What kind of reader are you ? - Page 4

HarleyB · 02-01-2011, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

There are times where I could do it, with books under say 200 pages where I'm truly engrossed, but I resist that, and put it aside on purpose.

I wish I had your will power.
Knowing that I can't put a book down until it is finished really limits what I allow myself to read. Less than 300 pages is easy as I can ususally find a few hours to read but longer books can be quite challenging. It seems ridiculous but I often keep a new (long) book unread for a week or two until I have enough time to read it in a sitting rather than spend an hour here and there on it which would mean that I could have read it much sooner.
I guess I have spent too many nights reading until I finished and then had to pay the price the next day. When I was younger I could manage but now I must be getting too old because I really can't cope if I don't get enough sleep.

Maggie Leung · 02-01-2011, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarleyB

I wish I had your will power.
Knowing that I can't put a book down until it is finished really limits what I allow myself to read. Less than 300 pages is easy as I can ususally find a few hours to read but longer books can be quite challenging. It seems ridiculous but I often keep a new (long) book unread for a week or two until I have enough time to read it in a sitting rather than spend an hour here and there on it which would mean that I could have read it much sooner.

Wow, that's pretty hardcore. Is this some kind of OCD?

caleb72 · 02-01-2011, 02:30 AM

Well - it depends on the book for me. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon was read by me in one sitting and that was heading towards 400 pages. But that's an exception.

The complexity of the writing and how immersed I am in the plot will usually determine how fast I read.

Reading A Room with a View at the moment and it's academically interesting but I would struggle reading the whole thing in one sitting even though it's a much shorter book.

I used to be only one book at a time, but now I tend to have one eBook and one paperback going at a time. I seldom ditch a book although there have been occasions (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell).

Regards
Caleb

HarleyB · 02-01-2011, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

Wow, that's pretty hardcore. Is this some kind of OCD?

My husband certainly thinks so!

I don't know it's just what I have always done. Even as a little kid I always wanted to know what happened next...so I kept reading until I knew.

jkeene · 02-01-2011, 08:19 AM

I read sequentially, generally two books at once. One non-fiction, usually history, and one fiction, often sci-fi or fantasy, but presently horror. Been reading slower on purpose, as I've found I really enjoy letting my mind wander off into the subject world of the book. Way back in high school I took a speed reading course, got up close to a thousand words a minute on Nine Princes In Amber, but found it was too fast to really enjoy the book.

Bittybye · 02-01-2011, 08:26 AM

If I like a book I tend to plow right though it. For instance I've been reading the Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind novels which are approximately 600 pages each (give or take, I've never seen the paper books) and on a weekend I can read the whole book in one day, a working say it can take two or three days. Most of the novels I read are shorter, but I can read a book a day, sometimes a book and a half, depending on what else is going on.

Now if I don't like a book, I'll give it a few chapters and if I still don't like it I won't bother with it. Life if too short to read books I don't like. (Twilight doesn't count. I had a car crash fascination with these book. I just wanted to find out if they got worse...which they did.)

Now if a book has a lot of unnecessary stuff put in there, like overblown angst or mental whining, I tend to skim though that. For instance I was able to read "Twilight" in a very short period of time due to unnecessary drivel about how divinely perfect Edward is. I think it took me a few hours to read the first book.

Of course there are the books I read very quickly, just to find out what happens in the end, then I go back and immediately reread, to savor the book. I did that with Confessor (last book in the Sword of Truth books)

Mrraow · 02-01-2011, 08:37 AM

Reading speed is an interesting topic. I have been reading at around 100 pages per hour since I was around 8 years old. At the time, I spent all of my pocket money on used paperbacks from a local bookshop, and probably read 2-3 books a night. These days, I have competing interests, and don't find as much time for reading, so my throughput is down, probably 1-2 books a week at the moment; but my reading speed is still about the same.

I do read every word; and my recall and comprehension is excellent in terms of plot and character, at least; however, I often optimise away the names of minor characters. One thing I have noticed; 'arty' books where the emphasis is more on the writing than the plot or characters slow me down; and books which have been translated from a foreign language slow me to a crawl. Foucault's Pendulum, for example, took me around 20 hours to read.

Do I always read a book to the end? I used to. I think the first book I didn't finish was Heliconia Spring by Brian Aldiss. I got most of the way to the end before I gave up. These days, I'm more discerning, probably because I haven't enough time to read everything; and am willing to abandon a book if it's dull, unpleasant, badly formatted, overly wordy; or just looks at me in a funny way.

Quexos · 02-01-2011, 04:32 PM

I don't think I'll ever read 600 pages a day but I wish I could do as well as you, that would make my day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yakuzaboss

I always read books from beginning to end. I can typically read about 30-50 per day, if its a working day. If its my day off, I can easily read about 100 pages. If I'm really into and lost in the book a little bit more.

