How many books do you read in a year?

[Rusty Blade]

I started teaching in 1997 and one of the ice-breaker exercises I employ with a new class of students are questions about reading, for example, "What is your favourite book?" and "How many books do you read in a year?" Well, back in 1997 the answer to the question, "How many books do you read in a year?" ranged from "less than 5" to "more than 20", spread evenly over a bell curve. Since 1997 the numbers of books read has dropped considerably every year. It has reached the point where I don't ask the question anymore because most students don't read books. There are still some that read, but they are in the minority. (Thank you internet and smart phones).

I am wondering how many books (fiction/non-fiction) do you read in a year?

 

[Virgil Sollozzo]

I started teaching in 1997 and one of the ice-breaker exercises I employ with a new class of students are questions about reading, for example, "What is your favourite book?" and "How many books do you read in a year?" Well, back in 1997 the answer to the question, "How many books do you read in a year?" ranged from "less than 5" to "more than 20", spread evenly over a bell curve. Since 1997 the numbers of books read has dropped considerably every year and indeed, I haven't asked that question in the last couple of years because the answers were consistently "less than 2 books" (maybe one or two students out of 25) to, "I didn't read any books in the past year" (the majority). (Thank you internet and smart phones).

I am wondering how many books (fiction/non-fiction) do you read in a year?

As a young guy (later an English major undergrad) I would read 50-60 books a year. As I got older, it slowed down, I worked in research and so much of my day was spent reading that I had little enthusiasm for personal reading. Then I had to get glasses around age fifty... Since I retired, it's picked up a little, maybe 24 a year.

One thing I found that is really important - my speed and comprehension weakened with time. I found myself re-reading things more and more as I got older just to understand. I changed my diet, eliminated sugar and all things that metabolize to sugar, and now I'm like a sixteen year old again - I can read rapidly and have no problem, no need to repeat read anything. It's really been amazing.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

In the last 10 years I have used books for research, to look up something specific, but in that time I have not read a single book from start to finish. Even my research is done online these days, so other than at Church I rarely pick up a physical book at all.

 

[Goblin]

I used to get through a book every couple of weeks. Nowadays it's much less because my physical issues mean I can't find a comfortable posture for reading in bed. I get a lot more reading done in the summer when I can sit outside in a comfortable chair, but I probably only average about 5 or 6 books a year...it has to be said though, that I tend to read longer / more difficult books nowadays, so that is a factor too.

 

[garyg]

I like the feel of a physical volume more than the Kindle, though that helped me through the pandemic when the library was shuttered. I do listen to audiobooks while walking daily for that couple hours, if those count I go through a book a week or so ..

 

[Letsgoalready]

I do a lot of audio books, even mandatory books for my gen-ed english classes I do audiobooks. I read 1-2 paper books a year…

 

[Hugh]

Until covid I traveled by air 46 weeks a year and accumulated nearly 2 million air miles. During those travel years I read some 40 or so books each year. Almost all were non fiction. Now I read about one book a month but look up stuff constantly At 73 I am still learning a great deal and have a wide variety of interests. Books are constant friends. Gotta clean up my huge collection of books currently occupying six book cases.

 

[JWCowboy]

For 2024 I believe it was 38, been averaging about one every 10 days. The record was 50 back in 2004. I've kept track and written them down in a journal for the last 20 years or so. The least I did was 24 about 4-5 years ago, which is odd considering that was the height of the pandemic and many people read more during that time, but I work in healthcare. Anyway, I've been averaging around 30ish or so a year.

A friend recently was showing me an app with lots of neat metrics that I may start using to keep track, but for now I still kind of like writing them down in my old school journal, a couple of years ago I started writing the date I'd finished them. I like to look at the end of the year and see how many fiction vs non-fiction and other trends.

 

[MrSpeedy]

I'd give a rough estimate of 25-35 p/year. About three books a month; some months are more, some are less.

 

[Frozenshades]

I like the feel of a physical volume more than the Kindle, though that helped me through the pandemic when the library was shuttered. I do listen to audiobooks while walking daily for that couple hours, if those count I go through a book a week or so ..

Agreed. But I will say the tech of the e-readers have come a long way. I got a new Kindle Paperwhite a few weeks ago and it is really quite pleasant to use.

I probably read 10-20 books a year. Would certainly be more if I worked less hours. Though I do read a fair number of long form high quality journalism articles as well.

