I read 54 books in 2011.

[AtYourCervix]

at least 54 that I wrote down. I'm fairly sure there were a few more.

DuchessofMalfi I was the same. I always read a lot of books growing up and read so many books as a teenager because my house was full of books and my mum encouraged it. I read quickly but my mum reads really fast as well.

I read some trashy novels but I also read a lot of non-fiction history books and pre-20th Century classics.

I read approx 20. My favourite reads were The Help, Sister, Room, One Day, Jackson Brodie series, Millenium Trilogy and all the Twilight books so pretty much all the ones I've read.

I'm hoping to read more this year. I'm currently gripped by Nicci French What to Do When Someone Dies on which the ITV1 series Without You was based. Trying to not watch it til I've finished the book.

Also saw an ad last night for Call The Midwife coming to BBC1 in a couple of weeks which looks good so really want to read that too.

There's reading and there's getting through books. I read widely because I'm fascinated by a range of subjects which I can prattle on about on MN
My books thus far have been "the dirty life" about a New Yorker who starts up an organic co-operative farm with her farmer husband, "11.22.63" by Stephen King about the assassination of JFK and whether a time traveller could or would intervene, and the first QI book of general ignorance.
Today I'm starting on "the science of Discworld II", and may read a gardening book later.

I've read more books this year than I have in a very long time, mainly due to the joy of a Kindle in my life. I've read all the Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raisin books for a start, so that's around 45, plus I reread the whole Discworld series on my Kindle, so that would be another 40 odd, and read the whole of the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, and all the George RR Martin ones too. Couple of other epic fantasy series too, plus numerous general fiction books I wouldn't normally have read, but thanks to the joy of sample chapters have really enjoyed. Plus a few popular history books and a mammoth biography of Otto Von Bismarck.

I have been pregnant and suffering from chronic insomnia for most of the year though, am anticiapting a severe drop off in reading levels when dc3 makes his appearance on Jan 23rd!

I've read about 350, the joys of having a kindle. Really must get off my backside and do more housework.
I do read very fast though.

I have a kindle but even if I read for every waking moment I could not read anything near 350 books - how the hell do all you fast readers do it? Do you just take in the basic story? What if it is particularly beautifully written - do you not want to linger over the words? And if you don't understand or forget something - do you just plough on and hope all will become clear? I'm just curious as I'd love to be a faster reader. I have so many I want to read but would struggle to finish most books in less than a week.

I must read at least 2 or 3 a week - and more on holiday! I love my kindle! I do spend roughly an hour each day at the bus stop/on the bus and HAVE to read before I go to sleep.....

Highlights 2011 - mmmmm

Wolf Hall
The Help
Room
loads of Agatha Christie and Jeffrey Deaver

Oh I can't remember really.....

I read about 180 books last year and they certainly weren't all trashy novels!
I also read quickly and don't watch any television.
I've read three books since Christmas.
I adore reading and read real books, on my kindle, on my ipod and on my ipad - I'm a geek - what can I say?

I set myself the target of 50 books last year, having read around 40 - 45 books the last few years (keep a list since the OP started a thread about book keeping about 4 years ago). I was well on target until November and then i got really busy with Christmas preparation and finished again at about 43 I think. Grrrrrrrr. I haven't read since mid December which is so unusual for me. I need to get back into it. Have just bought an agatha raisin omnibus in the kindle sale and then have 13th tale to read for book club and snow drops for MN book club to get me going again in january.

Shockingly, I read 88 books in 2011 (but my kids are both teenagers, I'm a very fast reader, and I organise a bookclub). One of those books was the 1400 page A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, others included Wolf Hall, The Lacuna, Middlesex, the first book of the Gormenghast trilogy, and all six of the Man Booker prize shortlist, plus over 30 non-fiction books. As long as I read 50 in a year I'm happy, not sure quite how I managed to read so many this year (I normally average 60 - 70). I started keeping track of the books I read back in 2007, when I thought I'd easily read 50 books in a year (less than one book a week) and discovered I'd only read 46.
And I agree with Jajas - quality not quantity, though sometimes you just want something fairly undemanding to read.

