I did a quick count and figured I've read 35 books since Nationals. That was less than two months ago. There's probably more books. I think I went to the library a few times with the kids and picked up about six or eight more. I have stacks of finished books on my desk waiting to be organized. The books that sucked get packed in shopping bags and sent to the used book store. The ones I want to keep, I shelve in bookcases in the attic area off my closet. A year ago I counted about 450 books on my shelves. Most of them I've read several times. (Anne McCaffrey books about ten times each) I've probably added between 50 to 100 more.
I'm debating keeping a log. I'd like to know how much I read in a year. I think. Actually I'm terrified to know how much I read in a year. The Oregonian has a columnist that runs a yearly contest to see who reads the most in a year. He uses the honor system and people count the number of pages and books they read. I like to review the yearly results and wonder where I'd fall in the finals. Something tells me I'd be near the top. I know I read more since I've started writing, and I was a heavy reader before.
I'm judging a contest for pubbed authors this fall. I'm expecting about 30 books that need to be judged before Dec. 1st. No problem. In fact I'm pumped. Free books! And in a genre I love and read religiously. To judge, I assign a number between one and ten to the book. Easy enough. I already do that for most my books. On the first page I pencil in a number to reflect what I thought of the book. Hmmm. Maybe I should reorganize my shelves by number instead of by author and genre...keep those perfect 10s together. Funny thing. Several authors would still have most of their books grouped together in my attic.
I again post in two weeks. Starting today I'm going to keep a log of the number of pages, titles, and authors of books I read. Anyone else want to join me? Doesn't matter if you read something you've already read. This isn't a contest. I'm just curious. I'm going to do it longer; I don't think two weeks will be an accurate picture of how much I read especially since my TBR pile is empty. (I need those contest books to start rolling in.) I plan to keep a log until the end of the year.
12 comments:
A woman after my own heart. I devour books at a fast rate too, as does my coworker. We share romance books a lot. I gave her the entire Lynsay Sands vampire series and Sherrilyn Kenyon's dark hunter and dream hunter books a month ago. She's already read ALL of them plus about a half dozen other random ones I gave her. Oh, and the Twilight Series. Let's just say we get along very well :)
A few months ago I made a spreadsheet with all of my books. The reason behind this was because I accidentally purchased duplicate copies of a few books while at bookstores (nonfiction books, they are easier to forget if you own!). And at last count a few months ago, I had over 800 books. I'm an addict! But that list has helped me on many occasions not buy a duplicate book (which reminds me I need to update the list and download it to my new phone).
I'm with you on the keeping track of reading thing! I just started a new book anyway.
LOL Kendra and Lisa, perhaps you guys need a readers anonymous meeting!
As for me, well, I am never without a novel. Never. I can't think of the last time I wasn't involved reading a book. Oh, yes I can. The dh and I were camping and I put my book in the pocket of the chair and the dh gave the chair to a friend who proceeded to take it back to his campsite. When I realized I had no book it was almost midnight, the campground was dark and I was so mad I went ballistic.
Ahem, not a shining moment.
All that said, I don't read fast anymore, I read before bed and seldom during the day and I used to do that a lot so you guys would leave me in the dust.
I'm a slow reader, so what I lack in speed I make up for in volume. That means I read more than one book at a time. I currently have 4 novels in progress: one by the nightstand, one on the "probably won't finish because it's not good" stack, one I carry around everywhere (I'm enjoying this one the most), and one in my office because it's kind of research material, but still a novel. Oh, and I have 2 nonfiction books I'm in the middle of reading, too.
I used to read faster when I was younger, but that's when I wasn't writing. Maybe I'm subconsciously "studying" everything I read? I do catch myself doing that sometimes, even make notes now and then.
Reading for pleasure is important to me, I just don't do much of it anymore.
35 books since Nationals? My eyes are crossing!
I've read 3.3. And all were on vacation the week after Nationals - two of Roxanne St. Claire's latest, Cindy Gerard's newest ARC (which I got at Nationals) and a novella. Haven't looked at a book since (except for Alice's two newest - wistfully). My problem is that once I start a book, I neglect EVERYTHING until I finish reading that book - which means, kids, house, chores, DEADLINE BOOK. I'm obsessive compulsive that way. So I can't pick up another book until mine is finished.
That said, I have a stack I want to read as soon as I turn in my book. At least six. My new problem? The new proposal idea is a churnin' and I'm starting to get really excited about writing it.
