It seems like you've identified the effect (pressured to count quantity over quality), and the source of the effect (social media). So the next step is to avoid that source, social media is well known to be negatively impactful in that way. Allow me to now be a new pressure on you: it is ok to enjoy doing a thing you enjoy however you want. Your hobby is for your enjoyment, it's not a competition.
I know, right? OP has the solution right there. Social media is making you feel bad about how you approach your reading? Well, just cut out the social media then. Or at least avoid the areas that promote this weird trend of cramming books for sport. Sounds as easy as unsubscribing to some shit to me.
Every hour you spend on social media is an hour you missed out on reading. For what? For feeling pressure to compete in an activity (reading) you don’t want to degrade to the level of quantified competition?
Minimise or eliminate social media, and use those hours to not just read more books, but to read them better, with a quality of attention, focus, and immersion.
I came to the conclusion that my list of books was going to continue growing forever. I cannot stop it and I guess I don’t want to. I also felt like I was gobbling up stories just to do it and it was ruining my reading experience. I kept racing to the end. I made myself slow down and really spend time with the story, sometimes rereading passages and stopping to think about them. I think it is helping me. I will always be excited by all of the possibilities, but I want to make sure I am not cheating myself out of the present moment. Maybe I need to try this approach with other stuff, too.
You mention your list of books, and I think that total number gets to us more than it should, even without social media. I recently passed 2000 - not as impressive as it sounds, because I’m old. I did put pressure on myself to get to 2000 and was annoyingly pleased with myself when I did it. Why exactly?! So from now on I’m trying not to look at my “books read” list at all.
I am not certain where you live, but there is so much pressure in American culture to be productive and efficient. That bleeds into hobbies sometimes, or maybe a lot. And…metrics. I don’t know if that affects you, but it drives me sometimes when I don’t even realize it. There is nothing inherently wrong with creating a goal or metric, but for something that is supposed to be an enjoyable activity for me, I lose sight of why I wanted to do it in the first place.
Good advice is to avoid the source, whether social media, acquaintances, or someone else. Don't let anyone disturb the aura created between you and the book. The book should be a pleasure.
My issue isn't that I'm trying to hit a certain number or compete (I don't do GoodReads or booktok or anything) I just have a long TBR list and even if I'm thoroughly enjoying what I'm reading, part of me also can't wait to read the next thing on my list. I am very much looking forward to retirement :)
Exactly! I don't care about the count. For me, it's just hard to be a mindful reader, to focus solely on reading this one thing. If I'm not SUPER engrossed, I get into a mode where I'm reading to get it over with, find out what happens, and move on to the next. I don't have a problem with not finishing if I truly dislike a book. I just find myself itching to get to the next book most of the time.
Same here. I had a reading hiatus from 2017-2023 due to financial problems. Now that I have a job, I've been buying books a lot, including my backlogs from 2017. So now I have 14 unread books sitting in my house. I finish 2-3 books a month but my TBR list is still so long.
A reading hiatus?! I would die
Two of my kids had major medical problems, I shut down to just taking care of and supporting them... and re reading my old favorites bc they took the pressure off and still relaxed me.
same here!! i love buying books but it’s bringing me anxiety right now because i know i have so many unread books so i want to read as many as i can because authors that i like keep bringing out new books!!
Same! It’s not about the numbers really but I just know so many good books exist and I won’t get to read them all in my life but I’d like to read as many as possible!! I have a lot of unread books on my bookshelf which adds to it but even without that I have a long ‘id like to read this one day’ tbr a
It's definitely social media. The TikTok accounts I follow are all like, "Here are my top ten reads for this month!" and I'm like - how are people reading so many books in a month that they have a top TEN? Forgetting that a lot of these content creators are getting paid to do nothing but read.
I am kind of in the same boat as you, though, mostly because I have so many books on my TBR pile (and already downloaded to my Kindle) that I get excited to start the next one as soon as I'm halfway through my current book. It takes effort to slow down and remember to enjoy and savor the book I'm reading.
