If you read 50+ books a year, how do you do it?

[Pigtailsandall]

I admit, this is just me being nosy, but I'm hugely impressed and astounded by people who get through 50+ books a year. I'm interested in how people do it- during what gaps in your day do you read, do you have many books on the go at once, do you have time for other hobbies? In other words, what does your reading day/week look like? Are you a fast reader? Do you read evenly throughout the year?

My goal is to read 24-26 books this year, essentially one every two weeks or so, and I know come summer months I'll struggle to keep that pace as life will get busy.

Yeah, definitely my favourite job too. Worked there for around 8 years and in that time only had 2 customers kick off majorly. One was totally justified as their kid had managed to borrow an adult devil worship book and was traumatised and the other person was just a nasty arsehole that was still under the impression that libraries should be silent and not have free storytime for toddler sessions 🙄.

We did also have a perv trying to look at god knows what porn he had on a USB stick.

In my next job, Council Housing officer, I was screamed at about 20 times on my first day 😂.

I read over 300 books a year. I am a fast reader but I also read every opportunity I get - it’s like breathing for me. I am also lucky because DH is a SAHD and does virtually everything round the house, so once I’ve finished working (I work FT) I don’t have many chores to do. DD is older now (and also a bookworm) so doesn’t need as much looking after.

I think the biggest factor though is that I watch very little TV, so my evenings are mostly spent reading - 2-3 hours every night soon helps those numbers rack up. I don’t try for a specific number though - I read a lot because I can’t not read. I genuinely think I’m addicted to reading. I get withdrawal symptoms when I’m doing anything that prevents me from reading!

Oh gosh as a housing officer you have all my respect!

I worked in a different aspect of local government but during the pandemic there were very few of us working in the building so we all shared a floor. The agro they dealt with day in day out was just jaw dropping. And the patience with which they dealt with it.

229! Holy moly!

If you read 200+ books a year, what types of book are they?!

While there are various ways I could get my numbers up (eg short books, books with pictures), what really ups my rate is books with lots of dialogue, and smooth uncomplicated prose with no particular subtext. I’m currently reading Simon Callow’s biography of Orson Welles and although it’s enormous, I’m speeding through it.

But even in ideal conditions, I can barely imagine a rate approaching one a day.

I read 35 books in January, including David Copperfield, Nexus, and several dense history books. A few Agatha Christie's but mainly the rest was literary fiction...
but i was recovering from an accident so only working a few hours a day and DH had to do all the housework and most of the childcare so I had a lot of free time.

My 229 books last year were all full books. I don’t read short stories. They are your average book size.

But even so, you must be going at a speed way beyond most mortals. I know some people can do it, but I can still hardly imagine it. Does it eg hinder how much you can take in? Are you aware of reading in a different way from ordinary folk? Or am I simply underestimating how much one can do with only a little extra time?

I average 120-130 books per year.

• Go into bookshops and look at all the books you like.
• Open your library app and reserve them all.
• keep a book in your car, your handbag, everywhere.

-Put your phone down

And enjoy!

I read 263 books last year. A variety of fiction/non-fiction. Some easy read "fluff" as my mum calls them. Some deeper and weightier. Nothing overly long though according to my StoryGraph stats. The year before I read a handful of 500+ pages. And this year I'm reading Les Mis, which is about a billion pages long.

I don't "do" audiobooks, and the occasional one I listen to doesnt go on my list. Couldn't care less if others count them as reading, I don't. But the chances are I couldn't tell you what I listened to as my brain switches off.

Im reading much slower this year for various mental health reasons.

I did this for a NY resolution before (56 in total I think). Read on the train, read in bed a bit, doubled down on holiday and read a LOT.

I always thought I didn’t have time to read but apparently I have time to read shit on my phone til midnight far too often. Go figure….

Also I read some really short books so I could keep my stats up!

I'm a lawyer so my job depends on me being able to grasp complex issues in dense text very quickly. And I've always been able to. It's just normal to me so I don't really know how to explain it.

@BlueFairyBugsBooks I write every title down in my logbook. When my MH dives, I don't read. My psychiatrist told me that my logbook was a more accurate picture of my MH and I found that very helpful in terms of tracking.

