Reading TOO fast?
This may sound weird but I set myself three books a week because I want to read lots so I can talk lots on my blog (makes sense right?) so when I get behind I start to freak out a little and nothing will be okay until I either read myself to death to catch up, or just accept it.
Sadly this happens quite often. This year around every month I get into a small reading slump and I start finding other things to do, anything other than read. This results in me having these mini freak outs.
The book I was talking about at the start of this post was Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch and I was enjoying this book so much when I was reading it and after I finished it I realised how I didn't give myself much time after and during me reading this book to actually process what's happened.
When I was reading Snow Like Ashes I was rushing and this was partly because I wanted to know what was going to happen and partly because I was running out of time to read my three books this week so when I was reading this, after something big happened I didn't get time to process it and I didn't take breaks to really digest and think about what I just read and how I feel about it.
This also happened when I finished the book. When I finished Snow Like Ashes, I went straight onto another book in the hopes that I could catch up. Whilst I was reading this other book, I was also not thinking about Snow Like Ashes and then when I took a break or finished reading this book, I sat down and I actually thought about what I'd read recently which is not something I do often because I'm always in a mad dash to read read read!
When I was 'recollecting' I had so many feels about what happened and how Snow Like Ashes finished and most importantly, I realised that I missed it. I missed the writing and the characters and the plot. I then realised that I had this with many books. I'd finished them way too quickly for my brain to be okay with it and now I was wishing that I'd taken more time to fully read and digest them.
Now here is my warning to you. If you need to read books for review or read them for a certain time or need to read them to fulfil a challenge, just make sure that you are getting the most out of the books you are reading and make sure you are not reading too fast. If you are not enjoying a book and do not see yourself enjoying it at any point throughout your reading journey then sure, that may be a fine time to zone out whilst reading it and try to hurry, but if you're really enjoying a book but you're feeling the pressure to finish it, forget all that and take your time and fully enjoy that book because that's what we read for! We read for ourselves not for anyone else.
So that is just something I wanted to share and if you experience what I do when you read a book just that bit too quickly, feel free to comment!
Happy Reading!
Lily x
10 comments
I totally have felt this way and it makes reading feel like homework rather than fun. I have had to change my mindset and remember that I read because I love it, not just for my blog!
ReplyDeleteMissie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Same here, recently I have found reading more of a task than something that I enjoy!
DeleteI experience this too. I once tried reading too fast but ended up not being able to say anything for a review at all since it felt like work to me. So now, even if I know I'm going to miss a deadline or have nothing to post in my blog, I try to savor the books that I read, as long as I enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteRin @ Hiding Under The Sheets
Me too, sometimes when I have so many feelings about a book but I read it too fast so I have not developed my ideas about it!
DeleteThis is a very interesting topic. I think a lot of books needing a mourning or digesting time afterwards, and plowing through too many in quick succession robs you of that. I find I always love the feeling of reading one book after another after another -- until suddenly I get burnt out and realize I don't remember many details from any of them. :(
ReplyDeleteSame here and it really doesn't help when you have to write a review!
DeleteI try not to pressure myself too much with goals or challenges, but I do like participating in reading challenges and I want to have enough reviews on my blog, so sometimes that pressure get's to me and makes me enjoy the book less. It's important to remember why we read.
ReplyDeleteI agree, reviewing and challenges do sometimes take away from the reading experience.
DeleteI've had this happen to me before. I have had blog posted scheduled for the future and then they all went out... and I realised that I haven't read anything much meanwhile or been taking too much time with my reading so I need to speedread to catch up with things! What I do then is try and find if I have the time to spend a day having a personal read-a-thon and simply read as much as I can in that day.
ReplyDeleteBut overall, I try to avoid pressure. I read for fun, and if it isn't fun and I end up over extending myself I am not going to have fun.
I cannot speed read!!! I get frustrated about missing something and I have to go back and re-read!
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