116 Books Read; 38,852 Pages Read
This year, I set a goal for myself to read and review 100 books. That averages to about 2 per week. My average book size lies between 300 and 400 pages, so I had to read about 700 pages a week. I read more on Saturdays and Sundays than Monday through Friday. I don’t plan on keeping up this intense schedule down the road. (There is much more to life than reading.) Nonetheless, I had fun doing a deep dive into literature. After reaching my original goal in November, I extended my goal to complete 115 books. I ended up completing 116 books at the end of the year.
34 5-Stars; 63 4-Stars; 17 3-Stars; 1 2-Stars
I read a lot of classics, so my expectations and my ratings are especially high. I don’t like spending time on average books. I write a few reviews for newly released books, and those ratings are a bit lower than the classics. My average rating is just over 4-stars.
Mostly Post-1900 Literature
I only read 7 books written before 1900. The oldest was The Cantebury Tales, originally published in 1390 in Middle English. So I am reading a lot of modern stuff. History is one of my favorite genres, so it sometimes can feel like I’m living in the past. I like modern themes, however.
Slow Start; Fast Finish
I read five books in January and eight in February. I started several thick books in January that I did not complete until early February. I caught the flu in February and did not read much for two entire weeks. I read 14 books in April, which is a little less than one every two days. I don’t expect to be reading at that speed anytime soon.
Audiobooks
I listen to audiobooks whenever I drive solo. Usually, this consists of just to and from work each day for 30-45 minutes each way. I check out audiobooks via the iOS app Overdrive from the Nashville Public Library. Many of these books are long, and I often have to check them out for more than one 21-day period.
Longest Books
My longest book was The New Negro, a biography of Alain Locke. Printed, it spans 944 pages, but I listened to the audiobook over two 21-day periods. Nearing the end, I just wanted to finish the book. My second-longest book was Team of Rivals, a history of Lincoln’s presidential term, at 916 pages. I likewise had to will myself to finish this work, but I appreciated the variety of characters in this work more because it was focused on more than one style of thinking.
2020
I will continue to read and write about books in 2020. I aim to complete a less ambitious 60 books at a pace of a little more than one book a week. I often read several books at once since the variety of topics keeps my brain happier.