Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

I attended an in-person book club meeting recently.

A topic that came up is how thoroughly we read the books we read.

The other people present all said they read a book fairly quickly – sometimes in a day or two. In a sense, they ‘skim through’ many of the books they read. On the other hand, I take the time to digest many or all aspects of a book while I read it. Therefore, it usually takes me at least a week to get through a book.

I find this difference in reading styles interesting. I’m wondering which of these reading styles is more common.

Which type of reader are you? Why?

I usually read slow and take it all in, unless I'm reading a "page turner" and then I can't wait till the end, so I skim.

Oh, I'm totally in the slow category. I like to dive into books and completely immerse myself in them (both when reading and writing them).

I particularly like it when a book is a bit 'fantasy' (like Chanda Hahn's) as then I transport myself to a whole new world, and I can pretend the 'real' one doesn't exist for a while.

Yes, it takes me a week or two to read books (partly due to the lack of reading time), but is that a problem? Not for me. :-)

What exactly do you mean when you say "skim through"? I always thought skimming over a book was not reading all the text on a page, but just looking for important keywords.

I don't know whether I read fast or slow, but I definitely take longer to read a book with lots of weird/rare words. That totally breaks my reading flow and immersion. :)

Lack of time is usually a big limiting factor when it comes down to "how many days did I take to read a book?" :D

For me, it completely depends on the book. If I'm reading something that has great prose (Louise Penny & Ken Bruen spring to mind) I read it all, enjoying how they put their sentences together.
If it's a book that is kind of a "meh" read, I'll start skimming simply because it's not holding my attention for whatever reason.

Helge wrote: "What exactly do you mean when you say "skim through"? I always thought skimming over a book was not reading all the text on a page, but just looking for important keywords.

I don't know whether I ..."

When I say "skim through," I mean reading a book in such a casual, fast-paced way as to only grasp the main points of the book without immersing oneself in keeping track of all the details and aspects of the story line.

Libby wrote: "I read quite quickly, but with long breaks. I'll often read a bunch in an hour or so, and then spend the rest of the day as I write or get work done around the house thinking about the story, and p..."

So you're like me in the sense that you take the time to absorb what you're reading. :)

Sandy wrote: "For me, it completely depends on the book. If I'm reading something that has great prose (Louise Penny & Ken Bruen spring to mind) I read it all, enjoying how they put their sentences together.
If ..."

This is the way I read, too.

It's interesting to see how much people differ on this. I have both styles - when I'm reading books that I need to get through for work, I skim as quickly as possible. When I'm doing my "fun reading" at the end of the day, I go slowly so I can savor the experience (which is the way I should eat chocolates, but I guess that's a different story, isn't it? :-)

Um, don't you go to reader hell for not reading every word, even if you don't like the book? Or is that just OCD me?

A woman I know reads the final chapter FIRST to see if she wants to read the book. Can you believe it? Mon dieu!

Mary wrote: "Um, don't you go to reader hell for not reading every word, even if you don't like the book? Or is that just OCD me?"

That's always been my attitude. :)

If it's one I'm not particularly loving or need to get through quickly for book club, I'll do some skimming. And I admit to skipping to the end occasionally. But if I really love the book, I read it thoroughly, and often re-read!

I read thoroughly. I don't want to miss a thing -- especially if I'm reading a mystery novel and looking for clues!

Hey guys... I read slow, especially when the work has lots of pretty words, no context clues and I need to look them up. Some writers are fairly basic in their use of words while others take words and sentences to another level

Interesting comments so far. I would have to say by the way the question is framed, I belong in neither category. I read very quickly by most people's standards, but I retain details like those who read slowly. If it is a good book, I can finish it in a day or so with most details remembered.

I only skim if I am in a class and am behind on assignment, or if I am losing interest. If I start doing that for the 2nd reason, I don't actually get as far and I might not finish it.

Mary wrote: "Um, don't you go to reader hell for not reading every word, even if you don't like the book? Or is that just OCD me?"

LOL! I have the same feeling - that's why I savor books when I read fiction. I only skim the ones I have to read for work, because I get so swamped with them I wouldn't be able to see my desktop if I didn't :-)

Mary wrote: "A woman I know reads the final chapter FIRST to see if she wants to read the book. Can you believe it? Mon dieu!"

