That stat about how many books people actually finish blew my mind

I was scrolling through some reading stats last night and found out the average person only finishes about 12 books a year. But here's the kicker - in book clubs, that number drops to like 3 or 4 because people either can't keep up or lose interest halfway through. I found this on a library blog that tracks book club data from 150 clubs across the US. It makes me wonder how many great books we're all missing out on because of group pressure to finish something specific. Has anyone else felt like book club picks actually kill your reading momentum?

4 comments

4 Comments

hugos467d ago

The debate is what forces you to actually form an opinion on the book instead of just zoning out.

irisowens8d ago

Oh wow, that book club stat really hits home. I've definitely felt that pressure kill my love for reading sometimes.

lewis.mila7d ago

Push back a little here, but I actually think that pressure can be a good thing sometimes. My old book club had a strict reading schedule and we would get into these heated debates about plot holes and character choices. It forced me to really dig into books I normally wouldn't touch, like that dense historical novel about the Russian Revolution. I ended up loving it more than anything I would have picked on my own.

logan5257d ago

Haha I read something about this the other day, how "good stress" can actually push you into better habits. Sounds like that book club was your version of that.