It has been brought to my attention — by multiple people — that I read a lot. I guess I do, but I don’t think much about it, because (a) I feel that most of the books I read aren’t of “serious” literary merit, and (b) I always have. I remember being very young and going with my dad to the Almaden library, where the nice librarian told me that I’d reached my checkout limit of 25 books and would have to put some back — unless my dad would check them out for me on his card. Of course he did so, and we left the library mutually pleased, carrying plastic grocery bags filled with books.
In sixth grade Language Arts, Ms Delbridge had a big chart on the wall showing how many books each student had read. For a long time I was neck and neck with Becky Olson, and I remember trying to cram in one last book on the last Sunday before the final book count was due. It was one of Terry Brooks’s “Shannara” series (how I loved those!) and by reading madly all afternoon, I managed to finish the whole thing. Those books are about 500 pages, by the way. As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. The final count had me so far ahead of everyone else it was almost embarrassing.
My 2012 reading stats, taken from Goodreads and my own memory:
# of weeks in 2012 so far: almost 12 (that is: 81 days, not counting today)
# of books completed: 44
# of books started, but not yet completed: 3
# of favorite books I’ve re-read during this period: at least 5 (maybe I should start noting this on Goodreads too)
# checked out from library: 25
# purchased used, or swapped: 9
# purchased new: 7
# borrowed from friends: 6 (hi Anna and Kenyon!)
# which were e-books: 9
# which were audiobooks: 1
# of Georgette Heyer romances: 17
# of mysteries: 16
# of graphic novels: 8
# of nonfiction: 6 (7 if you count graphic memoir)
# which were written/published before 1950: 16
# which were written/published between 1950-2000: 21
# which were written/published after 2000: 10
For comparison purposes, here are some other stats:
# of movies watched this year: 4
# of hours TV watched this year: <1
# of miles walked: about 50
# of posts on this blog: 48 (including this one)
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
wow I am so impressed.Being a really lousy reader i am inspired to get busy with another book! I’m reading 1Q84 now.
Oh, how is that? I’ve only read A Wild Sheep Chase but I’ll probably read more Murakami in future. I couldn’t decide what I thought of that book (and I read it on a plane, which I think was the perfect place to read it) so I want to absorb more of his work. 🙂
i used to read voraciously when i was younger, as you described. definitely always checked out the max books at the library as a kid. now that i’m older with more constraints on my time i haven’t really read as much as i’d like to. espesh cuz it usually gets so all-consuming i neglect all other aspects of my life til i finish a read 😛
nevertheless! i am proud of my stats for the year so far… 11 books in 12 weeks. and hopefully that will soon be 12 in 12 after you come by tonight! 😉 YAY!
also, pretty sure the average # of books read per person per year is a sad sad small number… probably getting worse as time goes by…..
Now you’re at 12 for 12, no? 😀
I wonder if ebooks will bring the numbers up at all. I know several people whom I never thought of as big readers, whom I’ve seen reading on multiple occasions since they bought their Kindles or Nooks or what have you. 🙂
Love those stats Lisa. I must admit I don’t read. I have not read a novel since 1994. And did not complete that one. It was my girlfriend’s published book. And a rather good one. I’ve read thousands of comics and graphic novels. Something about the images. And when you have read, let’s say the entire Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, I guess you can say I have read a novel or two. And by the way my favorite read of all time is ” Love and Rockets” by the Hernadez Brothers. The best graphic novel series ever.
Graphic novels and comics totally count. 🙂 I love the Sandman. I bought some beautiful hardcover editions of it for Erik’s Christmas gift one year — got them signed by Gaiman (from afar… ordered them from a store in the Midwest where he was doing a signing).
I’ve never read Love and Rockets but I’ve heard so much about it. I tend to do an insta-judgment when I pick up comics or graphic novels; I take a quick flip through the pages and if something about the art captures me, I read, and if not, I dismiss them instantly. I recently read one called Moving Pictures because I kept coming back to it in a store; the art captivated me. Actually I don’t think it’s a well-told story at all, but I do love the artwork.
I agree Lisa, they are so many comics out there now and because of the expense, you do have to choose wisely. Especially if it is a continuing story, the cost mounts up. I too quickly examine the art first, and if it captures my attention then the story line is examined. I am not sure if I like the more current crop of stylized, bold color that many of the super hero comics employ. I like the retro style, and the black and white. Most recently I’ve been drawn to the Japanese comics. Especially if the story line is about kids, love and life – minus the superhero stuff. About Love and ‘Rockets, most of it is out of print, and hard to come by. On occasion the Hernandez Brothers will come out with a novel. Sigh I miss their work. But perhaps they can be found online. That is a thought. I will look into it. And about reading… I am more of a article or essay kind of reader. Peace Lisa, I always enjoy these chats with you.
These statistics are great! I don’t think the number of books read would have made such an impression if you hadn’t compared that number to other things. It makes me wonder how many I’ve read in the same time period. So many books, so little time. Here’s one to add to your next set of statistics if you haven’t read it yet: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Beautiful, lyrical, and magical. Think of all the worlds we’d miss out on if we didn’t read. TV shows just wouldn’t accomplish the same thing.
P.S. A post over at the Bookshelf Muse blog touches on this, and suggests creating our own individualized canons of literature, those books that have resonated with us. I like that idea.
Lisa, I’ve had your comment saved as “respond-to” for a really long time and I’m finally getting to it. I just read the Bookshelf Muse post (here for anyone else who’s interested) and I love that idea. I sort of did that with my favorite books post last year — though at that time I was still a little embarrassed that the list was so heavy on children’s books. Now that I’ve decided to own my affinity for childhood things, the idea of this list being a “personal canon” is even more meaningful (and potentially useful) to me. Thank you!! 🙂 And I’ll look for the Eowyn Ivey book at some point!
My stats on reading book : 0
Keep reading, I hope i could be like you to love reading books, i just cant seem to do it!
Whatever works for you! 🙂 I have a good friend who loves movies and he watches more in a week than I watch in a typical year. I can’t ever hope to catch up with him, but I’ve learned a lot from his expertise! 🙂
🙂