Do you speed read?

[CrumblyCrimble]

I'm a very slow reader. It can take me 3 to 6 months to finish a normal length novel. I honestly only manage about two books a year.
Granted I don't make a lot of time for leisure reading.
I'm intrigued by people who get through 50 books a year, and stay on top of the latest biographies and diversity reading. I'm slightly envious. I'm wondering whether people are just speed reading everything? I savour the language in books, reread enjoyable passages and take my time.
If you are one of the people who gets through many books, do you really read every single word or do you sometimes skip over bits to focus on taking in the key messages and narrative?

I read 130 books last year on my Kindle app, similar the year before. Also read some physical books. Though I can go weeks without reading, if I'm engrossed in a series on Netflix or something. I can easily read a book or more in a day. I read very quickly and always have done, I learned to read at 3. By the time I was at secondary school I read all the time.
It's a good thing I have kindle unlimited! I don't like buying books because they are over so quickly it seems really expensive.

Like PPs though, because I read quickly and so much, I don't always remember much. I often download a book and then discover I've already read it.

I read very fast but don’t generally read what is considered good literature. I read 230 books in the first lock down, thank god for a kindle and kindle unlimited. I’ve read 25+ books since Christmas.
I do skim read sometimes but not always. I put my love of reading down to growing up without a tv. I do sometimes worry that I’m addicted to reading but I suppose there are worse addictions to have.

It normally depends how much I like the book. If I'm enjoying the book and interested to know what happens next it takes me a week, if it's kind of boring it'll take me up to 3 weeks, or I'll just skim read the last few chapters.

I do. I remember reading the Da Vinci Code in 1.5 hours. My ex did not believe me, so quizzed me and was shocked. Not as fast anymore.
I used to have an exceptional memory.

I read really fast and always have. In high school a teacher got fed up with the few of us who constantly read ahead or seemed done 'too soon' and had us read things then answer questions about certain details. I and one other person were the one ones who could actually answer the questions. So I'm confident I do actually read it. I have to really pace myself when reading aloud to my kids because my reading speed is faster than I can speak.

The PP who said about words or paragraphs just kind of going in is how I am. It's sort of like a picture, like I take in more than one word at a time. My DH is the opposite and clearly reads one word at a time - I can tell because he often murmurs the words he's reading under his breath if he's trying to read quickly.

I read early and was reading adult novels from early middle school, I think it must maybe be some type brain image processing thing that allows me to read that way.

Pre baby i’d average a book every other day. I’m a naturally fast reader, I’d always read ahead at school but have full comprehension of what i had read.
I’d read on the bus/at lunch/ stay awake to finish if I was enjoying it. If a book is boring it would take me longer to read but always within a week or 2.

I am another extremely fast reader. It's difficult to describe how, but I think I take in half a line of text or so at a time, so my eyes don't move steadily along the line from left to right, but flick from left to middle, then down to the next and so on. I've done this since I was very young. My aunt, who is a reception teacher, used to watch with fascination as I read my Noddy books at the age of 3 or 4.

I can read quick, but I consciously make myself read things I value slower to really enjoy them now.

I think OP it’s important to remember that reading quicker isn’t necessary better, as long as you’re enjoying what you’re reading it’s not important if you read two books a day or two books a year, it’s not a competition

Yes I speed read and have done since learning to read
It's caused me no end of problems through school and work. I did a study for uni and the way mine works is if you open a book, the 2 pages? I read both at the same time. I also skip words like and/the that aren't important, but I don't realise I do any of this
Standard paperback chick lit takes me about an hour or so and I read at around 1500wpm

Should add I usually read around a book a day
I can't stand being read to, or audio books it's infuriating when I can read it in half the time. I also have to have subtitles on the TV

I don’t speed read and I get through a book a week. I dedicate time to it though.

@MaybeHeIsMyCat

Should add I usually read around a book a day I can't stand being read to, or audio books it's infuriating when I can read it in half the time. I also have to have subtitles on the TV

I have to have subtitles too!

I don't read anywhere near your speed though.

