Reading frequency

[Sandysconnected]

On average, how many books do you tend to read a month? How about a year?

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

It seems like I've been reading 2 to 3 books a week as of lately, but this might slow down when the weather warms up a bit and I venture outside more.

[Helena]

Depends what I'm reading... my last three books have been 'heavy' reads- so they took a bit longer. I usually read an average of two books per week.

[Rebecca]

I guess I've been getting in about 25 books a year. I don't get that much reading time but it's dear to my heart.

[RandomAnthony]

I read just about every day. Like Helena, though, I think the answer to this question depends on the material you've reading. I loathe the "more books a year is better" thinking because then, by definition, you should read short, easy books all the time so you can finish more.

[janine]

i've read 8 books in january and 8 books in february. i'm aiming for 100 books this year, but i'm not reading short books just to get to that target. i just read what i like and want to read.

[Mary]

Last year I read at least 144 (stopped counting after reaching goal in October). I think 150-ish is average for me, I read a lot. This year I set an arbitrary goal of 200 but I'm off to a slow start. I don't really care, though. I'd rather take days to read a really great book than knock off a bunch of so-so books just to add them to a list. I do have an advantage in that I work nights and can get a fair amount of reading done when it's quiet.

[Michael]

I read maybe 3-4 books per month.

I'm curious how you all read so much. Are you just fast readers or do you not watch TV?

[Helena]

Michael wrote: "I read maybe 3-4 books per month.

I'm curious how you all read so much. Are you just fast readers or do you not watch TV?"

I rarely watch TV, I watch a couple of shows on HBO and that’s about it.

I also work night shift, I don’t sleep well so most of the time I should be spending sleeping- I’m reading.

[Jim]

I'm lucky if I get 2 - 3 books read per month.

[Suefly]

It all depends on my mood, but I would say I average 2-3 a month. Less if I have a heavy course load of required reading, which I usually don't count. More if I am on a "reading binge", but the weather does dictate how much available time I have.

[Janice]

In the last few years, I was reading a book every two months and then only because it was for book club. Last summer, I got back into the groove. So far this year, I've read 7 books.

[Michele]

at least 1 book a day or I go into withdrawal. Usually 2.

[janine]

Michael wrote: "I'm curious how you all read so much. Are you just fast readers or do you not watch TV?"

i follow way too many TV shows, but i always read in bed before going to sleep and while eating breakfast. i'm a student so i have a lot of free time, but even if i wouldn't have so much time to read i'd still read nearly 100 books a year.

[Sarah]

ABout seventy or eighty a year for me. I don't have a lot of time to read, but I'm a fast reader.

[Michele]

Even when I was in school, I read 4 books a week. I do read really fast. When my 1st ex was limiting me to 4 books a week, I read all the magazines and newspapers I could get my neighbors to lend me.

[Michael]

Barb wrote: "I haven't had as much reading time since I took up knitting. I try to read a bit every day, but it doesn't always happen."

I once took up counted cross-stitch as a method to quit smoking but it didn't work.

[Mary]

Michele wrote: "Even when I was in school, I read 4 books a week. I do read really fast. When my 1st ex was limiting me to 4 books a week, I read all the magazines and newspapers I could get my neighbors to lend me."

Your ex limited your reading? What the hell? My ex resented the fact that I'd rather read a book than watch sports on TV with him, but he was never douche-y enough to limit my reading. Prolly because he just never thought about doing it. Fucking control freak.

[JackieB]

I read around 2-3 a week normally, so about 8-12 a month. But it does depend on what I'm reading.
I got a bit carried away in January and set a goal of 100 books for this year, but I regret it now. Surely the point is to enjoy what you read rather than aim to "get through" a set number of books?

[Lyzzibug ~Still Breathing~]

I read 13 books in January, but 8 of them were short fast reads. I have a goal of 111 books this year.

[Michele]

Mary, not only did my ex limit my reading, if he was mad at me (didn't take much for that to happen) then he damaged the library book so the library would refuse to lend me any more books. No, he did not read.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

Michael wrote: "I read maybe 3-4 books per month.

I'm curious how you all read so much. Are you just fast readers or do you not watch TV?"

