How Much Do You Read?
Reading at Top Speed
I set a lofty goal this year: read one book a week.
I blame Goodreads for this insanity; when I joined the book tracking site earlier this year it encouraged me to set a reading goal. One book a week sounded attainable to me, so I set the goal using the Goodreads widget.
Ever since, I’ve been chasing after that goal. Although one book a week sounds quite manageable, it has turned out to be a bit too much for my schedule. As of right now, I’m 7 books behind my goal. I’ve tried to ‘cheat’ by choosing shorter books or books that I can read quickly, but despite my best efforts, I can’t catch up! I can only hope that I log some serious reading time over my vacation this year.
Although setting this goal has had ensured that I’m reading – a lot – it’s also changed the way I’m reading. The other day I picked up a literary journal I subscribe to (The Fiddlehead. It’s fantastic. If you’re into short stories/poetry you should check it out.), and found myself thinking, “I should read something that will show up in my Goodreads account.” It was then that I realised my Goodreads goal had defeated itself. I was reading lots, but I was reading to reach a goal. I’d stopped savouring finely crafted sentences and pausing to think about perfectly developed characters. I was no longer reading only for enjoyment.
Realising that I was consuming books like hot dogs at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest made me take a step back and accept that it’s OK if I don’t reach the goal – it’s the act of reading at all that counts. But I haven’t totally given up on my goal because it has had a positive impact on my reading habits as well. Trying to read one book a week has forced me to pay more attention to my reading habits, and I’m definitely reading more than I did last year. As a writer I know one of the best ways to improve my craft is to read, so my Goodreads goal has ensured that I take my reading seriously. It still drives me insane when I login to Goodreads each week and see ‘At your current pace, you’re 7 books (15%) behind,” but it’s motivating me to read, so it can’t be all bad!
How much do you read each week? Are you consistent in your reading pace, or do you binge-read?
Image source: By Mo Riza from Mo Town, USA (On the platform, reading) [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
I usually read about one or two books a week. It all depends on how many pages are the books. I have to every once in a while or I will feeling like I have reading a life through instead of actually living a life.
You raise a good point Carol (one that I’ve become all-too familiar with while trying to reach my book-a-week goal): a book’s page count has a big effect on how fast you can read. If you’re into reading big tomes, you might not be able to get through a whole book each week. Perhaps the Goodreads book ‘counter’ might work better as a weekly ‘pages read’ count. But then that’s getting very technical.
Thanks for your comment!
Depends on the books, the quality, the size and how much time I have to do it. I’ve read even a few times 3 books in one day. Sometimes a book a day. But for sure at least 3 or so a week. Can you tell I like to read :)
Phew! 3 books in a day? You are a voracious reader!
I’m way to slow a reader for the pace discussed above. I’m definitely also a binge reader. I’ll always be reading something. I start off slow, but when I’m really enjoying the book, I read the last half three times as fast as the first. But a book every two weeks is a blistering pace for me. Good luck with your goal. At least it’s got you thinking about reading more, too!
Hi Rose! I think my Goodreads goal has taught me that I’m a binge reader too. Some books drag me in and I whip through them in a few days, but others take me weeks and weeks to get through. I guess the main point is that we’re reading!
I averaged one book a week last year, but mainly through having two weeks in the summer when I read LOADS! At the moment I think I’m averaging one every two weeks, but that does include a few I’ve read for uni. My biggest problem at the moment is knowing what to read.
I’m hoping to catch up on my vacation this year too. Are you having trouble finding books you’re interested in, or just having trouble choosing between lots of great ones?
I’ve got lots of ‘literature’ type books on my reading list but struggling to find any for light reading which wouldn’t be deemed ‘trashy’ if that makes sense!
I think it is very interesting that you mention the problem of “reading for a reason”.
I’ve been reading a couple of blogs during the last months, and right on the first page, there is a looong list of “currently reading”, “read last month”, “going to read” – blahblah.
In a way, I find this kind of sad. Because – and this is why I totally agree with you – we should NOT read for a reason! At least not if the reason is: “Oh my dear Lord, I am SO behind on my schedule!” ;-) If we want to read, we should read because we want to, because we love an author, the words, the characters, whatever …
Since I study two subjects belonging to the “Humanities” (Protestant Theology and English), I have to do a lot of reading. Especially in English, this can become quite a drag, because it might happen, that I read a book, because I HAVE to for a seminar. Bah.
BUT! Lucky me, I had a professor who chose Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children” for the course (among Kipling and Forster) last term – and I fell in love with it right from the start. Actually, I forgot that I was reading “for the course” and carried that book everywhere.
