How Many Books Have You Read In Your Life?
So how many books have you read in your life? This is a question I’ve seen posted on the site Ask.fm and this got me thinking…indeed I’m a bookworm, book lover, book enthusiast and book hoarder – I have close to 2000 books – mixed paperbacks and hardcover books in my home, not to mention the many ebooks I keep buying. *sigh* I’m such a lost cause!
So let’s see, if I just take 100 books read in a year (and trust me, some years I’ve read way more than that), considering that I started to read books regularly at the age of 9 – and now I’m 45, that makes on average 3600 books read. But really the actual number is closer to 4000 books, if not more. While I do have a few other hobbies (making artisan designer jewelry for example, is another hobby of mine), reading books has always been and will remain my main leisure activity – especially mystery novels and thrillers, followed by paranormal books (paranormal mysteries and romances).
I’m currently living in a country (Cyprus) where most people don’t like to read (unless you count reading the newspaper as actual reading). I’ve talked with a few friends over the years who literally gave me the same reply, more or less. They all said:
“I prefer to live/experience life rather than read about it”.
While this does sound logical, I don’t fully agree with it. Maybe because I’m coming from a country where people really read a lot of books, have a lot of books on their bookshelves (pretty much everyone in my country of origin has a huge bookshelf that spans across the entire wall, full of books) and I literally grew up with books, learning that reading is a good thing.
And I believe it is. It expands and enhances imagination and creativity and also I think it helps with a better grip on language and learning new words. It enriches the vocabulary and, let’s face it, it makes for a great conversation starter – just like watching the latest movie. Except with movies you don’t really expand your imagination, afterall everything gets served to you ‘on a platter’ so to speak right there screen by screen, while when reading books your mind makes up its own images about what it reads and deciphers.
It would be fun to see a movie with several people’s ideas of a book read – how the characters actually look in each person’s mind, how the descriptions translate into actual images that the mind puts together. I bet everyone’s movie based on the book would be totally different from that of another person.
So how many books have you read in your life, I wonder, and which was the first book you’ve read, do you still remember?
Mine was The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. I’ve read it I think at least a dozen times, after which I’ve read all other books by this French author. Btw if you haven’t reads this book (and I highly recommend you do, and also get it for your kids to read), the Kindle version of the book is totally free.
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I’ve read (So Far as I can remember) 327 books in my life although that was only since I was born all the way to fourth grade almost fitth
You and I are reading twins. I turned 46 two weeks ago and learned to read at 3. I probably started reading regularly around 9 as well. I can’t remember the first book I ever read. My mother says it was Bambi and she thought I had just memorized her reading to me until she heard me reading other things. I’ve probably read about 3-4000 books too, since I started keeping track on Good reads in 2007 it says I’ve read 505 books which is about 84 a year average. When I was younger and not working full time and read shorter books I probably doubled that average.
I am a HUGE reader, I read so many books my husband has to keep building new bookshelves. When he hit #5 he bought me a kindle and said, “slow it down!” hahaha I love reading, it takes me out of my normal day to day life and gives adventure!
I used to read all the time when I was young. I belonged to several book clubs so I always had a book in my hand. Since I have gotten older I don’t read like I used to. I do miss it.
WOW, hard question. I’d say i’ve read thousands? Let’s not count the hundreds of kid books, lol
I have read so many books in my lifetime that I have literally lost count. I’ve always been an avid reader but, unfortunately, due to being so busy all the time with work and the kids, I never seem to have time to read anymore. The last books I read were the Hunger Games Trilogy and I really enjoyed them.
I completely agree that it has a profound impact on language development and vocabulary. Not to mention that it’s such a wonderful and enjoyable thing to do!
I don’t know how many books I have read but sadly it decreased in adulthood. I enjoyed it a lot growing up but can’t seem to make the time now. I wish it wasn’t the case! I have a memory in elementary school there was this really cool book but I don’t know what it was. It was about these kids and they went into this video game of sorts where they were back in old days basically having to survive and make their own shelter and farm the land but they would never know when they would come out of the game. Sometimes they would be in it for weeks and then suddenly back in their real lives. The end of the book was them being grown up in the “game” and one of them was pregnant and they had built a whole town and figured out how to live, never knowing if someday they would be taken out of that world again! OK longest comment ever!!