 

[ShavedPeeps]

These days I’m doing around 5 a year. It used to be many more but I’ve become complacent. Time to dust one off and get back it.

 

[SharpieB]

91 books in 2024 and 80 in 2023 according to Kindle. 11 so far this year.

Yup, I read a lot.

 

[sylbub]

Probably about 7/year though it does vary a lot depending on the types of books I read (and the language I read them in). I used to listen to tons of audiobooks while commuting... but I travel a lot less these days and at home other hobbies tend to compete with reading.

 

[GTTony]

I am an outlier on your bell curve. I've been an avid reader since I was in 2nd grade. Currently I read a least 2 books a week. So I probably average about 100 books a year. Most are fiction. l use to have a huge collection of paper back novels before electronic readers came into fashion. In elementary and middle school I had a few friends with similar taste in books so we would share books. We would get together and during school book fairs we would go over our lists and each order different books then share amounst ourselves to stretch the number of books we could read. I was an early adopter of Barnes & Nobles Nook reader and have 434 books on the Nook before I joined Amazon Kindle. With their monthly subscription plan I have their book limit and pick a new novel for free by returning a book I already read. Most always for free. Even on the plan I still have about 80 books I paid for that are in my Kindle library. I tend to enjoy finding authors with a series of books and read all the books in the series. It's not uncommon for me to go back a reread a series a year or two later if I enjoyed the series. I've read the Jack Reacher book series completely at least 3 times over the years.

 

[Dawghows]

According to Goodreads, I read 16 books in 2024. That's way, way down from what I used to read.

In 2018 I was downsized, and the new job I went to is a 90-minute commute each way, five days a week. Those three hours in the car every day have thrown a pretty seriously large monkey wrench into my free time, and I don't do nearly as much of anything as I did before. I haven't touched any of my guitars more than a dozen times in the interim, for example. I hate the situation, but it's a stable position (as far as I can tell), and I like putting food on the table on a regular basis, so it is what it is for the next 5-ish years until I reach retirement age.

Audiobooks would seem to be the obvious thing for me, and I've tried them a few times. And I intend to try again. But so far I find I can't follow a lengthy narrative very well while paying attention to the road.

Anyway, I'm reading something --internet forums, newspapers, magazine articles, etc.-- pretty much every spare minute of every day, but about the only time I read books is for 20 or 30 minutes in bed each night.

I'd guess I average probably 80% fiction, all genres, to 20% non-fiction, mostly science and philosophy.

 

[losing]

I was never a reader even in school when i was supposed to be reading class books even for homework. My books maybe got wrapped in a paper bag book protector (i can't re-remember what they are called) and those books just sat in my unlocked hallway locker until i was yelled at by a teacher to bring that 1 book to that class.

I did read books for about 10 years from my 30s to 40s. But the type of books i like almost love, sci-fi or fantasy fiction the local libraries didn't have and the one store's employees let me borrow books to read in that store or i paid off a book and it became mine. That was maybe 10 books a year, a few years thanks to one of my friends i probably got up to 20 books a year.

No ebooks or anything like that for me and where i live now there are no libraries the Pony i need to take can get to for me to see what a library around here has. Or they can get to, there is one college nearby but i doubt the books i like are there.

 

[Ted A]

Since retirement I’m reading around 50 books a year: 52 in 2023, 47 in 2024 which included War and Peace.

There is a Substack called Footnotes and Tangents. It is a moderated community reading War and Peace, one chapter a day through the year. Quite enjoyable. The notes provided help in dealing with all of the names and how sprawling the book is.

In the 1990s I began to read some books on a Palm Pilot. I’ve moved on the reading e-books on a phone, tablet and kindle. I have gotten to prefer reading electronically. I have books I’m reading with me all the time. eReaders are also easier to hold because they are lighter.

 

[poppi]

I find that I prefer paper books but do find e readers convenient. I try to read scriptures daily and do pretty well at it. As for other books.....probably 30 or so a year.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I've kept track and written them down in a journal for the last 20 years or so.

I wish I kept a journal of every book I read. I suppose there is no better time to start than now.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I find that I prefer paper books but do find e readers convenient. I try to read scriptures daily and do pretty well at it. As for other books.....probably 30 or so a year.

On more than one occasion I have thought of buying an e-reader / Kindle....but I love the feel of a book in my hand, especially a novel. I like the price of Kindle books on Amazon...that would save me a bundle.