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How Many Books Have You Read?

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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089

After finally finishing a book I put off reading by half a year, I started to think about the act: are books fading as an art form with the surge of the Internet and other media? At least in Finland, though literate, roughly 1/5 of boys who finished grade school this year could not pass a simple exam that measured the ability to create text. I've also seen and heard that a regular, young person is way less likely to have read that many books at all compared to past generations.

I've never been a book glutton, no Sir, but after I started thinking how many books I have read,
I came up with 112 books, discounting autobiographies, compulsory reading and factual books.

Is this a small amount, average, large? I know girls who devour books two, three a week, but I want to know from all demographies on NS, what's your number and do you enjoy reading books over something else?

My favourite book of all time is Filth by Irvine Welsh.
Apr 18 2011 2:54PM
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8786 - Karma: 6,250
dont keep track, but not enough that's for sure.
Apr 18 2011 2:54PM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
I dont read books. even in english i can snake my way around reading a book.
Apr 18 2011 3:14PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Probably multiple hundreds. I don't keep track though. I like to read...
Apr 18 2011 3:15PM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
If we are just counting novels I really have no idea.

Probably around 50, so I would say 112 is a pretty average number. I know some people (girls) that read a book every 4 days or so.

I try to read a book every 2 weeks but I fail at that pretty consistently so lets say a book ever 3 weeks from 18-25 (not counting high school) that is around 120. I don't often read fiction though so I would say 50 is a good bet. I also go on spurts on vacation or when I have to travel where I will read 2 or 3 books so it is hard to say.

Apr 18 2011 3:16PM
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Jane6
Posts: 5359 - Karma: 4,506
Too many to keep track of. I prefer reading the book instead of seeing the movie.
Just finnished the Picture of Dorian Gray, started reading Brideshead Revisited today hah.
Apr 18 2011 3:17PM
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PJS.
Posts: 11943 - Karma: 895
you're gonna enjoy adult life!
Apr 18 2011 3:18PM
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PJS.
Posts: 11943 - Karma: 895
you're gonna enjoy adult life!
Apr 18 2011 3:18PM
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summersover
Posts: 5777 - Karma: 233
too many.
and if we're counting re-reads... oh god.
Apr 18 2011 3:21PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
I don't know man... you might regret it.
Apr 18 2011 3:28PM
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.Jack_S.
Posts: 406 - Karma: 207
im a freshman in high school and i have red front to back about 15 books. Legit books such as novels not short stories or picture books or articles
Apr 18 2011 3:52PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Read*


I feel sorry for you.
Apr 18 2011 4:00PM
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Nurgle
Posts: 1249 - Karma: 15
At last count, which was 2009, I had about 650 books on the book shelves in my room. Each a novel, biography, etc. This is discounting the multitudes of magazines, short stories, and everything else Ive read as well.

Reading was always huge for me, because it allowed me to escape the situation I was living in.

so far in the last month, ive read 3-4 500+ page books.
Apr 18 2011 4:01PM
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Anathema
Posts: 21048 - Karma: 5,061
in my life? probably about 9, excluding children's books and i spy's. i've read billions of research articles though..
Apr 18 2011 4:03PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Now that's starting to sound like a number.
Apr 18 2011 4:06PM
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snowdon
Posts: 2480 - Karma: 391
I have absolutely no idea. Tons. I'd go through a few a week as a kid.
Apr 18 2011 4:08PM
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Nurgle
Posts: 1249 - Karma: 15
yeah. Its a lil crazy in my room, and attic, and around the house.

And I kinda feel bad, since that last count was 2 years ago and Ive purchased so many more... Damn
Apr 18 2011 4:11PM
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esotericjive
Posts: 1889 - Karma: 1,445
Wow... I really don't know. I used to read a book a week, but more recently not so much. I've been in the middle of Catch-22 for a month. When I got bored, I'd just crack a b
Apr 18 2011 4:44PM
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esotericjive
Posts: 1889 - Karma: 1,445
ook. Now, though, I'm not reading so much. Sorry bout the two posts, mobile NS cut me off.
Apr 18 2011 4:45PM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
I hated that book. A ton of people love it but I literally could not make it through the chapter about "Major Major"
Apr 18 2011 4:50PM
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soulskier
Posts: 17806 - Karma: 3,841
quite a few, 1 a month? not a fast pace, but over time they stack up
Apr 18 2011 5:09PM
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special_k10101
Posts: 1498 - Karma: 72
i read all teh hardy boyz
Apr 18 2011 5:09PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,169
Probably like 6.5 just because I am only halfway through new moon right now.
Apr 18 2011 5:11PM
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soulskier
Posts: 17806 - Karma: 3,841
i have readn and own all of those
Apr 18 2011 5:14PM
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TinyTigers
Posts: 484 - Karma: 213
books?
Apr 18 2011 5:18PM
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Dosh
Posts: 1818 - Karma: 14
i have about 300 books lying around my apartment. that's what happens when you're an english and russian lit major. i definitely want to build that number up though. books are great and everyone should read as much as they can!
Apr 18 2011 5:22PM
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lineskier10
Posts: 11339 - Karma: 796
kemba walker has read one book
http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/04/12/kemba-walker-says-hes-only-read-one-book-in-his-entire-life/
Apr 18 2011 5:24PM
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MCIRONCOCK
Posts: 3094 - Karma: 30
I counted 24 that I could see just from my chair. I used to read 3-4 books a week in the summer, but lately I've only been doing compulsory reading for school. I'm kind of disappointed in myself actually.
Apr 18 2011 5:26PM
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special_k10101
Posts: 1498 - Karma: 72
i did too but i'm pretty sure i gave all of them away :(
Apr 18 2011 5:35PM
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Deezy
Posts: 4580 - Karma: 1,004
when i was younger i used to read a lot. i really should get back into it, i started with photography which took all my time and now i just dont read a lot at all. but i read shakespeare more then anything ahha
Apr 18 2011 6:42PM
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t-roy
Posts: 4041 - Karma: 52
lots and lots. i'd like to know how many total
Apr 18 2011 6:52PM
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Raz.
Posts: 7456 - Karma: 1,611
no joke, probably around 1000. during the school year this year i have read like 3 a week.
Apr 18 2011 7:03PM
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Chickendodo
Posts: 1426 - Karma: 33
Yeah this, I don't even know. I re-read books all the time. I started reading 300+ page novels in 3rd grade and haven't really stopped since. (HARRY POTTER COUNTS!!!!)