It was great.
Sorry for that far-too-lengthy text …
P.S.: Authors you DEFINITELY should check out are T.C.Boyle, Haruki Murakami and (if you are interested in historical novels) Bernhard Cornwell – the trilogy about Arthur is simply amazing … :)
Wow thank you for this comment! I remember having to read for school – it definitely required a different type of reading; a close and careful read. And as you mention, it’s a different experience when you’re being told what to read. I’d love to re-read some of the books I read for school (like Midnight’s Children) to see if my reading experience would be different when reading by choice. Thanks for a thought-provoking comment!
On average I read a book a week. Tbh, it depends how tired I am. I only read before bed, and i only stop reading when my eyes cant stay open. If I was to open a book during the daytime, I would still be in the same spot at bedtime so it has to be a big no no.
Strangely enough in my post yesterday I spoke about how having taken a writing break, I was reading more, and enjoying it more. I just stopped analysing. It is right, we shouldnt read for any other reason than the enjoyment, reminding ourselves that though is another thing altogether.
I usually read before bed too – a perfect way to fall asleep, in my opinion :) I enjoyed your post about why you’re not writing, and it can’t be all bad if you’re reading more. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m a definite binge reader. I read a book a week last year when I first bought my kindle, all wrapped up in the convenience of it.
Oh yes, I remember the early days with my Kindle too! So easy to order more books, and it feels like you’re reading so fast because you get to flip pages so often.
By the way, grat picture! ;)
I most definitely fall into the ‘savour each and every word’ camp, sometimes to a fault when the prose most certaintly doesn’t deserve such attention :)
I am part of two reading groups; one of which is just me, my best friend and another great lady, we’ve been meeting casually for the last 6 or so years and they both seem to roar through about 10 books between each get together making me feel like a bit of a dunce at times, however I notice consistantly that I recall far greater detail and nuance of what I’m reading – which I credit, correctly or not, to my more leisurely reading pace! Having said that I still always have no less than 3 or so books on the go and probably finish one at least every 10-14 days. My second reading group is actually part of my work, it’s called Women, Wine & Books which I host every couple of months and the whole goal is to get a bunch of feisty well read intellectuals into a room, fill their bellies up with a little good cheer (wine) and set them loose on each other – good times! We’re having one tonite and I can’t wait, we’re reviewing Think: Straight Talk for Woman to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World by Lisa Bloom.
Yayyy to reading!!! (I’m such a reading nerd, one of my proudest moments in elementary school was winning an award for reading the most Newbury Medal winners over the school year :)
Read on!!
Those both sound like awesome reading groups! You raise a really good point: reading groups (or book clubs) are a really great way to keep yourself reading. My favourite part about book clubs is that you often end up reading things you normally wouldn’t have chosen yourself, so you get to broaden your reading horizons. Thanks for your comment!
I just decided to set myself a book a week goal a few weeks ago. So far, I am on track, but I’ve already started to think/worry about the issues you raise here. Will I put off a good book because it is longer? Will I read too fast and not savor the language and the story? On the positive side, the challenge has made me read more and spend less time on line, which is great. That extra reading time is good for my own writing — and my soul. We’ll see where I am in a few months though — probably more than seven books behind.
There are definite pros and cons to trying to read a book a week. I too have found myself picking up a book (or my Kindle) instead of booting up the computer several times over the past few months. Good luck with your reading goal, Lisa!
I definitely read at a shorter pace, but I think a large part is because I like to highlight (no, not Alice Bliss) and second I like to meditate on something that stood out to me. Chew on it, if you will. Like AB, for example, I have been reflecting on Alice’s recollection of going out the garden with her father, salt in hand, and eating and enjoying the meaty tomato. I think I like to reflect on the character’s character. Do I take the time to enjoy the simple pleasures in life? (Apparently reading gets me all philosophical :) ). haha. Great work on your reading!
I’m going to try to take a page from your book (sorry – couldn’t resist ;) and savour the books I’m reading a bit more, especially when it comes to fiction. I loved the part in AB with the meaty tomato too :)
Carrie,
I don’t get to read as much as I would like. I try to read all my friend’s books and give constructive criticism, but even that is getting hard to find the time to do.
I learned to read at mach speeds in graduate school, and it’s a hard habit to break, but I’m really trying to read more slowly and enjoy the journey. Doing the critiques helps!
Critiquing definitely helps slow down a reading pace. Thanks for your comment!