I know a LOT of people who read this blog are huge readers. I pale in comparison to the majority of you, with my maybe 1-2 books a month average.
Funny story: so my dad reads this blog (hi Dad 😘) and he often finds the comments to be very interesting. (“They’re all just like you!” he recently said. hahaha. I think he means we’re all a bunch of oddball goal-setting, habit-tracking weirdos, but let’s take it as a compliment. 😅)
He texted me the other day and was like, “I read some comments on your blog. Some people are reading between 10-20 books a month! How is that even possible? Are they speed- readers or something?”
This led to a little back and forth dialogue where I explained that I know Lisa, for example, reads for an hour every night before bed. I know reading is the default leisure activity for many others.
To which he replied, “But you still can’t read 10 books a month if you’re only reading for an hour a day! And how do they have so much “leisure” time?!” (He primarily listens to audiobooks while exercising, and he noted that most of his books take about 10 hours to listen to, at 1.25 speed. So mathematically, if he listens for an hour a day, it will take him 10 days to finish a book, so about 3 books a month.)
In the end, I basically said…. I don’t really know! It kind of blows my mind, too. I’m clearly not reading anywhere near these levels, so I guess I don’t have it figured out, either.
And I also pointed out to him: these are ambitious women with VERY full lives! Young kids, many with multiple children, BIG jobs, households to run, etc… Not to brag, but my blog readers are pretty impressive people. They are not just all sitting around reading all day. (To further fuel his fire, I sent him a screenshot of Sarah’s post outlining the 16 books she read in January…. and I told him how she is a college professor with 5 children!! 😳)
I know life is all about trade-offs, and we are always choosing how we spend our time. But he argued that he is RETIRED and feels like he does not have the time to read 10 books a month, so he is legitimately curious how these working people read so much!! (He is a busy retired guy, with a big volunteer role/ job, he exercises daily, and he has just lots of day-to-day + household activities to deal with, so he’s not the type of retiree lounging in a recliner all day.)
But I know you guys (readers) are not all just lounging in recliners all day, either, and yet many (most?) of you are reading a lot.
So, please answer this mystery for my dad (and me)!
If you read, when do you read, and how do you read so much? (*You don’t have to be in the Lisa/Sarah range to respond! Would love to hear from readers of all levels.)
Here are my current reads. If I get through these two this month, I’ll be thrilled. Haha.
I’ll answer my own question:
For me, I aim to read about 10 minutes of non-fiction first thing in the morning. Sometimes I struggle with this because I have limited morning time, and I get tempted to “get going” on whatever else I want to do in that window. (May be planning my day, my time log/journal, some misc admin tasks, writing a blog post, reading blogs, or other.)
Usually my lunch breaks are spent either at the gym or doing household stuff, like getting started on making dinner, or walking the dog, etc. So not too much reading ever happens there.
Then usually evenings are pretty busy with house/family stuff, but I do try to read a bit of fiction before bed. Usually it’s only 10-15 minutes, and doesn’t happen every day (e.g. if I watch a show with Ivan, or go in the hot tub, or just… don’t.)
Besides this, it’s rare for me to spend a long stretch of time reading like on a weekend day. I don’t know, the weekends feel so busy with chores + cleaning + groceries + kid activities + dog walks + trip planning + etc etc etc…… But, sometimes it happens, like this past weekend- I read a bunch in between events at a swim meet!
I don’t currently listen to audiobooks- when walking or exercising, I listen to podcasts.
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for Ethan helping to chop all the vegetables for a soup I made last night. 🙂
GRATEFUL KAE 
Hi Kae’s Dad! 😉
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He says, “Hi Joel! Hope all is well with you and the family!” 🙂
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Hi Kae’s dad!! (my dad reads my blog, too 🙂 )
I “only” (lol) read about 4 books a month most years. I do sometimes do long binge-reading stretches on weekends if I get into a book. It’s normal for me to make slow progress on a novel all week for example and then lie around and read like 200 pages over the weekend and finish. I don’t really watch much TV (like . . .sometimes like 3 episodes in an entire month) and I don’t do watching sports or many movies or social media so this is my main ‘chill’ activity. (I am still in awe of Lisa, other Sarah, etc and all of the other people who read more than double what I do!!!! I am really fine with my own numbers, though.)
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I don’t watch a ton of TV either, though we go in spurts if we get really into a good show where we’ll watch a bunch. Currently not really into anything at the moment. But on a Saturday night usually Ivan and I (or the boys, too) will usually watch a movie, and we definitely do watch some football during the season, and things like that. I think if Ivan traveled for work or were gone for work more I would probably read more! But when he’s home all weekend too, I usually end up doing something with him during downtime, or we’re at kid stuff/ chores etc.