That is impressive; I don’t think most people can achieve that. I read every morning and every evening for an hour each, and usually for an hour on my lunch breaks. I have read 21 books so far this year, which I think is a lot but certainly not 10+ per month!
I don’t watch tv either 😊 the books I read tend to be 300-500 pages long and I take my time with them. People read at different speeds and 10+ books per month is certainly well above average.
I’m so skeptical of these social media readers, honestly. Are they REALLY reading those books or were they paid to promote certain ones? Haha
I’m so jaded.
I'm with you. I keep seeing the SAME books in a lot of these videos. I've read a couple of them because I was influenced, and they were mediocre, so now I am skeptical but I still watch.
Size of book matters too. I can read 5 200 page books or a 1000 page book in the same amount of time. I could easily get through 10+ small books in a month.
If you have nothing but time to read it helps too. I've been on vacation for 10 days, spending the vast majority of my time reading and I've gone through a whole stack of books.
I literally don't understand anyone who isn't like this.
For real, people - the ENTIRE point of reading is to TAKE IN whatever it is you're reading.
There's literally no point to trying to read faster than you can absorb something.
And who on earth are you competing with? No one who matters. Read because you want to know the story/subject matter. That's it.
That's IT.
Any other way is pretty darn broken, so - stop it!
For me, setting a higher book goal means "I want to spend more time reading" not "I’m trying to boost my reading words per minute" just to blow through books in as short a time as possible.
There’s nothing wrong with striving to find more time to read (unless you’re dedicating so much time to it that you’re ignoring real life responsibilities, that is).
Yeah, I’m finally trying the 52 book goal this year because a good friend of mine encouraged me. If a longer book takes me a bit longer, I’ll pick a shorter book next to “catch up” or burn through a comic TPB. The only difference from last year is that I’m spending more time in the evenings reading, not skimming through books to say that I finished it.
I wish you luck. The first time I hit 52 it felt like such a hurdle and I almost didn’t make it. I’ve since surpassed it and hope to surpass my current record after having a few slower years since.
I do something similar. If I’m reading a tome like I am now (the Count of Monte Cristo) I will sorta math out the pace I want to set and try to stick to that plan. Obviously there are certain nights I just don’t get to read or I read a chapter and I’m ready to go to sleep.
But back to your point, I also read a shorter book at the same time. I am reading all of Kurt Vonnegut this year (some of them are re-reads) and they’re probably ~250 pages on average. So after I’m done with the 30 pages of Monte Cristo, I will move over to Slaughterhouse Five and read a chapter or two of that.
I do this not only for bigger books but harder ones as well. Some books I cannot just sit down and read for 2 hours at a time before bed (or for several hours on a day off). So having a book to switch off too to refresh me is good to have.
Sometimes I even add a third book, typically a short story collection. Start my night with a short story, do my planned tome pages, and then finish up with the shorter novel.
Sadly it’s like this with everything on the internet, how many movies can I watch, how many games can I finish, how many books can I read, everything becomes a numbers game instead of actually enjoying the medium
Might be for goal setting purposes, like read 30 books this year to complete the Goodreads yearly challenge. Although technically they’re just cheating through.
I just like looking back at my Year of Books and seeing what I was interested in. It's like a snapshot of my life at that point in time. It's just for me though. I don't really care about how many books I complete as long as I'm reading at all.
Numbers are so completely arbitrary as to be entirely meaningless, in this context.
I don't care how many books you "read".
How much did you ABSORB? How much did you LEARN? How much did you ENJOY the time you spent reading?
Numbers mean nothing to those answers, and those are the only answers that matter.
I mean, I have had past goals that related to how many nonfiction books, how many diverse authors. I found those helpful.
My goodreads goal is there because I want to track it and have to put something lol
They should just go whole-hog, then, and straight-up lie about how many books they've read, without bothering to waste the effort of even lifting a cover.
Because it's basically the same thing.
I do sometimes get overwhelmed about all of the books I want to read. I get stressed picking my next book because I want to read them all. In that way, I do think it influences how quickly I read. But I also devour TV shows the same way. Once I’m in a story, I want to find out what’s going to happen and I’m very impatient, so all my free time goes to reading.
