How many books you can still read
Most of us have more books we want to read than time to read them. This counts how many fit in, at your pace and at the pace you'd like.
Your numbers
Common answers are filled in. Change the ones you know.
Typical: 5 minutes. Put in yours.
Most novels are about 80,000 to 100,000 words.
Leave it at 0 to use the average for your age in India. It's an average for a big group, not a prediction about you.
It only changes the order on your statement.
What waiting costs you
260 books left
About 260 more books at your pace, or 1,038 at the pace you'd like
20 minutes a day is about 21.7 books a year at an average reading speed. While it waited, about 16 books went unread.
Your small stepPut a book by your bed tonight and read for 10 minutes before you sleep.
How we worked this out
- Reading speed: 238 words a minute, the adult average.
- Books a year now: 5 minutes × 365 days × 238 ÷ 80,000 words = 5.4.
- With your plan: 20 minutes a day = 21.7 books a year.
- Years: about 47.8, the average at age 30 in India. It's a group average, not a prediction.
- Books ahead: 260 at your pace, or 1,038 with your plan.
- Missed while it waited: 15 minutes a day for 12 months = about 91 hours, or 16.3 books.
- How much it matters to you: 7 out of 10. It only changes the order on your statement.
Fixed figures
- Average years left at 30: 47.8 years
- Average reading speed: 238 words a minute
Sources
- Brysbaert, Journal of Memory and Language (2019): Adults read silently at about 238 words a minute on average.
- Writer's Digest (2016): Most novels are about 80,000 to 100,000 words long.
- WHO Global Health Observatory (2020): In India, a person who reaches 60 lives about 17.8 more years on average.
- UN World Population Prospects (2024): In India, a person who reaches 80 lives about 7.6 more years on average.
How it works
Adults read silently at about 238 words a minute on average. A typical novel is about 80,000 words, so one book takes about 5.6 hours.
We multiply your minutes a day by 365 and by the reading speed, then divide by the words in a book.
For the years ahead, we use the average for your age in India, or your own number.
Sources
- Brysbaert, Journal of Memory and Language (2019): For non-fiction in English. Fiction is a little faster.
- Writer's Digest (2016): A publishing rule of thumb, not a count. Change it to suit what you read.
- WHO Global Health Observatory (2020): A group average, never a prediction for one person. The 2021 figure dipped to about 15.6 during COVID, so we use 2020.
- UN World Population Prospects (2024): A group average from a secondary site. Between 60 and 80 we draw a straight line.
Questions people ask
What if I read slower or faster?
That's fine. 238 words a minute is an average. Change the words in a book if you read shorter or longer books.
Do audiobooks count?
Yes, if they count for you. Put in the minutes you really spend.
Putting off more than one thing?
Pick up to five and get your Delay Statement: what to do first, what can wait, and one small step for today.
Want a nudge to act on it?
The app turns what you're putting off into a short list for each day: your Top 3 and one small step at a time. It's free.
We show what waiting costs on your own plans. We never tell you what to buy or invest in. Rules and averages change, so check the official pages before you plan anything.