Skimmer or Word-for-Word Reader?

[KW]

I'm astounded at how fast many of you go through books...I must know who skims ( or reads really fast, if that term isn't right ) and who savors every word?

[Colin Jacobs]

I read every word and often go back to the start of a paragraph if I lose concentration. How can skimming be proper reading. My speed is hard to define but I read at the speed that I speak if that makes any sense.

[Ceinwenn]

I read word for word, but I do have a very very bad habit in that I sometimes flip to the last 2 chapters of a book, read them, then go back to the begining & continue reading from where I left off.

[Colin Jacobs]

Thats Cheating! I love looking forward to the ending.

[~Andrea~]

Word for word. If I accidentally skim a bit I have to re-read the paragraph, even if I know I missed nothing of interest, like just a three word phrase or something. It's like an OCD thing

[KW]

I do have a very very bad habit in that I sometimes flip to the last 2 chapters of a book, read them

(( waves hand )) guilty! Esp if the book is really intense.

[~Andrea~]

I read word for word, but I do have a very very bad habit in that I sometimes flip to the last 2 chapters of a book, read them, then go back to the begining & continue reading from where I left off.

 

(( waves hand )) guilty! Esp if the book is really intense.

 

You naughty lot!!

[carm]

Word for wword usually unless the book is really atrocious and I just want to finish it

[Ceinwenn]

(( waves hand )) guilty! Esp if the book is really intense.

Phew! Here I thought I was the only one!

[jenmck]

I'll admit it. I do skim. I also tend to reread books, especially good ones.

Like I reread Dorothy L. Sayer's "Gaudy Night" all the time and savor the words, the mood, the cadence of her writing. I love it.

I don't know if skim is the right word. I READ it. I just don't retain it.

[Ruth]

I read pretty quickly, but I never skim read. I have to read every single word, and sometimes go back to the beginning of a paragraph or sentence if I don't think I've taken it in.

[happyanddandy]

Every single word and re read if it didn't go in - NEVER look at the end

[Kell]

I pretty much read every word, I just read very fast is all (although not so much this year due to my concentration levels being completely shot!). I tend to retain a fair old bit for quite a while afterwards too. As for skiping to the end, I don't think I could bring myself to do that, no matter how tempted I am - it woud just spoil the twists and turns of the plot for me. If the author had meant us to read the end before the end, they would have put it earlier in the book!

[Janet]

Word for word - and I *never* look at the end of a book before I get there!

[Roland Butter]

What a good question! I'd have said I'm a skimmer, but then I thought about how long it normally takes me to finish a book.

 

So I reckon I skim .... very slowly

[Stephanie2008]

I'm a skimmer but tend to miss bits out and end up re-reading things. So i should just get used to reading word for word (but I like to get to the end as quick as possible )

[supergran71]

Used to skim to get to the end, then realised what I was missing. Now I read word for word and also re read if I didnt quite get something. If I nearly drop off while reading at night, when I pick it up the following day, I find I have to go back at least a page because nothing went in as I was nodding off.

[kernow_reader]

If feeling unchallenged by a book, but still have good faith in it and want to press on, I have skimmed pages and once or twice read the last two chapters to see where we are going

 

If the book is to my liking I savour every delicious word. If I come across a particularly good passage I go back and read it again and sometimes again and again. Then I have to stop and write it in my quotes book so I can read it again at a later date. All my favourite passages in my books are flagged with post its, page markers or those clippy things one can now buy. Likely mad, sad, obsessive and compulsive but very happy with my book reading behaviour and not seeking treatment.

[Tiger]

Depends what mood I'm in If I'm in an impatient mood, I skim, if I'm in no hurry, I read as many words as I feel like. It also depends how "heavy going" the book is.

[Nici]

I'm a skimmer but tend to miss bits out and end up re-reading things.

 

If feeling unchallenged by a book, but still have good faith in it and want to press on, I have skimmed pages and once or twice read the last two chapters to see where we are going

 

Yep I do both of those. But if it is a truly brilliant book I will read every single word.

[angelofboox]

I read every word. Though I am tempted to flick to the end sometimes I never do. Except of course, in Deathly Hallows to find out if the Epilogue I'd read online was real (it was).

 

When I was younger we used to have to write book reviews/summaries in a reading journal at school, detailing all the books we'd read. Many people in my class used to read the blurb on the back and then the last few chapters of the book - and then write a page on what the book was about. Cheating!

[Icecream]

This is an interesting topic! I feel you can miss important insights into the subject or parts of the story if you skim. I read everything, but sometimes I lose concentration and have to go back. When I want to get through books I push myself to concentrate and not go back too much, but if I am very tired I can spend ages looking at the same page before I actually take it in, and then sometimes I feel daft for not understanding something very simple. I am not good at much when I'm tired.

 

When the children are annoying me I just give up, in fact Katie frequently comes over to me when I am immersed in a book I cant put down and starts poking me till I put it down.

[Kylie]

I plod along and read every single word. If I don't feel I've taken a sentence in properly, I'll go back and read it again.

 

I've tried to speed up my reading once or twice, but I always feel as though I've missed something. Then I re-read it and realise that I had been paying enough attention the first time 'round. :roll.

 

I think I just don't trust myself to be able to follow the story properly if I don't concentrate very hard on every single sentence.

[wordsgood]

I do read word for word, but when I really like a book, I also do exactly what Ceinwenn does! I read right to the end no matter how many times I peeked ahead, but am often too impatient and must know answers NOW! It's okay though as it doesn't kill the enjoyment for me one little bit!

 

I don't care if some consider it cheating. After all it's my reading time and I'm not in competition with anyone, so how can it be cheating? I don't cheat myself because this often enables me to read the really good parts of a book several times whilst finishing it!

 

I read word for word, but I do have a very very bad habit in that I sometimes flip to the last 2 chapters of a book, read them, then go back to the begining & continue reading from where I left off.

[supergran71]

I have noticed that when a book is tense and exciting I tend to read faster, wanting to find out what's happening on the next page. When this happens I do tend to not take in things occasionally and have to go back and read over.