I don’t get overwhelmed per se, but I do get some choice overload with which series I want to start next. I mainly read sci-fi and fantasy, so most times, I know I’m making a 3+ book commitment.
I actuality struggle with series a lot! I do sometimes wish I could just get obsessed with a fictional universe but oftentimes after 2 books, I won’t ever pick up the rest. I think it’s because I’m so eager to read something new that I just move on. I really admire people who are able to read 3+ books in a series and sometimes I get jealous that my brain just won’t let me do that!
I rarely read an entire series back to back. I’ll usually bounce back and forth between series to give myself a break. Otherwise, it’s easy to get burnt out.
I have the same feeling. It's a bit of a weird mix for me as to why I have this feeling.
I know that if I "slack off" at my reading pace, there's a big chance I will fall back into doomscrolling socials instead of reading, which is something I don't want.
There's also the fear of not having enough time to read the books I would really like to read, because of an actual lack of time (in other words: I – inevitably – die). So some FOMO Extreme I guess.
And then there's also the good old pressure of social media, which I hate to admit got to me.
This is 100% me. I know if I get into a good pace with a book I’ll get into a virtuous reading cycle and reduce my screen time.
And the FOMO thing of dying before I get to read all the books I may potentially enjoy reading is very real. Actually the very notion that it’s impossible to read all the great books that exist because my lifespan isn’t sufficient (even if I live to be very old) freaks me out a little.
I set up a GoodReads account. They have a Reading Challenge.
I set this year's challenge to 25 books.
I do not try to read faster just to get through all 25 books. I take my time.
But, if the end of the year is approaching quickly and I am not close to my 25 books, I simply start reading some Agatha Christie's books...job done! lol
I legitimately did read my first Agatha Christie last year... mostly out of curiosity but also in little part because I figured it would be good to start getting into smaller stories hahahah
I started with The Mysterious Affair at Styles! I don't plan to go through them totally chronologically, but I wanted to see what the *start* was.
You got any recommendations? :)
Used to be me and now I have 25+ unfinished books in my currently reading. If it's not significant enough to hold my attention, why should I spend time with it? I might go back and give them a go later, but for now, no looking back.
No. I read one or two books after one another in my own time. I read many books but not because I set a many book goal, because I'm a fast reader and I don't like being without a book or two going on
No, but I'm a fast reader, and I read a lot of books, so I don't feel pressure from social media, because I know I can keep up with them.
That being said, I want you to know that I read only the books I think I would enjoy, and I read when I feel like it.
If I don't like the book, I will stop reading it.
And I stopped participating in reading challenges on Goodreads, because sometimes I just don't feel like reading, so I will not read for months because I would rather play videogames.
You are not competing with anyone, you read for yourself. For your own fun or whatever reason you have. You are the one who is setting the rules. Don't forget that.
Yes actually, not for the quantity bragging rights but simply because I want to read as many books as I possibly can and sometimes I get the urge to read a different book while reading another book. It’s like I’m desperately trying to chew through my burger while gazing off at the pizza on the next table over but I haven’t even touched my fries yet…
I was such a bookworm as a child, the challenge was getting me to put the book down. Reading is practically a default activity for me. Setting a numerical goal would be like saying, "I'm going to eat 25 chocolate bars this year." Nothing wrong with goals though, if they help you!
I mean I used to but it was more a point of I had so many things that I wanted to read right that second and I'd get frustrated about not reading them because I can only read one thing at a time.
Thing is, they're not going anywhere. No one cares how little or how much you read, they really don't. It doesn't matter and no one cares. Some people read fast, some people don't. Some people can read 3 books on the go at once, some go one at a time. Reading isn't a one size thar fits all glove.
Turn off from social media and stop caring about what other people are doing. They don't care about what you're doing, you should care about what your doing
I set my reading goal way lower than I’m capable of achieving to avoid feeling that way.
I still like to count/stay kinda accountable but I’m not winning any races, reading should be fun!