ManosHandsOfFate · 02-01-2011, 06:27 PM

If reading was my only form of entertainment, I'd probably read much quicker but as it stands I probably average a book every couple weeks. I read one book at a time. I usually have a pretty good idea whether or not I'm going to like a book before I pick it up so it's rare that I stop reading a book because it's awful.

fruiter · 02-02-2011, 10:24 AM

I can't put a book down when I'm really engrossed in the action. That's why book series are terrible -- I don't sleep a wink for days!

Sometimes I have dry spells -- for example, I spent whole months without reading anything because I was too busy with other things in my life. But generally, I read a lot, and I read very quickly.

tponzo · 02-02-2011, 02:57 PM

When I was younger I used to read much more quickly. I also was reading smaller books (I cut my teeth on Harlequins

) I used to read a book every day or day and a half. Now I usually read a book every two or three days so finish 2-4 books a week.
Usually I read two or three books at a time. I am currently reading three: one for church which I have to review, A Room with a View for the MR book club (that's a re-read for me so should be a little quicker) and the second Harry Potter book (I'm re-reading the series).

I read on the bus. That's a good 60 to 90 minutes of reading every day. Since I got my e-reader that's what I take on the bus which means my pleasure reading goes quicker. The church book will probably take the longest just because I keep putting it down. Also I can't find an electronic copy of it at my library to take on my commute.

Once I get into it it shouldn't take long to finish (a week or so at most).

Mikelo · 02-02-2011, 03:24 PM

I am limited to 7 or 8 books a month because I can't afford to spend more in books; Sometimes I have to force myself to watch TV for an hour so my books last longer. I am constantly reading; I read everything from Internet forums to the ingredients on a shampoo bottle that crosses my way. I just can't stop reading so there has never been a book I dropped no matter how bad they are.

The Terminator · 02-02-2011, 10:21 PM

I read about a book a week on average, but some weeks I won't get through any and some weeks I'll get through two, but with an average of about 4-5 books a month or about 1300 pages.

GreenMonkey · 02-03-2011, 01:33 AM

I timed myself in the 9th grade - I read about 2 pages/min then. Testing these days on the internet pegs me about 600-700wpm. I kinda read by the paragraph somehow. Hard to explain to read-aloud-in-my-head-readers, they never quite get how I can read that fast.

I tend to read one book at a time. I read a 2nd book only if I misplace the 1st. These days sometimes I read a 2nd on my Nook or NC if I don't have my hardcover available (as in, not at home). Sometimes it's possible I am reading a non-fiction book for a history class at the same time.

astra · 02-03-2011, 03:11 PM

I read mostly fantasy. Fantasy books tend to be thick, 600+ pages, usually 800-900.
I usually read 1 book per month. If I am lucky, I read 1 and 1/2 books in a month. The number might rise if the books are slimmer, but it is not very often.

02-02-2011, 03:24 PM	#57
Mikelo Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Kindle	Speaking of OCD I am limited to 7 or 8 books a month because I can't afford to spend more in books; Sometimes I have to force myself to watch TV for an hour so my books last longer. I am constantly reading; I read everything from Internet forums to the ingredients on a shampoo bottle that crosses my way. I just can't stop reading so there has never been a book I dropped no matter how bad they are.

02-02-2011, 10:21 PM	#58
The Terminator Retired Posts: 2,552 Karma: 37638420 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver Island Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Optimus One (2.3), Nexus 7 (4.2)	I read about a book a week on average, but some weeks I won't get through any and some weeks I'll get through two, but with an average of about 4-5 books a month or about 1300 pages. Last edited by The Terminator; 02-04-2011 at 08:43 PM.

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02-01-2011, 02:30 AM	#48
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	Well - it depends on the book for me. A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon was read by me in one sitting and that was heading towards 400 pages. But that's an exception. The complexity of the writing and how immersed I am in the plot will usually determine how fast I read. Reading A Room with a View at the moment and it's academically interesting but I would struggle reading the whole thing in one sitting even though it's a much shorter book. I used to be only one book at a time, but now I tend to have one eBook and one paperback going at a time. I seldom ditch a book although there have been occasions (Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell). Regards Caleb

02-01-2011, 08:19 AM	#50
jkeene Connoisseur Posts: 83 Karma: 85586 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3	I read sequentially, generally two books at once. One non-fiction, usually history, and one fiction, often sci-fi or fantasy, but presently horror. Been reading slower on purpose, as I've found I really enjoy letting my mind wander off into the subject world of the book. Way back in high school I took a speed reading course, got up close to a thousand words a minute on Nine Princes In Amber, but found it was too fast to really enjoy the book.

