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.

[Johnny Ostentatious]

I pick up over a 100 books a year, finishing about half that.

[Kate Thornton]

I keep track of the books I read. I used to list them all on my blog, but that got tiresome (I am notorious for not updating that blog!) I read, on average about three fiction books per month and maybe one good non-fic every six weeks or so.

I read at least 2 or 3 short stories per day as I subscribe to several deliver-'em-in-your-emailbox services.

But I confess, sometimes weeks go by and I get busy or travel or spend all my time writing and painting. Then I'll get bitten by the bug and go through five or six books in succession.

It's hard to average when my activities are random, sporadic, frenetic and compulsive.

[Sunny Frazier]

Since I started requesting books from the local library, I find having a deadline makes me push to get more reading done without feeling guilty for neglecting my writing. But, what's the point of reading fast? I tell my critique group--no, I INSIST--that they read all books actively, not passively. Look at the word choices, sentence structure, use of adverbs and a word I hate to see in good novels: "it." They say I've spoiled their reading, they can now easily pick out bad writing. I think that's a good thing!

After I've written a book, I hope the readers will enjoy not just the story but the craft as well. If not the average reader, than at least tell me the writers are giving me more than a quick flip through pages. I worked hard, give me a bit more of your attention! Read S-L-O-W.

[Karoline]

weekly average? about 2 books I week (again it depends on length of book) I've slowed down recently as I have a whopping 800 page book that I'm trying to read and it slows everything down. No regrets though, the book is pretty good.

[Ed Harrison]

My goal is two books per week. The reality is closer to one book every two weeks, maybe just a little better than that.

[Miriam Pia]

Wow, I read the posts and see that a lot of you are reading a lot. I don't think I am reading that much, but am writing a lot more. Hm.

Well, any of you willing to write up a review - especially if you can post it on line who would like to goggle up an electronic pdf format of a crime story based in Indianapolis may email me and I'll let you have a copy.

I'd like to know what people think. Its my 2nd novel. It has had a professional critique before I edited it into the shape it is presently in. I am submitting it to publishers and making sure it gets out there into the world anyways...partly because the manuscript of the excellent 2nd draft of my first novel was "lost" as a victim of personal chaos and I have terrible remorse because I swear to God, I wrote a good novel - I mean the 2nd draft was ready for a publishing house...so the 2nd one is getting out there...you see what I mean...The two are totally different genres. I've been writing professionally for the past few years which may retroactively validate what I had already done.

[e-mail]

[minervaK]

I would never define myself as normal, but I read about a book a week, on average, give or take. Mostly crime fiction, but sometimes other stuff, like right now I'm going through an American frontier history stage -- but that's also reasearch for my next novel, so...