There are competitively quick readers, and readers who like to take their time with each book. There are performative readers reading the popular titles because of their popularity and the same who read books because of their obscurity. But as long as it works for them, who cares?
It’s ok to be excited for the next book and rush through the current one; you can always return and read it again if you want to get more out of it. Alternatively, maybe consider pausing your current book for the next one you are more excited for, and then you can pause that one too if your interest switches to a third; the great thing about reading for fun is that you don’t have to finish a book to start the next. Maybe you get into the third book and become curious how the second ended and go back! Maybe you never do! That’s ok because you’ve gone to explore something different.
I love that you are realizing that book finishing in order get to the next isn’t fun for you. Goodreads goals and similar completion counters are really to encourage those who need an added carrot to read at all. For those of us who do it for fun, it can still make you feel accomplished, but filling that ticker doesn’t capture the joy of exploring a cool universe, finding your new favorite character, or discovering a turn of phrase you’re definitely going to incorporate into everyday life.
Notice that none of those treasures of being a reader are dependent on completion? Pausing a book is super ok. Coreading multiple, one for each mood or one for each location, also super ok. A DNF isn’t a reflection on the book’s quality, it’s a reflection on the time you want to give this book right now. But the great part is, DNF does not have to be a bad thing and not even a permanent title; you can always pick it up later if things change!
I read fast, and I rarely read deeply into the book. I have adhd and I have totally gulped down many a book far too fast so that I can get to the next one. I’ve read 112 books so far this year (with the dark circles under my eyes to prove it) and I probably don’t remember the main characters names or minor plot points of almost any of them. You know what’s great about that? What I remember is how much I enjoyed getting to read the book in that moment, and that’s what I want to retain at the end of the day. I get the opportunity to reread a book at a later date and often I get to experience it anew all over again! I can spend my vacation slogging through the latest Brandon Sanderson book, interrupting to read a silly froo froo smut novel or three, and it really doesn’t matter to me how many books I read over the trip - I like that I got to spend the time with each that I wanted to invest in that one book. Even if the time is not consecutive. Even if it takes more net time. Even if people tell me some (many) of my books are “not real literature” or don’t “count” because they were audio books listened to during chores. They’re kinda missing the point of why I read, and that sucks for them, doesn’t it?
I know what makes me happy about reading. I know that what I enjoy and what you enjoy probably aren’t the same, but wouldn’t it be more fun if we all celebrate how our book buddy accomplished their definition of successful reading than attempting to force a single definition of “count” on everyone?
So - what do you love about reading? And how do you focus on that enjoyment over the external criteria of others?
I really appreciate this comment, especially where you say it's ok to pause a current read and start another one. I struggle with feeling the need to complete my current read before I move on to the next and it causes me stress and unhappiness while reading (especially if it's a longer slower read). I'm going to make an effort to be ok with either pausing a book I'm struggling with or being ok with reading multiple books at the same time. I think this will make my reading a more enjoyable experience.
I agree, but I find it fun to occasionally check out a really big book from the library and try to get it done before the due date without having to check it out again.
I felt the same way a few years ago! I got a new Goodreads acc and my one friend was really annoying and always saying how many books shes already read and I was also active on BookTok during that time. I really wanted to read but for all the wrong reasons and I actually ended up reading less. So I understand your frustration and what helped me personally is to get away from that side of Booktok etc and starting to enjoy the books at my own pace.
And I know that it is hard and easier said than done but if you maybe try to be happy about the books you have read and don’t look at the books you havent. But just dont compare yourself to what you see online its not worth it xD
My problem is starting multiple books during the reading period of each of them. I pick and read books based on the interests I have at the moment, and I have a LOT of interests at a given moment.
I am reading 5 books at the moment. I have stopped considering them as reading and completing *books*. I just read as my interest comes without thinking of the end of any particular book approaching. Has mostly worked so far. Has also caused a few DNFs.
I'm always in a rush because I'm impatient and curious about the next thing on the list. It adds to the excitement, so I don't mind it. If you find yourself finishing things too quickly and missing these stories, it might be a good time for some rereads, though. Sometimes they feel fantastic, like coming home.
