What is your reading rate?

[S.R. Tooms]

I remember back in high school I used to think my reading rate was pretty decent. This claim being based on the rates of those students around me... A few years later I really began to investigate the matter. Was I actually that fast?

 

I whipped out the ol' stopwatch and timed myself reading on several occasions. Turns out... I wasn't that fast! This sent me on a tirade, a real tantrum! I set about searching for techniques to improve my reading rate, while maintaining a high comprehension. Speed reading and the like... The answer, for me at least, came in the form of RSVP readers (confined to e-reading).

 

A book that used to take me 6 hours to read was cut down to 2. I'm not sure what the exact reading rate for myself currently is -- as you well know, readers, it varies quite a bit depending on many factors such as mood and the subject matter. But I like to hover around 500-650 if I can, on average.

 

How fast do y'all read? Do you care? Does it matter? I thought so! Faster speed means more books!

 

 

I wrote a little piece on the topic with a few suggestions if anyone is interested:

 

http://thecomplainerscompendium.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/rsvp-cutting-your-reading-time-in-half/

 

 

[vodkafan]

From my reading breaktimes at work, I know that I read 50 pages in 30 minutes if I am not interrupted. I rarely get to read for more than 1 hour at a time maximum; but if I am really enjoying a book I will pick it up much more often so that I can often read a book in one day. 

[Signor Finzione]

I tend to read about 1-2 books (of at least 500-600 pages each) per week. I think I would feel under pressure and end up reading slower if I tried to time myself.  I do know that when I spend longer reading a book (say, 2-3 hours all at once) I get into a groove and read faster than when I'm on a lunch break, probably because I don't have to keep interrupting myself to check the clock.

 

What's an RSVP reader? I don't have a Kindle yet . .

[SueK]

I don't think it matters.  The main thing is to enjoy the book rather than time yourself reading it.  Some are written in a way that you can get through them quicker and some are meant to be savoured. 

[S.R. Tooms]

I tend to read about 1-2 books (of at least 500-600 pages each) per week. I think I would feel under pressure and end up reading slower if I tried to time myself.  I do know that when I spend longer reading a book (say, 2-3 hours all at once) I get into a groove and read faster than when I'm on a lunch break, probably because I don't have to keep interrupting myself to check the clock.

 

What's an RSVP reader? I don't have a Kindle yet . .

Woah ol' boy! Sounds like you already read along at a good clip. That's really moving!

 

With the longer sessions... it seems you either really get into the swing of things and tear through the pages, or kind of meander and dawdle your way along.

 

 

This is an example of an RSVP reader http://accelareader.com/

[S.R. Tooms]

I don't think it matters.  The main thing is to enjoy the book rather than time yourself reading it.  Some are written in a way that you can get through them quicker and some are meant to be savoured. 

 

While true -- some people WISH they could read more books. These are the "if I only had more time!" kinds of lads n' lasses. Or for anyone who doesn't have the time to spend hours and hours gripping the pages of a book/getting lost in fantasy. In which case I whole heartedly recommend learning to increase your reading rate. It is a skill like any other.

[Signor Finzione]

Woah ol' boy! Sounds like you already read along at a good clip. That's really moving!

 

Thank you.  I'm lucky at the moment (well, not 'lucky' - currently unemployed, but you know what I mean) - I have a lot of time on my hands and am using it to catch up on my reading. I have literally hundreds of books I want to read, and it's frustrating not to be able to read them all at once.

 

With the longer sessions... it seems you either really get into the swing of things and tear through the pages, or kind of meander and dawdle your way along.

 

 

This is an example of an RSVP reader http://accelareader.com/

 

Wow, I've never seen that before. No wonder you're reading faster!

[julie]

As far as time it takes to read or finish a book , I  think it depends a lot on the book, for one. Some books are easy to read, take very little concentration ,so you can get through them quickly . Others, like some of the Classics, for example, I intentionally slow down because of the difference in writing style, speech, and words used. 

 

My Paperwhite has a feature that times me while I'm reading . It kinda bothers me, so I usually click it to turn that part off . If I'm reading and there's a note at the bottom of the page telling me how much longer til the end of the chapter . I feel like I'm back in school taking a timed test .

 

For me to enjoy reading, it has to be at my own pace . Otherwise, it'd feel too much like a chore .

[ian]

With me, it will depend hugely on how I am enjoying the book. I can read The Lord of the Rings in a month, but I'm currently struggling with Peter Robinson's "The price of love" which is only 370 pages but I've been on for about 2 weeks now.