Oh...and before I forget...I'm laughing at you and Lisa and your organizational skills. I have piles of books - as I look around my office now there's a stack on the side of my desk, a stack on the chair next to my desk, a stack on a shelf (not organized in any way) next to my desk, a stack up in my bedroom (that my hubby keeps asking me what I'm going to do with). Just the thought of cataloging my books makes me break out into hives.
LOL, Kendra! I thought this post was from Wavy! Who is probably reading right now.
I'm not even in the running for this. I did read Alice's latest book a couple weeks ago and have been reading one of Suzanne MacPherson's. Oh yeah, and a short story out of a Cup of Comfort book that I got at a booksigning recently.
Beyond that, I have several boxes of books to be read waiting until house and yard projects are done. I was just taking a break to get something to eat, then it's back to ripping up the old floor of the utility room.
Read a book for me, ladies!
I wish I read as much as you and Lisa. Then I wouldn't have to ask other people about authors and what publishing houses like.
I read more before I wrote. Now I devote time to writing and less to reading. I probably manage 3-4 books a month. I read more in the winter, don't have enough time in the summer. Or when I'm traveling. I can read a whole book flying to Anchorage and then another on the way home.
Alice's last two were the last books I've read. I have Genene's sitting on my counter waiting for a trip or a day when the muse escapes me.
I wish I could read that many, but alas, I'd never get any sleep and I need my 8-9 hours a night to be sane.
A spreadsheet? OMG. Twilight? Love them. How'd you like the last one? I liked it.
I do ignore everything when I'm in a book. Housecleaning, kids, cooking, writing. I try to reward myself with reading but it doesn't always work. I tell myself I'll just read a little bit. Yeah, right.
Alice, I can totally identify with you! I'll search the house ranting when I can't figure out where I left a book. But to have my only book vanish while out in the woods? Horror.
Paty, I'm with you. 8 or 9 hours is what I need, too. I can't write til 2 in the AM like SOME PEOPLE.
Genene! I'll read a book or two for you!
Oh My favorite topic!!!!!!!!!!!!
I read fast too, and I seriously can't fall asleep without reading. I've been trapped sans books a few times, and let's just say that I can tell you everything located in the guest services folder at that hotel. Always pack a book and two spares :) :):)
In the past, I've kept book journals, but I've often been guilty of not wanting to sacrifice reading time to go record :) But, I've been toying with joining
www.goodreads.com for a while now. If you guys join (it's free) we could all keep track together until the end of the year.
I've been using www.paperbackswap.com to thin out my herd--I have so many books, and I'm not the type to re-read most books (Brockmann, Crusie, and a few notable other exceptions), so I've been turning read books into new books :)
Let me know if you join good reads!
AH! I just found that paperback swap also has a list feature! Two features for one!
In December of last year, I made myself a commitment to read a book a week this year, and I think I've met that already. I had 26 books read before my computer failed that I had been logging. Read a few more I didn't log. And in the past six weeks, here's what I've read:
Both of Alice's new ones (great job, Alice!), a category historical, 3 categories from the line I write for, Sandra Brown's Play Dirty, a mainstream Inspirational, two Scottoline's, a Macomber, Alice and the Hitman, another mainstream...I don't think that's it, but that's all I can find the evidence of. Thirteen books in six weeks, plus I got a proposal off.
So that's 39 read I can account for, plus about 5 more.
A couple things I noticed:
Since I started going to the library in very early August, I'm reading a whole lot more and faster.
Since that happened, my ability to create and come up with ideas is flowing a whole lot easier.
Flo
My comment vanished. I hate that!
Wavy! I read the whole hotel thingy, too! With ot without books. I picked up my first Brockman yesterday at the library and thought of you. I'll check out the websites.
Flo, what did you think of Play Dirty? I was a little disappointed. The heroine's husband was waaaay too freaky. My favorite Sandra Brown is Chill Factor. Awesome book.
Kendra, sorry for the delay. I liked it overall, except for a couple of scenes I thought were boring--the "hero" with the guy following him from prison in the beginning. (That's purposely cloudy so as not to spoil the story for anyone else.) But I did not "love" it. It was a strange story, and that husband was freaky, I totally agree. The thing is, it reminded me of a plot technique--building suspense by purposely not mentioning details. You have a suspense scene, you cut it short at a high point of danger--then you skip ahead quite a bit to where the hero or heroine is back into regular life, trying to recover from the suspense scene, only you don't have him or her think about what happened, or give any details all at once. You let the details out slowly. That was interesting. I'd forgotten about that technique.
Flo
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