500 Books in 5 Years

500 Books in 5 Years by Budd Margolis

I have reached my goal and must thank Goodreads, my Kindle device and all of the recommendations from Goodreads, friends and articles!

I read an article about how the Booker Prize judges read 145 novels in seven?months. I asked myself how is that possible??They claim not to be speed readers and frankly, I studied and tried speed reading but the retention is vastly inferior.

My goal was simple, after graduating from the American University, Wash DC in 1978, I realised much has changed and I needed to update myself.?American politics and society, science, medicine, economics and other trends had changed and I knew I was behinds the curve.

I decided that I would read at night so going to bed early, the pandemic and?carefully selecting books of prime interest and favoured authors was critical to success. ?

The Kindle Oasis made it possible to create a warm and dark but comfortable reading screen surface. ?

I have always been an avid reader and consumed about 25-30 books a year.?So, I decided I would work to read 500 books, 95% non-fiction, and write 150 articles in five years.? I had to build up to this task!

BOOKS

2016: 49

2017: 67

2018: 91

2019: 111

2020: 107

2021: 120

2022: 70

2018-2022

Total: 499

I am currently on my 500th book This Mortal Coil: A History of Death by?Andrew Doig . An entertaining, eye-opening work of popular history that illuminates how death has changed across time.

Some books are short, some long, some have large portions devoted to photos, acknowledgments, index, notes, bibliographies.?Pages therefore are not relevant and it all averages out. I figure 15% of a non-fiction book is supportive material.

To achieve an average I took page counts from 2016 to 2022

PAGES

2016:?16,204

2017:?22,198

2018:?27,112

2019:?31,734

2020:?33,217

2021:?34, 495

2022: 20,903

Total: 185,863

185,863 DIV X 499=372.47 pages per book

Prices?

There are kindle books, pubs, hard cover, recordings and paperback.?Prices range but assume an average of ￡10 or $11.26 (exchange as of OCT 18, 2022). ￡10 x 499 = ￡4,999 or $5,631.85 USD

Politics. I was taken aback by the American political shift to insanity and the growing trend throughout the world.?So much is changing and changing faster than ever.?The era of livings mattering and the language and new woke customs, shootings, drug epidemics, domestic terrorism, economic mayhem, changing consumer trends and the technology that empowers it all, social media and the rise of fascism.

Trying to make sense of it all is impossible,.?Everyone has an opinion and most of them do not matter.?I have read 50+ books by and about politicians, candidates, Presidents from FDR, Eisenhower, JFK, RFK, MLK, LBJ, Nixon, Carter & Clinton, Obama, Trump (and various minions), Biden and others.

At least today I know when someone says something where it comes from and where they stand!?But I am still utterly disappointed in how many no longer care for each other or their nations once vaunted and noble values.

Articles. I highlight gems when I read and then download to a document which I can refer to when I write some of my articles which appear mostly in Linkedin.

Believe it or not, some of my articles have been read by 5,000 and passed on to others so it is impossible to know how many actually have read, or retained much but usually the response is positive.?Some of my article shave achieved just a few dozen or hundred so hits.

I have written articles so that I can quickly reference what I have read and to share with others.?It is a method of self marketing but educating myself, and others, has been the main goal.

Next? After 2022 I will continue to read and keep current but I am also going to shift more towards fiction. I do not count my career based reading which will continue and I find reading books that your family and friends are reading is a good way to follow their interests and thinking.

I have given away thousands of books,?Some through World Book Day where I would hand a book to each resident on my street or slip books in tube seats or cafes, hand them to strangers and wish them a good read & day!

Books are what exercises ones mind and as we grow older its good to keep ones brain active and alert.?Books educate, open our eyes and minds to new possibilities, discoveries, facts and developments.

Non-fiction helped to bring me a DIY University refresher course and 500 books is a noble but exhausting exercise.

Fiction expands vision and creativity and takes one one ion marvellous journeys.

Conclusion? Reading is one of the most pleasurable forms of education, entertainment and cerebral exercise.?Children in their formative years should be read to and encouraged to cherish books.

J.K. Rowling has done more to reignite children’s delight than anyone.?        

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?is a book gifting programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere. Each month, enrolled children from birth to age five, receive a high quality, age appropriate book in the post, free of charge.?        

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?is a book gifting programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in the hearts of children everywhere. Each month, enrolled children from birth to age five, receive a high quality, age appropriate book in the post, free of charge.?

World Book Day March 2, 2023 also focuses attention on books as do there various prizes and Goodreads!        

I admit reading 500 books, in just five years, is a challenge but once started it was hard to stop!

Wether it is a paper book or a ebook device, reading is healthy and fascinating!