Thursday, November 10, 2016

How Much Time Do You Spend Reading

I cleaned piles of papers off the table for this picture.

In an article by James Patterson in TIME, he lamented about first time voters reading less than  ten minutes a day according to the latest annual survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistic. That floored me. I know it seems many people don’t read more than text messages.
A cabinet with two glass doors in upstairs hallway.

Recently on NPR I heard more people are reading print books than is believed according to the latest Pew Research so I checked that out. According to the research, so far in 2016 65% of the people have read at least one book in print format while only 29% have read an e-book. When  asked how many read a book in any format, the number jumped to 73%. That could include people who only read one book a year, or course.











Two bookcases in my bedroom, more in the spare bedroom.     

 I belong to two book clubs – one with six to eight women who meet for lunch at a restaurant. The other has thirteen members. We meet one evening a month either in a home or a restaurant. Both book clubs skip December, so that means almost all members read at least eleven books a year. Occasionally, someone skips a month. My afternoon book club gets together at someone’s house for lunch in December where we choose the books we’ll read for each month of the following year. In
the other book club, the hostess picks the book.



There are more books on the piano  & a bookcase left of the chair.

As for me, so far this year I have finished seventy-six books, and I’m currently reading four – two beside my chair and two upstairs by my bed.  I know how many I’ve read because I keep track of them on the inside covers of my journals which I write in every evening. I average between five and nine books a month, and in March it was ten books.






One of two bookcases in my sun room.


And it’s not just books I read, either. I read TIME magazine with my morning coffee and oatmeal, I read the newspaper with lunch and supper, and slowly read through Reader’s Digest when I have time.













Desk next to a book in room off upstairs bathroom.

Three books I’ve finished recently were The Care and Management of Lies, by Jacqueline Winspear for my evening book club. Everyone liked it, and we had quite a good discussion. I’ve been a fan of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs books, and I just finished reading her latest A Dangerous Place. For my last afternoon book club, I read Lost in Shangri La by Michael Zuckoff, a nonfiction book that took place towards the end of World War II. It was a mixture of sadness and humor at times, too.



The other side of the room with more bookcases. 

In the mystery field, which is my favorite reading, I also recently finished Kait Carson’s first in the Catherine Swope mysteries, Zoned for Murder. I liked it so much I’m going to order her second in the series. I like her Hayden Kent mysteries, too. Also, beside my bed I’m reading The Case Book of Emily Lawrence by K.B. Inglee. It’s a collection of short stories, and rather than read them all at once, I’m reading several a week so I can enjoy them longer. Just this week I finished an Anne Tyler book, A Spool of Blue Thread, which is not a mystery, but I found it a good read. I’m reading a chapter at a time of Dreams of Justice; Mysteries as Social Documents by Dick Adler. For my next two book clubs coming up next week, I’m reading Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, by Jenny Lawson. So far I’m not too enthused with it. The other one is The Secret to Hummingbird Cake, by Celeste Fletcher McHale. I think I might like this a little more, but the book I really want to be reading is Elizabeth George’s third in her YA series – The Edge of the Shadows. I just recently got it through The Mystery Book Club.

Moggie likes my books to - more books on desk to left. 

P.S. I didn’t have room in this blog to put in pictures of all my bookcases in every room except
        the kitchen and bathrooms.

How much time do you spend reading?
How many books do you read in a year?







15 comments:

  1. Gloria, you sound as addicted as I am to my books. I've even reached the point where I listen to downloaded books on my cellphone as I do housework, drive in the car, or take a walk. For one think, it fills in the silence and helps cover up the news my husband listens to--which cause my thoughts to turn to a murder mystery.

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  2. LOL Grace on your response to your husband's news.

    These days I read 75-100 books a year, plus numerous magazines, short stories, blogs, etc.

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  3. Book addicts unite!
    I haven't read as much as I used to (that number was probably close to one or two a week). I've become more of an online news or magazine reader with less frequent but blilssful forays into short stories and novels.Count me as one who cannot wait to read the new Maisie Dobbs.

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  4. I read a book a week, unless I have my annual head cold, when it's a book a day, re-reading through a series like the Maisie Dobbs books.

    I'm enjoying Stella Rimington's Breaking Cover and just started Martin Cruz Smith's The Girl from Venice.

    My library holds include the new Flavia de Luce (19 out of 45 holds), the new Maria Semple (122 out of 232), and the new Hank Phillippi Ryan (2 out of 4). Interesting statistics reflecting how many copies the Hamilton County library system ordered.

