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How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 5th, 2010, 4:00 pm
by Jaya
On average. Curious how many you are able to read per week or month given that you are balancing work, life, writing, sanity, etc?

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 5th, 2010, 6:20 pm
by HillaryJ
I probably read three new books a month, and reread entire or parts of 3-4. When I'm writing, I tend to read fewer authors I'm unfamiliar with because (this feels odd to say) if they are very good, I'm afraid that they'll be too distracting. So, I start new books when I've just finished a project or am letting something rest, and read stories that have already claimed space in my brain while I'm writing.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 5th, 2010, 9:29 pm
by AMSchilling
Depends on where I am on the WIP, honestly. At certain points, I just can't read because it distracts me and I start picking up patterns of writing from the authors and put it in my own stuff. When I give myself a reading break I tend to read a book in about 2 days, unless it's Stephen King and then it's a week. :-) I'll usually give myself a "writing time out" every few months if I'm in that phase, and I'll inhale about 5 books in a week to make up for lost time.

Before I was sucked up in the endless quest for the next novel? I read about 3 books a week. As a kid, with no job or kid, it was closer to 10 a week.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 5th, 2010, 11:00 pm
by Heather B
I probably read about 3 new ones a month and buy at least 10. I'll start at least 7 of those but I quickly lose interest. I'd much rather focus on my WIP but I know a healthy amount of reading has to be done, too.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 6th, 2010, 12:02 am
by Claudie
I'm rather ashamed at this one, but if I manage to read a book in a month, then I consider it a personal victory. For the record, I'm a fast reader. When I sit down to do it, I can easily eat anything in two-three days.

I'm not very good at balancing this writing and reading thing yet. Or rather, I'm not good at Studying + Writing + Reading. I always do two out of three, and the third is left alone for months at a time. The result is that I read a lot through the summer, and some more during my winter break, but otherwise... not so much.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 6th, 2010, 8:32 am
by Sommer Leigh
I read a lot. When I can't write anymore and I'm tired of sitting at the computer, I read. I read during lunch at work. When I'm waiting for my husband to pick me up from work on his way home, whenever I can squeeze in some time. So I go through books like most people go through dinner. I also keep a list at my blog.

September - 10, August - 11, July - 3 (busy month!), June -8, etc etc

These were my reads for September:
Songs for a Teenage Nomad (Kim Clubertson) September
Nothing Like You (Laura Strasnick) September
Twisted (Laurie Halse Anderson) September
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters (Natalie Standiford) September
Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson) September
The Demon’s Covenant (Sarah Rees Brennan) September
Paranormalcy (Kiersten White) September
The Chocolate War (Robert Cormier) September
Return to Paradise (Simone Elkeles) September
If I Stay (Gayle Forman) September

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 8th, 2010, 7:13 pm
by Risa
Hmmm. 5 to 10 books a week usually. Probably 80% fiction. A really slow week would be one or two books and only happens when things are insanely busy.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 10th, 2010, 12:14 am
by arbraun
I read four books a month even though it's difficult because I know I'll get writer's block if I don't. Reading like a fiend inspires me to write, it never fails. I have a rule of fifty pages a night at least but, if it's a great book, I might not be able to put it down and I'll read ninety or one hundred. Yes, I've had times if I'm in love with a book where I've read over a hundred. Isn't that what a great author's supposed to do, make you not be able to put it down and stay up too late? But if I'm not in love with the book then--meh--fifty.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 10th, 2010, 6:04 am
by k10wnsta
Interesting.
I've read eight books in the past 15 years or so - seven of those were the Harry Potter series.
So I read approximately 0.0103 books a week (without Harry Potter, 0.0013 books a week). In the past two years, 0 books a week.

That being said, I frequently read excerpts (usually 2 pages to a chapter, depending on the format) of books to analyze different writing styles.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 11th, 2010, 10:18 am
by Truth and Fiction
Claudie wrote:I'm rather ashamed at this one, but if I manage to read a book in a month, then I consider it a personal victory. For the record, I'm a fast reader. When I sit down to do it, I can easily eat anything in two-three days.
This typo cracked me up. Yes, I too can easily eat anything in 2-3 days (or minutes). Especially when I'm trying to avoid writing or convincing myself "I need to eat this tasty but unhealthy snack to give me the brainpower/sugar rush/energy to go on."

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 11th, 2010, 5:03 pm
by sierramcconnell
I don't read as much as I would like to, because I'm such a picky reader. I want to read books about angels\fallen angels\nephilim.

There aren't enough out there.

So when I do find one, I basically sit down and read it. Slurp, it's gone. I do eat books. And that's my problem. I'm usually let down, too. Because a lot of the ones I've read aren't that great.

But I can't wait until the 19th~! :3

I also read for research reasons as well, though...so, I eat non-fiction. Albeit slower.

And that wasn't a typo. XD

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 12th, 2010, 3:01 am
by k10wnsta
sierramcconnell wrote:I don't read as much as I would like to, because I'm such a picky reader. I want to read books about angels\fallen angels\nephilim.
...
So is it safe to say this is one of your favoritest songs in the world?

It has a good deal to say about fallen angels.
Although it makes me sad, it doesn't have to do the same for anyone else.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 12th, 2010, 4:06 pm
by sierramcconnell
k10wnsta wrote:
sierramcconnell wrote:I don't read as much as I would like to, because I'm such a picky reader. I want to read books about angels\fallen angels\nephilim.
...
So is it safe to say this is one of your favoritest songs in the world?
It has a good deal to say about fallen angels.
Although it makes me sad, it doesn't have to do the same for anyone else.
Actually, I'd never heard that song before. I don't have a lot of music dealing with them.

Gah, too many actuallys. Why is it when I try to reply to something simple, about fifteen people won't leave me alone for five seconds?

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 12th, 2010, 5:45 pm
by k10wnsta
sierramcconnell wrote: Actually, I'd never heard that song before. I don't have a lot of music dealing with them.

Gah, too many actuallys. Why is it when I try to reply to something simple, about fifteen people won't leave me alone for five seconds?
To be fair, in that song he's using 'fallen angel' as a metaphor, so it may not have meshed with your interests.
For more literal reference to fallen angels, I suppose Iris would be more appropriate.


I've always found his conundrum in that film intriguing. What's more, the mechanics of how the angels worked (ie. the rules they lived by) were handled very well also. But they really flubbed the ending. Since everyone could see it coming a mile away, it really needed to be steeped in realism, but they dropped the ball. Seemed like they had a literary mastermind craft the first 4/5 of the screenplay then asked a middle schooler to wrap up the last 20%. For that alone, it's relegated to the 'meh' pile of historic entertainment.

I wonder if it was a book first, though.
*Note to self: check to see if that was a book first.
There...now I'll remember to check to see if that was a book first when I remember where I put that note.

Re: How many books do you read per week (or month)?

Posted: October 12th, 2010, 10:38 pm
by Mira
My book reading has increased significantly since I got the Kindle on my I-phone. I read 2-3 books a week. It used to be 2-5 a month, but now, it's so easy to get books, and I have my books with me, and can pull them out anytime.

I might slow down while I'm in school, but for now, it doesn't seem like it.