How many books did you read last year?

[Lordosis]

I came across this poll and I do not believe the results. I have no reason to disagree that people are reading less but I find it hard to believe the average person reads 12 books a year. I feel like I read a lot and talk about it frequently and rarely find another person who actually reads. Maybe I am mistaken or just hang out with an illiterate crowd but my suspicion is this number is inflated.

So for fun how many books a year does the average WCI Forum member read?

https://news.gallup.com/poll/388541/...e=morning_brew

[zlandar]

As a kid my mom used to take me to the public library. I used to read a lot for fun.

Now it's just audiobooks when I have to drive onsite.

[FIREshrink]

Not all cover to cover but I chose the number that I read substantial portions of.

People read in more non traditional ways and the surveys include listening to audiobooks as a form of reading.

I notice that most households headed by someone under 30 appear to have no books whatsoever.

[Kamban]

I should be ashamed ( but I am not) to say I am one of those who read ZERO books last year. As a kid I used to be a voracious reader. Even as an early adult I used to read books but was gravitating from fiction to non fiction.

Now I just don't have the inclination, and maybe time, to read any more the full length books. I would prefer to read magazine articles.. I would like to sometimes listen to audio books. But what I have gravitated most is towards are podcasts and videos. I can see a 1 hour video about the Universe but don't think I can read one hour from a book about it.

Maybe time to have an MRI for early onset dementia :-)

Lordosis , you are indeed hanging out with an illiterate crowd by interacting with people like me.

[billy]

1-2 books per vacation, almost zero in non vacation times.
Used to do 1 financial, 1 fun book, but the financial ones have had diminishing returns over the years. This next trip will be reading "the greatest beer run ever" so no educational value there. I also have to finish "leadership in turbulent times" from the last trip. Now if I could only remember the content of the books more than a year after I read them, that would be something.

[Lordosis]

As a kid my mom used to take me to the public library. I used to read a lot for fun.

Now it's just audiobooks when I have to drive onsite.

Even considering audiobooks I am still surprised. Unless people are counting reading blogs, websites, magazines, kid books? I just do not see it in real life. My wife who is a well educated person had a goal of 1 book a year until she finally took the plunge into audiobooks at my instance last year. Now I cannot get her to stop! I created a monster

If I were to count kids books it would be 20 a day

[MaxPower]

I chose 11-15. I mostly read non-fiction books with some fairly dense prose, so it takes me a while to get through them. Last year, as an example, I read The Meritocracy Trap, The Tyranny of Merit, and A Matter of Honor (about Pearl Harbor, as I think there are a couple of books with that title). My kids want me to read the Harry Potter series so I usually read one or two of those per year, but can get through those in about a week since it’s light reading.

Last year I realized I had never read 1984 or A Tale of Two Cities, so I read those, and have been trying to check off a list of books from 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/..._Readers_Picks
I’m up to 30 off that list now, but quite a few of those on the list I have no interest in reading. I seem to be stuck on World War 2 history books at the moment (currently reading Indianapolis, and got a Pacific War trilogy for Christmas that will take me months to get through), but I seem to go through phases in my interests.

[NumberWhizMD]

If I were to count kids books it would be 20 a day

This! I read one book last year (goal was 1/month, but only ever finished the one). Just finished another book that I had started towards the end of last year.

In regard to kids' books with my kids (mostly my 7 year old), though, way more! We've read most of Junie B Jones, and currently taking through a dive through the Roald Dahl collection.

[Lordosis]

I chose 11-15. I mostly read non-fiction books with some fairly dense prose, so it takes me a while to get through them. Last year, as an example, I read The Meritocracy Trap, The Tyranny of Merit, and A Matter of Honor (about Pearl Harbor, as I think there are a couple of books with that title). My kids want me to read the Harry Potter series so I usually read one or two of those per year, but can get through those in about a week since it’s light reading.