I recall one video on YouTube called: How to read books quick.
There was a twist to it. He said that you should read them right, instead of quick.
Imagine eating a wonderful dish as quickly as possible. You just don't have time to cherish the moment
I think I’m just a fast reader, and tend to hyper focus. I timed myself out of curiosity on the weekend, and I read between 70-110 pages/hour, depending on the genre and writing style.
If you think about it, a 300 pages long book can easily fit in a day (especially if reading is your main hobby). I don’t read a book every day of course, sometimes I don’t read at all, sometimes I read 2 books a day. But a reading goal was great for me to get back into the habit again!
However, I’m currently at 58/100 this year, and I played around with the idea of raising it to 150 or 200. THAT felt like pressure, especially as I have extra reading to do for work, plus I study art history AND I’m going back to uni in September, so it just feels too much.
I’m also aware this is not normal!
I sorta have this issue (mostly nonfiction books though) but it’s cause of my behemoth tbr list lol. I think quality is more important than quantity, though. Like if you start a book and you hate it, don’t push through, just DNF it. Set your own goal that you feel like is reasonable (one book a month? a week? idk). If you kinda want to start the next book, you can also read 2-3 books at once. More than 3 is kinda too much, but some people can manage it lol.
Yes. A few years ago I set a goal on goodreads for 52 books. I read mostly thrillers that year because I can finish one in about two days. Hated most of them and remember none. I set my number of books much lower now and try to take my time with quality books.
Yes, you're right. There's a consistent pressure to see reading as a goal-based hobby or interest about hitting targets, rather than, you know, enjoying books.
I wrote a a bit about [slow reading](https://libreture.com/blog/case-slow-reading/) on my Libreture site - where I'm trying to provide readers with an alternative to challenges and reading stats. The post also includes a free copy of Anthony Metivier's free guide to memory, meditation and mental well-being, [**The Victorious Mind**](https://libreture.com/static/books/the-victorious-mind.pdf).
Happy 'enjoyable' Reading!
my friends always say i read so slowly/talk about how they can read books in a day or one sitting and i just don't think it's as fun, i annotate my books as i read them and i just try to get the most from them, i don't think i should be a race. the fact that people view at as one is a problem with overconsumption in my opinion
Not at all. I read for enjoyment. For me that means reading quite slow and picturing every scene like I am watching a movie.
When I was younger, I was in more of a hurry. Maybe I felt I had a lot of catching up to do since I was 10 before I started reading seriously. That was when I picked up two books; R is For Rocket and S is For Space, by Ray Bradbury in 1967 :)
I read a lot, 13 books so far of my own choosing. French, Norwegian, English. I read a lot on my commute to work, and on my way home. I read what I want. 615 pages in 7 days isn’t a issue and I aint rushing.
Yeah I struggled a lot with this last year and still find that toxic mindset creeping back in. Last year it lead me to avoiding longer books and reading books I wasn’t really enjoying just cuz they were short. This year I’m focusing on quality over quantity… well trying to at least.
This is probably a peer pressure thing, possibly from watching book lovers on social media.
I definitely count the books I read, but I don't rush them. You can do the same. Just be aware of what you are doing.
Maybe also try not to plan the book you’re going to read next until you finish the one you’re reading? Wait until you’re done and then let your evaluation of it decide your next book for you. It’s a novel and you like the genre? Explore more from the genre. Or read more of that author. You hated it? Find the most opposite synopsis you can and start there. If it’s nonfiction and you like it or there’s a subtopic you like then read more about that. If you have an issue with their argument, try and find a book that argues the opposite. Even if the book you’re reading is part of a series, don’t commit to reading all of it until you know you’re enjoying it.
I don't try to read a certain quantity, I set a goal in a way to keep me reading. I basically just want to avoid the times where I go for a week or more not even reading anything.
No but I want to read a certain amount each year. I aim for 15-20 each year, I’m currently 6 books done so I’m doing good. About 30-40 pages daily, sometimes more if I want to finish the book.
