# how many books do you read per year?



## Reili

I read about one book per year because books are so expensive and I prefer reading magazines and used books that someone gives me before throw away them.


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## Phryne

Reili said:
			
		

> I read about one book per year because books are so expensive and I prefer reading magazines and used books that someone gives me before throw away them.


 I know what you mean. In the US, books are sooo much cheaper than in Argentina!  Anyway, there are public libraries in Mexico, I imagine, where you can always borrow. 

I have no idea how many books I read a year; truthfully I don't know. It varies every year plus if I add what I have to read for school, ufff who knows.

saludos


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## garryknight

Reili said:
			
		

> I read about one book per year because books are so expensive and I prefer reading magazines and used books that someone gives me before throw away them.


So are you saying that you read one book per year in total, or one *new* book per year and more than one second-hand book?

I go through phases of reading fiction and phases of reading non-fiction and phases of not reading anything. I'm currently reading a couple of Jeffery Deaver novels (on my Pocket PC), a Stephen Leather novel (real paperback), and a book on landscape photography (it's well worth teaching yourself to speed-read if you have the time). Although I haven't been counting, I would guess it's been somewhere betwen 20 and 30 so far this year - which is uncharacteristically low.


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## V52

Reili said:
			
		

> I read about one book per year because books are so expensive and I prefer reading magazines and used books that someone gives me before throw away them.



Dear Reili
I can tell you  that i read maybe three, four books in the meantime. A bit confusing? Maybe..  At the end of  the year i really can't say how many they were. Many of them stay on my desk (or in the bathroom) for months, without finishing them, and there are some books  i love to read twice or more times. 
I do the same with movies. I watched my favourite movies maybe fifty ..sixty times.. 
Vitt52


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## Inara

I love reading! Fiction. Not bestsellers. Cortazar, Camus and people of this sort 
But I am on diet till next Wednsday when I take my English exam.
Then there will be a fiest!
At the age of 17 I thought that I have read all that was worth reading, some 10 years later I discovered that I have missed a handful of iberamericans! So I have a lot to do


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## garryknight

Inara said:
			
		

> At the age of 17 I thought that I have read all that was worth reading


Most of the really good stuff hasn't been written yet...


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## cuchuflete

I don't count, but I would guess its in the dozens. New books are horrendously expensive, but I'm not concerned with reading what's in fashion, so I go to the library's used book store...donated books there are ridiculously inexpensive...and the selection is very good.  I often buy reference books there, as well as history, history of science, and some wonderful fiction and poetry.  Now and then I get lucky and find things in 
Spanish or Portuguese or Italian.  

Last week I relented and bought a new book with the usual inflated price tag...but it was worth it:  Greg Rabassa's memoir of life as a --no, THE-- translator of modern Latin American fiction, both SP and PT into English.  It's called "*If this be treason*" and I highly recommend it.


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## Mita

Yo leo por lo menos siete libros al año (que son los que tengo que leer para las pruebas de comprensión de lectura del colegio). Como me gusta leer, además del colegio me leo unos cuantos, pero no es igual todos los años. El año pasado me leí unos doce o trece; este año llevo sólo cinco (tres del colegio y dos extra).
Los libros que leo aparte de los del colegio siempre son libros que están en mi casa o me los prestan, pero nunca compro. 


			
				garryknight said:
			
		

> Most of the really good stuff hasn't been written yet...


Claro, lo que pasa es que todavía no me decido a escribir un libro. (broma  ) 
Saludos pa' todos,


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## JLanguage

I virtually never buy books, just use my public and school libraries. I do buy paperbacks when they're on sale though, $.25 a pop is too good a bargain to pass up. In the past few weeks I've read at least 10 books, during the school year I have a lot less time for reading.

My two cents,
-Jonathan


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## Inara

garryknight said:
			
		

> Most of the really good stuff *hasn't been* written yet...


That means we shall wait for it to be written, or you mean, at the time I was 17 it hasn't been written yet? You know, I don' t have very clear those perfect tenses 
And it also depends what you call "really good stuff"...


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## meili

Inara said:
			
		

> That means we shall wait for it to be written, or you mean, at the time I was 17 it hasn't been written yet? You know, I don' t have very clear those perfect tenses
> And it also depends what you call "really good stuff"...


 
Perhaps garryknight means that there are still more and more and more to be written and to be read about.. Time and space and lifetimes..

