# How many books do we read a month?



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

One of the threads I love is So What Are You Reading?."  Today it strikes me that as a group we read a lot of books per month.
I know some of you read a lot faster and go through a lot more books each month.  But I thought it might be interesting to see 
how many books we read as a group, DTB and K-books, for a month.  

I guess we would have to say books that we started and finished in the month of October.  
Anyone else interested, or am I just bored today?

deb


----------



## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

I try to read at least 10 a month


----------



## Boston (Nov 7, 2008)

probably about 10 a month....

...unless I'm on one of my sporadic mindless chick-lit runs, then its one book every day or two.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

holy cow...i need to get my behind off of here and read more books instead of posts.
deb


----------



## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I'm with Boston, finished 2 today and started my third, but it is a lonnnnng one and will take a couple three days.


----------



## stitchbug (Sep 14, 2009)

It really depends for me!
I have two young children, so sometimes, it takes me a month to read one book, and other times, I read 4 books in a week!
It all boils down to how early my kids go to bed!


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

When I'm focused I can go through books pretty quickly.  I can't say I've ever done 10 a month though.  Of course, I prefer really long books.  
I have read a book in a day, but I got nothing else done.  

I think it's going to be very interesting to see exactly how many books we can read in a month.  I'm setting a goal for myself.  deb


----------



## mwvickers (Jan 26, 2009)

I used to read 10-12 books a month.  

Now that my daughter has been born, however, I'm down to maybe 5 a month, and this month I've only finished 2.  

Martin


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

If you read her children's books they would count.  LOL.
deb


----------



## lisa.m (May 6, 2009)

I read at least 10 books a month. Depending upon how long or short they are it could be more. I try to read shorter books these days because my time is limited and I have a real problem with putting down an unfinished book. At least if it is shorter I can finish it faster and not be driven to read endlessly.


----------



## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

I read quite a few books every month, but I really don't know how many. Sometimes I keep track, but I haven't done it lately. I read lots of children's chapter books (I'm a 4th grade reading teacher) which would drive up my count. Maybe I should start doing a reading journal again...


----------



## jaspertyler (Feb 13, 2009)

Maybe 3 or 4....


----------



## ElaineOK (Jun 5, 2009)

I read a novel a weekend (if I didn't ration my fiction, I would never get anything else done).  I try to read a non-fiction book a week, but that varies.  I checked my archive and after eliminating the magazines, newspapers, reference books and the one or two books I bought and didn't finish; I have read 50 books in 6 months.  So, I am pretty close to 2 a week.

Elaine
Norman, Oklahoma


----------



## evpseeker (May 29, 2009)

I average 8-10 books per month.


----------



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I don't keep track, since the number of books is not relevant to me.  I read a lot of non-fiction and it takes longer than fiction, at least for me.  I just finished an 800+ page book and it took a month, but I had some shorter books going during that period too.

Substance matters, but number of books doesn't -- quality over quantity.


----------



## BookishMom (Oct 30, 2008)

At least 10 or so a month, more if my other responsibilities/projects will let me.  

That said, I agree with previous posters who laud quality over quantity, and I've been feeling the need to diversify my genres lately.

That's a good question, too... how many different genres do you read, or are you stuck in a specific genre? (Sometimes I tend to get stuck on a genre.)


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I'm in.. I will ask DS #1 to keep track too.  do you want sheer numbers or do you want titles too?
Before I went back to school , I averaged 4-10 books a week. lately it has dropped off due to classwork, but I do still read every day.


----------



## Sporadic (May 1, 2009)

I've read 19 books (6319 pages) since March 7th when I first started keeping track. Would be more if I didn't hit a boulder of a book (Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda by Roméo Dallaire and Samantha Power) on the August 7th and if I wasn't distracted by my new big screen (with my other love, movies)

Usually it's about 1000 pages a month. I've been on a non-fiction kick for awhile now.


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Sounds like an interesting exercise.  I'll keep track starting October 1st.

N


----------



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

After I posted, I realized that even fiction varies a lot in substance and/or length.  Think Middlemarch, Anna Karenina, Bleak House -- each of those equals at least 3 or 4 typical novels.


----------



## akpak (Mar 5, 2009)

Aravis60 said:


> Maybe I should start doing a reading journal again...


This is a good idea. I think I'll start doing this as well, since I don't really have an answer for this thread. I'd *guess* I'm up to 10 a month or so. Sometimes more if I'm on a re-reading kick.


----------



## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

I am only able to read about 30-60 minutes a day while at home, with 6 kids it's just too hectic around here for me to concentrate, and unlike others, I am not very good at tuning it all out. The great majority of my reading is done while at work, and that depends on how much crime is going on in the City of Angels...

  



Spoiler



I think I need to join Smiley's Anonymous...


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

well, on the Kindle we cant keep track of pages, but how about if we keep track of locations?
say I read books with locations of 2500, 2100, 1900, 5000, etc.. then total how many locations we have read by the end of the month. and of course for DTB, pagecounts work.


----------



## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

Left on my own with no outside constraints -- I'd probably read 1-2 a day (or more) -- but alas work and life does tend to limit my reading time -- sometimes quite severely.  
Since I got my Kindle I've done all my reading on it and based upon when I got it and what's in my archive I'm running, on average 1-2 books a week.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I was thinking only the number of books when I started, but if you want to post the titles, that would be fine.  