Sacre bleu!!! :-O
Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Oh I could never do that; way to spoil the ending!?
Surely one must go to reader hell for doing this?? ;-)

Sandra wrote: "I read thoroughly. I don't want to miss a thing -- especially if I'm reading a mystery novel and looking for clues!"

SO true about mysteries! I forgot about that. When I read a mystery, it's my time to hone my detective skills.:)

I tell my college students that skimming is almost a guarantee they'll be bored. Without the richness of a fully involved, absorbing experience, any book can seem dull. It's sending oneself to reader hell and then wondering why one doesn't like reading--at least, in my opinion as an avid reader of fiction and nonfiction, a professor, and a writer. A well-crafted book has been created with care, every word chosen for a reason. I don't want to miss the experience. And I really don't understand the person who goes to the end first! It's the end for a reason.

Amber wrote: "I tell my college students that skimming is almost a guarantee they'll be bored. Without the richness of a fully involved, absorbing experience, any book can seem dull. It's sending oneself to read..."

:)

I agree with Amber. I recently graduated from college myself, and wish more people around me had read a book in thorough detail. It's unfortunate, but I feel like the culture of many college students today has become just skimming books or reading summaries of them. At least that's what I noticed. I think this will be difficult to change with the fast paced culture we live in (filled with many distractions), but I hope it'll be possible to do so one day!

-Nihar
www.niharsuthar.com

Having mild dyslexia means I read slower than most people (I read at the same speed as if I was reading aloud). It also means that I read more thoroughly than most people. That's probably why I became a book reviewer.

T.L. wrote: "Mary wrote: "A woman I know reads the final chapter FIRST to see if she wants to read the book. Can you believe it? Mon dieu!"

Sacre bleu!!! :-O
Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Oh I could never do that; ..."

I could never do that, either - I hate to sound "judgy," but that seems ridiculous to me. It's like walking directly to the Exit door of a roller coaster ride, stepping through the door and then deciding from THAT experience whether you want to try the roller coaster itself. Nope!

I have an excellent reading level and while I can read fast I find at times I read slow. Usually if I'm really into the book it seems I read fast but if I'm not enjoying it or I find it hard to understand I find I read at a slow pace.

Mary wrote: "Um, don't you go to reader hell for not reading every word, even if you don't like the book? Or is that just OCD me?"

This made me lol. Loved it. Thanks for the laugh! xoxo

I think when Bekka started this discussion it was about personality preference and individual style of reading.

There is another aspect though. Some books have to be digested, even taken in small doses. :-)
Poetry and philosophy need extremely slow pace.
Educational require high level of attention.
Historical you need to absorb facts, sometimes even rewind.
Novels you can fly with the flow.....:-))

That is my take on it, y'all! xoxo

Oh god mine is probably strange. I sound out every word in my head with a narrator specific accent. Each character is also appointed a specific voice/accent in my mind that will last throughout. I still remember the one's I'd do as a kid DX.

Mimi wrote: "I think when Bekka started this discussion it was about personality preference and individual style of reading.

There is another aspect though. Some books have to be digested, even taken in small ..."

Good points. I read a mix of fiction and nonfiction - read all of them thoroughly. :)

J. Aaron wrote: "Oh god mine is probably strange. I sound out every word in my head with a narrator specific accent. Each character is also appointed a specific voice/accent in my mind that will last throughout. I ..."

When I was learning to read in grade school, I mentally spelled out every word I thought. This mental "spelling of every word" appeared on a ticker-tape that visually appeared along the front of my forehead. When I would occasionally think a word that I hadn't yet learned to spell, I would stop mid-thought to consider how to spell the word.

If its something i love, every word. If im not too into it I skim.

Justin wrote: "I have an excellent reading level and while I can read fast I find at times I read slow. Usually if I'm really into the book it seems I read fast but if I'm not enjoying it or I find it hard to und..."

I'm the opposite. If I love a book, I read it slowly. I want to savor every word. If I don't like it, I read it quickly, just to get it over with. If I hate it, I skim through it, just reading the key points from each chapter.

I'm a comprehensive reader whether fast or slow varies or doesn't matter.

