Home / Uncategories / Reasonable Number?

Reasonable Number?

Posted by | On
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
I read far fewer books than I used to. This makes me sad. It's not that I'm not reading, but a lot of my reading has shifted to online. I miss books. I read somewhere (online, no doubt) about people setting a goal of 50 books for the year. That's not unreasonable, is it? it works out to a little over 4 per month... I think I'm going to try it, although maybe 30 is more realistic. As for keeping track of what I've read - I usually start off really well marking them down, and then...I don't. So, 50 books (at least) and marking them down! It's only Feb. 1 - that's not too far in the hole to begin. (Although I fully plan on counting every book I read for January, if I can remember.)
9 comments on "Reasonable Number?"
  1. monquee2/02/2005 2:31 PM

    So here is a question - is it 50 NEW books or 50 books total? That could make a huge difference in the count. Things that could also reflect differently on the count are if you include books that are either not the kind you read cover to cover, such as art books or how to books and books that are of such questionable quality that you cannot remember them 8 days after you are finished with them. Do graphic novels count? Do magazines? (I don't think they should, but some of them are LIKE reading a book). I will try this too, to see if I can get to 50 - it is a good and reasonable goal!
    I will be including everything that I want (so prolly no magazines).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jen2/02/2005 6:38 PM

    I would say 50 books total - re-reading something you've read before it legit if you re-read the whole thing. Magazines - no. Graphic novels - yes if it is a collection, no if it is a single issue. (for example Preludes & Nocturnes would count since it is howevermany single issues collected together. They are short, but they are novels. Maybe count them as 1/2 if you feel you must ;-) I don't think you have to get all legalistic about it - for me it is just to be reading on the printed page again! Count whatever you like!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Leslita2/02/2005 10:58 PM

    50 is a staggering number to me. I will be lucky to get through the one very short yet gripping book I'm reading this month. Although I did read the second half of Preludes and Nocturnes so I guess this month I can count 1.5 books!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jen2/03/2005 12:00 AM

    Oooh - what is the short but gripping book you are reading now?
    50 seems like a lot to me too - that's why I threw that 30 in there as an alternate - in case I only get to 24 or 12. 12 is even a not too bad goal - one per month! I just used to read so much, and got so much enjoyment out of it, and now I read far less. I can't quite figure out how or why I stopped, although I think the answer is right here underneath my fingertips as I type. For me, I'm just trying to find some balance in my reading material and formats. And I would TOTALLY count Preludes and Nocturnes as a whole book! (unless you just meant that you only read half of it this month and the other half last month, in which case never mind me!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Martina2/04/2005 7:17 PM

    I actually think 50 is doable. I read an average of about 3 a month (only counting things I actually finish - I tend to not finish non-fiction or only read those parts that interest me), and I am totally not reading constantly. So, I think if you're consciously trying to do 40-50 (can't you make it a range?), it would be doable, especially if you're counting anything, no matter what length. I've been trying to list everything I read since about March 2001. It's kinda fun to go back and look at what I've read (and re-read) to see how much I remember which ones I really like, which were not that impressive, etc. I totally think you can do it!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jen2/05/2005 11:03 AM

    I started keeping track of everything I read last January, but I think I fizzled out (on keeping track) somewhere in February. Actually, that's a lie (just checked the journal where I was tracking it) - I kept track until March, which makes sense because that's when I went to Idaho! And it wasn't as bad as I remembered - 4 in January and 3 in February.
    That's cool that you've been keeping a list since 2001! I am the same way about non-fiction - I am far more likely to skip around and just read the parts I am interested in.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Leslita2/05/2005 8:00 PM

    Ohhhhh...50 a YEAR! For some reason I was thinking 50 a month which was why I was so incredulous. For me, even 30 a year would be amazing, but definitely more doable sounding. The short gripping book I'm reading is the second in a three part fictional journal of Josephine Bonaparte. If all history books were written like this, I'd have actually been interested! I know the details are all made up, but it's based on the true big events so I count it as learning too. Hah!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Jen2/05/2005 11:18 PM

    Ha ha! Yeah - 50 a month is a leeetle ambitious, even for no-job me! What is the name of the Josephine book? I think she is very interesting (and check your gmail! well- check it tomorrow since I don't have it on my computer right now). If any of the rest of you want something Josephine related in your gmail, let me know.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Leslita2/06/2005 9:47 PM

    I'm listening to the Josephine song right now! It's very sweet! The first book in the series is called The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. and the second (the one I'm reading) is Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe. Not sure about the third as I do not have it in my posession yet. They're written by Sandra Gulland. Dag was so enthralled by them that he missed entire sections of our Canada vacation. I'm just so amazed to know something about the history of anything! Before these books, the only thing I could tell you about Napoleon was that he stuck his hand in his coat all the time, which I believe might actually not be true. Har!

    ReplyDelete

EMOTICON
Klik the button below to show emoticons and the its code
Hide Emoticon
Show Emoticon
:D
 
:)
 
:h
 
:a
 
:e
 
:f
 
:p
 
:v
 
:i
 
:j
 
:k
 
:(
 
:c
 
:n
 
:z
 
:g
 
:q
 
:r
 
:s
:t
 
:o
 
:x
 
:w
 
:m
 
:y
 
:b
 
:1
 
:2
 
:3
 
:4
 
:5
:6
 
:7
 
:8
 
:9

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)