I like the thought process about the different genres.  
deb


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

911jason said:


> The great majority of my reading is done while at work, and that depends on how much crime is going on in the City of Angels...


Having grown up 90 miles away from LA... if you are a 911 operator there, you have no time to read at work I would imagine. /comfort hug sent to you.


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Approximately 10 a month. I've read 96 books since Jan. 2009. I enjoy reading on my Kindle more and read much faster than DTB.


----------



## Batgirl (Sep 22, 2009)

Wow!  I wish I read as much as the rest of you!  I'm trying really hard to read at least a little every day.  There are so many books that I have lined up to read.  I'm going to make it a point to put more time aside.  If only facebook weren't taking up so much of my spare time...

-Lynda


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I am a fast reader so at most it takes two days for me to finish up a book. My monthly average is probably around 15 or so. That's only counting fiction - the technical stuff for work is not part of that. 
When I am on a kid's book kick, I will go through them even faster, sometimes reading 2-3 a day.
But, I don't watch television and spend most free time reading.
Some things I just can't put down. I read Terry Pratchett's _Witches Abroad_ Thursday evening. There is NO GOOD STOPPING PLACE once the book starts!


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I think I'm averaging about 5 a month.


----------



## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Most months, probably around 20. Some of that is almost certainly re-reads (pre-Kindle, the majority of it was!) For both August & September though, the numbers have been way down. In August, I read around five, and for September I'm pretty sure I'm going to be under ten again. In both cases, most of those books come in right around 400-500 DTB pages each. Right now, I'm just really struggling with finding something to keep my interest. The problem with being an extremely fast reader is that I find a book that looks interesting, whip through the entire series in an eyeblink, and then have to hope something else shows up to catch my eye. LOL

I've only diligently tracked my reading habits one time, during the summer between high school and college. The list is still around here somewhere, though I doubt I could put my hands on it readily. I was staying with my aunt for an extended period, and had access to my elder cousin's library--full of hard sci-fi, fantasy, and horror, quite a bit of it a lot darker than the fluffy "unicorns & magicians & friendly dragons" stuff I'd been into before that. In just under 6 weeks, I read around 11,000 pages; about 1800 pages a week. Only a few of those stand out at all, some not Kindleized yet; Joel Rosenberg's original 6 or so of the _Guardians of the Flame_ series, Alan Dean Foster's _Spellsinger_ books; Michael Crichton's _Sphere_. Huge amounts of Stephen King & Clive Barker.  Never had the urge to repeat that part of the experience; I'm pretty sure reading those as a fairly naive 17 year old girl did me in as far as reading horror goes!

Looking back at it, 1800 pages a week really wasn't that much, I've read far more than that many times since then when I've had the time to do so. But it was my first real chance to just do nothing BUT read, and I relished every minute of it.

I also don't watch TV (except baseball--and by this end of the season that's pretty boring too!), don't do movies, and have been spending less & less time on the internet. That does tend to free up a fair amount of time for reading.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

drenee said:


> I guess we would have to say books that we started and finished in the month of October.
> Anyone else interested, or am I just bored today?
> 
> deb


I like this idea. We could start a thread and each person who wants to participate could make a post, then keep adding to their own post. I believe everyone has a "modify" button for their own posts? Correct me if I'm wrong...it might be something only I see because I am a mod.

L


----------



## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I would finish my books more quickly if I didn't go on the computer every day.


----------



## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Leslie said:


> I like this idea. We could start a thread and each person who wants to participate could make a post, then keep adding to their own post. I believe everyone has a "modify" button for their own posts? Correct me if I'm wrong...it might be something only I see because I am a mod.


Yes, we can all modify our own posts. That kinda sounds like fun!


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Leslie said:


> I like this idea. We could start a thread and each person who wants to participate could make a post, then keep adding to their own post. I believe everyone has a "modify" button for their own posts? Correct me if I'm wrong...it might be something only I see because I am a mod.
> 
> L


I like it also. But I have a question, are we just talking kindle books or will DTB count also? I ask because I'll be kindleless for 3 weeks in October.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

scarlet said:


> I like it also. But I have a question, are we just talking kindle books or will DTB count also? I ask because I'll be kindleless for 3 weeks in October.


I think we can do all books. Maybe even put in parens (KB, DTB, audio) or whatever. I am reading a PDF on my computer right now and have a DTB lined up for sometime in October.

L


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

marianner said:


> Yes, we can all modify our own posts. That kinda sounds like fun!


That's good to know. Thanks, Marianner!

L


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Wow, 10 or more a month!  I'm nowhere near that.  I started keeping a reading journal when I got my first Kindle.  I just counted the books read in the last 15 months and took an average.  I only average 3 books a month.  Sometimes, just because of life happening, it takes me a couple of weeks to finish a book and some weeks I read several.  I also have trouble tuning out other noises and I rarely am in a quiet enough place to really focus.  So, I guess I read more slowly at times.  But it really doesn't matter how fast or how much we read when reading for enjoyment, right?


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I like your idea, Leslie, of starting a thread and modifying out posts.  I also like the idea about number of pages, as well.  Amazon usually lists the number of pages, don't they?  Of course, if you get the book somewhere else that might not be as easy to discover.  But I think it's a great idea either way.  