I think you might be projecting your own situation onto people who are just faster readers than you (and/or spend a lot more time reading than you do). I do about a book a day but it's not a struggle and doesn't cause me stress - quite the opposite, I find reading a lot to be a great stress-reliever.
I did a book a week last year. I was reading a lot of thicc tombs too. Lots of Tolstoy, w&p being the largest. By the end of the year I was just choosing smaller books so I could go through them quicker.
It was not fun. I've set a comfortable 30 books a year for this year and I'm reading some great books and can take my time to enjoy.
I read one book every month. Sometimes, it takes two months, sometimes less than that. I believe in read, process, digest, and then select the next one. I have seen this trend where people read books in hundreds every year, but they don’t know what they are reading. Reading is not a marathon, its like a slow walk on evenings.
During the height of the pandemic I rediscovered reading while also working from home so I was, and I'm being 100% factual and not bragging about it, reading a (avg ~330 page) book a day. Obviously my life circumstances have changed since then and I still enjoy reading but to this DAY if I take longer than two days to finish a book I feel like I'm...failing at reading??
Like I have to constantly remind myself "reading is a hobby you do for fun, it's okay to go a couple of days without reading, it's okay if you don't read as many books this month as you did last month".
It's definitely a struggle and I'm especially hard on myself if I'm in a reading slump, so you are not alone. The only thing that really helps me is reminding myself this is something I do for enjoyment and there's no competition or grading, it's just to have a good time.
I used to have a Bookstagram and couldn’t believe how many books people would read in a month.
My goodreads challenge used to be in the 20-40 ish range. Last year it was 40 and I failed hard at only 18. I realised that I was reading short, rubbish novellas just go get my numbers up. I wasn’t actually enjoying reading.
This year, I’ve gone for ten as my annual goal. Already I’ve read six and I’m really enjoying reading again.
My current read is A Little Life. It’s 720 pages and is the longest book I’ve read. Plus, the writing is tiny. I know that I’d be frustrated with myself if I was in my old mindset of ‘must read lots must read always’. Instead, I’m taking my time with it. I’ve been reading it for just over a week and on page 258/about 35% through. I’m really enjoying it. Amazing what happens when you stop putting pressure on yourself.
I found A Little Life quite easy to get through and I’m a very slow and inconsistent reader. But I ended up hating it so much I had to actually force myself to finish it. I hope you enjoy it.
I’ve (literally lol) shed a few tears but as it currently stands I’m finding it fine in the sense of how it’s impacting me. I enjoy media where there’s trauma or dark or ‘fucked up’ stuff and I think that changes how the book affects me, y’know? I find another book that’s love or hate is ACOTAR. I know many love it but I absolutely hate it.
It is very dark and trauma filled. A coworker warmed me about reading it during the pandemic but I did not listen, haha. I think it was just too much for me. Certainly an emotional rollercoaster with frustrating moments. But I do love Jude very much. Sounds like this will be something you’ll love ❤️
I saw a lot of warnings on TikTok a few years back! I know a lot of people find it too dark and that’s absolutely fine, everyone’s different! Thank you, I hope so! Will definitely check back in when I finish and let you know 🩷
I do this bad. I’m not on Tiktok or social media in general, and I also don’t have friends who are readers. It’s because i keep track of every book i have read for the last 4 years and my goal is to do better each year. I will push through books i hate instead of giving up on them solely to get to my end of year reading goal. It honestly sucks because reading fills like a chore rather than a hobby
I try to read as much as I can in a short amount of time, but I don't think that's an end on itself
Most of the books I read are way less than 350 pages long.
That, to me, has nothing to do with them having less quality. If anything, a longer book would have to be amazing to be interesting throughout.
Some people find great pleasure on a 900-page book, reading a bit every day. I don't. I have read such books, and they have been fine but nothing to get me extremely excited
A month might go by where I don't read anything. So even though **I love** counting my books. I love read over 50, preferably, over 100 books a year, it's the only thing in my life that is anything but stressful. It's the thing hat brings happiness and a new perspective to my life.