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  5. Grace, I don't listen to books on tape, but like your husband I do listen to the news on NPR.
    However, only for an hour or so in the morning and in the eveing. The rest of the time my local NPR station features music with only a brief update on the news on the hour. If I'm home, I usually turn of the radio during the day. Like you, the news lately has made me want to think of murder.

    Jim, it sounds like you read even more books than I do. Of course, you don't have critters to care for, and probably up in the woods no lawn to mow or gardens to weed.

    Shari, you're still working full time while I'm retired - sort of if you don't consider my writing and other things I have going on. You'll love the new Maisie Dobbs, but it is a little sad, too.

    Margaret, awhile back as I posted on here, I reread all the Margaret Maron books as well as a few I'd never gotten to. I might go back a reread the Maisie Dobbs series, too, evenuatlly.You're going to love the new Flavia de Luce book, and I plan on ordering Hank Phillippi Ryan's latest book to add to the other three of hers I have. I don't spend much on clothes and never jewelry. but I can't resist books.

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  6. Hi, Grace! I read a lot, hehehe, between writing a lot. I belong to a book club so there is a guaranteed 11 books. I read stories I like--I haven't any idea how many. I read a daily paper and monthly magazines. I've always said reading is my best friend.

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  7. Hi Gloria, thanks for the mention!I finished my edits last night (temporary reprive, I sent them to my editor -- right Grace) so I will have time to actually do some reading. I am well behind this year, I think only 38 books. I generally read a book a week or two, so I've been a slug. I still can't fall asleep without reading at least a couple of paragraphs.

    I think the researcher was on to something. I've recently begun reading print books again. I find I pay a different sort of attention to the printed word that I don't with the electronic word.

    Good post - and I love all your bookshelves!

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  8. I love the way you decorated your house. You must have used the same decorator I did.

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  9. I'm addicted. Doubt if I could get to sleep without reading!

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  10. Vicki, aren't book clubs great. They introduce us to books we might not have otherwise read.Thanks for stopping by.

    Kait, I can't wait to have your latest book finished and out so I can read it. I did not have room to include all my bookshelves in the picture. For instance, the longest wall of bookshelves in my library could only be slightly viewed. I have two bookcases in my laundry room where I put a lot of the books I get free at the conferences as well as many children's books I have. The other one has cook books I rarely use, and other stuff.

    Warren, I love a house decorated with books. I'd love to see your house someday.

    E.B. I know you're addicted because of all those great interviews you do of authors. I read every night before I go to sleep, too. Sometimes though it keeps me awake way longer than I want to stay awake because I can't stop reading.

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  11. I don't keep track of how many books I read, so I really have no idea. I do belong to a book club, which of course is a guaranteed 11 books a year. I read a short story, often from an anthology on my Kindle, before I go to sleep most nights. Like you, we have books shelved & piled all over.

    I do prefer print books. However,not always but often the Kindle version is a lot cheaper.When I was supposed to be lying down with my leg raised for 20 hours a day or so after surgery, I did discover I can lie flat on my back and read on the Kindle, something I couldn't do with print books. And I carry my Kindle whenever I'm taking myself or someone else to medical appointments, and anywhere I might have to wait.

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  12. Hi KM, can't speak for the others but Goodreads does my tracking. Every January it asks me for an estimate of how many books I'll be reading, since I used Goodreads for my "library" to keep me from double buying books (or triple buying) I always tell it when I start or finish a book.

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  13. KM, I can see some advantages of e-readers, but I'm not ready to go there yet. However, since I prefer print books, I usually read the paper backs in bed rather than the hard cover unless I'm close to the end of a hard cover book I'm reading downstairs, and then I take it to bed with me.

    Kait, I don't belong to Goodreads because I have a problem keeping up with the emails from the Guppies. Yes, sometimes I order a book I already have, but not often.

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  14. How great that you can read that many books and get so many other things done. I read as much as I think possible since I'm trying to write and have a more-than-full-time day job, but I can't compete with you.

    I read e-books (on Kindle) when I'm buying so many the expense is too much, but I still prefer print books. I'm not sure it's just that I'm older and set in my ways because I'm hearing a lot of people are going back to "print," and although the e-books will probably stay around, they may not be as hot as they've been.

    I enjoyed your post.

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  15. Thanks, Linda. It helps that I'm no longer teaching so in spite of the fact that I still remain busy, I have more time during the day to get other things done so I'm able to read
    evenings. I like the feel of print books, too.

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