Mary wrote: "A woman I know reads the final chapter FIRST to see if she wants to read the book. Can you believe it? Mon dieu!"

I do that too. If I don't like the ending I see no point in wasting my time. It doesn't have to be HEA, simply an ending that makes sense and is not senseless or a cliffhanger.

I almost never read mysteries, so the whodunnit element is rarely a problem.

As for reading speed, I build a visual image, a mental film show in my mind as I read, so the speed is determined by the density of the content and the effort to full flesh out the world and action in my mind.

It really does depend on the book. If it is a light and simple page turner I am through it in an evening. Something more intricate, like literary fiction, and I have to slow down to take it all in.

Anyone here remember READAK speed reading? I was in grade school when we (a select group of good readers) were taught how to effectively skim books. The lights were dimmed and a page of text was flashed on a screen for a short period of time, and when the lights came up we were asked to write down a summary of what we'd read. Over a period of several months our reading speeds and comprehension improved vastly. We were also taught to read the first and last paragraph of each chapter of a book to grasp the basic concepts. Handy for last minute college book reports.

When reading for pleasure, often epic fantasy, I tend to read and re-read as I go along, savoring the richness of language or atmosphere, building a context in my head where the story plays out and the characters come to life. When I am reading a "smart" book like Stephen Jay Gould or Christopher Hitchens, I sometimes read out loud, to hear the words and marvel at their brilliance. (I often drop down to the dictionary or Wikipedia on my tablet, and really miss this feature when I'm reading a 'real' book.)

It's a little like kissing toads to find your prince. After some false starts, when I find a book worth my time, I like to make it last.

The only time I ever skim books is when I am not enjoying it but am invested enough in the story that I do not want to mark it a dnf. While I'm naturally a fast reader, I usually force myself to read slower when I am enjoying a book and will sometimes read passages over and over so I can really immerse myself.

I read fast--usually within a day--but I wouldn't really call it skimming. Absorbing a novel quickly makes it easier for me to pick up on the story arc, how the characters are feeling, and such; if it's good, I'll read it again more slowly to savor the writing :)

I never skim a book. I don't see the point, but it needs to grab my attention at once or I move on. There are just too many books I want to read.

It depends. I find that faster reading helps with my immersion, especially with novels that are visually focused. I just fly through, and the book turns into a movie, and I only stop to rage at the character's choices sometimes.

When I read something with optimized word choices that ignores my visual needs, I often need to reread a paragraph, which cuts things off.

The last time this happened was with "The Gunslinger", a week ago. I can easily burn through books in a day or two, but this one took much longer because I'd keep going back to check things. At the same time, it mangled my enthusiasm and I would need to physically make myself start reading it. Still, that book was amazing in its own way.

TL Clark (author of love) wrote: "Mary wrote: "A woman I know reads the final chapter FIRST to see if she wants to read the book. Can you believe it? Mon dieu!"

Sacre bleu!!! :-O
Noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!
Oh I could never do that; ..."

I used to do that, mainly to see how the author tied up the ending and to see if the author did their job. But I was primarily a reader back then, not an author. Now I see through those eyes.

As an author who can spend hours rewriting one sentence or paragraph, I like to give other authors the consideration of reading every word. If after the first 50 pages, I don't like the style, characters, or story line, I will not finish the book and I move on.

That depends n the book. The more I am enjoying it the slower I try to read. Wanting to savour every moment.

But I am, by nature, a very fast reader. That's just a fact of my life.

If I like a book I will read it at least twice before venturing an opinion.

I agree with Jane. I have finished a 400 page book in 10 hours ( Creep ) and I've had a 300 page book for 10 weeks. It really depends on the page of the book and how much i enjoy it. I do tend to skim read though, its rare for an author to actually skip the description but that's what i find myself doing.

Denise wrote: "I take all aspects of the book into account, so I'm a bit slow. Details, characters, plot, writing, I gather it all as I highlight things I like or dislike. I'm also one who has to begin my kindle ..."

This is exactly what I do the moment I notice an author not only delivers a story but really shows some great writing skills. I'll even read it twice to better see how the author made a difference. For me, it's part of the basic steps one must go through if one wants to be an author and not only a scribbler.