more than one at a time, actually makes you read more. Like one fiction and one non-fiction. This works especially well whenever you get stuck with a book that it doesn't work for you.
- One good advice that many before me have given is to give up the book that it doesn't work for you. It's probably a very good advice. Unfortunately I still like to finish everything even if I find the book extremely boring (usually some biography) and I have to force myself to finish it. This is really not good and it's really best to just give up on such books if you're not like me.
- Joining library. Yes, I've been a member of library for the majority of my life but in the last few years, I wasn't. I was just buying all my books and reading my own material. Well, re-joining library, will make you read more because of all the books that you can pick up there.
- Oh, and reading books in your own mother language will definitely make you finish the book sooner. But many books that I want to read haven't been translated yet and over all, I prefer to read in original language.
Time wise I know I could read a lot more but in the end reading is not a competition.
And btw, many people don't read even one book per year. So reading even 20 or 5 per year is better than nothing.
Michael wrote: "If listening to a story is "reading", then is watching a movie of the book also reading? Where do you draw the line? And who gets to draw that line? All I know is that if one of my students claimed..."Wow, that is incredibly wrong. You just took this argument from opinion to misconduct against your students. Saying that audiobooks aren't reading is incredibly ableist, for starters. If someone is visually impaired and listens to audiobooks, are they not a reader? If a student listened to a book, comprehended the story, maybe even enjoyed it, responded as assigned in discussion or writing, and you denied them credit for their method of reading...well...you're in the wrong field.
Yeah, I figured the "audiobooks aren't real" folks would ruin this thread. I'm out.Happy New Year, folks.
I do set a number for the Goodreads challenge, but I don’t beat myself up if I don’t make it. I want to thoroughly absorb and enjoy what I’m reading. Do carry your book or reading device wherever you go, in order to read during those stolen moments. Just don’t miss your subway stop, like I did!
I wonder what these ‘super readers’ have to do each day. I teach English, reading is part of my role- I love it and enjoy imparting that love to my students. I have got many of them to use Goodreads but this type of hype can diminish their belief that reading is for ones self and not a competitive event. 365 books?!? Full disclosure- graphic novels, bio-pics, comics???Yes- all valid literature but let’s be transparent.
I don't really appreciate how Goodreads kind of subliminally pushes this idea of "read more!" versus "read better books" or "more substantial literature". I understand they might have an agenda of their own here (owned by Amazon = want people to buy more books I guess? Or maybe they're trying to have people aggressively subscribe to audiobook platforms), but not every book is valuable just because it's a book. There are shitty, non-valuable reads out there - a lot of them. Some are so bad you'd be better off actually watching a quality TV show instead of reading them. Next year I'm going to try to aim for better books (vs. more books): make time (and headspace) for classical literature, slightly challenging non-fiction reads and other books I feel I would benefit more from. I've been feeling something akin to pressure to demonstrate impressive numbers and compete with my friends in the "who read more" race... but in the end it's not why I'm here and not what I enjoy about this platform. Will try to consciously choose which books I devote my time to, and maybe place myself a more modest challenge numerically.
I used to not like the idea of audiobooks because you aren’t physically reading, but honestly it’s a lifesaver. Nearly the end of 2019 and I’ve nearly finished the last stretch of Pet Semetary (reach my goal of 5 books this year). If anyone has doubts just go for it! There’s a lot for free on YT. I’m hoping to read 40-50 books next year and cut down more on TV and finding a balance with studies. I’ve started doing this last month and surprised At how much free time I was left with. Since being active on goodreads I was amazed by the amount of books people could read in a year (like the members mentioned above) but it’s worth noting that reading isn’t a competition and I’ve always seen it as something I love doing. Pressure does take the joy away, so just go at your own pace. :)
I don’t have time to read this thread, is there an audiobook?
Miranda wrote: "Wow, that is incredibly wrong. You just took this argument from opinion to misconduct against your students. Saying that audiobooks aren't reading is incredibly ableist, for starters. If someone is visually impaired and listens to audiobooks, are they not a reader? If a student listened to a book, comprehended the story, maybe even enjoyed it, responded as assigned in discussion or writing, and you denied them credit for their method of reading...well...you're in the wrong field."I totally agree! If Student A reads Crime and Punishment, Student B listens to the audiobook, and they both write an essay worthy of an A+, they should both get their credits. Audiobooks contain exactly the same words, and the accomplishments of understanding the book are equal.
Jan wrote: "Reading is about fun, pleasure and relaxation, not for bragging about how many books you haven’t actually read!!!"
Everytime reading challenges come up on these posts, there are always people who either discredit readers with high read counts, act snobbish about "better/valuable" books, or brag how they're the ones who can absorb the books better because they read only a couple per year. I read 80-100 books a year. It absolutely is about fun, pleasure, and relaxation for me, and I have no problems digesting everything even though I'm not a quick reader.
Let's not put more value on just certain types of reader, okay? If you feel intimidated/irritated by other people's personal goals, achievements, or types of books they're reading, you might want to think hard why you care so much and if you really should.
No one is forced to take up on the reading challenge. Do you have time for 300 books a year? Great! Do you only have time for 2? Great! As long as you're reading something.
Hey guys, everyone has a right to their opinions, whether or not we agree. Let's not take Melanie's post from an article suggesting tips to those who want them, to a debate on superiority or condescension.
Suvi wrote: "Miranda wrote: "Wow, that is incredibly wrong. You just took this argument from opinion to misconduct against your students. Saying that audiobooks aren't reading is incredibly ableist, for starter..."Yes. I agree exactly, it's an individual thing.
Audiobooks were a game changer for me and I listen to them whenever I’m commuting or doing house chores. But besides that, I found that buddy reads and book clubs have really helped me stay on top of my reading.
Join a book club or 2 or 3...that keeps me reading all of the time. I also rarely if ever watch TV. On book 191 for the year. Shortest book 32 pages, longest 1,100 and a 66 hour audiobook.
I read 270. Best advice, audiobooks and turn off the tv.
1. Get wireless headphones for audio books. That way you can listen while doing chores, cooking, etc and not be distracted by sibling squabbles or the TV.
2. Read while your kid reads. My 8 year old is supposed to read for 20 min every night. That's my cue to pick up my own book.
3. Always have a book ready to go on your e-reader or cell. This is perfect for waiting to pick kids, lunch breaks, sporting events, or just simply waiting in line.
4. Don't read anything too cerebral when your kids are around. Save Salman Rushdie or the 700 page Lincoln biography for when you're alone.