Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008 Statistics

Here are last year's statistics for reference.

Total Books Read: 85

Nonfiction: 21
Fiction: 64

Books by female authors: 64
Books by male authors: 20
(One book was by a woman and a man)

Memoir: 11
Mysteries: 14
WWII/Holocaust: 6

Books that were re-reads: 5

Books published in:

2009: 3
2008: 27
2000-2007: 35
1990-1999: 5
1970-1989: 5
1940-1969: 6
1900-1939: 3
pre-1900: 1

Total pages read: 27,447 divided by 85 = 323 average pages per book

(Not sure why I kept track of this, other than being curious. It's not a terribly accurate number, seeing as I read a lot of cookbooks and magazines that I don't count.)

I think the biggest difference is that I read many more books by male authors than I did last year. It felt as though I read less nonfiction, which I did overall, but I think it's still a respectable amount.

Next up: Favorite books of 2008!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on a great year in books!

Lezlie said...

Well done! Happy New Year, Tara!

Lezlie

Eva said...

Those are some good-looking numbers! :) I don't track my page count, because I'm too lazy, lol.

Literary Feline said...

It looks like you had a great year in reading, Tara. It's fun looking at everyone's statistics. :-)

Anonymous said...

I used the same picture for my 2009 reading challenge that you use your your picture on here. I just love that photo!

Sheri

nutmeg said...

I like your statistics page! I should look at my male/female split - I am thinking in fiction it would lean to female and non-fiction would probably lean to male.

And I am JEALOUS of 85 books - I am a slow reader!

Tara said...

bermudaonion, thank you!

Lezlie, Thanks! Happy New year to you, too!

Eva, thanks! Though I'm shamed by you. I don't know if I'll track it again...looking at it now, I'm not surprised by the average so what's the point??

Literary Feline, I think I did and I agree.

Thursdaysthoughts, I love it too! I chose it from a book called reading women and it represents (to me) my daughter and myself.

Nutmeg, thanks! I should have looked at that, and I think my would lean the same way yours would. It seems like you generally read more than me!

Nan said...

Just put mine up today, Tara. Tom and I have found it most hilarious all day, calling out, 'book geek' or 'geek girl.' :<) I didn't count pages. It's interesting to me how you did your publication dates. Had you seen this model somewhere or did you make it up? And what made you choose to do them the way you did? I ended up doing my favorites along with my 'facts' list. I loved reading this!

Danielle said...

Happy New Year, Tara! I always find these statistics interesting. I think we have similar reading habits--I read more women than men authors. I do need to read more NF, though!

Tara said...

Nan, oh you do ask difficult questions! I made up the publication date list. It felt like a natural breakdown to me. I felt anything from 2000 and on was 'recent', the 1970-1989 is sort of the period of my 'youth', and I'm not sure why I broke the rest down as I did - pre and post war? pre and post parents being alive? Not sure. It just felt right to me.

Danielle, it seems to me we have similar habits too. I usually read way more women writers, but I did a bit better with that this year reading more men.

Mary said...

I love this post! As a lover of reading and a mathematician, nothing represents a better combination!

taterbug said...

I think I would like 'The Lost Garden', but I have been sick since the first of the year and have not been able to read anything yet. What a great giveaway opportunity!