You Can Only Read So Many Books in This Lifetime. What if You Knew How Many You Had Left? Would It Matter? (Plus: Books I Want to Read Before I Kick the Bucket)
Yes, same! The sooner that I quit a boring book, the more time I have to read something exciting. The trouble is when I get to halfway, then I have a real decision — stick with it or abandon ship? Sunk cost fallacy again. I think I'm more used to stopping now unless I'm in the final third.
I usually read close to 100 books a year, but rarely actually make it to 100. I hesitate to make book reading goals, instead reading whatever the mood strikes.
Books, like friends, lovers, cuisine, music, etc. are gifts, here for us to enjoy and learn from, making us better people. I would like to think our efforts in return, like the gifts themselves, make the world a better place. I'll deal with death when it surely comes; but in the meantime, it's good to know there are endless books out there for everyone, for every personality, every level of curiosity and every stage of life we happen to be in. Enjoy.
See, I've been thinking about that too. And it's your fault, @joel miller, for making me think of reading Moby Dick at all. Looking forward to the review.
Similar for me too. This year I committed to read a bunch of those biggies I'd been procrastinating. So far, mostly glad with the results. Only one left me unimpressed.
I have been reading classics since I got the cancer diagnosis 1.5 years ago. I do regularly try to reassess what is important for me to read in the next few months.
I've always been a fast reader and a rereader. Also, I wind up balancing the big and/or classic books with a fair number of fun, light books. I never set a goal though I do keep a commonplace book where I will record the titles and number them as I move through the year. I'm winding up with 100 or more every year. At 69 I don't worry about how much time I have left to read. I just read. Just assuming here — there will be books (or something better) in Heaven.
The above is the same philosophy I apply to movies and our family watches around 100 a year of those. So stories are where we live. :-)
That sounds lovely! I think balancing big books and little books is a nice idea. Because it's fun to be in a long epic, but it can be emotionally tiring; finishing a little book in between can be a delight.
Suffice it to say, my book purchases far outpace my book completions. I’ve just finished #25 for the year to date, plus many, many short stories as I hunt around for gems to record for Classics Read Aloud.
I always assume I’ll have time and opportunity to reread my favorites “someday,” but with a growing stack of unread titles and, now with the perspective of a dwindling timeline (thank you, Joel, lol), I may have to think about what “someday” really means!
Same, I have a voracious buying pace but a much slower reading pace! Though I look at it as just adding to my collection (which I enjoy), to be read whenever the mood strikes.
I never set firm reading goals, since my life circumstances vary wildly from year to year, but since I've managed to read around 100 books in the past couple of years, I've had the idea I might read that many this year. So far, I've finished 68 books, with 46 of those being new reads. Right now I have 16 books that I'm currently reading or are waiting to be read, so I've yet to choose 16 more titles to make up the full hundred - I have some ideas, but I'll wait till I've finished a few more books.
I hit around 52 a year. When we were cleaning out my mother in laws we came across a drawer filled with check out receipts for every book she had checked out from the St Lucie county library.
It depends on the year, but I started tracking my reading and setting intentional reading goals last year. I've found tracking my reading helps me read more. I read twenty books last year and this year I'm well on my way to read over forty.
It is for exactly this reason that I no longer feel obliged to finish a book if I am not enjoying it. There are so many other wonderful books I could be spending my remaining reading hours on.
I have a naïve belief that if I only could find an occupation that supported my reading or simply wasn't working full-time I would eventually find the bottom of my TBR.
as for how much I read, my usual target is 52 books or a book a week. that said I am well above that having reread several books this year
I don't really look at it this way. A book is a source of experience. I want to fill whatever years remain to me with experiences. Books are a useful way to do that when other forms of experience are unavailable to me. If it's a rainy day, or I am sick in bed, or it's too hot to go out, or I've been out and I'm too tired to go out again, or I am stuck in an airport or a plane, then there are always books to fill the gaps. Sometimes books can open the door to other experiences, such as reading the latest best seller so you can talk to people about it round the water cooler, or reading a travel book to plan your next vacation.
Of course, one can never exhaust experience. The world is so full of a number of things; I am sure we should all be as happy as kings. There is an inexhaustible supply of places to visit, people to meet, or roads to travel, of songs to sing, and of books to read. The point is not to check every square on the infinite bingo card that is the universe, but to fill every waking hour with experiences from the infinite buffet.
In my case, Substack not only prevents me from reading more books, it also leads me to acquire more books I won’t read. Thanks to people like this Miller guy….
Full disclosure: I'm disabled in a wheelchair from injuries in a catastrophic auto accident in 2012, so there are many things I can no longer do. I'm 71 next month. I've been a voracious reader since about 5 years of age.
I'm sorry to hear about that! Yikes. But it sounds like you're making the most of the situation. My dad has been in a wheelchair since he was four (polio). I can't imagine being able to walk my whole life and then losing the ability.
The trick was discovering I didn't HAVE to finish reading a book I didn't like. That's saved a lot of time.
Yes, a book isn't a contract! You get to decide what you do with it.
Got to around 60 before I was able to do that.
Always made me feel guilty
Glad you shook that off!
Yes, same! The sooner that I quit a boring book, the more time I have to read something exciting. The trouble is when I get to halfway, then I have a real decision — stick with it or abandon ship? Sunk cost fallacy again. I think I'm more used to stopping now unless I'm in the final third.
Amen.
I usually read close to 100 books a year, but rarely actually make it to 100. I hesitate to make book reading goals, instead reading whatever the mood strikes.
I think that's a healthy way to think about it. They're not giving trophies anyway.