I watch tv, but only a few shows a week at the most. I'm just a SUPER fast reader. I read anywhere from 15 min a day to 3 hours a day (rarely more than an hour in one sitting though), depending on how busy I am, but 3 hours is often enough for me to finish an average size book. Most days it averages out to about an hour and a half of reading on weekdays. I might read a half hour during the day (stay at home mom here) and 45 min. during t.v. time, or even a half hour before bed to get sleepy. When you look at it that way, it's not really a whole lot of time invested.

I've come to enjoy reading while my husband watches something on television that I could care less about. That way, we're still spending time together, but I'm not forced to watch something that makes me want to gouge my eyes out.

[Jammies]

Umm, lots? Probably 3-7 books/week in the winter, fewer in the summer when I'm gardening, and I watch very little tv.

[Michele]

I watch maybe 4 hrs of tv a week. I might intend to watch something let's say at 9PM but start a book at 7 and forget all about the tv program.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I do that all the time Michele. That's why I started DVR'ing the shows I do like because it's easier to just put one on when I'm in the mood to watch t.v. rather than having to schedule my time around when a show comes on.

[Lindsey]

JackieB wrote: "I read around 2-3 a week normally, so about 8-12 a month. But it does depend on what I'm reading.
I got a bit carried away in January and set a goal of 100 books for this year, but I regret it ..."

Well...you can change your mind! I only signed up to 25 a year....so I should be OK - I don't like being under pressure to read it puts me off then and i go through fits and starts anyway.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Jim wrote: "I'm lucky if I get 2 - 3 books read per month."

You should switch over to children's books.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Barb wrote: "I haven't had as much reading time since I took up knitting. I try to read a bit every day, but it doesn't always happen."

It's true, knitting cuts into reading time.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Barb wrote: "Huh. My mom took up knitting when she was around my age (creepy) to quit smoking, worked like a charm. Everyone got sweaters for Christmas that year."

And on the plus side, they didn't smell of smoke...

[[deleted user]]

I only read 2 or 3 books a month as well. I'm a slow reader with limited reading time. If I were to set a goal of how many books to read reading would become a chore. I have far too many chores already I don't need another one.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

Last year I read 150 books. January this year I read 8. February so far I've read 14. In 2006 I read 17.

The main reason my book reading has increased is that my magazine reading and TV watching have decreased.

[Lobstergirl, el principe]

I never set goals of how many books to read. Yes, I am doing that Goodreads widget thing, but I set myself 4 books to read for the year as a joke. I don't care what the number ends up being. It doesn't matter to me if I read 2 books one month and 17 the next month.

[[deleted user]]

I don't have time for television either.

[Phoenix]

It varies for me, sometimes I read 2 books a day, sometimes it takes me 3 days to finish one book. I just started keeping track halfway through last month. This month I've read 32 books.

[Jim]

Lobstergirl wrote: "Jim wrote: "I'm lucky if I get 2 - 3 books read per month."

You should switch over to children's books."

Ouch!

[Natalie]

I usually read 3-5 per month . This year I'm aiming for a total of 35 books . so far I've read 5 books .

[Kevin]

i read 1+ a week. i hit around 60 or so last year so that's about right. i do not watch TV. ever. so i read most every night at least a little bit

[JackieB]

"JackieB wrote: "I got a bit carried away in January and set a goal of 100 books for this year, ..."
"Booksdingle wrote: Well...you can change your mind! I only signed up to 25 a year....

I don't think it's the number that's the problem, it's the idea of counting the number of books I read. On reflection (I do it sometimes!) I'd rather read one fantastic book than two or three OK ones, so I'll probably ignore the statistics anyway.

[Michael]

Kevin "El Liso Grande" wrote: "i do not watch TV. ever. so i read most every night at least a little bit"

Maybe this would be a good time to think about watching MN Twins baseball games? I'd seriously like to quit watching TV. I've cut it way back, but I can't seem to give it up.

[Kevin]

i listen to the cubs on my MLB At Bat app on my phone and can watch a few games live on there. occasionally they will feature a twins game which i will watch to see the best catcher in baseball.

[Gatorman]

I read about 3-4 a month and try to cover at least 40 in a year.