How many novels have you read? How many books makes a person well read?

1. 73

   ThoughtMonkeyposted 13 years ago

   How many novels have you read? How many books makes a person well read?
   
   I recently wrote a hub stating all the books I have read. I stuck to novels and found I had read around 55 books although I am sure I forgot many. Am I a prolific reader of novels or am I not at all well read?

   replyreport
2. 68

   K Kissposted 13 years ago

   55 is a good number but then it also comes down to how old you are. I am 23 (turning 24 tomorrow) and I have read 152 novels since I was 12 years old ( that's like a decade and a year of reading) and I think that's a good number. I don't think the decisive thing is the number of books you have read, rather the quality of books but then again who is in a position to judge? Reading to me is a very subjective thing. I spent years in a zone where I would read historical romances and then for the past couple of years very much into classics and european literature.
   My advice is read for the joy of reading and forget the numbers and no point worrying about whether you are among the league of readers.
   I will definitely go through your hub on the novels that you have read.

   replyreport
3. 60

   duffsmomposted 13 years ago

   I haven't counted but in my early years (20's and 30's), I read a couple of novels a week over several years, sometimes 3 per week.  55 novels tells me you must be a very young avid reader.  A novel a week over a year would be 52 novels.   
   
   I don't think it is the number of novels or books that make you well read but rather the kind of book you are reading.
   
   A person could read 10,000 Harlequin novels but it wouldn't make them well read

   replyreport
4. 73

   ThoughtMonkeyposted 13 years ago

   Thank you for the replies I have had. I am not that young I am 34, I read a great deal but not exclusively novels as I can be quite picky about the ones I read which makes it hard for me to build up large numbers. I have probably read more factual books than novels and I read magazines constantly. My reasons for asking the question is that I suspect there are people like those that have answered who read far more than I, but I know so many who read if at all I wondered where I fit in the overall spectrum of readers. 55 Is the ones I can remember I have never taken notes and I suspect the number is quite a lot higher but so many books were quickly forgotten.
   
   Thanks K Kiss and duffsmom, I enjoyed both your answers. PS happy birthday K Kiss for tomorrow.

   replyreport