I read fast (realised this at work, was a total bookworm until age 12+) & nowadays I skim read -- I skip sex scenes, long descriptions, emotional angsting, details of battles* or physical attacks, etc. It's common I read first 3 chapters, then skip to the end & then if I'm interested in the 'how' I'll skip backwards and around to pick up key plot twist moments. There are so many books where I truly miss nothing with skim reading

*LOTR is especially dull

Thursday night I skim read The Sanatorium in about 2 hrs, coz honestly, It didn't deserve more of my time

Last night I started & this afternoon finished Ariadne -- mostly didn't skim read. Can recommend, esp. if you're not too familar with Greek myths

Today got half thru NomadLand - skimming maybe 10%

That's the most binge reading I've done in about 5 years!

It's a very rare book I read 'every word'

I'm sure my bathrooms need scrubbing...

I read 61 books last year, most years it's more like 40-50. I just read really fast, but I don't skim or miss bits, I read every word. I can't imagine only reading a couple of books a year.

@Pedalpushers what you describe is exactly like me and DH. I can't believe how long it takes him and he can't believe how quickly I read.

Oh and I speed up audio books to between x1.4 and x1.8, as I find most of the narrators really slow. So I "listen" fast too!

@MaybeHeIsMyCat

Should add I usually read around a book a day I can't stand being read to, or audio books it's infuriating when I can read it in half the time. I also have to have subtitles on the TV

I wonder if there's a correlation then as I also need subtitles, and am a fast reader, and so now does my DS (also a fast reader).

My mum used to not believe that I read every word as I used to get through books so quickly as a child/teen but I do, and I read left to right too (ie I don't take it in as chunks, I literally read every word). It freaks my DH out to watch me read as my eyes move so quickly.

I don't get as much time to read these days but I've just read a new book today on my phone in between kids' activities so I haven't lost the ability to read quickly!

I think reading speed just naturally varies from one person to another. I don’t read much nowadays but I have always been a very quick reader. My ex would often not believe that I had read things properly and would then feel the need to ‘test’ me but it never worked. I would easily be able to read most books within a few hours eg an evening curled up in bed, if the book gripped me. Never seen the need to speed read
I was an early reader too and wonder if this makes a difference. My mum taught me to read simple books before I went to school and my reading was always very advanced for my age. The top levels were always too easy so I would be given other books instead.

Everyone is "how did you learn to read so fast and so early" and my dad is like "er. Dunno?"
They read to me a lot as a baby and I had flash cards up in my room but I could read by 3-4, Enid blyton type stuff. I do feel I missed out on some stuff though like the childrens books that I never read

I’ma slow reader too op. It’s seems we’re free and far better on mn, which makes me wonder whether those who think they are fast readers are just average speed readers.

I have just tried to read the posts on this thread fast as a test to myself. I could do it, but I felt my breathing going fast too! Like I was being rushed. I didn’t like it! So I’ll stick to slow reading 😀

• few and far between

I read about 50 books a year, less than I used to as I get tired quicker reading a kindle with the lights out.

I know someone who works full time but often reads a book a day. You should see the speed she turns the pages, you can question her about it too but she obviously reads and takes it in as she can answer correctly. It's unreal.

@MajorNeville

I read about 50 books a year, less than I used to as I get tired quicker reading a kindle with the lights out.

I know someone who works full time but often reads a book a day. You should see the speed she turns the pages, you can question her about it too but she obviously reads and takes it in as she can answer correctly. It's unreal.

That's so familiar I avoid reading in public as people are always "are you actually reading that?" I can read at work though and my colleagues are used to it. My boss approves as I do online training in 1/4 of the time

I visualise while I read- I have hyperphantasia and a very visual way of thinking about things so I can remember details about a book once I've read it.

I dont skim or miss anything out.

But I don't have to sound out each word. I usually dislike audio books because the information comes at me too slowly.

I've read 4 books so far this year and remember everything about the fiction ones and most bits that were in the academic ones.

@CMOTDibbler

I don't skip, I'm just naturally a very fast reader as was my mum and nan. Normal novels take me 1.5-2 hours for context

Wow 😳 Kudos. If I could read like that, I'd have a whole lot of time back in my life!