How many books do people read a year?
Jason Boog
The most common reading goals in 2026
The most popular book goal was to read 12 books this year.Fable reader Mysse picked this goal, and explained their reading resolution: "I truly don't know how many books I read last year, so I think I'll keep my life simple and set my focus on 12 books. I know I read more than that, but this is a good way to start." The second most popular goal was much more ambitious: to read 50 books, just like Fable reader Marco:"I’m aiming for 50 this year. One way I keep consistent is by reading first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I read and listen to (sometimes simultaneously) fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. I love intense/dark fiction, YA romance, and nonfiction that inspires and/or educates. This year I’m planning to read more fantasy."
Nearly one in three readers on Fable hope to read 26 to 50 books in 2026, making it the most popular goal range. "My goal is to read 50 pages a day," explained Fable reader Roos about this average books read per year category. "And since I want to read quite a lot of books over 600 pages long, that's around 30 books a year."What’s a realistic reading goal for most people?
We also need to remember that not every reader set a goal this year, and that's perfectly fine! Hundreds of Fable members set a 2026 reading goal of zero. Fable reader Jeca2885 reminded the community of this in her reading goal post:"Reading is reading. If you are spending your time reading and scrolling less, that's all that matters. Give yourself some grace."
More than one quarter of readers chose a goal of 13 to 25 books, which requires reading a book every two to four weeks. "My goal last year was 25, and I'm keeping it the same this year," wrote Fable reader Monica, explaining why she chose this reading resolution. "I know I can read more than that, but if I increase the goal too much, I tend to stress about it and 'cheat' by reading short stories and such. An achievable goal encourages me to keep reading without adding more stress to my life."Reading goals statistics for readers who go from 51 books to 500
About 1 out of every 6 Fable readers chose a more challenging path, setting reading goals that ranged between 51 and 100 books. If you spread that goal over the entire year, these folks will be reading at least one book a week. Fable reader Lisa downsized her goal with this range: "I read 152 last year. I did not like the pace. I couldn’t ruminate about what I just read because I felt pressured to meet my goal. This year, my goal is 52. Breathing room."Sageington uses audiobooks to keep reading all day long for this ambitious goal:"Going for 100 books this year! I read audiobooks at work and can sometimes read a single book in one day!"
A small sliver of readers (about 1 in 30 Fable users) set a goal of 101 books or higher -- they have a big year ahead of them with at least two books a week! Fable reader tsmiles68 fell into this category: "My goal is 275. I did get a Kindle for Christmas, so I'll be keeping track of audiobooks, Kindle, and physical books. I listen to a lot of books. When I walk, crochet, or clean my house, I've got an audiobook going."Finally, a few hundred readers chose the mind-boggling goal of 500 books. I hope none of them are reading this post because they don't have a minute to waste if they want to hit that goal! Fable reader Victoria led the charge on this one: "My goal is 500! I think I finished 417 last year!"Keep reading on Everand!
How many books do people read a year? As you can see by the Fable community, it is different for every kind of reader. If you love this kind of bookish number-crunching, check out our State of Reading report!Whether you need more motivation to begin your goal setting process or just want to read instead of doomscrolling, we've created a list of the top 10 goal setting books. Don't forget that reading itself is an important habit that helps us feel better and connect with other readers!Explore these titles and thousands more on Everand, available in both audiobook and ebook formats, and start your journey toward a calmer, more productive reading life today!Want to add some audiobooks or ebooks to your reading life? Sign up for a free 30-day trial to Everand, a digital subscription that gives you instant access to millions of bestselling ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more. Start reading on the web, iOS, Android, and even offline.
Jason Boog