I have read many, many, many books. However, I ‘m hardly able to find the time to read these days. When I do try to read, I barely get past the first chapter.
OMG.. I didn’t keep track.. many many many books I’m sure, especially childrens boos since each of the 3 kids all the way through elementary had to read at least 10 books a week.. YUP.. that alone adds up… WOW, now that I’m thinking about it.. WOW.. will be a big number
i dont know that i could count. thousands. i love to read. my kids love to read.
The first book I read was The Little Engine that Could. And I was placed in the lowest reading group. So, I guess it was fitting. Today I teach kids to read and on a daily basis I probably read about 4 books at least. I could not even begin to come up with the actual number. I have probably exceeded the 10,000 mark.
I’m an avid reader so I would estimate over the last 25 years I have read more than 2500 books, I can read several a week if I get the chance. I remember some of my earlier books as being Enid Blyton books
I don’t remember the very first book but I do remember that the Black Beauty series is the one I remember from my youth. Loved those books. And the Nancy Drew series. I have no idea how many books I have read. My husband is a much more avid reader so I am sure he has tripled the amount that I have read.
I’m an avid book reader, always have been. I used to enter and win the book reading summer programs at the library when I was little.
We own 100’s of books and when I was homeschooling my boys we read an average of 100 per person each school year, 9 month time frame.
My goodness, I have read so many in my life. Probably in the hundreds.
I was one of those kids who went to the library, got more books than I could comfortably carry, and came home and read them all cover to cover. I still love libraries and reading today.
And I love Dumas!! I read The Count of Monte Cristo last year and was captivated!
I was never been a bookworm but, I did read some interesting books before. I couldn’t remembered the very 1st book that I read before. 🙁
Oh, I haven’t a clue how many books I have read…but it’s a lot! I love reading and it would be a lot more if I didn’t have to work or manage kids. lol. I love reading. We have a room stocked full of books on shelves and in boxes too and we’ve read almost all of them.
I have read thousands of books. I read every night for relaxation. And I have over 1000 books in my house as well. I
I have read lots of books, you should see my living room and the basement 🙂 Doesn’t matter how busy I am, there is always time for a good book 🙂
You know I have no idea how many I have read – as a child I would go through 2 /3 a week these days I dip in and out of reading. I can take months out without picking up a book and then go back to devouring them within days. x
Wow, this is a really difficult question! I have no idea how many books I have read in my life, but I do know that the number is really high. The first book I remember reading was a cute little picture book called “Mop Top” about a boy with hair that was too long. LOL I loved that one!
I agree with your sentiments about reading. I have also had many people tell me that they don’t want to waste their lives with their nose in a book, but I personally think that reading helps people to experience life MORE than they otherwise would. How else could you walk in someone else’s shoes, hear their thoughts, and learn about places you have never been?!
Wow that’s a great question and I’m sure it’s way over a thousand as well. I’ve been reading since Kindergarten. I went into school knowing how to read. I’ve read quite a bit in High School as well. My Kindle currently has over 600 books so it’s hard remembering. As for first book, that’s tough too. 🙂
This is an interesting thought to consider. I honestly don’t know how many books I’ve read thus far in my life. I probably read more now than I did as a child. I can say the first book I remember reading in one sitting without stopping was Holes by Louis Sachar. Great read. 🙂
Hmm, I dont remember first, but I loved child mysteries when I was little. I would fill up my reading club stamps by going to the book mobile. Wish I still had time to read!!
For the life of me, I can’t think what the very first book I read in my life… I think it was the Dick and Jane books that they had in school. You know the ones… See Jane Run. Run Jane Run.
As for how many I have read… I have no idea. I know I used to read a lot more than I do now.
I’m not a big reader, so I bet my number isn’t all that high – although, I did just pick up the first Percy Jackson book. I figured I would read it to my boys. I definitely don’t remember the first book that I ever read, but I think it’s probably Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing or Super Fudge.
Oh I loved the Percy Jackson novel, read the first one as well, it’s a great book for young adults, but I really enjoyed it too!