Tips to read faster/more constantly books.

[Ikagura]

I know that reading shouldn't be a chore and that someone has to appreciate their book instead of forcing oneself to read it but is there a way to be more regular? I know that some say "one chapter/20 pages per day on a regular basis" or trying to have the book all time in case someone wants to read.

I sometimes use a finger to make sure I don't accidentally read the same line twice but it rarely happens. If I try reading faster I fear not to understand properly the sentence.

 

[Uncultxred]

Have you tried getting a dedicated eReader like a Kindle or pretty much anything portable that can read book files? They lower the friction to wanting to read a lot and are optimised for better reading flow depending on how you like your fonts/text size. It's nice to have something that provides no distractions.

 

[happymasksalesman]

I know that reading shouldn't be a chore and that someone has to appreciate their book instead of forcing oneself to read it but is there a way to be more regular? I know that some say "one chapter/20 pages per day on a regular basis" or trying to have the book all time in case someone wants to read.

I sometimes use a finger to make sure I don't accidentally read the same line twice but it rarely happens. If I try reading faster I fear not to understand properly the sentence.

Use timer and count how many line you read.

 

[Advil Lavs]

Get one of those gadgets that let you keep track of things and click it every time you finish a line.

 

[NeonKnights]

Paste the text into a speed reading program like Spreeder and try to read as fast as you can comfortably, then slowly turn up the speed over time as you improve.

 

[DanVzare]

I mean you could just throw the book into a text-to-speech program and have it read it back to you at a sped up rate. That'd allow you to get through a book quickly.

 

[FrayGuillermo]

Don't force yourself to read fast just because, imo it's not really a fundamental skill you should be worried with as long as you're understanding what you're reading. Also keep the book you're currently reading on your nightstand

 

[ChiefMcClane]

One thing that has helped me is to get a small notebook (the spiral bound kind that fit in your pocket.
When I would start reading, I would note the time I began, and when I was finished I would mark the time that I finished reading and also the pages that I had read. I would also note when I had been distracted while reading, usually just write down what it was that distracted me.

Every week I would write down the total number of pages I had read and divide it by the time that I had spent reading, to get an average number of minutes per page (or pages per minute) and note the distractions.

I got better about noticing the distractions and trying to put myself in places where I was less likely to be distracted (leaving my phone in another room, going to a place with the purpose of reading without being bother, etc).

It sounds like a lot of work but just taking thirty seconds to notice your habits and then be able to analyze yourself and make improvements can go a long way.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

What's the point of reading fast if you dont do the effort to visualize and fantasize on the things you're in the middle of reading?

You should read slower.

 

[Ikagura]

Maybe I'm being anxious for nothing about my reading speed. Fast reading is a scam as I heard and sometimes it's nice to appreciate the book's universe.

Like watching a movie without looking at a phone, at 1.5x speed or trying to rush a video game you appreciate to play just to look at the end credits as fast as possible.

A book is something to nibble bits by bits, not to eat the whole platter at once.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

My goal is "at least 25% read the first day". If I find myself already there with hours to spare, I keep on going and start forming a really good opinion of the piece. If I fail, something didn't work and the book is better off dropped.

 

[Antilocal123]

Why are you worrying about that? You don't have to read fast, I read fast because I find it easier but there’s also merit in engrossing yourself in a novel.

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

I don't see a problem at reading slow(if it's not a mandatory thing), I consider myself very slow at reading(Fiction) as I normally start making theories, making visual representations in my mind and making notes and writing quotes that i liked.
And when I am reading more technical and non fiction, I usually need to reread whole paragraphs or even chapters to get a good understanding.

 

[TheBritishAreComing]

You don't need to read faster, it’s fine to appreciate what you have in front of you.

 

[Sheepy765]

I dunno about faster, but I tend to read aloud and have a dialogue with the author and characters to keep myself engaged. [Things like "okay... why does {author} think this..? okay, it's because they think this" and the like]

 

[rugal]

i have no problem taking my time reading a book and vizualise the land.maps and monsters from the books in my mind
take it slow and enjoy the books

but when i want to read fast i just focus on the words and i say the words i read in my mind when i do that i just go into a state of mind almost like a trans or meditation in that mind state i read very fast

my best tips just read alot of books and try different techniques and methods
to find the best way for you to read fast

 

[ATenderLad]

Well, I agree with the others that you should read at the pace you're comfortable with. That said, for me reading faster just came with practice, same as anything else.

Also, maybe it's a comfort thing? I never much enjoyed reading a book flat on the desk back in school; let me sit like a slob with my feet propped up, book an inch from my face, and I'll devour that text in a day. Maybe mix up how and where you're reading?

 

[hitsugi]

Honestly in such a digital age I tend to read better/absorb more when I'm reading a physical book (I took that experience for granted as a kid ig). I kind of get speedreading when it's something like a boring YA novel, I focus more on the pages when the story is really good. But I also get reading nonfiction when you need to absorb that info more, so I agree with everyone to read slower idk.

When I would start reading, I would note the time I began, and when I was finished I would mark the time that I finished reading and also the pages that I had read. I would also note when I had been distracted while reading, usually just write down what it was that distracted me.

Reminds me of when there used to be reading logs in school. Useful advice, I'm gonna start doing that more too. :>

 

[FrayGuillermo]

My goal is "at least 25% read the first day"

That would depend on the book's length, no? Seems a bit too much for longer or more dense books

 

[Ikagura]

That would depend on the book's length, no? Seems a bit too much for longer or more dense books

Looking at your pfp I remembered that I have The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco and it's quite a lengthy book with quite a lot of medieval terms.

Density is more important than the number of pages, a book with a big font size will be read faster (mostly children an teenager ones) whereas a small font even if there are less pages will take more time.

It also depends of the language level as well as the amount of dialogues (more often a conversation between two characters will be fast to read as they don't take time describing things and there's a lot of returns to line).