Last year I realized I had never read 1984 or A Tale of Two Cities, so I read those, and have been trying to check off a list of books from 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/..._Readers_Picks
I’m up to 30 off that list now, but quite a few of those on the list I have no interest in reading. I seem to be stuck on World War 2 history books at the moment (currently reading Indianapolis, and got a Pacific War trilogy for Christmas that will take me months to get through), but I seem to go through phases in my interests.

I try not to read nonfiction. I get enough in real life.

1984 is a fantastic book. I re read it last year. If you enjoyed it Animal Farm is short and also very good.

I read a tale of two cities in high school but do not remember it being any thing special.

[Lordosis]

This! I read one book last year (goal was 1/month, but only ever finished the one). Just finished another book that I had started towards the end of last year.

In regard to kids' books with my kids (mostly my 7 year old), though, way more! We've read most of Junie B Jones, and currently taking through a dive through the Roald Dahl collection.

My 7 year old has been struggling a little with reading which turned him off a bit. So we have been trying to make an extra effort without turning it into a chore. Hard tightrope to walk! But we have been reading through many similar series just at a slow pace.

My 4 year olds pick the same 3-4 books over and over I suspect because they know it annoys me.

My 2 year old has me read this Thomas the Tank engine book several times a day. With him I do not think it is malicious like my twins. He is just in a train phase.

[legobikes]

I'd guess roughly 30. I read around 5 at a time and they go out of rotation approximately twice a month, so ~5+24.


There's no way the 'average' person is reading 12 books a year, unless it means they attempted to read a book (perhaps the same book) 12 times. Even that sounds like a lot.

[VentAlarm]

If audiobooks count (my wife says they don’t), >30. If they don’t, 1-5.

I assume Clifford: The Big Red Dog and Amelia Bedelia don’t count, because, if they do, I’m well into the thousands.

[xraygoggles]

There's no way the 'average' person is reading 12 books a year, unless it means they attempted to read a book (perhaps the same book) 12 times. Even that sounds like a lot.

Agree 100%. They are almost certainly including audiobooks.

[NumberWhizMD]

My 7 year old has been struggling a little with reading which turned him off a bit. So we have been trying to make an extra effort without turning it into a chore. Hard tightrope to walk! But we have been reading through many similar series just at a slow pace.

My 4 year olds pick the same 3-4 books over and over I suspect because they know it annoys me.

My 2 year old has me read this Thomas the Tank engine book several times a day. With him I do not think it is malicious like my twins. He is just in a train phase.

My 7YO is definitely the one who struggles. Although she has gotten to the point where she now asks to read on her own at nighttime, which is a HUGE improvement. Finding series she liked helped (for instance, tried Magic Treehouse and she HATED them). I'm glad she's been enjoying Roald Dahl, as I enjoy those books more than Junie B Jones.

My 10YO, on the other hand, refuses to read with myself or my husband. She reads SO many books and definitely has my love of reading.

We've got a newborn on the way, so we'll go back to the drawing board of child-friendly books on repeat soon. Trying to enjoy books right now that are at least a little more stimulating!

[MaxPower]

My 7YO is definitely the one who struggles. Although she has gotten to the point where she now asks to read on her own at nighttime, which is a HUGE improvement. Finding series she liked helped (for instance, tried Magic Treehouse and she HATED them). I'm glad she's been enjoying Roald Dahl, as I enjoy those books more than Junie B Jones.

My 10YO, on the other hand, refuses to read with myself or my husband. She reads SO many books and definitely has my love of reading.

We've got a newborn on the way, so we'll go back to the drawing board of child-friendly books on repeat soon. Trying to enjoy books right now that are at least a little more stimulating!

Finding the right series is clutch. My youngest, a son who is now 10, used to not like reading. My older 2 are voracious readers, but all my son would ever read was those comic books. Better than not reading at all, but we had to bribe him to read “chapter books.” We found a series he got into, paid him $5 a book that he could only redeem buying other books, and he got hooked and now reads all the time. Was the best $30 I’ve ever spent.