In grad school, I found a reasonable estimation of my speed was about a page per minute. Except when I did that old "woops!" trick where I "accidentally" flipped ahead a hundred pages when I got bored.
This has to be speed reading right?
- Thread starter kidcharlemagne
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2009
- Messages
- 422
- Reaction score
- 36
I read two of Jack Campbell's sci-fi books in one day. They aren't that long, but not super short either. It was a rainy Saturday. The next day, I went out and bought the last book in the series and read that in two days. Could have read it in one, but was trying to make it last.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2009
- Messages
- 304
- Reaction score
- 11
Mmmh...guess I'm a slow reader but I've never really timed myself because like most people I grab chunks here and there. Mostly at bed time. I have finished novels over a weekend but in 5 hours!! No way.
Not speed reading at all. 250-300 page book in a day? Easy, even if I'm working 8 hours. I read Twilight in a day, and that's over 700 pages, I think. Read the whole 4-book series in 5 days. (okay, no stoning me for reading Twilight, please!)
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,996
- Reaction score
- 347
- Location
- Hawaii
- Website
- patriciawoodauthor.com
Liosse de Velishaf
Banned
I once read Lackey's "Gryphon" trilogy in a day.
I think I average about 40 seconds a page (without dialogue) for my normal speed. That comes out to 500 pages in a little over five and half hours. With a lot of dialogue, it's less.
I can read faster if I focus, and slower if it's really dense.
Used to drive some of my high school friends nuts. There was one who would randomly time me by page flips. He was not big on reading for enjoyment, and a teacher assgnng such and such number of chapters to be read by next class period was his worst nightmare.
Also, my mother once declared she would never buy me books ever again--even for birthdays. Felt it wasn't worth the money if I read them all within two days of going to the bookstore.
I think I average about 40 seconds a page (without dialogue) for my normal speed. That comes out to 500 pages in a little over five and half hours. With a lot of dialogue, it's less.
I can read faster if I focus, and slower if it's really dense.
Used to drive some of my high school friends nuts. There was one who would randomly time me by page flips. He was not big on reading for enjoyment, and a teacher assgnng such and such number of chapters to be read by next class period was his worst nightmare.
Also, my mother once declared she would never buy me books ever again--even for birthdays. Felt it wasn't worth the money if I read them all within two days of going to the bookstore.
Last edited:
I am not impressed. I can read most 400 page novels in about 5 hours, especially if I am not interrupted. I read about 100 pages during a 1 hour commute if I have a seat, and I never speed read fiction.
Liosse de Velishaf
Banned
I'm basically with the Peaches here. I can read an 800 page book in a day. A 'normal' sized novel takes me maybe 6 hours, if I'm not interrupted. For example, I picked up 'Odd Thomas' after dinner and finished before time for bed. I don't consider myself to be speed-reading.
I hate it sometimes, cuz books don't last. But I'm just reading at a comfortable speed. *shrugs*
I rarely read a book in a day as I usually limit myself to an hour or two of book reading a day, but I manage to go through and enjoy a reasonable amount of reading material.
Liosse de Velishaf
Banned
I don't classify speed-reading as "comfortable", so no issue there.
I read fast, too, and it makes me sad when it's all over. 
Some people seem to read word by word, and enjoy reading, but it takes a bit longer, like my sister does. It can take her a week to read a standard 400-page book. Others can read, and comprehend perfectly fine, but they "see" the book unfolding. It's like watching pictures in your mind. I do this. I don't see each word individually, but whole sentences and paragraphs at a time. I can get through the same book as my sister in less than a day. We both enjoy the book, just differently.
Some people have lots of time to read. Before I had kids, I read an average of 400-500 pages a day. Now, not so much.
It takes me about 5-6 hours to read an average length novel, maybe 8-10 hours for a really long one. I never considered that particularly speedy, especially since that time is often spread over a couple of days. If I had that much free reading time every day, it wouldn't be hard to read a book a day.
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2009
- Messages
- 4,088
- Reaction score
- 724
- Age
- 30
I can read a 300 page book in 2-3 hours. And I don't even think I read that fast, or speed-read.
I guess I do speed-read? But I just read at a normal pace. I don't skim or anything, I read every word.
Huh.
Saves me a lot of money because I just go to the bookstore once a week and read 3 books in one afternoon instead of buying them all.