Hang in there 💛

I used my Storygraph graphs to show my doctor how severe my insomnia had become when I was on prednisolone. The charts are really helpful
I also use them as a nudge to read more uplifting /funny books as I read too much serious /sad stuff

Same, my job means I have to read a lot often very fast

I read over 100 books last year - I always have my kindle with me, and try to read instead of doomscrolling when waiting for kids etc. i have instilled in them a love of reading so on holiday we are all happy to sit and read for chunks of time, I also don’t read hugely taxing books, it is a way of me to relax and unwind more than educating myself. Lastly I am prepared to stop reading a book if it isn’t hooking me in, I don’t force myself to finish anything!!

I read 81 last year that have been logged on my kindle app.
Im a cleaner and I listen to audible all day. I can get through a book and a bit a week. I usually finish the rest of whatever I started in the week over dog walks. I also always have my kindle with me. If I ever have 5 minutes I’m reading.

I have the kindle app on my phone so I always have a book with me. I’ll read first thing on a morning to have a gentle start to the day and I’ll read before bed. I’ll read on the staff room at lunch if I’m by myself and I’ll read waiting for appointments. I’ll read on the treadmill at the gym, I’ll read sat next to my husband as he’s watching some rubbish on tv that I don’t like or care to watch. Basically I spend a good hour to 2hrs a day reading over the entire day.

If I spent less time on Facebook and Mumsnet I’d read a lot more books…

Hmmmm reading in the morning is an ‘option’
for me because I’d see 0630 as a lie-in…….

People always think they’re busier than others but like all of us who work 12+ hrs and have a family, the answer is always that you do what your prioritise. It’s fine if that’s not reading, or not reading right now. But that is the ‘secret’. Check your phone time and spend half of it reading and you’ll be amazed.

I do have a kindle but don’t really keep count those books as I just use that for very light reads because I just don’t absorb it if it’s not a physical book. Same with audiobooks.

Sure, although there's an irony in this all - people telling me to put phones down but then they are here on the same forums on their phone. No judgement, I'm here too and I asked the question!

I still think that a book every 2-3 days is both impressive and insane. I would miss quiet contemplation time if I picked up a book at every time I had five minute quiet gap. I need time alone with my thoughts and also to process what I have read. I think it's interesting from a cognitive perspective too. I wonder if anyone has studied the brain activity of really fast readers.

Anyhow, I've found this very interesting and I have some good ideas for future, apart from getting up any earlier than 6.15am because I need my beauty sleep for sure! I'm going to aim to double the amount I read last year, without letting go of other hobbies. Thanks all.

I think the key is just not to compare yourself to any one else really
Just read in the way you enjoy. If you would like to read more then read more. But you don't have to read as much as someone else to feel good about your reading habits.
Brains process at different speeds and work in different ways.

I do, also 2 kids demanding job and exercise 7 times a week so often get ‘how do you fit it in’ comments. Audiobooks as well as paper books (only listen to a couple of work related podcasts, otherwise listening to an audiobook). Read books before bed (probably watch a bit less TV than average), sometimes on way back from work travel, waiting for kids to do classes (luckily my eldest is 9 and loves to read so we will both do it in a pub/cafe) and as someone else said, having a book with you at all times!

I don’t have many other commitments on my time. I’ve always enjoyed reading but it was mainly a holiday thing until fairly recently. My book consumption went up hugely during lockdown when I started working from home, there being little else to do, DC becoming independent and my mum being cared for. I’m now retired so there are many hours each day I’m able to sit and read. If anything I read too much!

I listen to audiobooks on my commute. Which is about an hour a day. I also listen to audiobooks while cooking, cleaning, cleaning, gardening etc. I read during my lunch break and while I am waiting for the kids to fall asleep. A particularly good book I will read in the evening while DH watches TV. Holidays are bliss for reading. I also count the books I am reading to DC if they are chapter books, currently reading Matilda to one, Peter Pan to another and Percy Jackson series to the other.

Last year I did about 80, this year I am on 10 so far.