I had been reading books eversince I can remember I started learning to read.. From fiction to non-fiction to documentaries and histories and latest discoveries.. Life without books and something to read is worthless.. I sometimes don't get it when I tell somebody 'to read this' and they answer back 'it's too long..' (perhaps our tastes varies, I see..)

Now I have applied for reservation of Harry Potter and the Mudblood Prince. Last book I have read was 'At the River Piedra I sat down and wept..' by Paulo Coelho.

mei


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## o'clock

Hola, buenas tardes 

¿Son caros los libros? ¿Muy caros?

¿Son caros los helados, hamburguesas, galletas, taxis, cerveza, tabaco.... Internet?

¿A qué estás dispuest@ a renunciar?

¿Qué tal un plato de lechuga y tomate, en lugar de una pizza?

Un saludo, muy muy cordial


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## garryknight

meili said:
			
		

> Perhaps garryknight means that there are still more and more and more to be written and to be read about.. Time and space and lifetimes.


Yes, that's more or less what I meant. Looking at the positive side, mankind has more time in the future to be literate than it has had in the past. On the negative side, maybe all of the good stories have been written - all six of them and their permutations - and the only good books will be non-fiction in future. Who knows?


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## David

An interesting statistic: there are more public libraries in the US than McDonald's joints. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Latin America, where public libraries are rare, often ill stocked, and nowhere near the resource they are here. And free textbooks in the schools, which we take for granted here, are also a rarity, or, when they exist, are often only a few tattered copies of poorly printed and out of date textbooks dedicated to extolling the government of the moment. A paperback mystery can cost two or three days´wages. Education is often conducted without books. What parent earning three or four dollars a day can buy books for five kids all in elementary and high school at the same time. What worker can spend four or five bucks for something to read on the hourlong busride home? Argie, I fear you may underestimate the hidden anguish of the first submission and overestimate the availability of books in Mexico...unless you are a member of the very thin middle and upper class. I grew up with the New York Public Library, too. It is among the great wonders of the world, like the U.S. post office, but sui generis in this hemisphere.


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## mia04

id say i read betwen 25-35!


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## Reili

Well there's an university near to my house and I can enter for free to read books, however being there it's very uncomfortable  because lots of students chatting and laughing and I prefer reading at night before I get sleep. But I read much in the INTERNET.


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## JLanguage

David said:
			
		

> An interesting statistic: there are more public libraries in the US than McDonald's joints. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Latin America, where public libraries are rare, often ill stocked, and nowhere near the resource they are here. And free textbooks in the schools, which we take for granted here, are also a rarity, or, when they exist, are often only a few tattered copies of poorly printed and out of date textbooks dedicated to extolling the government of the moment. A paperback mystery can cost two or three days´wages. Education is often conducted without books. What parent earning three or four dollars a day can buy books for five kids all in elementary and high school at the same time. What worker can spend four or five bucks for something to read on the hourlong busride home? Argie, I fear you may underestimate the hidden anguish of the first submission and overestimate the availability of books in Mexico...unless you are a member of the very thin middle and upper class. I grew up with the New York Public Library, too. It is among the great wonders of the world, like the U.S. post office, but sui generis in this hemisphere.


 
It is sad that those who want to read in Latin America are severely limited by the lack of (decent) libraries in their respective countries. Hopefully this, along with many of the world's problems will improve with time and effort on the part of those who care.


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## JLanguage

Inara said:
			
		

> I love reading! Fiction. Not bestsellers. Cortazar, Camus and people of this sort
> But I am on diet till next Wednsday when I take my English exam.
> Then there will be a fiest!
> At the age of 17 I thought that I have read all that was worth reading, some 10 years later I discovered that I have missed a handful of iberamericans! So I have a lot to do


 
I do not not a lot about Russian or Spanish literature, but I do know that there'll never be enough time for me to read all that there is to read in English. Maybe your standards are a lot higher than mine, I read whatever entertains, 
-Jonathan.


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## meili

David said:
			
		

> And free textbooks in the schools, which we take for granted here, are also a rarity, or, when they exist, are often only a few tattered copies of poorly printed and out of date textbooks dedicated to extolling the government of the moment.


 
Yes, sad but this is true.. In the Philippines, ratio of an old, battered book to student is 1:10.. 

I say I read all the time... There are just so many things hidden in books... And everytime I read I feel like I am swept away to some place more wonderful than where I am now.


