How Many Words Make a Novel?

Questions just about every writer has asked him- or herself: Just how many words does it take to make a novel? Is there a certain word-count? And how do I know if my novel is too short/long? If you are that writer, here is a quick, simplistic post for you, based entirely on the research I’ve been doing lately. (Yes, I research word-counts. I swear I’m this cool in real life.)