What Happened When I Tried to Read 100 Books in a Year?
Beginning of the Year
How does it feel to read 100 books in a year? The maximum that I can reach is 53 books in a year. However, as time goes by, there are more books in my list and judging by my reading speed, I might soon bury under the books.
It wasn’t an initial goal of the year, but the question suddenly pops up in my mind: How it feels to read 100 books in a year? Due to the curiosity, I challenge myself and also will be my first time trying to read more than one book at the same time. It is one of the most common methods to reach 100 books in a year. I’ll like to give it a try. Besides, it will clear up some of the books in my reading list. Hopefully, it will improve my reading speed as well.
January
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 1. | How to Draw Faces. 32 pages, 43 days to read. 3/5. |
| 2. | The Shining by Stephen King. 675 pages, 18 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 3. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 06: Swim Time by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 4. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 07: Island Time by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 5. | The Mysterious Affair At Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1) by Agatha Christie. 361 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
February
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 6. | The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence, #1) by Agatha Christie. 372 pages, 9 days to read. My rating: 2/5. |
| 7. | The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. 480 pages, 11 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 8. | Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 22 by Yuto Tsukuda. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5 |
| 9. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 08: Time for an Opportunity by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 10. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 09: A Shocking Time by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 11. | Deadly Decisions (Temperance Brennan, #3) by Kathy Reichs. 368 pages, 8 days to read. My rating: 2/5. |
| 12. | Aesop’s Fables by Aesop. 264 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 13. | Rage by Richard Bachman. 156 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 14. | The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. 183 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 15. | Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials (Singaporean Mystery #2) by Ovidia Yu. 384 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 16. | The Mystery at Lilac Inn (Nancy Drew #4) by Carolyn Keene. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
March
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 17. | Night Shift by Stephen King. 368 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 18. | Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West by Blaine Harden. 202 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 19. | Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops #1) by Jen Campbell. 95 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 20. | More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops #2) by Jen Campbell. 75 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 21. | Laugh-Out-Loud Awesome Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott. 128 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 22. | The Sinner (Rizzoli & Isles #3) by Tess Gerritsen. 352 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 23. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 10: Robber Time by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 24. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 11: Athletic Festival Time by Yusei Matsui. 208 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 25. | The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot, #2) by Agatha Christie. 272 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 26. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 12: Shinigami Time by Yusei Matsui. 200 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 27. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 13: Career Time by Yusei Matsui. 200 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 28. | The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 368 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 2/5. |
| 29. | Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie. 265 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 30. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 14: End-of-Term Time by Yusei Matsui. 200 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 31. | The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. 407 pages, 9 days to read. My rating: 2/5. |
| 32. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 15: Storm Time by Yusei Matsui. 196 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 33. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 16: Past Time by Yusei Matsui. 195 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 34. | Body Double (Rizzoli & Isles #4) by Tess Gerritsen. 270 pages, 8 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 35. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 17: Division Time by Yusei Matsui. 204 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
April
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 36. | The Long Walk by Richard Bachman. 370 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 37. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 18: Valentine’s Time by Yusei Matsui. 194 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 38. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 19: School Attendance Time by Yusei Matsui. 196 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 39. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 20: Graduation Time by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 40. | Assassination Classroom, Vol. 21: Time to Say Thank You by Yusei Matsui. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 41. | Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 23 by Yuto Tsukuda. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 42. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 2 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
May
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 43. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 3 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 44. | Out by Natsuo Kirino. 520 pages, 30 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 45. | Vanish (Rizzoli and Isles #5) by Tess Gerritsen. 269 pages, 11 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 46. | The Man in the Brown Suit (Colonel Race #1) by Agatha Christie. 384 pages, 10 days to read. My rating: 1/5. |
July
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 47. | Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials (Singaporean Mystery #3) by Ovidia Yu. 368 pages, 12 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 48. | Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth by E.L. Konigsburg. 117 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 49. | The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura. 224 pages, 3 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 50. | The Color Purple by Alice Walker. 262 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 51. | Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. 52 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 52. | Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. 320 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 53. | Revenge by Yoko Ogawa. 162 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 54. | The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-mi Hwang. 134 pages, 4 days ro read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 55. | The London Jungle Book by Bhajju Shyam. 48 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 56. | 56. Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 24 by Yuto Tsukuda. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
August