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I average about 8 to 10 books a month. I ONLY read (no audio books). I have two tweens with activities after school so I have two hours on Tuesday night and 90 minutes on Thursday to read while waiting for them (at the facilities). I also read about 30 to 45 minutes before bed about 4 nights a week on average and maybe 1 hour on Saturday and/or Sunday if I get the chance. I have always been a very quick reader and one of my 11 year olds is also a fast reader who can read about the same number of books per month so I am convinced it is probably genetic.
I also listen to podcasts but do that at 1.5 speed while driving/running/cooking/cleaning.
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Those kid activities windows sound nice for reading!! But knowing myself, I bet I would end up using those stretches for blogging, or like, trip planning, or email cleanout, or things like that… I think that’s my issue. I don’t have “that” much free time, and I just have a lot of competing interests that want that same time!
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I read 8-10 books a month. I’m a very fast reader, read for an hour before bed, and on my public transport commute. I also travel quite a bit and don’t watch tv, so if I’m back at my hotel at 7, I’ll read from 7-10.
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This is going to be such an interesting comment section!
I read 9 books last month (Jan 2025) which was more than average for me. I read 69 books in 2024 (but didn’t read a single book in November or December – so in my reading months it worked out to ~7 books/month).
I think there are different ways to read a lot of books. Here are mine:
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When I was riding my bike, I read one, sometimes two books a day by listening to them as audiobooks and I listen at 1.8-2x speed. Most books are about 10 hours, so that could potentially be 5 hours, and I was on the bike at least that much per day. Now that I am not on the bike, I listen to audiobooks while walking, running, exercising, working around the house, grocery shopping etc. and the read in bed for 30 – 60 minutes before going to sleep. When I was working in San Francisco, I always listened on my commute, which was about an hour a day, and then while running/working in the garden or around the house, which was maybe 2 hours a day, so I could still listen to a book every few days.
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PS, I also DNF, and don’t read a lot of dry, long non-fictions!
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I read about 10 books a month but in January managed 15. None are audiobooks. I work 28 hours a week and volunteer on the other day. I’m an extremely fast reader. Always have been. I was in my 20s when I realised that other people heard the words in their head. I’m more like predictive text where I can scan and fill. As a result reading is deeply meditative and relaxing so I try to do it during any spare moments.
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I read 80-100 books per year and about 40% of those are in the romance genre (ie. easy to read and not-put-downable!) I usually have about 4 books going at a time: audio (usually non-fiction, like history or topical), a paper book (usually a novel), a self-development read (10 minutes in the morning!) and a ebook (usually romance, I read on my Kindle but also on my phone while waiting in line etc). I do listen to podcasts on my morning commute and audiobooks in the afternoon. I also try to be selective about my podcasts (I used to listen to every episode of my favorites but now I pick and choose!) so I can squeeze more listening time in while doing chores, exercising and jigsaw puzzles. I read with my eyes during work lunch (and any rare meal I eat alone), any time I am waiting and usually about 30 minutes before bed. Depending on the weekend, I can get a lot of reading in! I might read in bed in the morning if I don’t have to rush out or in the afternoon while my kids play video games. My husband usually goes to bed when my kids do (or at least is in bed scrolling on his phone) so if I’m reading a really good book, I might skip my evening tasks and read. I think people who read a lot just squeeze little bits and pieces here and there. Always having a some form of book close at hand. I watch very little TV and do my best to stay off my phone (though I have discovered blogs like yours in the last couple years and they have greatly enriched my life, even if they have replaced some reading time!) I’m also trying to consciously read in front of my kids which is hard because my default when they are around is either engaging with them or doing some sort of household chore. I want them to see me as a reader, since it is such an important piece of my life! I’m also a member of my local library bookclub and while not the wine and BFF type, we read a wide variety of books and I enjoy their different perspectives (they are all older women!) I often wish I could read more (there is so much out there!) but there are other things I want to do in life, so I often have to pull myself away from the books and get the other stuff done! I’ve only tracked my reading for the last 11 years; I’d love to see what and how much I read back when I lived alone! What did I do with all that time, ha!
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Hi Kae’s Dad!!!!
I love everything about this post. I think that if the most important thing you have to say about your reading life is how many books you read that you are doing it wrong.
I read a lot more now that I do in years past, and I’m only aware of it because I blog about it. It still feels like I only read for a little bit before bed, maybe 5 days a week. These are the things that bump up my numbers, and you can take all of these as being either good or bad.
With that said, I wouldn’t be surprised if my reading decreases after I stop working because as your dad said, people without jobby jobs are busy!
