Q&A for How to Read a Book Faster

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  • Question
    What if I hate the book I'm reading?
    Emily Listmann, MA
    Academic Tutor and Life Coach
    Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools.
    Academic Tutor and Life Coach
    Expert Answer
    Unfortunately, students are sometimes assigned texts they don’t find interesting. Try keeping in mind what the benefits and consequences are for finishing or not finishing the book. Write them down somewhere easily visible to yourself to motivate you and help you stay engaged.
  • Question
    I don't like to read. My book is due on March 10 and I need it done fast. It is about 210 pages. How do I get it done really fast?
    Emily Listmann, MA
    Academic Tutor and Life Coach
    Emily Listmann is a Private Tutor and Life Coach in Santa Cruz, California. In 2018, she founded Mindful & Well, a natural healing and wellness coaching service. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. Emily also received her Wellness Coach Certificate from Cornell University and completed the Mindfulness Training by Mindful Schools.
    Academic Tutor and Life Coach
    Expert Answer
    If you try the tips above, you should be able to finish your book in time.
  • Question
    How would I be able to read a 28 chapter book in two weeks?
    Avesta
    Community Answer
    Just do the math --14 chapters per week is two chapters per day. If you do it like this, you might even be able to read slowly and finish it.
  • Question
    I have four new books. How can I read all of them in a month?
    Community Answer
    Why one month? Carry one of them with you wherever you go. Read in the car, read during lunch, read before you go to bed. Read every spare chance you get, and you should be able to finish four books in one month just fine.
  • Question
    How do I sharpen my thinking capacity?
    Community Answer
    Turn off or move away anything that distracts you. Sit in a place of relaxation to help you focus better.
  • Question
    If I am in a reading challenge, how do I read without getting stressed about not winning?
    Community Answer
    Just read, and try to enjoy what you're reading. The reading should be fun and a reward in itself, it doesn't matter if you win or lose.
  • Question
    How do I finish my school book before school opens? I am not a person that likes to read.
    Community Answer
    Try to set yourself reasonable goals to read so many pages or chapters each day or each session. When you achieve one goal, move on to the next. You may find that it gets easier, and perhaps more enjoyable, as you progress.
  • Question
    I get sleepy if I read books and have never finished a book so far in life. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    You might try reading while standing up or walking back and forth in your room, in order to fight off sleepiness. Or drink some soda or coffee while you're reading, if you're not so sensitive to caffeine that you'll lose focus.
  • Question
    What should I do if have to read an assignment in a language that I struggle with?
    Community Answer
    Try to read the book along with the audiobook, if available, so you will follow along with the voice. This will help you read faster and understand it better.
  • Question
    I have a book that's 17 chapters and due in 4 days. I don't really like reading so how do I do it?
    Community Answer
    It doesn't matter if you don't like reading. Some people don't like math, but they still have to do it at school. You have four days, so start as soon as possible. Don't put it off -- depending on your level of speed and comprehension, you may need all the time you can get!
  • Question
    How do I make myself read and not procrastinate?
    Community Answer
    Set your timer for a short period, for 15 minutes for example, and make sure you are focusing and understanding what you are reading, do it whenever you are free, 5 minutes before sleeping, 10 minutes before lunch. Reading a book in a topic you are interested in helps a lot.
  • Question
    How do I read a book faster if I'm under stress?
    Community Answer
    If you're under stress, try to read in a quiet and calm environment. This will help calm you. You could also try playing some soft and relaxing music at a low volume level. Some good music genres that will work include Classical, Jazz, or Lofi. All these genre choices of music can be found on YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, etc.
  • Question
    I have to read 57 pages in a day and annotate as well. How do I do it? I'm not the kind of person who likes to sit and read.
    Community Answer
    Maybe you could try to play the audio book and follow along in the book, and pause when you find something that you don't understand to annotate.
  • Question
    How do I read books faster for pleasure?
    Community Answer
    Chose a book that will interest you, and follow the steps in this article. Good luck.
  • Question
    Will meditation help me improve my reading speed?
    Community Answer
    It definitely could! Meditation is a great way to improve brain function in general, so there's a good chance it could help you to read faster.
  • Question
    How can I read all the information for my final nursing paper in just 3 weeks?
    Community Answer
    Break it up into smaller parts so it doesn't feel like as much information. Then read through each section, not moving on to the next until you feel really confident that you know the one you're working on. Set aside two days at the end of your three weeks for a review of all the material.
  • Question
    What should I do if I don't understand what am reading?
    Community Answer
    Try the methods in Understand What You Read .
  • Question
    Will these instructions help me if I need to read a book that is more than 500 words long in 2 months?
    Butterfly
    Community Answer
    Yes, they can help no matter how long the book is. To increase your chances of finishing the book on time, you can divide the number of pages in the book by the number of days you want to finish the book in. You will get the approximate number of pages you'll need to read every day. If in case you get a remainder, don't do anything with it. Always stick to the number and even if the book gets over one or two days late than the desired limit, it'll get over soon.
  • Question
    I try to read faster every day but after a page or two of trying to read fast, I just go back to reading slowly. What should I do?
    Butterfly
    Community Answer
    Try reading only till the time you're able to read fast. If you can read only a page or two fast, then read only that much but read it fast. Slowly, when you get into the habit of reading fast, increase the number of pages you read every day. This will help you become a fast reader eventually. Remember, this can take time.
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