[Athena]

My Paperwhite has a feature that times me while I'm reading . It kinda bothers me, so I usually click it to turn that part off . If I'm reading and there's a note at the bottom of the page telling me how much longer til the end of the chapter . I feel like I'm back in school taking a timed test .

x

I didn't know it could be turned off! I'll have to look into it. My Kindle says 1 min left in chapter a lot, because in a few books I skipped over some chapters and flicked back and forth so it thinks I can read really fast, I think that's why it says that at least. Sometimes it's confused and says chapter finished when there's still a few more pages to go.

 

My reading has always been fast, ever since I was able to read a story. I was always faster than most of my classmates, and when we were asked to read something I'd have read it twice already before the teacher made us all stop and was sure everyone had read it. It depends on the book of course, how many words are on the page, how big the pages are, how large the font is, how complicated the prose, if I've read it before or other things by the same author, etc. If a book is easier to hold, that helps too (since if it's awkward to hold I'll have to shift my hands more). On average I can read 60-100 pages per hour, but if the book is quite complicated then it can be slower (ie. 30 pages in an hour).

 

In terms of how much I read in a week or a month, or a year, I've only been timing this since last year. When I was a child I read about a book per day on most days. A few days I read more than one book, and there were also some days where I didn't read any book (only because I had to do other things, not because I didn't want to. My mojo wasn't often low if I remember things correctly). Things slowed down when I got homework at secondary school, then also while I was at university. I have a sensory processing disability, so any input takes me time to process, especially sound makes me tired. So while I was in school or the university I was often too tired to read, even when I had time, in ie. the weekend. Now that I'm done with studying I can spend some more time reading (although I did read in the train now and then while I travelled). So far this year I've read 117 books, which seems like a lot to me. Admittedly, some of them were quite short, but still. I like a mixture of shorter and longer books, last year I read 43 books, from Jun - Dec (didn't catalogue it before then). I think having my Kindle helps as well, it's a lot easier to take something with you while you travel. I'm reluctant to bring a big heavy book with me, or a book that I've almost finished. I didn't start reading any big or heavy books just before I had to go to the university because then it'd be harder to take with me. I got my Kindle in February and I think this has helped me read more books while travelling.

 

Because of my processing disorder, I sometimes need to take a break from reading and think about the book, I need to process what I've just read. This particularly happens after reading a big epic fantastic book, or when a plot twist happens in a book or a new section starts (ie. we suddenly move forward a couple of years in time).

 

Sorry if that was a long, rambly answer. The summary is: I read very fast and always have since I was able to read. I can read 60-100 pages in an hour, slower if it's a complicated book. With my disorder, I sometimes need time to process what I've read.

[julie]

Athena

 Yea, look on the bottom left -there are 3 settings in that corner - minutes left in chapter, time left to complete the book, and location . I leave it on location ,so I don't notice a Time --- I don't think you can remove it entirely. Sorry if I didn't explain it thoroughly enough .

( Just tap it and it changes between the 3 )

[Vimes]

For me how much I am injoying a book makes a world of difference. If I am really into a book I can read a 200 odd page book in a day or a 1000 page book in a week but then if I am just not connecting with a book it takes longer. more often or not I just amble through a book.

[Athena]

Athena

 Yea, look on the bottom left -there are 3 settings in that corner - minutes left in chapter, time left to complete the book, and location . I leave it on location ,so I don't notice a Time --- I don't think you can remove it entirely. Sorry if I didn't explain it thoroughly enough .

( Just tap it and it changes between the 3 )

x

Ah right, thanks !

Edited October 18, 2013 by Athena

[bobblybear]

It depends on the book. Some can be read very quickly, even though it may be a decent size (400 pages), which some books half the length take twice as long. I average one book a week, but that's around full time work and part time study. If I wasn't working and studying I'm sure I would finish more books (but not necessarily read them any quicker).

[BSchultz19]

As far as time it takes to read or finish a book , I  think it depends a lot on the book, for one. Some books are easy to read, take very little concentration ,so you can get through them quickly . Others, like some of the Classics, for example, I intentionally slow down because of the difference in writing style, speech, and words used. 

 

My Paperwhite has a feature that times me while I'm reading . It kinda bothers me, so I usually click it to turn that part off . If I'm reading and there's a note at the bottom of the page telling me how much longer til the end of the chapter . I feel like I'm back in school taking a timed test .

 

For me to enjoy reading, it has to be at my own pace . Otherwise, it'd feel too much like a chore .

I really hate that feature on kindle! But at the same time I find myself clicking it because I can't help but be curious. 

With some books, I read extremely fast but others I feel like I'm moving at a snail's pace. Whatever it takes to comprehend what the author is trying to say.