I totaled up the estimates of the people who posted here and I've come up with 123-130 books for the 14 posters who gave numbers.  

deb


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

not all kindle books have page equivalents listed.  Some are only available on kindle and have no DTB to get the page number comparison from.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Thank you, Scarlet.  That's what I was afraid of.
As someone said, we can post the number of locations.
deb


----------



## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

No problem.  May I anticipate and put the three DTB books that are already in my suitcase for my flights?


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Sure.  I don't see why not.  That way you won't have to remember to do it when you return from your trip.
deb


----------



## talleylynn (Apr 24, 2009)

I've read 42 books since I got my kindle on April 28. That averages out to a little over 8 books per month. Wow! 

I've kept track of all the books I've read since I graduated college ****years ago and in a good year I average about 35 to 40 books a year, occasionally 50. Of course, now my housework doesn't get done and I don't have time for tv. Yep, kindle changes your life.


----------



## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Before I got my Kindle in December 2008, I had read maybe 5 books in 5 years.

I started to keep a spreadsheet on what I read each month since Kindle and I have read a total of 143 books. So that's about 14 books a month average. But I have to mention I have been sick a few times this year where I basically just rested and read like a mad woman. I used to watch more TV and spend lots of time on the computer. I still do a little time on the computer and a bit of TV, but mostly I read. 

I think I read pretty fast but I don't skip anything. In the past reading became less joyful as paperbacks were difficult to read because of the print and my eyes aren't the best. Love E ink, I can read a lot faster now without the "axe stuck in forehead" headache I used to get


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

mlewis78 said:


> I would finish my books more quickly if I didn't go on the computer every day.


Exactly! 

N


----------



## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

BTackitt said:


> Having grown up 90 miles away from LA... if you are a 911 operator there, you have no time to read at work I would imagine. /comfort hug sent to you.


Awww thanks for the encouragement BT... since I work graveyard shift, it's not too bad, at least not for the 2nd half of the shift. Most days it slows down after the bars close at 2am.

I'd say I probably finish a book about every 5 days or so... so maybe 5-6/month I guess?


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Neekeebee, you posted a question in the October thread concerning a book you started this month that is 900 pages.  
You mean you can't finish it by tomorrow?  JK.  I have also have a book that I have one chapter read, and that is what I was planning on doing; listing the book as a partial read, and the number of pages I read.  

Anyone else with thoughts on this?

(I decided to answer in this thread to keep the October thread clean.)

deb


----------



## meljackson (Nov 19, 2008)

Ok I was wondering about that too. I have 3 books going at the moment and I probably won't finish them before October 1. This is going to be fun! Not that I need another reason to read. My kids complain as it is. 

Melissa


----------



## long run nick (Sep 25, 2009)

3-4 books per month--mostly NF. Just got my K2 and begin FULL retirement 10/1/09. I am sure the # will go up. I retired from the Army 22 yrs ago. Retired from the State of FL 4 yrs ago and went to part-time in the private sector in Jan this yr. Started Social Security. I am very grateful. I am doing a lot of volunteering. That is a gift to me.

How about this? I keep track of the miles I have run since 4/22/76. Currently at 69,848 miles. (430 races:from 1 mile to 50+ milers)I am afraid to start counting pages I have read, enough OCD issues keeping up with my running. Hey, being 66 ain't so bad. Actually with more time, I am on schedule to run over 2,600 miles this year--the most for me since the early 80's. Living with an attitude of gratitude. Nick


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

drenee said:


> Neekeebee, you posted a question in the October thread concerning a book you started this month that is 900 pages.
> You mean you can't finish it by tomorrow? JK. I have also have a book that I have one chapter read, and that is what I was planning on doing; listing the book as a partial read, and the number of pages I read.
> 
> Anyone else with thoughts on this?
> ...


I posted in my placeholder over on the other thread...I definitely think books started now that slide into October should "count." I have four going right now and I am about to start a fifth. No way will I finish all of those by Thursday!

L


----------



## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

I suspect that we will not stop this activity with the end of October.
So.....it won't really make any difference (at the end of the year) which month we count the reading in.
So I would suggest we make life easy on ourselves and just enter the book in the month in which we finish it.
What do you all think of that idea


Just sayin.....


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

long run nick said:


> 3-4 books per month--mostly NF. Just got my K2 and begin FULL retirement 10/1/09. I am sure the # will go up. I retired from the Army 22 yrs ago. Retired from the State of FL 4 yrs ago and went to part-time in the private sector in Jan this yr. Started Social Security. I am very grateful. I am doing a lot of volunteering. That is a gift to me.
> 
> How about this? I keep track of the miles I have run since 4/22/76. Currently at 69,848 miles. (430 races:from 1 mile to 50+ milers)I am afraid to start counting pages I have read, enough OCD issues keeping up with my running. Hey, being 66 ain't so bad. Actually with more time, I am on schedule to run over 2,600 miles this year--the most for me since the early 80's. Living with an attitude of gratitude. Nick


Congratulations on your retirement, Nick. What a great retirement gift to yourself!


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I signed up on the other thread. I will be on vacation with our daughter and granddaughters the first week as well as working on my Halloween costume for this year after I return home so I am curious how many books I will find time to read in October. 

I started a table with the two books I am currently reading. One is an audio book. Should that one count?

EDIT: I decided I am counting audio books, partial books, non-fiction, and stories, if any. I plan to put sufficient information in my list so that Deb can decide what she wants to use in her statistics. 