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Hi, this is a great topic for a post – I am also amazed by how much people who blog about books manage to read each week/month. I am a fast reader and I love to read, but I have a really difficult time reading the way these folks do.
In part it is because I read a lot for work and it is always intense reading – so for example today, I was assigned 10 abstracts to read for a student conference (250 words each) and in a few weeks I will get my reviewing assignment for a large conference (14-16 papers, 5000 words each). Plus my articles, my colleagues’ articles, my students’ articles, general reading in the field, reading for studies, and so on. By the time the evening rolls around, I usually can only manage what I call TV reading, and even that often falls aside in favour of scrolling.
Do you read a lot for work? Maybe you are just tired at the end of the day and not interested in reading.
I have a Harry Potter reader in the house right now who tells me that the first book was hard to get into but the second was really great! (I agree!).
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I read about 10 books per month, 120 per year (that’s been my average since 2022–in 2020 and 2021 it was higher which I attribute to my lack of social life and commute during the pandemic ;)). My weekday go-to time is definitely the hour before bed–during the week I don’t really read at any other time, unless I’m driving a kid to an activity and it doesn’t make sense to come home in between. Then I will either answer emails or read my book. Like Elisabeth, I think it’s critical to ALWAYS bring a book everywhere you go, because you may get a pocket of time you’re not expecting. Sometimes if the book is great an hour will stretch to two. But I think the main way I get through so many books is that I tend to binge on the weekend if I’m really into a book. My kids are a little younger than yours and definitely less busy with fewer sports, so I think that is probably a factor. Although I too read at a swim meet this weekend during warmups and in between events! It’s also critical to have tons of options so that you can pick up a new one if you’re not into the current one and also so you don’t have any dead time between books. I have a big stack by my bed and I am lucky that my library with its excellent hold system is on my (walk) commute home from work!
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Ha, this is funny. Stephany and I have met IRL twice, and both times our conversation came around to “HOW are these people reading so many books??” There must be some trickery going on! I know some people read a lot of audiobooks, and I’m sure that helps. It sounds like (from this comment section) some people are just naturally very fast readers.
I read about one book a week. I don’t normally watch TV at night, and most of my reading is done before bed (like, for 45-60 minutes?) I also make sure I bring my book everywhere with me, in case I have to wait somewhere. Like you, I listen to podcasts rather than audiobooks. Obviously if I listened to audiobooks I would increase my yearly total- I’m going to give it a try this year.
It’s funny because Laura and Sarah discussed All the Money in the World on today’s BOBW podcast!
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I read 130 books in 2024, and that’s fairly average for me. I read about two hours a day, usually one in the evening and one in bits and pieces throughout the day. I don’t watch TV and I also don’t have a job – even when I did have a job it was part time. My kids are also all grown up! So my life is pretty different from your busy life. I don’t listen to audiobooks but I do listen to a ton of podcasts!
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Also I read a lot on weekends!
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Hi Kae’s Dad!
Such a fun post, Kae, and I am loving reading everyone’s comments! Caveat before I share my techniques: I only have one kid who is pretty self-sufficient and I don’t have a full-time job or work outside the home. When my kid was smaller and when I worked full time in an office, I read FAR fewer books.
Last year I consumed just shy of 100 books, which is the most I’ve ever gotten through in a year and works out to about 8 books a month. Audiobooks are my best friend. Most weeks, I am in the car a lot, and I listen to an audiobook (on 1.75 or 2.0 speed, depending on the narrator) for about an hour a day. I also listen to audiobooks while I do my hair/face routine, cut veggies, fold laundry, go for walks, and clean. Whenever my family goes on road trips, we listen to an audiobook together (we’re on Harry Potter book 6 now!). That’s slow going, though — it can take us a whole year or more to get through a single book.
While I am not reading a ton of print books lately, I do still try to get in at least a few pages before I fall asleep at night. I also try to read during any down time, to be a good role model for my kid. Haha, just kidding — I just love to read; the role model thing is an added bonus. I’m not the fastest reader, but if you give me a thrilling book and several hours of uninterrupted time, I can get through a whole book in a day. Days like that are a rare luxury, though!
Oh! Last year, I also started counting the books I read to my kid. Reading the Hunger Games trilogy out loud felt like “real” reading, so I added it to my Goodreads list. I read to her almost every night for 15-30 minutes, which works out to 1/2-1 chapter a night.
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same here, if I’ve got to read 6 Percy Jackson books in 6 months, I want “credit” for it.
