. I decided to record my reading over the course of a year and see what patterns and habits might be found. That year has now come to a close, and now it's time to take a look at the data."Methodology"
In the case of multiple works by the same author, the author was counted each time, not just once. Reread books were counted for each reading. A number of books could be categorized in multiple genres; for the sake of ease, such books were only counted in the genre I (arbitrarily) decided was the best fit. Books that I began, but did not finish, are counted in a separate category.
Numbers
Total books read: 99
Fiction: 87
Non-Fiction: 12
Books by male authors: 70
Books by female authors: 27
Books by authors of indeterminate gender: 2
History: 5
Miscellaneous (memoirs, non-mystery historical fiction): 6
Mystery: 6
Math/Science: 5
Science Fiction: 29
Fantasy: 48
Unfinished: 12
Conclusions
I read. A lot. I'm surprised the non-fiction count was so low, but I do tend to go in spurts of non-fiction reading, so I may have mistaken concentration for quantity. Fantasy is far and away my preferred genre of fiction, though I did a lot of sci-fi reading at the end of the year. I'm still a misogynist pig, something I'm really deflated by and hope to continue to combat.
The Future
My goal for the year is to break 100 completed reads. I also want to read more female authors, and hopefully I can achieve a bit more parity among genres. I've got a new journal, so expect another report in February 2013. I may also, if I feel like it, provide occasional updates throughout the year.
5 comments:
I don't read as much as you. I probably average a book every week or 10 days. I always have a book available to read.
I find it rather sad when I'm at a library and I see that the only thing people are checking out are DVDs.
I like movies but a life without reading seems so empty to me.
Good luck with reading 100 books in 2012.
And, I guess the two books written by unknown gendered authors brings the truth to the phrase, 'never judge a book by its cover.'
First of all, LOVE your name, FrankLee! One of the nice things about being named Frank, IMHO, is the terrible puns. Heh.
Second, I really should have disclosed that one of the "indeterminate" gender books was an anthology, so I counted it as neither male nor female.
Might not be your cup of tea, but have you tried anything by Agatha Christie? Everyone knows "Murder on the Orient Express", but I'd also recommend "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", "Peril at End House", "Hercule Poirot's Christmas", and I just finished "A Murder is Announced", which was a great Miss Marple book.
Well, Anonymous, I don't know about the other Frank, but I definitely have read Agatha Christie. Her stories are great and they hold up well with re-reading them. I pick one of her novels up every so often to read again or read for the first time (I know I haven't read all of them).
A Christmas Train by David Baldacci was published a few years ago and it reminded me a little of an Agatha Christie novel.
I wish there were more authors that could write like Christie.
Have I read Agatha Christie? Hells yeah! I went through a whole Christie period in my childhood in which I read almost every book and story collection she did. I've also seen almost every Suchet Poirot and Miss Marple episode.
No one wrote a puzzle like Christie did. She is, was, and always will be the Queen of Crime.
My favorite is one of her non-Poirot or Marple books, Crooked House, which was one of her own personal favorites, too. Even today, I think the ending is shocking.
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