EDIT: Depending on my work and travel load, I probably read between 5 and 15 with an average of 10 books per month. I will know the amount for October, if not for any other month.


----------



## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

I've kept up with all the books I've read over the last three years.  I read between 50-60 books a year.  Some are shorter and some are very long.  Before Kindle, my average book was about 400-500 pages long.  With locations instead, it's harder to tell what books are about that length.  I probably would read more if I didn't have a full time job and did not have other hobbies


----------



## kevindorsey (Mar 4, 2009)

I do read short stories too, so how do you really count those, hehe?


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Thank you, everyone, for participating.  I'm really excited about this exercise.  I went to the library today to renew a book.  I spent about an hour browsing around trying to get inspired.  My realistic goal is 5 books.  My hope is 7.  
deb


----------



## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

I think that this is going to be fun. Thanks for coming up with the idea, Deb.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Once in a while I come up with something interesting.  
deb


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Leslie said:


> I posted in my placeholder over on the other thread...I definitely think books started now that slide into October should "count." I have four going right now and I am about to start a fifth. No way will I finish all of those by Thursday!
> 
> L


That's me too... I like to have several books going at a time so I can choose what to read depending on what I'm in the mood for.

So, sounds good. I'll make note of the pages (location #s) read in the month of October. Looking forward to it!

N


----------



## Ms Deb (Feb 23, 2009)

I read at minimum, a book a day.  If they are light and short, two.  Having said this, I read extraordinary fast, and I rarely watch television (about three shows a week).  I am also retired and empty nested, so I have more time than the average bear.  Having a Kindle has really enriched my life.  I love being able to carry around a hundred books.


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

Here's an interesting statistic.  In the two years before I got my first Kindle, I read 18 books.  I was finding it increasingly difficult to see the print, even in hard cover books.

Since I got my first Kindle on June 3, 2008 (15 months), I've read 45.

My Kindle has brought the joy of reading back to me.  When people who are not familiar with the Kindle ask me, "Why would you want to read a book on that thing?", I just tell them this fact.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

drenee said:


> Once in a while I come up with something interesting.
> deb


Thanks for starting the October group book count. I am enjoying this already and it isn't October yet!

From the other list:


911jason said:


> luvmy4brats said:
> 
> 
> > I'm in. My list should be long this month. We're doing a lot of reading to/with the kids right now.
> ...


  911jason.

From my viewpoint, I believe that audio books count for the listener if the listener remembers what was read well enough to discuss the book in a book club. 

I plan on tracking all items I read, Kindle, audio, and paper, that are publicly available and are not quick reference checks, news, or blogs. 
EDIT: I like Leslie's description in a post below better than mine. If I think of it as a book, it is a book for purposes of my reading list. I don't think of newspapers or magazines as books, not even the magazines I keep for reference.


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Hi everyone,

I am excited about this community reading project. It should be fun! I am going to move this thread and the actual book count thread to the Book Corner. The book count thread will be stickied at the top of the board to make it easier to find.

Please remember what to do, since this is different that our usual threads:

Each person who has signed up, or signs up, has one post (right now they are calling them placeholder posts). When you want to add books to your post, use the MODIFY button (not reply to or quote). You can then go in and modify your message. Not that modifying the message will not change the date on which you originally posted, although you will see a small line of text that says when your message was modified.

If people accidentally post in a new post, one of the mods will fix the situation (modify the message and remove the extra post). If everyone could work really hard to do it right it would be a boon for all of this. I could imagine that it could get unwieldy if people just keep posting and not modifying their posts.

If you have any questions, please send Betsy, Ann or me a PM and will try to help you out.

Leslie
Global Mod and Avid Reader


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I also think people can start modifying their posts -- I just updated mine. I have four books going and I know I won't finish any of them by midnight!

L


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

The question has come up about audiobooks and I have decreed that they should count. 

Seriously -- we Kindlers complain about print aficionados who claim that ebooks aren't "real" books. I don't think we should fall into the same trap. Print, ebook, audio -- it's all good.

I also don't think a book has to be any particular length. If you read novels, novellas, short stories and they are books to you, put them on the list. For me, I am going to include fiction and non-fiction. I am not including magazines, newspapers, etc.


L


----------



## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Leslie said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I am excited about this community reading project. It should be fun! I am going to move this thread and the actual book count thread to the Book Corner. The book count thread will be stickied at the top of the board to make it easier to find.
> 
> ...


I think this is going to be very interesting....thanks for doing this, drenee and Leslie!

I'll point out that if a member accidentally posts in a new post and catches it, the member can delete her or his own post! And then modify the placeholder post. 

Still thinking about whether I'll play or not.

Betsy


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I am very excited that everyone is excited.  I agree with Leslie that it will be great if each person could simply modify their original post.  It will make computing at the end of the month easier.

deb


----------



## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Leslie said:


> The question has come up about audiobooks and I have decreed that they should count.
> 
> Seriously -- we Kindlers complain about print aficionados who claim that ebooks aren't "real" books. I don't think we should fall into the same trap. Print, ebook, audio -- it's all good.
> 
> ...


I was totally joking, by the way, when I said they didn't count for the listener... just being a pain! =)


----------



## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I just deleted two extra posts (911jason and scarlet) because you guys already had your original placeholders. I'd really like to keep it to one post per person and just modify your one post to add your books.

It's October 1st everyone so the game (or whatever we should call it) has officially begun. Start listing books!

