How many books have you read in your life?

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by Turtle

Curiouser and curiouser. While part of me wants to say re-reads don't count, another part of me has socked that part in the kisser and said *we* must count re-reads.

If re-reads count, I need to quadruple my original vote.

[HappytheStripper]

I have no idea .. i look at a hundred and know I have read more than 100 .. I look at 901+ and I think .. have I read that many books throughout my life .. and in reality unless I keep a booklist .. which I dont .. how am I to possibly know how many books I have read over a lifetime .. I know I have read many books .. however I am unable to do the math without the figures .. !!

So as not to lie .. I have not answered the poll at all .. Ashley xxxxxxx

[eric l]

It must be way over a thousand - age does help here, of course.

When it comes to fiction, the number of books I have re-read is far lower, but due to that thread about "Lord of the Flies" I started rereading it, after what must be a 33 to 35 years interval. I do remember vaguely what my interpretation was at the time; on a number of points it is quite different from my interpretation now !

Also, if I liked a book in translation, I often try to read it in the original language - or even in another translation if the original language is not within my means. I must admit that I do not always finish this rereading.

[Michaelangelica]

I own 4,000 and that would be a small % of what I have read.
I no longer buy books as I have no room for them. (and they are too dear to buy these days at $20-$50 a pop) But still they come as presents etc.

I thought of selling some on ebay but at $1-$2 bids I would rather keep them.
A few are over 400 years old. I have many 1920-1940 gardening books. I have no idea of what they are worth.

I usually get 20 or so books out of the Council library every month.
Mostly crime fiction, science, some biography, history and politics.

I have just discovered the Library's store (which can be borrowed) of science & gardening magazines!
I don't buy papers, yet several local ones come every week. I get all my news from the net,ABC radio and TV

[moo]

I no longer buy books as I have no room for them.

Online sources such as Project Gutenburg and Google's book search are nice.

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://books.google.com/

moo

[HydrogenBond]

Growing up through college I hardly read at all, except what I was forced to read in school, which may add to 100-200 books. I preferred to be out and about doing stuff with friends rather than read. Many of these friend also didn't like to read. I had an active imagination and tried to live life so I would have stories to tell.

After finishing school/ grad school, when I began to work, I realized that I had missed a whole side of acedamic life. So I decided to read. I bought two books 'the best books of all time', i.e., classical literature, and '10K words of power'. I read about 100 of the best books of all time over the next year. I turned into a read-a-holic. Just mention the word read I would get drunk. I really liked it, even though I thought it would be boring. I would have read more, but one of the final books I read, was I believe, either Emerson or Whitman. The quote that changed my reading habit went something like this.. " read all that you can, especially the works of the great authors. When you have done that, forget it all, and begin thinking your own thoughts". I said, OK, that should be plenty for now.

I did read others things that interested me. I read a tons of stuff on the Occult, Mystercism, religion and eastern philosophy.. This lead to an interest in collective human symbolism, since they were all sort of saying the same things with different symbols. I then I read the collective works of Jungian Psychology to turn symbolism into a connection to the workings of the unconscious mind. After that I became a writer instead of a reader.

Nowadays I read articles, like those in the forums. Or I may scan read to do research. But I haven't read a full book in years.

[Tormod]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

I no longer buy books as I have no room for them. (and they are too dear to buy these days at $20-$50 a pop)

E-books are your friends.

Check out http://www.ereader.com/ - and get yourself a small handheld device like the Palm Tungsten E2 or something.

I rarely pay more than $7 for a book now, and I don't even have to leave my chair.

[IMAMONKEY!]

If you include childrens books, comics, textbooks, and large pamphlets, Ive read probably over 2,000 books in the 15 years ive ever been alive!

I love reading and although my reading has slowed down since freshman year, I still read a good 50-60 books a semester. In elementary school I read out the ENTIRE library. All 1200+ books (hell i had 6 years to read it all). In jr. high we had an ENORMOUS library that I read about 600 books of, in the two years i was there. Then I have to include my grandparents private collection (more of a mini-library) chock full of philosophy books and comics. Thats a solid 400 right there. Then my basement has about 100 books and a 120+ book stash up in my room and closet. Then there's books I've read from public libraries although that number is a mere 70-80. I don't go to public libraries a lot.

Add school textbooks (maybe 50?) and you get a good solid number of about 2540 books and upwards. Now i gotta tell you my life revolves around reading. I spend about 2/3 of my days in the summer up in my room reading. 2/3 of the entire summer every year since 3rd grade. Yes i have a social life, no it doesn't thrive.

But 2500 some isnt really all that much if you think about how many books there are in existence. Ive read about 1/billionth of the books out there so in perspective I really haven't read all that much regardless of the time frame (about 11 years).

Soooo, I read a lot. thats why i voted 900+

My regards,

IMAMONKEY!

[niviene]

Well, I read so many books these days that it's beyond my capability to count how many. In fact, I'd say more that my nose is stuck in so many books - not that I'm actually reading them. I've practically been buried beneath the contents of the entire law library here... and that's mostly why I haven't posted in so long I'd have to look at it like this.

Books I've read completely for pleasure's sake: maybe 500-600
Books I've read for school or for other required reasons (even if I might have enjoyed them in part): probably another 500-600

Books I still have on my 'to read' list for pleasure: about 100

Books that completely changed how I think about certain aspects of my life: 1 (Atlas Shrugged)

[Loricybin]

i said < 100 because that's how many books i've finished, though it's somewhere in the upper half of that range.

books i've picked up and learned from, as well as cover to cover reading >200