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## SILSEP

o'clock said:
			
		

> Hola, buenas tardes
> 
> ¿Son caros los libros? ¿Muy caros?
> 
> ¿Son caros los helados, hamburguesas, galletas, taxis, cerveza, tabaco.... Internet?
> 
> ¿A qué estás dispuest@ a renunciar?
> 
> ¿Qué tal un plato de lechuga y tomate, en lugar de una pizza?
> 
> Un saludo, muy muy cordial


 I totally agree with o'clock!
I don't think books are so expensive if you compare them with music, clothes or a cinema or theater ticket! 

I read many books per year but not as many as I would like to.
During this year I've read about 5 books more or less.
I like to read them in different languages (well, the ones I know of course) trying to keep me updated.

Now, I am reading 2 books "100 años de soledad"(García Márquez) and "The Pillars of the Earth" (Ken Follet).   

And I've already bought 2 more which I am keen to read: "El Alquimista" (Paulo Coelho) and "La Sombra del Viento" (Carlos Ruiz Zafón).


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## Inara

You know, you can read "Rayuela" without bying it! Here you are:
http://www.literaberinto.com/CORTAZAR/rayuela.htm

I have seen complete works by Kafka somewhere in internet, as well. I think the site name was "The Kafka Project". It is in German, English version being under construction.
P.S. 
http://www.kafka.org/index.php?translations
It is here, there are some translation as well.

So if you are a poor student or unemployed but have a free acces to the World Web, you can still enjoy reading great masters. 

For those interested in Russian literature, I recommend Mijail Bulgacov.


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## joensuu

I read about one book per two weeks in french. In english, i need more time and still need some easy books.. I begun to read english books last year with Harry Potter colection of a friend. And now, i continue but get tired easily. 
At home, I have some good library really cheap to have lot of different kinds of books. I enjoy science fiction and fantasy but it's hard to find some in english.. So for english books, i'm most of the time oblige to buy them. 
But, i really dislike to read a book on internet. I enjoy to have a real book!


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## depassage

I read about 4/5 books a month.
I have some "I want to read" phases and "I don't want to read" phases...  
sometimes, I read several book altogether.
for instance, I'm reading some Corneille plays and the short stories of J.L Borges "El Hacedor" (billingual version; trato de leer en español, lol).
I have bought a dozen of books 2 months ago and I have not read everything yet. taking time.
I like to read some journals, too.


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## rob.returns

In truth, I do not count, If the book is good it just comes naturally...I read it. But if not, I let go. But I do love reading articles though, about paranormal...alien, SOS, SHC(spontaneous human combustion), Cryptozoology...all those queers.


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## Cristmarsal

I love this thread! When I was a kid, my father used to say he has one metric tone in books... His sister was cleaning the bookcase, and she thought it was a good idea to measure the weigth, just for tease my father... MORE THAN ONE METRIC TONE.
Since I was nine, I was in charge of my class library (about forty book each year) I never go out to play with other childrens at our breaks... I read each one of those books, an then, when I had finish all of them, I used to go to the main library on the school for more... When I was 13th, I had read at least half tone. Fortunately? I growed up and turn into a more social human... I spend some time with friends now. (And some time with you guys, I like this group. Lately I feel like I have found a nice people to learn from)


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## rob.returns

Welcome to the forum Cristmarsal, believe me people are great here. Just follow the rules.

Ask Moderators they know the best.


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## mari.kit

i love reading too! This year, i've read about 5 novels.. one of which is "Da Vinci Code" so far, thats my fave. I'm also a John Grisham fan  I also collect magazines. Well, i believe reading can enrich one's vocabulary.


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## Honeylhanz

i can't tell how many books i have read already in a year. with what i remember, two months ago i read 3 poocket books. as of now i'm reading a lot of books and review materials about architecture because i'm preparing for my incoming board exam.


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## Vanda

Actually I don´t know. Dozens, maybe. Besides those I read to entertain myself I have between 5 to 9 different books to read in a year to prepare students for college entrance. Being a Brazilian Literature teacher I must read and review, explain, try to convince students to read... all of them. Hard work , Brazilian students don´t like to read (TV is better  ) 
This month I´m rereading Ana Karenina and reading for the 1st time José Saramago "Levantado do Chão" (for my pleasure), along with those I have to discuss in classes ; among them the most famous Guimaraes Rosa ´s book (very difficult to the students not accustomed to read).
As many people above have already mentioned, books are very expensive.
I read from libraries, friends, (I don´t like reading on Internet), usually when I travel , I find cheaper books than here and always buy some, and of course when they are on sales.


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