L


----------



## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I usually on read 3-4 books a month, I don't count chapter books I read to my 2nd graders. But, I'd like to do this, to see what I really read.


----------



## danfan (Apr 17, 2009)

I've read 80 ebooks & 5 DTB since mid-April, so about 15-16 per month. I rarely read a book with less than 350 paper pages, but some are 1000+ plus.

Current October reading: Distant Cousin #4 _Regeneration_


----------



## Rhiathame (Mar 12, 2009)

Well....I used to read about 25 books per month...and now ~cry~ far far less. With starting up my Master's I am down to about 8 per month.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

At the end of the month I will total up the number of participants and the total number of books we have read as a group.  
Have fun everyone.  
deb


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

I read on average only three books a month. It's all I can do with the day job, my family, plus my own writing and promotion. I spend too much time struggling about whether I should read, write, or promote. Reading usually is left to just before bedtime and often I'm too tired to read for more than a few minutes. Yet, this is one of my favorite times of the day! When I'm on vacation or on a plane somewhere, I really get going which is always great fun.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I have read one book and I'm part way through 2 others.  Of course, I've been staying at the lake on the weekends, with no internet service.  Well, slow dial up.  Not worth trying to post on here.  So I've had more time to read.  
deb


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

DD said:


> Interesting idea. I'm in!
> 
> The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand - 752 pages hardcover - Sept. 30-Oct. 4
> Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand - 1324 pages hardcover - Oct. 5-the rest of my life (just kidding)
> Smash Cut: A Novel - Sandra Brown - Kindle edition - Oct. 5-


For the rest of your life....how funny.
deb


----------



## thresel (Nov 3, 2008)

I'm averaging around 8 per month.  That's $80 if I buy the 9.99 ones.  My Kindle is high maintenance but I love her anyway.


----------



## DD (Nov 9, 2008)

drenee said:


> For the rest of your life....how funny.
> deb


LOL. It's just so long. I'm reading it gradually in between other books. I just can't stick with one thing that long!


----------



## kalitara (May 23, 2009)

I'm going to try to read one book a week with my new Kindle. I love this thing!


----------



## The Atomic Bookworm (Jul 20, 2009)

I probably missed the memo so I'm having to ask: on the October book count, are we allowed to include magazines/journals?


----------



## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

The Atomic Bookworm said:


> I probably missed the memo so I'm having to ask: on the October book count, are we allowed to include magazines/journals?


I think that's up to you  There don't seem to be a lot of rules - this is just for fun!


----------



## B-Kay 1325 (Dec 29, 2008)

I read FountainHead and Atlas Shrugged when I was in high school and don't plan to re-visit either one of them.  I am currently reading the new Bertrice Small book The Border Lord and the Lady.  I also downloaded several books this weekend that have been recommended in the "Ahh" thread.  I have lots of reading to do but since I usually read pretty fast I don't think I'll have much trouble getting through the list. lol


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Well, as today kinda marks the halfway point, I went and looked at my totals so far for the month.
<Total K-Loc as of 14:42 Thursday 15-Oct-09= 66,001>
If you want to look, it's the first reply in the Oct Book count thread stickied up top.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I was thinking about that yesterday as well, being halfway through the month.  
I haven't read as many as I had originally anticipated, but the second half of the \
month is not as busy as the first half.
deb


----------



## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

I've been on a _re-reading classics_ binge and have read a baker's dozen so far this month. The surprise has been that some books that I loved when I was young seem less enjoyable while others, that I once thought of as so-so, are terrific now. Anyone else have a similar experience?


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Jeff said:


> I've been on a _re-reading classics_ binge and have read a baker's dozen so far this month. The surprise has been that some books that I loved when I was young seem less enjoyable while others, that I once thought of as so-so, are terrific now. Anyone else have a similar experience?


I definitely had that experience with _The Catcher in the Rye_. Loved it when I was in high school but not so much on the re-read.  (I'm told a lot of people feel that way about _Catcher_.)

Opposite reaction to _Pride and Prejudice_. Thought it was just OK in HS, but loved it when I re-read it on Kindle last year! It's my new favorite book! 

Which books do you think differently about now?

N


----------



## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Neekeebee said:


> Which books do you think differently about now?


Coincidentally, just a week or so ago, I bought all Jane Austen's novels for 99 cents. My new favorite Austen novel is _Sense and Sensibilities_. The subtleties of all the characters and the moral strength of Elinore Dashwood went right over my head when I was young.

When I was a teenager, I thought that J.D. Salinger was the greatest author of all time. However, I re-read _The Catcher in the Rye_ some years ago and didn't even finish it.


----------



## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

Speaking of classics, one of the best things about getting a Kindle was discovering all of the free and/or cheap classics that are available.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Hopeful, isn't that awesome?  I find the classics much easier to read on my K than in a hardback.  
And call me silly, but I can't seem to do a classic in a paperback.  Goofy; I know.  
I have really taken advantage of Amazon's classics, and also Gutenberg.org.  
Enjoy.
deb


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

drenee said:


> Hopeful, isn't that awesome? I find the classics much easier to read on my K than in a hardback.
> And call me silly, but I can't seem to do a classic in a paperback. Goofy; I know.


