Raven Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Lousie Brown, 91, from Stranraer, is on the brink of borrowing her 25,000th book from her local library. She used to read six books a week, but has recently increased that to twelve. I'm betting her book list puts the ones on here to shame! You can read more here: Library fan nears 25,000th book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Wow that is quite a record, I'm a bit envious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Has anyone spotted the flaw here? They smply say she borrows 12 books aweek.. no one says she's reading them all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purple Princess Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Ha ha, good point Michelle! I do that all the time to be honest - borrow books from the library but then don't get round to starting them or just don't like them so never finish them But if she has read them all that is very impressive! She can't possibly remember what happens in them all though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fev Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I'm just jealous she's always had so much time to read. I wonder if she ever had a job...! I'd love to pick her brains about all the books she's read tho, assuming she can still remember and differentiate them all that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 Has anyone spotted the flaw here? They smply say she borrows 12 books aweek.. no one says she's reading them all! I'll bet she's the person who writes in the books SueK takes out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Wow thats a lot of books, like Michelle said - I wonder if she has read them all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I'll bet she's the person who writes in the books SueK takes out! Hehe, who knows. Maybe I had better go up to Scotland and rap her knuckles. Although she looks quite a gentle soul and I'm sure she wouldn't deface books. I'm just in awe of being able to get through 6 and and then 12 books per week every week:readingtwo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Let's not be too snarky about her accomplishment; we might be surprised that she outdoes us nevertheless, whichever grounds for comparison we might choose. One does have to face the fact eventually that there is always someone better at what we do than we ourselves are at doing it. Homily for the day. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowhere_girl Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Reading that quickly can't possibly produce any enjoyment. There's no awards for reading that many books. There's no way you could truly digest what you're reading, think about it, ponder things, or learn anything from reading at such a speed. And she can't do anything else with her time if she reads 12 books a week. I bet her family are so proud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Well, she is 91. I don't think I'd be out playing sports or doing much of anything constructive at 91 years of age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 When I lived on a street with a library on the corner, I used to take out and read about 6 or 7 books per week - whenever they got new stock in, they'd put aside ones they thought I'd like as they knew I'd be in within a couple of days to collect them! I was also working a 40 hour week as a cinema manager and slotted my reading time into breaks, days off and the mornings before I started work (I went in at lunch time and worked till midnight-ish). So, as a result, I find it very easy to believe this lady has accomplished such a magnificent reading experience as this. *applause* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Well done to her, if I can read 12 books a week at 91 I shall be very happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetiiPie85 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Wow that is alot of books!! I am bit jelous!! I wish I had the time to read that many books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrysalis_stage Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Wow that is an achievement. I do wonder if she remembers them though and what her favourite is. I do have a friend who is simlar, she borrows alot of books from the library and gets through them super humanly fast but she says she reads all the time, even when cooking, eating etc. I wonder if she remembers them all as well, I know I wouldn't be able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busy91 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 I did the math for myself, and as far as borrowed books it would take me 714 years to reach 25,000. As far as total books read, it still would take me 333 years to reach that number! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Reading that quickly can't possibly produce any enjoyment. I don't think that's true at all. The story doesn't actually give you much detail to be able to judge her reading anyway. For example, have all the books she's borrowed been for her? The story says she has a daughter, so perhaps for some years the books were for her children or grandchildren or her husband. Maybe some of the books she's taken out were reference books, things like gardening, craft, art or cookery books. She certainly wouldn't need to read these from cover to cover, but, for example, there may have been a few recipes she copied out from a cookery book - that certainly wouldn't take much time. There's no awards for reading that many books. There's no way you could truly digest what you're reading, think about it, ponder things, or learn anything from reading at such a speed. Even if all the books she borrowed were fiction, why should she "learn" from them? Some people read books purely for entertainment and escapism, and aren't searching for education or enlightenment. She might have been borrowing Mills & Boon books for all we know, or perhaps she read a lot of crime novels that are more about the plot and storytelling than imparting some meaning to the reader. And she can't do anything else with her time if she reads 12 books a week. I bet her family are so proud Of course she can do other things and still read 12 books a week. If you don't watch television or listen to much radio, that gives plenty of reading time. At 91, she isn't working, and probably won't sleep for many hours, so that will give her even more time to read. According to the story she's moved to be with her daughter, so I doubt if she has to worry about cooking or cleaning, or any routine tasks like that, which means she's got plenty of time on her hands, and 12 books doesn't sound like that many! It could also be that some of the books she borrows nowadays are audio books, and if someone else is reading the story to you, or if you've got an abridged copy of the book, that will cut down the time it takes to get through a book as well. It also means you can do hobbies such as knitting, sewing or cooking while listening to a book. And who's to say she reads them all? She may borrow 12 books a week, start them all, but decide after a few chapters that she doesn't like the book, and pick up the next one instead. Sorry to have a rant, but there is too little information in the story to be able to judge how, what or why she is reading all these books, plus I'm not sure how valid the figure of 25,000 books is anyway, as it relies on the library records being accurate for how many years? I think it's based on a guess/estimate by someone at the library, and wouldn't count on it being that many. I just hope I'm still reading and enjoying books when I'm that age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 And who's to say she reads them all? She may borrow 12 books a week, start them all, but decide after a few chapters that she doesn't like the book, and pick up the next one instead. That was my point - it's the usual reporting which doesn't really tell us much. Most people are assuming that she's reading all these books, when the report actually only tells us she's taken them out of the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 That was my point - it's the usual reporting which doesn't really tell us much. Most people are assuming that she's reading all these books, when the report actually only tells us she's taken them out of the library. Yes, sorry about that I was so caught up in my mini rant, I'd forgotten you'd already pointed that out earlier in the thread! Not enough information in the article to make any real judgements on the story is basically my point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Well I don't want to get into a debate about it; if she has indeed achieved that, then it's terrific for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephanie2008 Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Well I don't want to get into a debate about it; if she has indeed achieved that, then it's terrific for her! I would love to know what kind of books she's read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nowhere_girl Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Even if all the books she borrowed were fiction, why should she "learn" from them? Some people read books purely for entertainment and escapism, and aren't searching for education or enlightenment. She might have been borrowing Mills & Boon books for all we know, or perhaps she read a lot of crime novels that are more about the plot and storytelling than imparting some meaning to the reader. There's potential to learn from anything & everything even if it's not consciously. Learning isn't restricted to education. You can learn from crime novels & Mills & Boon. I don't necessarily mean learning some fact or scientific piece of knowledge, more an awareness & insight into different ways of life, different worlds & experiences. Reading should be about immersing yourself completely in these worlds, but such a lot of focus is put upon how quickly people can finish books & how many books they have read. To me that's far from the point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Reading should be about immersing yourself completely in these worlds, but such a lot of focus is put upon how quickly people can finish books & how many books they have read. To me that's far from the point. I don't think the lady was reading (?) six books a week just to maybe get recognisition in her 90s for borrowing 25,000 books... She was just doing her thing. Reading can be done for so many various reasons and I don't think one reason is any better than the other, as long as we enjoy our reading. The library made this thing a public gimmick, not the lady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 I would love to know what kind of books she's read Erotic novels. (You can wipe that drink off your monitor now!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 You can learn from (crime novels & )Mills & Boon. I don't necessarily mean learning some fact or scientific piece of knowledge, more an awareness & insight into different ways of life, different worlds & experiences. From the few I read when I was a teenanger, that you will meet the man of your dreams, who is always tall and handsome, and you will live happily ever after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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