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Goodreads Challenge 2014 - the year in numbers

I like to read. A lot. More than most people. I enjoy knowing things, even if those things are fiction...with elves...or the undead...or dragons. I really like dragons. I also love keeping lists of things that I readq. So you can imagine that when I found out about Goodreads I was thrilled. I was even more excited when I saw that they had a Reading Challenge which let you set some arbritrary goal for reading, and then track your progress as you mark books as "read". Last year I read 52 books, or an average of a book a week. That's pretty good, but I started the challenge late, around March or April, and wanted to really challenge myself. So I set out to read 100 books in 2014. I hit 120 yesterday. Here's my 2014 reading challenge Zeitgeist.

you have read 120 of 100 books. A Goodreads reading challenge

Ratings

I didn't give out any 1-star ratings this year, but I did give out the following:

Authors

I read books from 64 unique authors this year. By volume, my most read authors this year were:

Series

With so many books read, you're bound to complete series. Here's a list of the series I read completely this year. Some of them still have books which have not yet been published. I still marked them as "completed":

Most read months

Here's a histogram of the months of the year. You can see that I started off strong, waned during the summer months, then pulled it off at the end. I was reading lots of Charles Stross during the summer and his books sort of drained me a little.

Pages Read

41,514. That's a lot of pages. The longest book I read this year was The House of Hades by Rick Riordan at 597 pages. While the shortest was a delightful read: a short tale called If Dragon's Mass Eve Be Cold And Clear by Ken Scholes which you can read for free on Tor.com. The average page length was 345 pages and the page breakdown was as follows:

Audiobooks Heard

Lots of people asked me how I was able to get through so many books, so quickly. I read faster than many, but I'm not a speed reader, I just have a system. I listen to audiobooks on the way to and from work, at double speed. it takes some getting used to, but it turns a 10-12 hour commitment into 5-6 hours. I can generally finish 2-4 audiobook chapters a day, and complete a book in about 1 1/2 weeks. I also read lots of eBooks on my iPhone. I read those while I'm eating breakfast, when I'm putting my kids to bed (while I'm waiting for them to fall asleep with the lights off). Finally I have a paper book that I read while I'm on the couch, or in bed at night. Of the 120 books I read this year, 32 were audiobooks, including 3 complete series, The Magicians, The Peculiar, and The Lunar Chronicles.

As a wrap up, here's the complete list of books for your perusal.