Not at all. I picked up Little Women from the library a few years ago, it took me _twelve_ weeks to plow through it. I had to renew it twice, and then I hit the limit so I had to take it back out under my husband's card.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

well, I had a great first half of the month.. but the last 5 days have been minimal for me.. darn schoolwork.. I had 3 midterms to study for, so.. now I get to read for pleasure again. sigh.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Hope you did well on your midterms.  
deb


----------



## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

drenee said:


> Hopeful, isn't that awesome? I find the classics much easier to read on my K than in a hardback.
> And call me silly, but I can't seem to do a classic in a paperback. Goofy; I know.


I have a hard time reading paperback classics too...but I don't really know why. I can fly through them on my Kindle though.


----------



## Adele (May 30, 2009)

I was averaging a book a week, but then I began writing a book, which cut into my reading time.  I'm now reading about 2 books a month.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Annalog said:


> Depending on my work and travel load, I probably read between 5 and 15 with an average of 10 books per month. I will know the amount for October, if not for any other month.


With about a week and a half to go, it looks as if my reading for October (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,14086.msg270243.html#msg270243) will match my guessed average of 10 (currently at 5 with two more that I should finish before next week and probably two or three more by the end of the month). 

I had based my previous guess on reading 1-2 print (including Kindle) books a week and 1-2 audio books a week. I have been reading at this rate for more than a dozen years. Before that I lived within 5 minutes of where I worked, worked longer hours, and probably read 1-4 books a week. Still not much different from today. 

Probably the biggest difference in my reading habits is that I am now more likely to read a new book than to find one in our home library or one from the public library. I am also reading more authors in more genres.

Is anyone else unsurprised (or surprised) by their October reading log?



Adele said:


> I was averaging a book a week, but then I began writing a book, which cut into my reading time. I'm now reading about 2 books a month.


I can certainly understand how writing a book would cut into reading time!  I would have expected it to have an even bigger impact than that. When I am working on creative projects, my reading time is drastically reduced.


----------



## Kino (Sep 27, 2009)

I compared a book that I have in Kindle format and the physical copy, and found that 10,000 locations is roughly equal to 600 pages in a book, where print size is about the same.

That being said, I'm way down on my book count this year.  In 2008, I read 324 books.  Most of those averaged 600+ pages, although there were a few (about 100 or so) that were in the 120-180 page range.

This year, I've only read 113 books, but again, most of those are in the 600+ page range.  There have been a lot fewer of the shorter books.

If I'm not leaving anything out, this month, I've read 43,598 Kindle locations, plus another 592 page paper book.  if I wasn't so caught up in school and work, I'd probably have doubled that amount by now.

...looking over those numbers, I see proof as to why I will never make it as a writer.  I can't put a book down once I start it, but the slightest stumble will stop my writing.


----------



## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I am really surprised by my October log.  I have read one paper book, and am reading another and find/found it difficult to pick up and read, but will read on the kindle at the drop of a hat.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I have been unhappy with this month for myself.. but school is a little rough right now, so I am only reading light-short books.. no brain power left for anything deep or thought provoking...

I did just go through all pages of what people have posted to see if there was anything I might enjoy later, and am downloading smaples so I can remember which ones to look at later.


----------



## Hopeful76 (Jun 24, 2009)

I seem to have read more than my usual 4-5 books per month.  However, since I teach college, I had more free time for reading during our 3 day "fall break".


----------



## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

I'm on my 14th book for the month, somewhere around 5500 paper pages worth. I know for me, I'm actually behind an average month's reading at this point, because I took at least 10 days off and only resumed reading about a week ago. Just didn't feel much like reading.



Annalog said:


> Probably the biggest difference in my reading habits is that I am now more likely to read a new book than to find one in our home library or one from the public library. I am also reading more authors in more genres.


This is absolutely where I'm at. I used to do far more rereading than I do now. I'd go to the bookstore and buy around $100 in new books 3 or 4 times a year, and then reread from my own home library for the remainder of time. I never had a TBR pile, because I simply ran through new books like water; they were gone in a day or so after purchase. Now there's always something new on the Kindle, and I'm almost drunk on all the new genres and authors I can explore through samples and freebies! LOL I do have another batch of rereads that I'll probably launch into late this week. I have a few Amazon Rewards certificates coming in the mail, and that will cover some books I've been planning to replicate from the current paper version onto the Kindle, completing my ebook acquisition of a series that I've loved for a few years. More DTBs to get out of the house!

The smartest thing publishers have ever done is provide the first book in a series for free or at a heavily discounted price right before the latest book by the same author is released. I cannot tell you how many new series I've started thanks to that little trick.


----------



## Ottie (Aug 31, 2009)

so far this month I have read 5 books and next month I hope to read even more.


----------



## RJC5XTC (May 8, 2009)

This month I have read about 18-20 books so far - all on the Kindle.  Some of them were pretty easy beach read type books, but entertaining none the less.


Robert


----------



## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm stuck in a rut at the moment, I've started and given up on 5 different books in a row!!! Not good.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

911jason said:


> I'm stuck in a rut at the moment, I've started and given up on 5 different books in a row!!! Not good.


I was going through that sort of thing earlier this month: some of the books I started just weren't much good, and others were too dark to suit my current emotional needs or something. The last week or so I've had more luck, fortunately.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I've been very pleased with the amount of books I've read this month.  
I thought I could do about 5 or 6.  I think I was lucky that I picked some 
very interesting books to read.  The audiobooks were a great idea also.
deb


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

From the October group book count thread:


drenee said:


> I love Leslie's idea of giving the books stars.
> And someone else used a thumbs up and thumbs down symbol. Also great idea.


