Hit 50 books in a year and it threw me for a loop

I joined a book club in January just to force myself to read more. I set a goal of 20 books for the year, nothing crazy. Last week I counted and I'm at 53 books already. Half of them were short thrillers and memoirs from the library, not huge novels. It got me thinking about what counts as 'reading' in a book club debate. Does quantity matter or is it all about deep discussion of a few big books? Has anyone else in here hit a number that made them question their own reading habits?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_murphy1mo ago

So you read 53 books, mostly short ones.

olivia_anderson1mo ago

Honestly, the "quality over page count" line is a cop out. Finishing a huge, complex book takes way more focus and commitment than binging a bunch of short ones. It's like comparing a snack to a full meal. You don't get the same deep dive into a world or characters. Tbh, stacking up a big number with short reads feels like gaming the system to me.

harper_singh181mo ago

What's wrong with short books anyway @xena_murphy? A good story is a good story. I'd rather read five tight, amazing novellas than one giant book that drags on. Look at "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" or "The Metamorphosis". Those are short and they hit HARD. It's about the quality of the time spent, not just the page count. Some people just want to see a big number to feel superior.