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I average around 10 books a month. My commute is ~2 hours 3x week, and I do audiobooks much of that time (1.2 speed). I’ll occasionally get some audiobook time on a long walk or while cleaning the house. I also always have a book on my phone so I can sneak in a chapter while waiting in line or for a kid. Beyond that, I don’t get to read every evening but I often do (weekends too). My books vary in length – some longer, some shorter. I don’t annotate or take notes on my books which would certainly slow me down. I mix up non fiction and fiction (literary fiction and a lot of romance) so it’s not all heavy reading.
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I listen to audio books at 1.7 to double speed (otherwise my attention wanders).
I also read very fast– a skill I honed getting a PhD in the humanities, where I had to read a lot of really long, dense stuff every WEEK, let alone MONTH. I think this is the biggest component.
I have a book with me all the time and find plenty of time to read at kid activities, waiting for kids after school, when I have a random few minutes of down time, etc.
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It’s so cute that your dad reads your blog. NO of my immediate family reads my blog.
On reading, last month when I spent 1 day at home the rest on the road, I read 4 books, mostly during long flights (1 book on my way to US), and some jet lag nights when I just couldn’t go back to sleep at 2am.
I am not targeting any number per month as I want to enjoy it and feel free to DNF if I don’t like one. It’s about leisure, the objective is to calm my mind down, slowdown the thinking process, enjoy a good story, or learn about a topic.
I don’t envy others that read a lot because comes with opportunity cost, I could read a tons as my single leisure/free time hobby, or I could do something else that bring me equal joy. It’s a personal choice. If I enjoy doing something, like exercising, I do find 10+ hrs per week to do so despite busy at work and managing a household.
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Hi Kae’s dad!!!! I read 90-100 books/year. So 10/month is abnormally high. I don’t target a certain number of book/year though. I read for 1-1.5 hours before bed and usually for 45 min when the boys get weekend screen time. I think I am a faster reader than average, too. The best way to read more books is to find books you can’t put down and abandon what isn’t drawing you in.
I am an outlier in not listening to books though. Instead I listen to podcasts, like you!!!
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I love this question! I read ~100 books a year. Last year I only read 93 and I read 10 books in January. I don’t do audio books, prefer kindle or physically books. However, I DO believe audio books count as reading, it’s just not my style. Like many people already said, reading is my default hobby. I don’t watch a lot of tv, I’m in several book clubs so my social time revolves around reading, and to be honest, my house is not going to be featured in any magazine meaning I prioritize reading over housework 🙂
Other things that help me read so many books is that I have no problem with DNF. If I read 25% of the book and not into it I quite. I think I learned that from Laura Vanderkam? I also read several books at a time, usually a non-fiction, and 2 fictions that are very different, maybe a mystery and a romance for example. This way I typically always have a book going that entices me to read. And I always have a book with me so any downtime I have is typically spent reading. I work from home so that includes if I have 10min between meetings I usually pick up my book and read a few pages.
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I share your awe at fellow blog friends who manage to get thru so many books a month. AWE. I’ve often thought the same thing, how? I am lucky if I get through one book or two a month. I definitely read more in the summer, because my in home daycare is only up and running during the school year (I babysit for teachers’ kids). I love reading next to the pool in the summer. I also read more if I’m travelling, so when Curly’s travel season kicks in during the spring, I’ll read while on a flight, etc. I rarely listen to an audio book, but if I’m organized and plan it out then I will do that when I’m driving a college kid to school/or back, etc.
We have two grown sons who don’t live at home. Two college kids, plus one kid taking a gap year – who lives out of state and plays basketball there in his gap program. His games are often an hour away and we try to get to those when we can. Then Curly is in high school and the two younger girls, who we are in the process of adopting, are in 7th and 8th grade. Foster kids are time consuming, so we do regular therapy appointments, family games, and lots of communicating with the girls’ social worker and therapist, etc. Coach works late a few nights a week, so sometimes I’m juggling all the stuff. (when our bio 6 kids were younger, he worked 4 nights a week till 9 am as a PT, so his current schedule feels like a cake walk).
Like you, I attend kid sporting events. Not nearly as many as back in the day when they were all at home. Last night, I read my book during half time of Curly’s varsity b-ball game. I usually read about 10-15 minutes when I’m falling asleep, and that’s often the ONLY time I read all day. I read almost nothing on the weekends. Too busy. I also carve out time to write in my free time. I’m working on a memoir/collection of personal essays, and I spend 2 hours every Monday with my amazing writing group. My writing is a big priority. Oh, maybe this goes without saying, but our house is always up for grabs/messy. I tend to try to clean something if I find a window of time, vs reading my book.