Books, like friends, lovers, cuisine, music, etc. are gifts, here for us to enjoy and learn from, making us better people. I would like to think our efforts in return, like the gifts themselves, make the world a better place. I'll deal with death when it surely comes; but in the meantime, it's good to know there are endless books out there for everyone, for every personality, every level of curiosity and every stage of life we happen to be in. Enjoy.
This ^^
Amen!
This dilemma is what prompted me to finally make the push to read Moby Dick, which has been my reading white whale (pun intended) for a long time.
Mine too. I have never finished it.
See, I've been thinking about that too. And it's your fault, @joel miller, for making me think of reading Moby Dick at all. Looking forward to the review.
Now I just have to figure out what to say about it!
Similar for me too. This year I committed to read a bunch of those biggies I'd been procrastinating. So far, mostly glad with the results. Only one left me unimpressed.
And it was…?
Tristram Shandy. I just couldn't do it.
Me either. So far.
I have been reading classics since I got the cancer diagnosis 1.5 years ago. I do regularly try to reassess what is important for me to read in the next few months.
Lord, have mercy. I can't imagine. I hope you're at peace; sounds like you're thinking along the right lines.
I love my days at home reading. Hopefully I will figure the rest out as it happens. Thank you.
I've always been a fast reader and a rereader. Also, I wind up balancing the big and/or classic books with a fair number of fun, light books. I never set a goal though I do keep a commonplace book where I will record the titles and number them as I move through the year. I'm winding up with 100 or more every year. At 69 I don't worry about how much time I have left to read. I just read. Just assuming here — there will be books (or something better) in Heaven.
The above is the same philosophy I apply to movies and our family watches around 100 a year of those. So stories are where we live. :-)
Great perspective.
That sounds lovely! I think balancing big books and little books is a nice idea. Because it's fun to be in a long epic, but it can be emotionally tiring; finishing a little book in between can be a delight.
I agree. When I'm head down on a big classic sometimes I really need something light to get me through.
I've gotta have my mental popcorn!
Amen!
Suffice it to say, my book purchases far outpace my book completions. I’ve just finished #25 for the year to date, plus many, many short stories as I hunt around for gems to record for Classics Read Aloud.
I always assume I’ll have time and opportunity to reread my favorites “someday,” but with a growing stack of unread titles and, now with the perspective of a dwindling timeline (thank you, Joel, lol), I may have to think about what “someday” really means!
Same, I have a voracious buying pace but a much slower reading pace! Though I look at it as just adding to my collection (which I enjoy), to be read whenever the mood strikes.
Yes, there's no wrong time to buy a book.
Haha! The curtain closes for us all. But there's a lot of fun and meaningful reading in the meantime.
I never set firm reading goals, since my life circumstances vary wildly from year to year, but since I've managed to read around 100 books in the past couple of years, I've had the idea I might read that many this year. So far, I've finished 68 books, with 46 of those being new reads. Right now I have 16 books that I'm currently reading or are waiting to be read, so I've yet to choose 16 more titles to make up the full hundred - I have some ideas, but I'll wait till I've finished a few more books.
That sounds great! Sounds like you're a re-reader too, which I love.
I have read 22 books this year, my goal is 50
You'll probably get it. You've got time.
I hit around 52 a year. When we were cleaning out my mother in laws we came across a drawer filled with check out receipts for every book she had checked out from the St Lucie county library.
What a cool find!
It depends on the year, but I started tracking my reading and setting intentional reading goals last year. I've found tracking my reading helps me read more. I read twenty books last year and this year I'm well on my way to read over forty.
Fantastic! Tracking my reading helps me too.
It is for exactly this reason that I no longer feel obliged to finish a book if I am not enjoying it. There are so many other wonderful books I could be spending my remaining reading hours on.
Amen. Dump it if it ain't doing it for you.
I have a naïve belief that if I only could find an occupation that supported my reading or simply wasn't working full-time I would eventually find the bottom of my TBR.
as for how much I read, my usual target is 52 books or a book a week. that said I am well above that having reread several books this year
There is no bottom to the TBR. There is only a top.
“Of the reading of books, there is no end” as has almost been said.
That's great. And a good goal.
I don't really look at it this way. A book is a source of experience. I want to fill whatever years remain to me with experiences. Books are a useful way to do that when other forms of experience are unavailable to me. If it's a rainy day, or I am sick in bed, or it's too hot to go out, or I've been out and I'm too tired to go out again, or I am stuck in an airport or a plane, then there are always books to fill the gaps. Sometimes books can open the door to other experiences, such as reading the latest best seller so you can talk to people about it round the water cooler, or reading a travel book to plan your next vacation.
Of course, one can never exhaust experience. The world is so full of a number of things; I am sure we should all be as happy as kings. There is an inexhaustible supply of places to visit, people to meet, or roads to travel, of songs to sing, and of books to read. The point is not to check every square on the infinite bingo card that is the universe, but to fill every waking hour with experiences from the infinite buffet.
That's a great way to look at it.
The time spent reading Substack articles and magazines takes away from reading books.
In my case, Substack not only prevents me from reading more books, it also leads me to acquire more books I won’t read. Thanks to people like this Miller guy….
It's all part of the service.
LOL. True fact.
Probably in the neighborhood of around 75 yearly.
Full disclosure: I'm disabled in a wheelchair from injuries in a catastrophic auto accident in 2012, so there are many things I can no longer do. I'm 71 next month. I've been a voracious reader since about 5 years of age.
I hope to die with a book in my hands!
After finishing the last page. It would be annoying otherwise.
I'm sorry to hear about that! Yikes. But it sounds like you're making the most of the situation. My dad has been in a wheelchair since he was four (polio). I can't imagine being able to walk my whole life and then losing the ability.