I liked the idea of rating the books. I went back and added a rating scale to mine using some of the smileys (       ). Fortunately I did not need to use any of the unhappy smileys for books I read in October.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

I read a newspaper article recently which stated that Kindle readers are reading more books than they did when they were reading print books. Do you all think this is true?

Debra


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

absolutely. no matter where I am when I finish a K-Book, I have another waiting right then...
unlike say, if I was to be readinag a dtb at the dr office and finished it... I would have to wait until I got home/store to read next one. also, the kindle is more convenient, so places I would not have read a dtb (outside on a breezy day) I now can (while waiting to get into my class).


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

I also believe I am reading more since post-Kindle.  Reading is easier and more fun.  But I noticed I am also reading way more books at the same time.  Unless a book can really hold my interest (probably less than 20%) I rarely read a book straight through to the end anymore.

N


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I think another reason I'm reading more is because I'm being exposed to
more/new/different authors.  I trust the opinions/reviews of my fellow
KBers, and have read many books I would never have even known about
pre-K.
deb


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Thanks for your thoughtful comments to my question, everybody. They back up what the journalist wrote in his article. Kindle has escalated the convenience of reading and the desire to read, which is wonderful. The fact that so many people seem to be trying new authors rather than sticking to the top ten bestseller's list is especially encouraging for us newbies!

Debra


----------



## ines (Nov 21, 2009)

About 5-6 books a month and plenty of ebooks, due to my profession. I read more now, since I bought my first Kindle a couple of years ago.


----------



## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

On average I read 20 books per month.  I have to say that I definitely read more now PK (Post Kindle) than BK (Before Kindle).  It is so easy to pull up my current read or when done, start another one.  Before the Kindle, I averaged about 5 books per month.  This thing is permanently attached to my hand, any free time (even 5 minutes) finds me reading.  I gotta get help!


----------



## Nathan (Nov 13, 2009)

chilady1 said:


> On average I read 20 books per month.


Dang...that's a lot of books


----------



## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I'm hoping I can get more than 20 a month, but so far not so, but then I do have a few more days


----------



## matte633 (Nov 30, 2009)

wow... you guys are all awesome... I'm very lucky to finish reading 10 novels a year...  between working several jobs, family, etc.  I probably read more non-fiction though.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

ok.. Total for the months of Oct & Nov that I posted on their respective reading threads, are 55 books over those 2 months... there were more, but I did not count any kindle *Books* that were less than 1000 locations .. and there were a number of them that were at 500-700 locs.

Unfortunatly, this month has finals.. one today, 3 next week.. my reading time has been SEVERLY cut back this month... *SIGH*


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Family, hobbies, and job (to support family and hobbies) come first for me as well. One thing that really helps my reading book count is no broadcast TV available where I live and we discontinued the satellite service which leaves more money and time for family, hobbies, and reading.   However that means I can't watch some of the shows that support my hobbies, such as gardening shows.


----------



## JessyV (Nov 19, 2009)

I average 3-4 books a month. I wish I could read more but with three kids and a business to run
that's all I can manage!


----------



## Nathan (Nov 13, 2009)

8-10 for me.  I am a purty slow reader.  I also top out at about 3-350 pages for a book...that's about when my interest level begins to die offer, unless it is an exceptional book(s).  LOTR was exceptional...


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I am planning on doing the initial statistics for the December book group count thread on Sunday, 3 January. However, since that is just a few days after the end of December, I will be checking the thread and will update the statistics again the following weekend. Let me know if there are any additional statistics you would like to see.


----------



## Toby (Nov 25, 2008)

On the book count thread, I usually post at the last possible moment to get more books done. I am reading so many more books now & so many authors that I never heard before & some I have, that have offered a free book. I've even stopped watching /listening to TV when I get ready for work. I'm now listening to my TTS on my K2. I finished 3 books in 1 day, the other day. I could not believe it. Anyway, it's now like I have a competition on with myself to see how many books I can read in a month. So much fun!!!!! I can honestly say that the Kindle is life changing, for the better.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I am feeling like SUCH a slacker this month... but school really got in the way... and now it's x-mas.. and... gotta play nice nice.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Toby said:


> On the book count thread, I usually post at the last possible moment to get more books done. I am reading so many more books now & so many authors that I never heard before & some I have, that have offered a free book. I've even stopped watching /listening to TV when I get ready for work. I'm now listening to my TTS on my K2. I finished 3 books in 1 day, the other day. I could not believe it. Anyway, it's now like I have a competition on with myself to see how many books I can read in a month. So much fun!!!!! I can honestly say that the Kindle is life changing, for the better.


Since the first weekend in January is so early, I will post the final summary statistics for the December book group count thread at least a week after the end of December and before end of second weekend.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

EDIT: The large size of this post is due to my compulsive nature and putting answers to all questions asked so far into a single post. Everything after the beginning is optional. 

For people who have not yet posted in the December book group count (or whatever the current book group count thread is), there are very few rules:

Post information about what you read during the month named in the thread title.
When you read more during the same month, use the Modify link on your post to update your post with additional book information. When there is only one post per person it is easier for the person doing the summary statistics to count the books as there are fewer posts to count. (However if it is not possible for you to update your post and you need to create another post in the thread, mention that in the second post. )
This is not a contest to see who reads the most. We each read as is appropriate for each of us and our lives. The range will go from less than one book during the month to more than a book a day.