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It’s what I do. If I’m in the car, walking the dog, cooking, showering, cleaning, getting ready for work/bed, or whatever I’m listening to a podcast or audiobook. If I’m sitting down, I’m reading. I don’t watch tv, listen to music, or leave my house. I can finish a 10-hour audiobook in three days because I listen to something for at least 3 hours a day easily.
AM dog walk: 30 minutes
AM getting dressed/putting on makeup/getting lunch ready: 30 minutes
Commute to and from work: 20 minutes
Afternoon dog walk: 30 minutes
Exercise: 30 minutes
Cooking dinner: 20-30 minutes
PM dog walk: 20-30 minutes
That’s 180-200 minutes a day of audiobook listening EASILY without even accounting for time cleaning the house or showering at night. I listen at regular speed (AS GOD INTENDED), but I am always listening.
And I probably read physical books for another hour a day on weekdays (half hour each morning under the SAD lamp and half hour before bed) and for HOURS on the weekend. I read fast and I take copious notes – like Sarah, I learned how to do this in grad school and it translates to non-academic work.
But I don’t have kids or events to go to. I don’t know who’s playing the SuperBowl. I don’t know any of the artists who won at the Grammys. I can have a heck of a discussion about changing norms in romance novels, but otherwise I have a huge pop culture blind spot.
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Great topic! I’ve read 100 books/year the past two years; about 50/50 book to audio. For me, it’s def the combo of reading and audiobooks. I read about 45 min at bed and often an hour each weekend, also if I have down time at appts or kids activities. So each book ~8 hours = 1/week. I listen during my daily commute, nearly all other driving and most of my exercise time. I only listen to one podcast (BOBW) so I can make it through a book listening quickly. I do 1.25 speed so get through a book ~1/week between all those times, including doing stuff around house. If I’m traveling for work, I can get through a book in 2-3 days bc I listen in airport, waiting to board, etc.
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What a great question! I have always been an avid reader – I remember weekly outings to the library starting when I was very young, checking out 3-4 books each time. When I was in my 20’s I read on my public transit commute to & from work. My reading slowed my my 4 kids were young. I’d try to read at night but I would just fall asleep. I still read a book or 2 a month but it was a struggle. I’m mostly retired and my children are grown so I have a lot more time. Right now I read 80-90 books a year. I only listen to audio books when my husband & I are on a road trip; It’s usually a biography. I read almost exclusively on my kobo and never go to an appointment without it. I often read 10-20 min when I wake up before I get out of bed. I read for an hour or so morning and afternoon, and in bed until I fall asleep. I am a fast reader but have NO idea how all your blog readers with jobs & young kids read so much!!
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I don’t read quite as many books as others, but I spend about 2 hours a day reading which includes reading online (news and blogs), and, unfortunately, less actual books that I would like. Reading is a huge part of my life and has been since I was a child. I have a full time job that often requires me to take home work and I spend a lot of time shuttling around teens to various activities, and I often bring a book or knitting project while I wait. I am not on social media, I never watch TV, and I rarely watch shows or movies, which frees up time for reading, although it leaves me oblivious to sports or pop culture.
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What a fun discussion! I aim to read an average of 2 books a week – some books take me a day or two, some books take me two months.
I always have several different books going. My non fiction is usually on paper. I have at least two (current and next) Libby books on my phone. I do a lot of moving between buildings at work, so when waiting for elevators or riding them, I whip out my phone and read a few pages.
I have an extra old phone I keep in the bedroom at night to read on. It doesn’t have social media or texts, so I can truly just focus on my book. I read from whenever I go to bed until I’m sleepy.
If I’m being active, I usually listen to a podcast. I read my Feedly (blogs) every few days. DNF-ing with abandon is key too – I quit a book at 75% the other day, and another at 5%. Whenever I realize I’m not getting what I want out my reading, I’m out.
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Kae, “when are you reading so many books?” is a burning question I had for years for all the people who read 10+ books a month.
I would call myself a book lover, I definitely have had phases where I could get through books quickly, and I am a quick reader (got it from my mom), but I don’t get through 5 books a month, let alone 10+. I acknowledge that I don’t have kids (so “no downtime during kid’s sports, etc.” but also no “extra responsibilities”) but I do spend a lot of time working out and I work long days (so during the week, I hardly get any reading in – if I read, it’s on the weekend). I also don’t do audiobooks or podcasts for that matter( again: WHEN??? I don’t have a long commute and I also do not like to listen in “bits and pieces” when I cook or get ready for work).
Currently, I also feel like I don’t have the brain space. And then, I also (try to) read blogs and comment, so I have to find time for that too. Oh, and write… which is another burning question: when do people write so much?? (This question is also particularly for you, Kae.)
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