Title Author Rating Date Read
Stardust Neil Gaiman 5 01/03/2014
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief Francis S. Collins 4 01/04/2014
The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, #1) Rick Riordan 4 01/11/2014
The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, #2) Rick Riordan 4 01/14/2014
Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters with Issues Eric Garcia 3 01/15/2014
The Dog Stars Peter Heller 4 01/17/2014
47 Ronin John Allyn 3 01/18/2014
Railsea China Mi�ville 5 01/23/2014
The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus, #3) Rick Riordan 4 01/26/2014
Married With Zombies (Living with the Dead, #1) Jesse Petersen 3 01/27/2014
Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles, #1) Suzanne Collins 3 01/29/2014
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick 3 01/31/2014
The Ocean at the End of the Lane Neil Gaiman 5 02/01/2014
The Problem of Pain C.S. Lewis 4 02/02/2014
The Last Colony (Old Man's War #3) John Scalzi 4 02/05/2014
The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus, #4) Rick Riordan 4 02/06/2014
Flip This Zombie (Living with the Dead, #2) Jesse Petersen 3 02/07/2014
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Underland Chronicles, #2) Suzanne Collins 3 02/08/2014
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz, #1) Brandon Sanderson 4 02/11/2014
Scarlet (King Raven, #2) Stephen R. Lawhead 3 02/11/2014
Allegiant (Divergent, #3) Veronica Roth 3 02/16/2014
The Godfather Mario Puzo 4 02/19/2014
The Family Trade (The Merchant Princes, #1) Charles Stross 4 02/21/2014
Holes (Holes, #1) Louis Sachar 4 02/22/2014
Lexicon Max Barry 4 02/23/2014
Kraken China Mi�ville 3 02/26/2014
The Hidden Family (The Merchant Princes, #2) Charles Stross 3 03/02/2014
Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones (Alcatraz, #2) Brandon Sanderson 3 03/03/2014
The Peculiar (The Peculiar, #1) Stefan Bachmann 4 03/06/2014
Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia Brandon Sanderson 3 03/08/2014
Tuck (King Raven, #3) Stephen R. Lawhead 4 03/09/2014
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Underland Chronicles, #3) Suzanne Collins 4 03/11/2014
A Wrinkle in Time (A Wrinkle in Time Quintet, #1) Madeleine L'Engle 3 03/15/2014
The Color of Magic (Discworld, #1) Terry Pratchett 2 03/15/2014
The Rithmatist (Rithmatist, #1) Brandon Sanderson 4 03/16/2014
Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens (Alcatraz, #4) Brandon Sanderson 4 03/22/2014
Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, #1) Pierce Brown 5 03/23/2014
Influx Daniel Suarez 5 03/28/2014
The Whatnot (The Peculiar, #2) Stefan Bachmann 3 03/28/2014
Ready Player One Ernest Cline 4 03/30/2014
The Clan Corporate (The Merchant Princes, #3) Charles Stross 4 04/06/2014
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1) Ransom Riggs 4 04/08/2014
Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Underland Chronicles, #4) Suzanne Collins 4 04/12/2014
How to Train Your Dragon (How to Train Your Dragon, #1) Cressida Cowell 3 04/14/2014
Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles, #5) Suzanne Collins 4 04/17/2014
Equations of Life (Samuil Petrovitch, #1) Simon Morden 4 04/20/2014
The Golem and the Jinni Helene Wecker 3 04/27/2014
The Merchants' War (The Merchant Princes, #4) Charles Stross 4 04/27/2014
Off to Be the Wizard (Magic 2.0, #1) Scott Meyer 4 04/29/2014
The Emerald Atlas (The Books of Beginning, #1) John Stephens 4 04/29/2014
Screw The Galaxy (Hard Luck Hank #1) Steven Campbell 4 05/04/2014
How to Be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon, #2) Cressida Cowell 3 05/05/2014
The Fire Chronicle (The Books of Beginning, #2) John Stephens 4 05/09/2014
Ex-Heroes (Ex-Heroes, #1) Peter Clines 4 05/11/2014
The Revolution Business (The Merchant Princes, #5) Charles Stross 3 05/15/2014
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Karen Joy Fowler 3 05/18/2014
Ex-Patriots (Ex-Heroes, #2) Peter Clines 4 05/26/2014
Zoe's Tale (Old Man's War, #4) John Scalzi 4 05/29/2014
Ex-Communication (Ex-Heroes, #3) Peter Clines 4 05/30/2014
Fortunately, the Milk Neil Gaiman 5 06/01/2014
Machine Man Max Barry 3 06/07/2014
The Skin Map (Bright Empires, #1) Stephen R. Lawhead 5 06/12/2014
Ex-Purgatory (Ex-Heroes, #4) Peter Clines 5 06/16/2014
The Trade Of Queens (The Merchant Princes, #6) Charles Stross 3 06/24/2014
The Bone House (Bright Empires, #2) Stephen R. Lawhead 4 06/26/2014
Theories of Flight (Samuil Petrovitch, #2) Simon Morden 3 07/01/2014
Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line Michael Gibney 5 07/02/2014
How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon, #3) Cressida Cowell 3 07/07/2014
Next Michael Crichton 3 07/07/2014
Degrees of Freedom (Samuil Petrovitch, #3) Simon Morden 4 07/17/2014
George and the Dragon Philip Tolhurst 3 07/17/2014
Spell or High Water (Magic 2.0, #2) Scott Meyer 4 07/20/2014
The City & the City China Mi�ville 4 07/23/2014
The Darwin Elevator (Dire Earth Cycle, #1) Jason M. Hough 4 08/02/2014
The Lives of Tao (Tao, #1) Wesley Chu 4 08/02/2014
Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century, #1) Cherie Priest 4 08/05/2014
Fablehaven (Fablehaven, #1) Brandon Mull 4 08/07/2014
Odd and the Frost Giants Neil Gaiman 5 08/14/2014
The Deaths of Tao (Tao, #2) Wesley Chu 4 08/16/2014
Eleven Twenty-Three Jason S. Hornsby 4 08/23/2014
The Exodus Towers (Dire Earth Cycle, #2) Jason M. Hough 4 08/24/2014
The Lure of the Basilisk (Lords of Dus, #1) Lawrence Watt-Evans 3 08/30/2014
The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil, #1) Soman Chainani 3 09/03/2014
Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven, #2) Brandon Mull 3 09/07/2014
The Palace Job (Rogues of the Republic #1) Patrick Weekes 3 09/09/2014
The Sisters Brothers Patrick deWitt 4 09/13/2014
The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) Lev Grossman 5 09/18/2014
NPCs Drew Hayes 4 09/21/2014
Ringworld (Ringworld, #1) Larry Niven 3 09/26/2014
The Plague Forge (Dire Earth Cycle, #3) Jason M. Hough 3 09/26/2014
Project Nemesis (Kaiju, #1) Jeremy Robinson 5 09/27/2014
Project Maigo (Kaiju, #2) Jeremy Robinson 5 10/03/2014
Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3) Brandon Mull 4 10/07/2014
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) Suzanne Collins 5 10/08/2014
The Intern's Handbook: A Thriller Shane Kuhn 5 10/09/2014
James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl 5 10/15/2014
Gun Machine Warren Ellis 5 10/18/2014
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) Agatha Christie 3 10/19/2014
The Magician King (The Magicians, #2) Lev Grossman 5 10/20/2014
Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4) Brandon Mull 4 10/30/2014
Makers Cory Doctorow 3 11/06/2014
Peter Pan Wendi Lowery 3 11/09/2014
The Magician's Land (The Magicians, #3) Lev Grossman 5 11/12/2014
The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, #5) Rick Riordan 5 11/16/2014
Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5) Brandon Mull 5 11/23/2014
Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1) Marissa Meyer 4 11/25/2014
A Snicker of Magic Natalie Lloyd 5 11/27/2014
In the Hall of the Dragon King (The Dragon King, #1) Stephen R. Lawhead 3 11/29/2014
Neverwhere Neil Gaiman 4 12/04/2014
Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles, #2) Marissa Meyer 4 12/14/2014
The Walking Dead, Vol. 09: Here We Remain Robert Kirkman 3 12/17/2014
The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become Robert Kirkman 3 12/17/2014
Starship Grifters Robert Kroese 3 12/20/2014
The Gilded Chain (King's Blades, #1) Dave Duncan 3 12/20/2014
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) Marissa Meyer 4 12/24/2014
If Dragon's Mass Eve Be Cold And Clear Ken Scholes 4 12/25/2014
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook Anthony Bourdain 5 12/25/2014
Mother Earth Mother Board Neal Stephenson 3 12/26/2014
Disenchanted Robert Kroese 5 12/28/2014
The Alloy of Law (Mistborn, #4) Brandon Sanderson 5 12/28/2014