Required information:

Names of OR number of books read during the month. Listing the names of books read helps make the thread interesting. However it is NOT a requirement. Also, some of us might name most books but leave out the names of some books for various reasons (kids books, adult books, books read away from home and title not remembered, etc.). 
If the book was only partially read and you list it, please indicate that somehow. (See Optional information below.)

Optional information (include as much or as little as you want):

Author of book. Most entries include book title followed by the author.
Book started/book finished information or other reading status information. This could be dates or just identifying if book started in current month / finished in current month / continued to next month. Some people only list books finished in current month but statistics are done for books started/finished/continued if the information is available.
Book type/Format: Kindle (including .mobi and .prc), DTV/DTB, hard cover, paperback, Audio, Sony, Nook, PDF, other digital, etc.
Book length/size. This can be in pages, Kindle locations, hours (for audio), KB (for digital formats). It is not necessary to list all measurements, just what is most appropriate for the book listed. However some of us do enter the book length in multiple measurements.  (I can't help it if I am a geek.)
Rating and/or comment about book. In addition to comments, a few different rating systems are being used (1-5 stars/smileys, -3 to +3 in smileys        ). Use what makes sense to you.
If you abandoned reading the book. If so, why was the book abandoned? Boring, bad, lack of interest, not what expected, mood, etc.
Genre of book
Link to source of book
Whatever else you want to write about the book or your reading for the month.

Other items to list if you want:

Samples
Text books (these could count as books above if you read the entire book)
Reference books (these could count as books above if you read the entire book)
Other items you do not think count as a book but you want to list.

Format: Use whatever format is best for you. It is more important to post what you read and update that post than it is to put it in a specific format.  However it is helpful to the person collecting the statistics if the information is clear. 

EDIT: I compiled the above from existing posts and question/answers I remembered. Let me know if I left anything out.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I am going to copy my post from the January Group Book Count thread along with part of my post from the February Group Book Count thread in order to not clutter those threads. 

EDIT: Scrolling banner removed since the statistics for January have been posted.

EDIT: There is still time for people to finish recording their reading for January. I have started organizing the data but captured the date/times updated. I will check for updates and new entries before I post the final statistics. 

A quick check shows 76 people posted with 70 reporting at least one book read. If you haven't updated your post, please do so with at least the number of books read. Of course, the titles, pages, locations, comments, etc. are a wonderful bonus. (These threads are a great place to check for books to add to our TBR lists!  [Or to not put on the TBR list.  ])

January is already a record month for Group Book Count with 24 more people reporting in January than in December (46), 15 more than November (55), and 12 more than October (5 which was the first month for the Group Book Count and the previous record month for number of people reporting their reading for the month.


----------



## earthlydelites (Dec 12, 2009)

January was my first month with my kindle and the first time I counted how many books I read. I got through 15 of varying lengths.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Earthlydelites, glad to see your posts on both the January and February Group Book Count threads.


----------



## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

I took Heather's (luvmy4brats) idea and put a tally on the bottom of my profile information.  
I hesitate to make a goal for total number of books this year, but it will be nice to watch the number climb.  (I hope).
deb


----------



## loca (Jan 3, 2010)

earthlydelites said:


> January was my first month with my kindle and the first time I counted how many books I read. I got through 15 of varying lengths.


That's an impressive number, although first month always gets you going.


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

drenee said:


> I took Heather's (luvmy4brats) idea and put a tally on the bottom of my profile information.
> I hesitate to make a goal for total number of books this year, but it will be nice to watch the number climb. (I hope).
> deb


Great idea. I added a tally to my signature. I had to trim the link text for the Group Book Count links in order to get everything to fit in the allowed length.  If I decide to add much more, the KB banner will need to go.


----------



## Maxx (Feb 24, 2009)

I like the idea too.  I think I'll do it.  Even though I don't read near as much as some of you kindleboards members.  For my own personal information I'd like to know.


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

I like it too.  Will have to figure out how to do this...

N


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I added the following to my signature (defined in Profile / Forum Profile Information / Signature):

```
Prev: [url=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,17461.0.html][b]January 2010 Group Book Count[/b][/url] Curr: [url=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,19231.0.html][b]February 2010 Group Book Count[/b][/url] Summary: [url=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,18073.0.html][b]Monthly Book Group Count Statistics[/b][/url] Origin: [url=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,14052.0.html][b]Discuss[/b][/url]
19 Read in 2010 (11 text, 8 audio)
```
In the code above, the [ HR ] (without the spaces) makes the horizontal rule:

One way to find the codes is to use the Preview for post messages to create your signature the way you want it to look and then paste into the Signature section. The limit says 750 characters but I try not to go over 748 as it always seems to chop off the last two characters.

It is not necessary to put a Horizontal rule at the beginning as the Kindleboards software does that already.

EDIT: I see that you did not need the information above as your signature is changed already.


----------



## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Thank you anyway!

N


----------



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Still time to update your post in the February 2010 Group Book Count thread!

Because I was away from KB for the end of February, I might not get the statistics started until very late this weekend and I probably won't finish until the following weekend. There is still time for people to finish recording their reading for February. I will check for updates and new entries before I post the final statistics. 

Remember it is for fun and is a good source to discover more books to read.  It is not a contest.


----------