But seriously, if I had to make a rough guess, upwards of 200 with re-reads, and generally these are novels, not short stories, fuck short stories.

My favorite book is over 1000 pages, Shogun by James Clavell. Read it. You won't be disappointed.
Apr 18 2011 7:12PM
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--ski--
Posts: 1670 - Karma: 817
I'll probably bang through 2 books every 3 weeks and probably been doing for about 12 years.

I'll just dome some simple math ...... So that's like 450 books? Wow, never actually thought about this before.
Apr 18 2011 7:37PM
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MADDECENT
Posts: 5579 - Karma: 951
50ish, readings not really my thing.
Apr 18 2011 7:44PM
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84west
Posts: 646 - Karma: 1,254
more than you


but seriously several thousand
Apr 18 2011 7:46PM
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casanova.
Posts: 110 - Karma: 72
500+ easily with probably only 10 in the last year
Apr 18 2011 7:47PM
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paige.
Posts: 1932 - Karma: 924
No clue, I used to read 3-4 hours per day in the summer as a kid so it wasn't unusual for me to get through a novel each day. That's what happens when your aunt is a librarian I guess.

I've read 36 of the 100 books on the BBCs top reads list that came out awhile back where they said most people would have only read 6, and that involves counting all the HP books and all the LOTRs as single books. I found a different one they put out where I was at 44, including all of the top ten.

Honestly the one of the things that is killing me the most in college now is that I basically haven't had time to read in two years. I can't risk reading before bed because then I tend to forget to sleep.
Apr 18 2011 7:50PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
I read like 116 in 6th, 7th, 8th grade. 56 of which were Hank the Cowdog, hehehehe
Apr 18 2011 7:55PM
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ORDEAL
Posts: 6386 - Karma: 75
Same. Im always reading something
Apr 18 2011 7:57PM
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simon44
Posts: 1183 - Karma: 1,185
probably close to 44. I don't read anymore.
Apr 18 2011 8:53PM
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SkiThe603
Posts: 5376 - Karma: 498
84,
Apr 18 2011 8:55PM
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Daoust
Posts: 487 - Karma: 103
Honestly an entire book, front to back. I'm gonna have to say under 10, maybe under 15.

....but on sparknotes over 10, over 15
Apr 18 2011 9:55PM
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infedel_one
Posts: 5140 - Karma: 444
sweet jesus you guys are losers.
yer parents never had you reading in your spare times?
guess thats what videogames and the interwebz do to you.
The library I used to go to had something in the system that kept track and I was at about 900 2 years ago...
Apr 18 2011 10:01PM
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burnsie.
Posts: 76 - Karma: 10
I thoroughly enjoy reading, it is an incredible stress reliever. Only problem I have with reading is that I often end up not sleeping at all.
Apr 18 2011 10:04PM
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Gnarshred
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 18
haha this. I am definitely a binge reader. I don't really read for simply entertainment value. If I just want to be entertained for a few hours, I'll watch a movie, or do something on the internet. Story books just never appealed to me...

I have probably read 2-3 philosophical novels or classics since I was 16. Not a lot, but quality over quantity for me...
Apr 18 2011 10:18PM
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BlakeLively
Posts: 663 - Karma: 656
haha definitely not more than 25 legitimate books.  my vocabulary suffers because of it. but hey, im good at math!
Apr 18 2011 10:19PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Same here. I used to burn through those in like 2 hours when I was younger haha. I have all of the original 58 in hardcover, and most of the "second generation" or whatever you want to call them like up to 140-150. Definitely used to be my favorite series. These days I've been reading a lot of James Patterson and Nelson DeMille. I like mindless mystery thrillers that are like 400-500 pages and I can finish in like 4 hours haha. That's not to say I haven't read any classics or books that make you think.


Another question...what's the longest book that you've read? I read Rainbow Six when I was in 6th grade and I think that was over 900 pages, but I haven't read too many over 700 recently.
Apr 18 2011 10:24PM
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Rossberger
Posts: 768 - Karma: 168
The longest I've read was only ~600 pages(Girl with the dragon tattoo)I don't know if you would even consider that long compared to you. As to the Op's question, I've read around 50ish books in free time over the past couple of years(only in grade 9), I defiantly need to read more haha. Right now I'm reading freakonomics and some of the ideas are pretty interesting and it they led me to expand on that topic and research more about it.
Apr 18 2011 10:51PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Less than 10. I really, really dislike reading.
Apr 18 2011 10:59PM
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