I guess I have different standards since my sister can read books under an hour...so I'm slow compared to her, she always tells me I am.
I guess I do speed-read? But I just read at a normal pace. I don't skim or anything, I read every word.
Huh.
Saves me a lot of money because I just go to the bookstore once a week and read 3 books in one afternoon instead of buying them all.
I guess I have different standards since my sister can read books under an hour...so I'm slow compared to her, she always tells me I am.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2009
- Messages
- 44,834
- Reaction score
- 2,928
- Age
- 39
- Location
- The exact centre of all of existence
My reading speed varies on where my head is at. Usually, reading through something for the first time, I'm about a book a day (if I like what I'm reading, otherwise it's the same speed but spread over about a week or so because I just wind up doing something else).
But then I read something a second or third time, and I take longer. Like, a day and a half. But that's full days, which I don't always have time for. My sister reads faster than me, but when I like a book I read about as fast as she does.
I've tried speed reading and my eyes go blurry and I get a headache. Like, I can't focus on the page, so it's "3 sentences in a second" followed by "blurry, blurry, where am I, what did I just read?" and then repeat. Not fun. It's probably my eyes' fault... they're not the best.
And then some books I can barely read a chapter per half hour...
But then I read something a second or third time, and I take longer. Like, a day and a half. But that's full days, which I don't always have time for. My sister reads faster than me, but when I like a book I read about as fast as she does.
I've tried speed reading and my eyes go blurry and I get a headache. Like, I can't focus on the page, so it's "3 sentences in a second" followed by "blurry, blurry, where am I, what did I just read?" and then repeat. Not fun. It's probably my eyes' fault... they're not the best.
And then some books I can barely read a chapter per half hour...
I used to be able to read a book in a day. Sometimes more than one.
Can't anymore, for some reason. Must've busted that part of my brain.
Oh, and i find it extremely hard to finish books now. Most of the time i get 50 pages in and start hating them.
Can't anymore, for some reason. Must've busted that part of my brain.
Oh, and i find it extremely hard to finish books now. Most of the time i get 50 pages in and start hating them.
I actually read more novels, two to five a week, when I was in college. I think I just needed that escape, needed my eyes and mind to be devouring pages of something entertaining, something I didn't have to memorize. I don't know how I did it, considering my kids were very young, I did excellent in school, my hubby was gone for most of it, and I also managed to write quite a bit. Now that I'm not nearly as busy, I don't read as much. Go figure. I'm doing great to finish one novel a week lately.
When I was young, I thought I hated reading because my big brother did and I wanted to be just like him. Then one day, for no particular reason other than Lisa Simpson mentioning the book during The Simpsons, I rented To Kill A Mocking Bird from the library, read it in a day (yeah, it is fairly short). I thought, 'Oh crap. I like reading.' From then on, I was hooked on books.
I think what impressed me most about this lady, is the love of reading she has seemed to pass on to her children. It is so important, IMO, for kids to see their parents reading, to see how much they love it. My 10 yr old son, who struggles in reading and language arts, actually has just picked up the love of reading, and I'd like to think my example has a little something to do with it. He is so active, so into sports, into anything with an engine, and of course video games, so lately to see him with his nose stuck in a book is a welcome sight. I actually have to pry him away from books to get him to get things done now. Never thought I'd see the day. And he just read a novel (about 200 pgs) over a weekend, this from the kid who complained about having to read 15 minutes every night. It makes my heart swell, and I love being able to share a passion for the written word with at least one of my kids. I think even my daughter is starting to come around.
When I was young, I thought I hated reading because my big brother did and I wanted to be just like him. Then one day, for no particular reason other than Lisa Simpson mentioning the book during The Simpsons, I rented To Kill A Mocking Bird from the library, read it in a day (yeah, it is fairly short). I thought, 'Oh crap. I like reading.' From then on, I was hooked on books.
I think what impressed me most about this lady, is the love of reading she has seemed to pass on to her children. It is so important, IMO, for kids to see their parents reading, to see how much they love it. My 10 yr old son, who struggles in reading and language arts, actually has just picked up the love of reading, and I'd like to think my example has a little something to do with it. He is so active, so into sports, into anything with an engine, and of course video games, so lately to see him with his nose stuck in a book is a welcome sight. I actually have to pry him away from books to get him to get things done now. Never thought I'd see the day. And he just read a novel (about 200 pgs) over a weekend, this from the kid who complained about having to read 15 minutes every night. It makes my heart swell, and I love being able to share a passion for the written word with at least one of my kids. I think even my daughter is starting to come around.
