@jamnihil
Graduated in Philology here. There is a phrase from a literature teacher that always accompanies me: 'You don't have to be a walking library, if someone asks you if you've read a book and you haven't, say so. It doesn't matter if you haven't read 1000 books, and you've only read 100, but you have to be the best at those books, know almost everything about them. Absorb them down to the last particle of knowledge.'
@jimgore1278
I'm an old man for whom reading has been a life-long passion. Over the last few years it has been harder for me to concentrate to read, which is thoroughly frustrating. Last year I decided to try reading out loud - I remember my maternal grandmother quietly mouthing words to herself while reading - and found that it not only slowed me down, but helped my comprehension and retention. No more having to reread paragraphs because I missed something. I also remember the actor Christopher Plummer talking about how his family read aloud to each other after dinner when he was growing up and how helpful it was to him. Love your channel, which I only just discovered.
@0FynnFish0
Great video. I'm a rather slow reader because I try to take in every detail and visualize everything while reading. Also, if I've finished a good book, I need a few days to let it all sink in, mull it over again in my head, "mourn" the end of the story or the death of beloved characters etc. So when I heard someone (a booktuber) talk about how they read 5 to 10 books per week, my jaw hit the ground. I would NEVER be able to do that, not even if reading was my full time job. But then again, I don't really want to. My books are my friends and I just like to sit with them a bit longer. I think that's okay.
@Johanna_reads
No joke: I actually did a YouTube search on this topic last year while incubating ideas for the “Why Read?” Discussion series. Some books do read more quickly for me than others, but overall, I am a far slower-than-average reader, and it’s something I’ve always felt self-conscious about. Loved hearing your experience and discussion of this topic!
@wittkid05
I started slowing down recently. I really felt it with A Day of Fallen Night. I took my time so I could just revel in the world.
@damianmk6371
Love this. I’ve felt for a few years that reading has become too competitive. It’s the latest stage of the gamification of everything. Each book has a natural speed for each reader, and that’s the best speed to read it and enjoy it, which is surely the whole point of reading fiction.
@sandrajevtic4528
I've noticed that my reading speed naturally picks up as I make progress with a book. It takes some time for me to get familiar with the characters, the tone, or the style of writing. Once I've fully immersed myself, I just naturally start reading faster without even trying. And it makes reading all the more enjoyable. I dnf-ed so many books in the past just because I didn't have enough patience to give them some time to pull me in... Now that I know this, I find myself more patient and less frustrated with my naturally slow pace of reading at the beginning.
@terrelldean
"I love stories and I want to read them all." Very much this statement. I'm working on not beating myself up for not reading too fast so I can actually retain the stories that I delve into, but that statement sits there in the back of my mind always.
@MaxximusP
I am a big believer in people reading in whatever pace they naturally do. I am a very fast reader and I have tried to slow down and it just makes me not retain any of the information I am reading because I get distracted and hazy cuz I am forcing myself to read at a pace that isn't mine. I viscerally hate how people get shamed for reading too slow, it's just the way someone's brain works and any way people read is valid (including audiobooks)
@Kishoto
I'm a fairly fast reader, and I have a friend who's the opposite; he tends to slowly take his time with books so that he can analyze and think about the book(this also applies to shows as well; he's currently going through Naruto and he is taking his time). I find that, as you'd probably expect, there are pros and cons to each. He will often have a deeper understanding of some more complex themes and foreshadowing than I would. He's often noted some small detail's significance that I can barely remember. And I am jealous of that, at times. The flipside of this is that, his reading pace is glacial. I don't have exact numbers but I get through way more books and media in general than he does. So while I do envy his deeper understanding, I can't regret that I'm a voracious reader, as it were. I have certainly missed some small details or deeper meanings often enough as I tear through books. But I've been to so many more worlds than he has. I've experienced so much vicariously through various protagonists while he's mostly just focused on one or two. I'm not saying that my way is better but it's certainly better for me. I love having experienced so many different worlds, and part of that has to be credited to the pace at which I get through books.
@WhatAboutZoidberg
I had a friend who was a speed reader and he would read a harry potter book, in school, between classes in a single day. But I've always found it much mroe enjoyable to read at conversation length. Sometimes in action scenes I increase the pace with the story and its great, but I read a conversation at a much slower pace. This allows me to take a break, step back and really take in things better. Its similar to when I used to binge a TV show season in a day and I would forget nearly everything shortly after. If I watched a couple of eps and take a few day break, I really think about the subject and I get so much more out of it. Plus you get something to look forward to.
@ericneff9908
I have the same issue that I tend to accelerate my reading speed because I want to get to every book that sparks my interest...every shiny object. One of the reasons I appreciate booktube (and your channel) so much is that I feel its impotant to read slowly and thoughtfully...let it immerse you. As such, I know I can't read everything that interests me. Booktube helps me narrow it down to the experiences that are really really worth it.
@divinesolstice3744
Ive started to love re-reads more. the vivid details are more vivid, sometimes things happens slightly different than i remembered on the first read, and i can essentially "fast forward" through slow sections or parts i dont enjoy as much.
@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
Discussions are my very favorite part of BookTube too! 😄I tend to be a slow reader for several reasons. One is that I often stop to admire a well phrased sentence. Like you, I'm a visual and immersive reader, and I enjoy the scenery along the way. I also find that I remember a book much better when I read it slowly, which is much more conducive to discussing the book with friends. Finally, I don't even count how many books I read, so I never feel like I'm in a competition. Hooray for the tortoises of BookTube! 🐢Thank you for the video, Merphy!
@milagroscapomasi8525
I've always been a binge reader, simply because I NEED to know what happens next when I am engaged by a book. I used to be proud of that, because, reading is a healthy activity, right? But I recently realized that if it consumes me, if all I do is read for a couple of days it is not good for me, plus, yeah, I don't know if I enjoy details as much, I brush over a lot . So now for the first time I am reading book slowly and it's wonderful
@tanvirhossain-rx3rn
Love your step haircut than straight hair. I thank God to create you this beautiful. By beautiful I mean a beautiful mind.
@ania96157
This is interesting. I'm a verry fast reader. The reason for this is that I enjoy the immerson, I feel like everything that is not reading is breaking that feeling. So I usually sitt down with a book and not putting it down until I finish it. Only broken up by begrudgingly having to go to the bathroom. So when I look forward to a book, like a new stormlight. I put off my weekend, so Oathbringer I read in a weekend not putting the book down. Later for a reread I can read slower.
@CNBlaze-qj7fg
Wonderful! I was feeling awful about borrowing five books from the library, devouring one of them the next day and hardly touching the rest since then. Every time I saw them I was stabbed with guilt. You've reminded me not every book is a fast one, and THAT'S OK! Just keep reading and discover new worlds, fast ones and slow ones. The difference is the delight.
@Spacegirl1988
I read an average of 4 to 5 hours a day. Just discovered your channel while binge watching reading videos on YouTube. Two of my biggest forms of escape is binging YouTube and reading ebooks and regular books. ❤❤❤
@merphynapier42