How many books did you read and finish in 2011?
E-book or tree book, fiction or non-fiction, self-published or traditionally published, genre or literary, zombie or regency, romance or horror. You know, any book at all.
I read 38. Of those 38, 36 of them were fiction of one flavor or another. Those 38 are in addition to the manuscripts I read for clients and agents. I didn’t set out 2011 to count books and I didn’t have a goal. Somewhere around May I wondered how many books I’d read and went back and counted. At about 30 weeks into the year I’d read 24 books. I had no idea if it was a lot or not, but I figured I’d make a list and continue counting, again, without a goal. I haven’t read every book of the 40+ authors who have been featured here, but I’ve read many of them. (Don’t despair, I still do A LOT of research before interviewing these folks) And there’s no right or wrong, although reading no books at all seems counterproductive and counterintuitive to being a writer. I’m just curious. Aren’t you?
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
~ Amy
I really enjoy this blog, Amy. Maybe down the road when I’m about to be published, I can write something for you.
I’ve read about 40 books this year, maybe a little more. I have 34 completed that I listed in the Kindle. I reviewed six books for Kirkus and other venues. If I finish 11/22/63 before midnight then we can call it 41 books.
The goal for next year is two books per week. I better make my next selection soon. And I think I need a PA to help me schedule all my projects. Too much to do with writing, reading and living!
Happy New Year!
If I knew a pop-quiz would end 2011, I’d have kept track. 😉
Just guessing, I think I read maybe ten or twelve, all fiction except for the self-help one.
More than 100 for pleasure, plus lord knows how many for research. I read, therefore I am.
ooh! Cool question – and given the comments, I’m feeling inadequate for only having read approximately 3-4. Unless I can count each time I read/edited my work in progress and then it’s about 187,997. Or at least that’s what it feels like 😉
What a cool poll. This year I will keep track of the books I read. I wonder if there is some way to make a list that is easy to keep. I just signed up for GoodReads, so maybe I’ll add each book I read to my bookshelf and then next December, I’ll have a list. Thanks for the help with a good goal for the year!
Congrats, Amy. I think 38 is a hugely impressive number. I met a milestone this year with 20 and really want to up the ante! And I will. I’m impressed with the poll results regarding those who read more than 50 per year. I read for craft, so I’m taking notes and re-reading as I go, so that totally slows me down. But am going to try for 25-30. Happy new year, dear.
I’m somewhere around 50 (I said so in the poll). Anyway, wanted to congratulate you on the wild success of this blog! What a worthy project! Is 2012 your year or 2013? (For GLASS WIVES, I mean. Still LOVE the title!)
I’m impressed by those that read more than 50 books this year, and by the looks of the poll, it’s a good number of people! I read around 18, but I’d like to be more proactive about reading this year. I don’t know that I’ll set a quantitative goal to reach, but I do want to always be reading something. I started the year with ‘Israela’ by Batya Casper (http://www.israelathebook.com), which is really great so far. The author is an Israeli and said she was inspired to write the novel ‘Israela’ after the second Arab uprising in 2003. She talks a lot about how tensions between Arabs and Jews affect a family’s everyday life. It’s a great book so far. If you’re looking for a title similar to a Kite Runner style, this is a great one to add to your shelves this year!
I read 245 which sadly was a bit less than I usually do, many were authors that you have featured this past year but Ive just stumbled upon your blog today so I will have to go through your archive.
Look forward to seeing more in 2012
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out