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2009
- Messages
- 304
- Reaction score
- 11
Okay. Seriously. This thread just depresses me.
Do any speed readers have any tips to help us mouth breathers read faster? This has been a lifetime upset for me. My favourite passtime and I do it at a snail's pace because I cannot figure out how to do it quicker. Should I just give up and live with the fact that I'll die having not read about 70% of the books on my reading list? Are there tips to reading faster? (without skipping any of the words)
Do any speed readers have any tips to help us mouth breathers read faster? This has been a lifetime upset for me. My favourite passtime and I do it at a snail's pace because I cannot figure out how to do it quicker. Should I just give up and live with the fact that I'll die having not read about 70% of the books on my reading list? Are there tips to reading faster? (without skipping any of the words)
I usually spend about 2-3 hours reading at a time - I can't remember ever reading for 8 hours straight. I'm sure I probably could finish a book in a day, but it would need to be something that can hold my interest in for the whole day. If I feel like the story is dragging, my reading speed slows too, because I'll start checking to see how many pages before the book is over, or at least the chapter.
Even with audiobooks, which I can listen to on long commutes and with the light off as I'm going to sleep, I think the fastest I've finished a book was in 3 days.
Even with audiobooks, which I can listen to on long commutes and with the light off as I'm going to sleep, I think the fastest I've finished a book was in 3 days.
Last edited:
Honestly, it sucks sometimes! I buy new books and have this pile to be read, then in a weekend they are all read and I have nothing to read *sob*
I don't read fast on purpose either! And it takes my husband days to read a book, he reads really slowly. I've been reading novels all my life, and its just habit I guess. I read all of Cassie Clares books in a weekend. (They are 500+ pages each) I cook, fix snacks and clean while reading too. LOL
And speed reading technically is reading down the middle of each page, my cousin reads like that. I read the entire page, every page. And someone said they "watch" the story unfold not so much read it. That is it EXACTLY for me. It plays out in my head like a movie and the words sort of form the pictures.
Last edited:
Same here! I have a very short attention span and...
... there aren't enough hours in the day for me to commit exclusively to reading a book.
Maybe she's just very grateful for the scraps that she's fed? It's nice to see someone who truly savours a meal rather than swallows it in one then complains that they couldn't taste it.
The classics are overrated, anyway. Read whatever the hell you want! What happened to pulp fiction, eh?
Y'know, I've always wondered what the point of buying books is if you can just borrow them from the local library for free. That said, there is a great deal more range in a highstreet bookstore, and the stock is constantly rotated.
If a book gets me thinking then I find myself in the exact same situation: I'm so enraptured by my thoughts that I can't concentrate on the text.
Likewise, especially since there are more videogames and DVDs in the house than there are books on my shelf. If I read a book I'm reading it for the added depth that a film cannot provide. That is unless it's non-fiction or documentary fiction, then I can't stop.
Last edited:
I can read fast when I want to. I can also - like most people -skim if looking for a particular phrase or sentence or paragraph.
But I do not get any pleasure from deliberately setting out to speed through a novel -I find that exhausting and unsustainable.
When reading a novel I prefer to let the writing dictate the pace at which I read and I find that allows me to savour some bits, concentrate on some, linger in certain spots and maybe skip along a tad in others - all presumably as intended by the writer. A novel may take one day or three days - depends on many factors including time available.
The only exception is when I find it boring - then the skimming starts and that usually ends in a flurried flick of the remaining pages before tossing the book aside.
But I do not get any pleasure from deliberately setting out to speed through a novel -I find that exhausting and unsustainable.
When reading a novel I prefer to let the writing dictate the pace at which I read and I find that allows me to savour some bits, concentrate on some, linger in certain spots and maybe skip along a tad in others - all presumably as intended by the writer. A novel may take one day or three days - depends on many factors including time available.
The only exception is when I find it boring - then the skimming starts and that usually ends in a flurried flick of the remaining pages before tossing the book aside.
- Status