SERIESous Discussions: Every once and awhile I will post my random ramblings about a bookish or blogging topic. Feel free to join in by making a comment below or linking back!
For the last two years, I’ve been curious about my various reading stats. Like how many books I read in a month throughout the year? Do I start more series than I finish? And the topics for this discussion: What book formats do I read the most? Where do they come from?
You are probably wondering how I gathered all this data. Throughout the year, I keep an Excel file running where I keep track of:
- What books I read
- What format it was (ex. audiobook, eBook, physical, ARC, etc)
- Where I got the book from (ex. library, ARC, owned)
- What number it is in the series or is it a standalone
- Is it a new series or a previously started series
What I Learned From Last Year’s Post — and What I Did About It:
- I need to limit the number of ARCs I request
- I unsubscribed to a majority of Blog Tour mailing lists
- I focused on street teams for authors I love
- I limited the request availability on my site
- Continue to read audiobooks but don’t rely on them for numbers
- I need to read more books that I own
- I have an annual Tackling the TBR Challenge focused exclusively on books I already own
But did I actually stick to those? Find out…
Comparing 2019 to 2018:
The first time I did this investigation I compared each month by a line graph; last year I did a table for each month. This time around I’m going to a bar graph of the year as a whole so it is easier on the eyes!
The Highlights:
One thing that is glaringly obvious is that I definitely read fewer books in 2019 than in 2018. Last year was the first year where I didn’t finish my Goodreads goal (I was 28 books short) so I’m not surprised to see the large contrast on some formats.
When I did this last year, I really anticipated that my audiobook numbers would take a major nosedive. But audiobooks honestly saved my reading last year. Even though I no longer commute to work, I’ve integrated audiobook listening into doing my chores, walking my dog and long travel times.
The last thing that really shocked me was the number of eBooks I checked out from the library. I had to triple check my numbers were right when I was making the graph. But if you look at my Kindle and Kobo numbers (which are books I own), it makes sense and balances out. My 5 Year 5 Book Challenge for 2019 used books I already owned so I didn’t need to go to the library on a regular basis.
Moving Forward:
I set my Reading Challenges for the year back in January but I like to use these posts as a check-up or mid-year review of sorts to see if I am on track with my goals or what I need to change going forward.
I truly adore audiobooks and they’ve become such a staple to my everyday reading. Because chances are, if I didn’t pick up my eReader I probably listened to an audiobook at some point. The whole idea is crazy to me because 5 years ago I really struggled with the concept of audiobooks.
>> SERIESous Discussion: How I Fell In Love With Audiobooks
For the most part, this year I’ve been going with the flow and following my moods more. During the Covid pandemic in the Spring, I was checking out a lot of books from the library’s eBook selection but I didn’t necessarily read them if I wasn’t in the mood. And I tried not to get myself upset if returned the book unread (which is a hard habit to break!)
When I first did this breakdown, I was shocked to learn that less than half of the books I read came from the library. I had always had the firm belief that 80+% of my books came from there so it was a total surprise. But in the past few years, I’ve worked really hard on reading more of the books I already own and not just buying books willy-nilly and never reading them. Last year in particularly, my main focus was reading books I owned prior to 2019.
| Source: | 2019 | 2018 # (%) | 2017 # (%) | 2016 # (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchased | 69 (38%) | 46 (20%) | 52 (21%) | 79 (34%) |
| Library | 74 (41%) | 97 (43%) | 114 (47%) | 85 (36%) |
| ARCs | 38 (21%) | 86 (37%) | 80 (32%) | 69 (30%) |
| Grand Total: | 181 (100%) | 229 (100%) | 240 (100%) | 233 (100%) |
Again, I’m not shocked by these results. To break it down a little further, 81% of the library books I took out were audiobooks. I’m happy that some sources went down (like ARCs and even the library) as planned since I read more books that I already own.
>> SERIESous Discussion: How Many Series Did I Really Read in 2019?
Moving Forward:
Like last year, my main goals for 2020 are to increase the number of owned books I read in a year and to reduce the number of book series I have on the go. And to accomplish these goals, I’m slowly changing my reading habits. Instead of reaching for that library book, I’ll check my Kindle or Kobo first for a book that will suit my mood. I resist ARC temptation but not checking Netgalley regularly and unsubscribed from review mailing lists. I’m making a lot of progress and positive changes since I first started blogging 7 years ago!
What book formats do you read in a month? Where do they come from?
