Count em'. How many books do you read?

[B.R.Stateham]

A person on another web site said they read five or more books a week. That's roughly 260 books a year. Krikies! That sound's like a lot of reading stacked on top of a normal every day life. Frankly, I find it damn lucky to have the time to read just 20 a year. But it made me start to wonder. A writer spends a hell of a lot of time fighting their way through a manuscript. Lots of time slaving away on their next book. How many books do they read in a year? Is there an average range a 'normal' writer reads (and define 'normal' by whatever measurement you think appropriate.)

Be brave. Guess what the average number is for you. Heck, I might have to up my numbers and find more time to read myself.

[D.R. MacMaster]

I never counted or tried to work out a weekly average, though judging from the state of near collapse of my bookshelves from the prodigious, nay, gargantuan weight, I guess I read a lot.

[John Weagly]

I average a book a week and a short story a day.

[Beth Groundwater]

I read 2-4 novels a month, more when I'm traveling and less when I'm busy writing.

[Dana King]

Funny you should ask. I actually started keeping track of every book I read a few years ago, partly because I was curious how many books I read, and partly to keep track of what I liked and what I didn't. (I track them on a small Excel spreadsheet, with brief comments on each, meant for my eyes only.)

Here are the totals:

2006 - 66
2007 - 70
2008 - 58
2009 - 38 so far, which projects out to about 60.

So I guess I read about 62 books a year.

[Karyn J. Powers]

One to two a month. Depends upon how busy I am, and how many of my favorite authors hit the shelves at the same time.

[I. J. Parker]

Well, now, that would depend on the book and whether or not I finish it. I go though a lot of books (up to 10 every 3 weeks), but I don't read each book to the end. Those that I read from cover to cover probably run about 3 every 2 weeks, 2 if both books are long or slow. So I seem to fit in with the rest of folks here.

[Mary Dee]

I started keeping track of my reading a little over two years ago. In 2007 I read 107 books, including all types, and of those 44 were mysteries. In 2008 I read 120 books with 70 of those being mysteries. I am chronically ill and have plenty of reading time.

[B.R.Stateham]

I can see I'm gonna have to allocate more time to reading (now, if I could find the books that interest me.)

[J. F. Juzwik]

I always have at least two books going at the same time. For some reason, I have always read that way. I can go through a couple on an average of maybe a week or a week and a half. I always make sure I have several waiting in the wings too. I have always loved to read and make sure I fit in as much as I can.

[minervaK]

I probably read a book a week, of one kind or another. I'd read more if I didn't have a full time job and this damned writing addiction.

MK
www.minervakoenig.com

[B.R.Stateham]

I find myself reviewing the first few pages of a book, but rarely finding one that captures my attention. I have a wide taste in what I read, but I must be looking for a writing style that engages my imagination. And frankly, the older I get, the disappointment factor has risen significantly.

[Kris Neri]

I've always had a couple going at the same time and read 1-3 a week. I have an exceptional reading speed that I can slow up or speed up. But now that I own a bookstore, I also do partial reads of new books, so I can know enough about them to discuss them with customers. It's simply impossible to read every book that comes in, but I do my best to be knowledgeable. If I have a quiet couple of hours, I can acquaint myself with 1-3 books, and I do that at least once a week. How many is that? I also have a bad habit of bringing home ARCs that look interesting, but which I never get to.