How many books do you read?

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:30 am

I find it hard to answer. My job requires me to do a lot of reading but rarely do I have to read a whole book—a chapter here a journal article there. I answered about one a month but on reflection that would be just recreational reading and a conservative estimate too. I read a lot of books about music as well as science, fiction, history, biography and so on.

Turtle · Post by **Turtle** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 12:59 am

READ? Oh my, I've wasted precious years of my life just looking at the
pictures. I never thought to actually read them. I'll have to blame my
parents and the public school system for this dreadfull omission.....now
wheres the number for my lawyer..........

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:42 am

It depends on what kind. I either read popcorn fiction or history. The fiction I fly through (as in Flying cursor) and the history I like to savour.
I think it took about 4 months to get through Churchill's 'History of the English Speaking People".

Berti66 · Post by **Berti66** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:53 am

what is popcorn fiction if I may ask???

berti

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:25 am

Two hours a day on the bus to and from work gives me plenty of time for reading and then I still read some more at home.

Mainly:
Historical novels
An extremely varied range of non-fiction
The complete works of Terry Pratchett (over and over again)

I don't like crime or detective novels (with the notable exeption of Mr A. C. Doyle of course)

I've also been enjoying the literary works of Gary Kelly (they're just a little harder to take onto the bus)

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:59 am

I used to read a lot more than I do now, which is one book a month on avearge I guess.

One problem is that books today are too darn bulky! Compare a book from John Wyndham or J K Jerome with a modern novel. Plus new books are usually printed on extra large stock so they look like better value - but can't be carried in a jeans back pocket. I used to have a book with me at all times, but now I also need to carry glasses, sunglasses, wallet, iRiver, sandwiches, sunhat, a bulky book is usually one item too many.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 4:19 am

Martin Milner wrote:Compare a book from J K Jerome with a modern novel.

There is no comparison. He should have been in my list under 'constantly re-read'. He used an excellent system for checking the efficacy of his humour. He would wait for a really rainy night and then go out and read it to a copper who'd been trudging his beat in the wet for a good few hours. If it made him laugh then J knew he'd got a winner.

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:03 am

Berti66 wrote:what is popcorn fiction if I may ask???

berti

Yes you may!

It's fiction you read like you eat popcorn. One page after another until it's done. Horror, Science Fiction, romance novels etc.
For example I just finished 5 Asimov Foundation novels, Kiln People by David Brin and have nearly finished the classic "Snow Crash". All since the beginning of July. It's like eating popcorn.

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 8:45 am

A few friends of mine and I have been thinking about starting a Lybrary/Philisophical club for readers, similar to the one that Benjamin Franklin had when he was a young man.
It would be a readers club for people who can prove they read at 350wpm or greater.
(350wpm is pretty slow for us, but we've been working at it for YEARS. Anyone can do it, but 350wpm with full retention shows dedication to reading)

ChrisA · Post by **ChrisA** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 9:38 am

I only read comic books... in Japanese.

I used to read quite a lot. For a time I was reading several books a day, almost all
fantasy/science fiction.

Then I realized that it would take -much- longer to read a page in a foreign language...

All the money I've saved on not buying books! (Well, okay, my Shonen Jump subscription isn't
exactly cheap either, but...)

--Chris

ChaoticGemini · Post by **ChaoticGemini** » Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:45 pm

I did vote for over 20, but I'll admit some of them are children's books. I do tend to be a wee bit voracious about reading and have a 4 year-old niece with a similar appetite. I can't buy her new books without making sure they're good books first and yeah, I do have a soft spot for a good children's book. As for novels, I read just about everything - non-fiction, fantasy, political thrillers, humor and horror probably encompassing the bulk of my novels. I read even more out of magazines and newspapers.

I used to borrow a lot from a local library, but since my last move, I have not. (The local library here is not very friendly or well stocked.) I have discovered a new book source here, though. It's my local Free-cycle. There seem to be a fair amount of book readers in my area and we have started traveling book boxes. One person puts all the books they no longer want in the box, pulls out the books they want, and passes it on to the next person. I also order a lot from Amazon.com and Amazon.de and occasionally go to the local bookstore (B&N).

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