This is my first discussion post! I love to read these posts but I have been very nervous to write one, and I was having a difficult time coming up with a topic. I finally had some inspiration!
What sparked the idea was an experience I had recently. I sped through reading a book in just a couple hours. A few days later I sat down to write a review and I could not remember what happened in the book! I believe that I read the book too quickly and did not take the time that I personally require for a story to stick with me. So when I say quality reading, I do not mean the quality of the book, but rather the quality of the reading experience. Is it better to take your time with a novel and really absorb it, or is it better to read quickly so you can read more books? I am sure there are a lot of people out there who can read fast and absorb the story, but I have come to realize I am just not one of those people.
These are the steps that I plan to take in order to improve the quality of my reading experience. If you have an other ideas I would love to hear about them!
Goodbye Goodreads challenge
This year I set my goodreads goal to 75, and I think that I am putting too much pressure on myself to achieve that goal. I still want to keep track of how many books I read, for my own personal knowledge, but I no longer want to make it in to a competition with myself. I increase my goal every year, and every year I believe that my quality of reading declines.
Stop picking up a new book as soon as I finish one
This is a bad habit that I have picked up! I will finish a book then immediately go to my shelves and pick up another and start reading! I haven’t even let myself reflect or think about the book I just finished! I have now decided that when I finish I book I am not reading any more that day. I want to “live” in the story that I just read for awhile.
Only read one book at a time
When I read more than one book at a time it can be confusing for me, especially if the books are the same genre. I want to fully immerse myself in one story at a time.
Start rereading books
I have never been one of those people who rereads books. My thought process has always been ‘I have already read that book, why waste time rereading it when I could read a new one?’ I am now realizing this is not the right way to think! If I enjoyed a story so much why wouldn’t I want to reread it and find things I missed the first time?
So that is it! What do you think about quality vs quantity reading? Have you found a balance between the two? I would love to hear your tips!
This post was so relatable. I agree that the Goodreads challenge puts pressure on how much we want to read. I normally don’t put more than 25-30 books so that I feel free to read at my own pace. Some books get me hungover for weeks, so it gives me space to think about them. I agree that it’s a very useful tool for managing what you read per year.
I’m glad you can relate! 25 is probably a better goal for me to set! I always try to fight a book hangover but I think it’s better to just wait it out and now force it!
I’m glad you wrote this post. I was discussing with a friend about similar things a few days ago. Seems to be a common feeling among readers 🙂
I completely agree. If I try to read too fast, I end up skimming the book and nothing sinks in. I feel in competition with other bloggers who can devour a book in a day whereas it takes me several days to finish reading one. Great post!
That’s exactly how I feel. Reading shouldn’t feel like a competition! I think it’s best if we decide to just read at our own pace!
I like the idea of not picking up a new book right after finishing one. I just finished a sci-fi novel and immediately jumped into a medieval/fantasy sort of genre. Talk about culture shock. As much as I want to read this new book, maybe it’s a good idea to give yourself a breather.
I think it is a good idea! I hope it works for you! I’ve just started doing this and it seems to be going well so far!
I totally agree about quality vs quantity. I have set my Goodreads goal at 75 but that is what I feel comfortable with.
Reading is such a personal experience, while it can be motivating to do challenges or compare stats, I think it is so much more important and fulfilling if you aren’t “working” at it. I hope you have success finding more quality in your reading 😊
Thanks Nina! I agree, reading shouldn’t feel like a chore! I think I’m figuring out what makes me comfortable!
I’m definitely a speed-reader, but it’s something I know I need to work on as well. For a while, I was reading a book every two days or so and just plowing onto the next one. It definitely makes it harder to write reviews, unless you force yourself to write the review right after putting the book down (which, let’s be honest, isn’t going to happen). I definitely suffer from not spending enough time thinking about the impact of the book afterward.
Here’s a suggestion, one I thought of literally while I was reading this post: what if you tried journaling while you read? (And by you, I also mean me!) Even if it’s just writing a paragraph after you finish the book, what your final impression was or something? I’m really into journaling in general, so maybe this wouldn’t work for you, but I think it might help you spend a little more time with each story you read.
