10,367 pages and a few thoughts

So I have finished 32 books this year.


Which amounts to roughly 10,367 pages if

                A- Amazon's page counter is correct,

                B- I did the math right

               C- You count the pages of audio books (which I do)

And here is my reflection so far.

Setting a reading goal forces me to finish books I might usually have quit. I kind of like this part of reading 100 books a year. But if I hate a book I also feel obligated to finish it or else I feel like I “wasted” the part of it I did read. I actually stopped reading a book on body language this year because I just could not get into it. It was hard for me to do.

The reading goal also gets me reading a wider variety of books. I start to get tired of traditional fiction and so I started reading some non fiction. I was looking for a few quick reads and poetry fit the bill. I even began reading a few how-to books cover to cover instead of just glossing though the pictures. I even let Todd talk me into a few comic books.  And this brodened the way that I read.  I liked that.

Last year a read a few books that were absolute crap just to get to 100. Not many but a few. This year I wanted to focus on quality and not just quantity. I did a few things different this time. I started asking for more recommendations and I also challenged myself to read all the books off the Newbery awards list just to make sure I hit a few good ones. I also started stalking following authors that I really enjoyed like Malcolm Gladwell or Bill Bryson. Again this opened doors I would not have thought of before.

Getting to 100 takes as much planning as it takes reading sometimes. I have learned a few tricks. First, I always, always, always have a book with me. I have an audio book in my car nearly all the time. I use this to tackle big books like The Autobiography of Mark Twain Vol 1 (several hundred pages) and histories like my current book The Path Between the Seas. I have a book in my purse (right now its Walden). I have a book by my bed (currently The Imperfectiontionist). I have a book on my desk at work (currently I Read it but I Don’t Get It). I have an audio book that I listen to while sewing (currently Certain Girls). Finally I have a book on the back of my toilet tank (Currently The 12 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and yes I now think it would be creepy to lead out, no it is not a library book).
I used to buy a lot of books but after several moves, including one with over 35 book boxes, Todd and I have seriously cut back. I have become an avid user of the library. I particularly like placing items on hold and using the waiting lists to access popular books. Their recommendations are also great and I Love, Love, Love that they e-mail me when things come in or need to be returned.   It's a lot like shopping on line.  I rearly walk through the shelves, I just rquest online then zip in and pick things up.

One big downside to counting all the reading and trying to hit 100, sometimes I avoid reading a book that I want to read because it is too “big.” Or I find myself needing to read several smaller books to “save up time” to read a bigger book. This happened with The Girl Who Played with Fire. I have to catch myself at times and remember that all this reading is something that I enjoy and not another chore and I don’t like needing to do that. So there are pros and cons, like with anything I suppose. Overall, it’s a habit I want to keep but we'll see.