02-01-2011, 08:26 AM	#51
Bittybye Addict Posts: 262 Karma: 505124 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-T2	If I like a book I tend to plow right though it. For instance I've been reading the Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind novels which are approximately 600 pages each (give or take, I've never seen the paper books) and on a weekend I can read the whole book in one day, a working say it can take two or three days. Most of the novels I read are shorter, but I can read a book a day, sometimes a book and a half, depending on what else is going on. Now if I don't like a book, I'll give it a few chapters and if I still don't like it I won't bother with it. Life if too short to read books I don't like. (Twilight doesn't count. I had a car crash fascination with these book. I just wanted to find out if they got worse...which they did.) Now if a book has a lot of unnecessary stuff put in there, like overblown angst or mental whining, I tend to skim though that. For instance I was able to read "Twilight" in a very short period of time due to unnecessary drivel about how divinely perfect Edward is. I think it took me a few hours to read the first book. Of course there are the books I read very quickly, just to find out what happens in the end, then I go back and immediately reread, to savor the book. I did that with Confessor (last book in the Sword of Truth books)

02-01-2011, 08:37 AM	#52
Mrraow Bookworm Posts: 30 Karma: 106 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, England Device: Opus	Reading speed is an interesting topic. I have been reading at around 100 pages per hour since I was around 8 years old. At the time, I spent all of my pocket money on used paperbacks from a local bookshop, and probably read 2-3 books a night. These days, I have competing interests, and don't find as much time for reading, so my throughput is down, probably 1-2 books a week at the moment; but my reading speed is still about the same. I do read every word; and my recall and comprehension is excellent in terms of plot and character, at least; however, I often optimise away the names of minor characters. One thing I have noticed; 'arty' books where the emphasis is more on the writing than the plot or characters slow me down; and books which have been translated from a foreign language slow me to a crawl. Foucault's Pendulum, for example, took me around 20 hours to read. Do I always read a book to the end? I used to. I think the first book I didn't finish was Heliconia Spring by Brian Aldiss. I got most of the way to the end before I gave up. These days, I'm more discerning, probably because I haven't enough time to read everything; and am willing to abandon a book if it's dull, unpleasant, badly formatted, overly wordy; or just looks at me in a funny way.

02-01-2011, 06:27 PM	#54
ManosHandsOfFate Addict Posts: 298 Karma: 1537324 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Chicago Device: Nook, K3, Fire, Nexus 7	If reading was my only form of entertainment, I'd probably read much quicker but as it stands I probably average a book every couple weeks. I read one book at a time. I usually have a pretty good idea whether or not I'm going to like a book before I pick it up so it's rare that I stop reading a book because it's awful.

02-02-2011, 10:24 AM	#55
fruiter Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 438 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Kindle 3; WISEreader N526	I can't put a book down when I'm really engrossed in the action. That's why book series are terrible -- I don't sleep a wink for days! Sometimes I have dry spells -- for example, I spent whole months without reading anything because I was too busy with other things in my life. But generally, I read a lot, and I read very quickly.

02-02-2011, 02:57 PM	#56
tponzo Addict Posts: 239 Karma: 237 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: OH USA Device: Sony PRS 900(gave it to my sister); Sony PRS-T1; onyx book note air	When I was younger I used to read much more quickly. I also was reading smaller books (I cut my teeth on Harlequins ) I used to read a book every day or day and a half. Now I usually read a book every two or three days so finish 2-4 books a week. Usually I read two or three books at a time. I am currently reading three: one for church which I have to review, A Room with a View for the MR book club (that's a re-read for me so should be a little quicker) and the second Harry Potter book (I'm re-reading the series). I read on the bus. That's a good 60 to 90 minutes of reading every day. Since I got my e-reader that's what I take on the bus which means my pleasure reading goes quicker. The church book will probably take the longest just because I keep putting it down. Also I can't find an electronic copy of it at my library to take on my commute. Once I get into it it shouldn't take long to finish (a week or so at most).

02-03-2011, 01:33 AM	#59
GreenMonkey DRM hater Posts: 945 Karma: 2066176 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Michigan Device: Nook ST glow, Kindle Voyage	I timed myself in the 9th grade - I read about 2 pages/min then. Testing these days on the internet pegs me about 600-700wpm. I kinda read by the paragraph somehow. Hard to explain to read-aloud-in-my-head-readers, they never quite get how I can read that fast. I tend to read one book at a time. I read a 2nd book only if I misplace the 1st. These days sometimes I read a 2nd on my Nook or NC if I don't have my hardcover available (as in, not at home). Sometimes it's possible I am reading a non-fiction book for a history class at the same time.

02-03-2011, 03:11 PM	#60
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	I read mostly fantasy. Fantasy books tend to be thick, 600+ pages, usually 800-900. I usually read 1 book per month. If I am lucky, I read 1 and 1/2 books in a month. The number might rise if the books are slimmer, but it is not very often.