Great first discussion post, by the way! I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts <3
Thanks Christine! 😊
That is an awesome suggestion! I think I am going to give that a shot! It would be interesting to be able to look back at the end of the year and read my thoughts as well. Let me know if you try it and how it works for you!
I am a speedreader and retain really well. Which is why I can read 3-4 books before I sit down to review one. It works for me. I’ve always read a lot of books.
Having said that, I don’t set my goal very high to begin with because I either read a lot or I’m busy and not reading as much. I set it fairly low and then raise my challenge if I get close.
I don’t think we should ever read just because we’re trying to read as much as possible. You shoul just read wht feels comfortable 🙂
To be honest, I am a mom of a child with special needs. So, I’m sitting at therapy multiple hours a week. Being a speed reader, means that I’m reading a lot right now while I wait on my daughter at therapy.
Having said that, I agree with your points. You shouldn’t read more than you can read and retain and I’m a huge fan of re-reading 🙂
I think every reader is different and they just need to find what works best for them! I agree that it is probably better to not set your goal too high and just keep adjusting it as needed!
I love the idea of rereading and I’m going to reread something this month for sure!
P. S. I love finding Kristin’s who spelled their names the same way as me! Happy reading! 😀
We are a rare breed of Kristins 🙂 I clicked your site from a comment on a blog I follow because of your name lol!
I definitely relate to this blog post. I have a bunch of blogging buddies that can read one book a day (or more!) when I can only manage 2 or 3 a week. Sometimes I feel like a failure, but if I try and read any faster I have difficulty retaining what I just read. I also feel kind of negative about my Goodreads challenge. I set mine to 100 – but I feel kind of repressed by it. Everytime I see it slip behind schedule I scramble to catch up. It sometimes feels restrictive, and suffocating. I’ve not convinced myself to abandon it yet, but I might cut it down a bit before the end of the year, just for my own sanity.
I’m so glad to hear I’m not alone in this! It is crazy how consuming something as small as a Goodreads challenge can be!
Thanks for commenting Bentley! 😊
I hear you….sometimes Ill be talking with a book friend and she will mention something on a book we read together and Ill be like ‘did we read the same book’?! I love to savour all the words so I think I am going to take a leaf out of your book!
Yes I want to be able to take about a book and actually remember the details!
I agree. This is exactly why I don’t do the goodreads challenge, because I’ll never complete the challenge. I can’t just rush through books.
Yes! I’m not going to rush through books anymore!
Ahh such a great topic!! I’ve definitely found that the quality of my reading goes down the more books I try to consume- I’m constantly trying to slow down, and reread things, to try and make the quality of my reading experience better, but it is a challenge!! And yes- I pick up a new book the second I finish one- which doesn’t give me enough time to appreciate what I just read- so that’s a great tip! And definitely agree with you about not reading more than one book at once- I rarely do that, but if I do, the quality of the reading experience goes down for sure.
It so helpful to hear that other people struggle with this! I’ve stopped picking up a new books right after I finish one and it really seems to be working for me!!
I put my goodreads challenge low this year and I am like 1-2 away from completing it, haha. For me it can sometimes help to write down some key words or sentences after finishing a book. Before picking up the next one.
I have decided to start a book journal. I think it will be useful! Thanks! 📖
I don’t think I put any pressure on myself as far as reading goes. I only read when I feel like it and even if I have months where I don’t read much or anything – I will be okay with it eventually.
You’ve got a really great action plan already and I really hope it’ll help improve your reading experience in the future! I’ve never looked at my Goodreads challenge as something I NEED to complete or read a certain amount of books each month to complete it. I only use it to keep track of what I read during any given year and if I find that I am approaching my set goal, I’ll update it to a new number and work from there.
I definitely I’m trying to have the same attitude about it as you! I think I am getting there! I set my Goodreads challenge lower and that has been a good thing I think!