I read 33 since September but 35 in all (excluding numerous children's books that I read at work of course!)

Going to try and read at least 50 this year!

How do you know how many books you have read? Can't say I've counted what I read

I know though it's more than 12 and less than 52!

I keep a list of what I've read on Goodreads and on a book forum.

Same as Abcinthia, I was referred to Goodreads in November and cannot leave it alone

Oooh I set up a Goodreads account this year - must go back to it!!!!

I agree with some of your disappointing and crap ones.
Also have some of your best ones on my bookshelf ready for 2012.

Haven't counted. But I have a list in a notebook.
I like to intersperse quality stuff with something easier and a bit of pure escapism.
Trying to read more non-fiction, but it often sends me to sleep after a page. Zzzzz

No-one spilling the beans on how they read so fast then? I forgot to say, I read 37 books last year which was a bit of a record for me. I read and loved Middlesex and A Fine Balance (in fact I feel slightly cheated if I read short fiction books - love a chunky one) but always like to intersperse novels with non-fiction.

Am starting the year with Sovereign, the 3rd Shardlake book by C J Sansom and am absolutely loving it - might even finish it before the week is out if I can, ahem, find some tasks upstairs that need doing.

It's an odd question, I don't know why I read fast, it's just how I read, I've had a lot of practise. It's like asking people how they walk fast, you just have a natural speed you want to go with reading or books.
One thing I do do is read while doing other things, like having a bath, stirring dinner, walking down the road (I can only do light reading while crossing roads though), waiting for/on the bus, drinking tea etc.
This multi tasking allows me to read in otherwise wasted time.

Inmysparetime - I guess I wonder if people have been taught and/or use techniques on fast reading (eg I was 'taught' at school to try and just read down the middle of a page or miss out things such as prepositions but I have to read every single word and go over paragraphs or I don't enjoy it) or if it is a natural 'it just happens' because I just cannot imagine how anyone can read more than one book a day, even using all those 'dead' times (which I try and do as well incidentally) and get enjoyment and understanding out of it. As a naturally slow reader it just sounds like getting through a book to me (although I'm sure it isn't for most)

If I really "get into" a book, I will read it to the detriment of meal preparation, toilet breaks, talking to family members etc.
DH has learned to just let me get to the end of such books, as otherwise even when not reading, half my mind is still in the book.

I read quickly and must admit that sometimes, probably too much I skim read. Then I realise that something doesn't make sense or I've missed something and have to go back.

I don't know why I read so fast - I don't skim read and I don't think I have a technique that's different to other readers. My mum reads really quickly (compared to her I read at a snail's pace) but my dad, brother and sister read at a more normal speed. I suppose it's just down to practise and always reading a lot, for quite long periods of time, from an early age.

As I've said earlier in the thread, I read in the evening but like inmysparetime I do read whilst cooking, on bus etc. If I enjoy the book, I also continually think about it, so I do have a good memory for things I have read (I forget very quickly the ones I dislike ).

I read two+ books at once which I think helps. If one starts to bore me, I switch to the other book for a while. Normally I get asked if I get confused between the plots of each book but I always pick completely different genres and styles to read at the same time.

I don't think I read fast, hmm sometimes if a book isn't that interesting but I really want to finish it, I'll just read speech and skim read the other bits.

Does anyone else read from the bottom of the page up? I read very fast and scan up the page and back down if anything catches my eye.

I frequently read books again for the detail once I've got the story.

Re-reading is a joy.

I love reading but I take ages my time and it sometimes takes me a while to finish a book. I gave up on a book group because they went too fast for me and I hated it.

I am amazed at how many books some of you get through. I def couldn't do scanning and re-reading. I wouldn't enjoy that at all. Also rarely re-read books even if I've loved them. I think I won't enjoy it so much the second time and then I'll be disappointed. A bit like trying to recreate a fantastic holiday