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 57. | Seriously … I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres. 288 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 58. | Call and Response: An Introduction to the Catholic Faith by John Francis Collins. 152 pages, 22 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 59. | Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 25 by Yuto Tsukuda. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 60. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 4 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 200 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 61. | Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. 354 pages, 19 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 62. | Fatal Voyage (Temperance Brennan, #4) by Kathy Reichs. 368 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
September
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 63. | Rolling with the Punchlines by Urzila Carlson.190 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 64. | Big Nate Makes a Splash by Lincoln Peirce. 10 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 65. | Big Nate: Great Minds Think Alike by Lincoln Peirce. 224 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 66. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 5 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 200 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 67. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 6 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 200 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 68. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 7 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 200 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 69. | True Stories of Law and Order: SVU by Kevin Dwyer. 272 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 70. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 8 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 71. | Salvation of a Saint (Detective Galileo #5) by Keigo Higashino. 337 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 72. | The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom - A Toltec Wisdom Book by Miguel Ruiz. 176 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 1/5. |
| 73. | What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe. 336 pages, 4 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 74. | More Precious Than Life: One man’s Indomitable Quest for Freedom in Mao’s China by Xu Hongci. 288 pages, 5 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 75. | 75. Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 9 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
October
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 76. | Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 26 by Yuto Tsukuda. 192 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 77. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 10 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 200 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 78. | The 100 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons by Jerry Beck & Leonard Maltin. 214 pages, 14 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 79. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 1 by Ayumi Komura. 197 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 80. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 2 by Ayumi Komura. 210 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 81. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 3 by Ayumi Komura. 190 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 4/5. |
| 82. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 11 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 83. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 12 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 84. | Minefields: A Life in the News Game by Hugh Riminton. 435 pages, 7 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
November
| Number | Title, Pages, Days of Reading, & Rating |
|---|---|
| 85. | Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City’s Most Colorful Neighborhoods by Florent Chavouet. 206 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 86. | I See You by Clare Mackintosh. 386 pages, 6 days to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 87. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 4 by Ayumi Komura. 193 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 88. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 5 by Ayumi Komura. 193 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 3/5. |
| 89. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 6 by Ayumi Komura. 182 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 2/5. |
| 90. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 7 by Ayumi Komura. 185 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 2/5. |
| 91. | Mixed Vegetables, Vol. 8 by Ayumi Komura. 196 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 1/5. |
| 92. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 13 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 93. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 14 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 94. | Shinya Shokudo 1 by Yaro Abe. 152 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 95. | Cooking Papa #1 by Ueyama Tochi. 205 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 96. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 15 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 2 days to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 97. | Shinya Shokudo 2 by Yaro Abe. 150 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 98. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 16 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 99. | Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 17 by Hiromu Arakawa and Akira Watanabe. 192 pages, 1 day to read. My rating: 5/5. |
| 100. | Fast Food Nation: What The All-American Meal is Doing to the World by Eric Schlosser. 384 pages, 36 days to read. My rating: 4/5. |
End of the Year
How does it feel to read 100 books in a year? What I can say is I have mixed feelings about it. It’s better to break them into a list:
Good
- Vocabulary has improved
- Better in expressing myself or easier in describing something
- Cleared a few books in my reading list
- Feel proud of achieving such a tough challenge
Bad
- Breathless - I feel like I'm trying to catch a train all the time
- Exhausting
- Abandoned a lot of housework
- Cooking less
- Unhealthy
- No time to enjoy doing other stuff
- Start to question myself about my purpose of reading. Do I enjoy reading? Do I have time to enjoy the book that I’m reading? Do I enjoy the book or just for the goal? What I just read?
Will I do it again? A big NO for me. I won’t do it anymore. I’m not sure whether I will get into this crazy plan after 10 years, but in short-term, I won’t do it again. I will make myself to forget that question again. That question which caused me exhausted for the whole year. I guess I will take a long break from reading books. One thing for sure is I will only set 5 or 10 books as my goal next year in Goodreads. I will take my time and enjoy my reading.
Most importantly, I can have more time to enjoy doing other stuff. In the end, I’m not a fast reader or someone that can read multiple books at the same time. I still like the old way. I will switch back to taking a month to read 400++ pages or two weeks for 200 pages. I always have something else that I need to do in the end.
I still have a lot of physical books which I haven’t read. Probably next year is to take my time to clear them up (18 physical books at current state), but I will take my time to enjoy those books. I want to spend more time to explore something else. My highest priority is to focus on my illustrations work and trying other methods of drawing if possible. Other things in my list that I'm interested in exploring or focusing will be cooking and charity work or maybe even trying to increase my understanding of religion.
Reading is no longer in the list. Also, judging by the number of books (ebooks, books in the library which has the books in my reading list, never-ending reading list), I’ll probably dump the work to a randomiser application to pick a book for me to read. But it does feel great after completed such a big project and I'm looking forward to another big project next year.