Last year, for the first time, I noted down every book I read in a green notebook. I’ve attempted to track my reading before – and I’d start with the best of intentions (even give them a rating of sorts) – but at some point in the process I’d forget to add a title or two and the whole intention thing would slide. Since I really wanted a clear sense of my reading preferences, and an exact book count, I decided to try again. This time, I decided to post the results on my blog every month. I figured it would make me feel more accountable. It did.
The numbers are in, and they aren’t what I expected. By the end of 2014, I’d read 65 books. The fiction was pretty much all over the board: women’s fiction and romance; young adult; romantic suspense; a few thrillers and some literary novels. The non-fiction was heavily slanted to books about writing, travel memoirs, spirituality and paranormal – or what Mr. Petrol Head calls woo-woo.
In the past when people have asked me how much I read, I generally say two books a week. I believed it. In fact, sometimes I read three books a week so I figured two books was conservative. I guess I figured wrong, or maybe I forgot to take into account those weeks when I barely read at all which happened a little more than I would have liked last year.
My goal for 2015 is to read more than I did in 2014. I’d be happy with anything over 65. I’d love to hit 104, which would be two books a week. Considering I don’t watch much TV and books are my business, that’s not many. It’s an especially low number if you look at Amy Mathers who read 365 young adult books in 2014 in order to raise money for the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. http://amysmarathonofbooks.ca/
Wish me luck. And check back periodically. I’ll be tracking the numbers again on this blog. Meanwhile, here’s what I’m reading during the first month of 2015:
At the gym: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Beside the bed: Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
On the Kindle: Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott
Books read to date in 2015: 2