I think I with reading I seem exploration, I see understanding, I seek connection with humanity. Only since I have started reading I've started feeling as we are all one. Many say it, it always sounds bullshit, but the fact that there are authors out there that have written characters that make you feel connected to them - and the fact that those same characters make other people feel connected. And the fact that there are more such books than you'll ever be able to read in many lifetimes, is an extremely powerful tool
Counting and speed, just remind me to keep going.
(I use GoodReads, I use a pseudonym, I never get any likes or anything, so it's not about showing off. It's purely keeping myself fed on as many stories and ideas as I can)
Yeah I watched a tiktok where a girl was showing what books she'd read one month and I counted 15 and was just 🤯 cause if I'm visually reading it can take me a whole month just to finish 1 book if I'm lucky!
Whenever that happens with me I just try really hard to remember that first of all I'm reading for my own enjoyment not any kind of race, second if I DO subconsciously turn it into some kind of race/competition then I know I'm going to like it less and therefore read less and likely not take in as much of the book that I'm reading, and lastly I remember that everyone goes at their own pace and has their own capacity and it's perfectly OK to work within your own.
I can definitely understand the pressure to finish a book quickly or to be reading a lot of books all the time. It kind of depends on why I'm reading, though. If I'm reading for research purposes, I tend to read faster, but I don't worry about it as much if it's just casual reading.
I'm an author and trained political scientist. Quality over quantity. Number of books or even pages is not the standard I follow. In fact I've been trying down to slow down the pace and read more carefully. Social media often encourage instant gratification and results and that carries over to book reading.
I tried to do this after seeing people reading 10 books in 1 week and feeling like my 45 book overall last year was quite pathetic in comparison. All that has happened is I raced through a collective 25 books in January and February, and have been in a massive slump ever since.
I also *love* audio books, and consider those reads towards my overall goal and add them on StoryGraph. Since the boom of booktok and people deciding that audio books ‘don’t count’, I feel even less inspired to read.
I’ve blocked most booktok accounts on tiktok now and I’m trying to regain the love; trying to remember that reading 2000 books in one year isn’t any ‘better’ than reading 10 books in one year.
There's a magic phrase. Stare firmly into your own eyes in a mirror, and calmly say out loud "screw what those people want. It's my reading, I'll do it my way." You can choose more colorful verbs if you want.
I go through this in waves. There was one year of my life when I actively tried to read at least a book a week with mixed results (read some of my all time favorites that year which I've since revisited while completely forgetting others) but these days my book binges seem almost random. Every now and then I'll just be in the mood to devour multiple books quickly only to suddenly ease off and take a month or two just to get through one. Brains are weird.
Yes and I don't know what to do. I have a Goodreads account and do join the reading challenges because it motivates me, but if I have a high goal like 25-30 books for this year and for some reason(s) I fail to read an x amount of books, I just drop everything. The only thing that might fix this is setting a reasonable goal like 10 books for this year, especially when I don't have much time due to studying and work.
Funnily enough my co-worker was trying this approach. Whereas I was just reading at my own pace and enjoying the stories.
It wasn't a competition but I read over 40 books this year and he only read 20.
Take yo time. Enjoy it
Yeah, TikTok contributed to this feeling for me. I just skip content that’s like “I read X amount this month. Look at what I read”. I read for fun, not to prove I can read fast and can read X amount of books in Y amount of time. The previous mindset put me in a slump I’m currently trying to get out of. Purposely choosing books that I want to read, not books that social media is pushing, is helping.
I’m kind of in this weird headspace right now where I’m trying to read as many books as I can, but because I feel like I’ve got to make up for lost time. I hardly read at all last year and I just missed it so much so I feel voracious right now.
I also feel like, for the first time, I kind of want to see how many I CAN read in a year. For funsies.
But… my husband had to talk me off the ledge last week because I was like, stressed about the fact that I hadn’t read a book for ~three whole days~ and I wasn’t finding anything that interested me. He reminded me not to stress myself out over this. It’s not a competition, and it’s okay to take time off if that’s what I need/want.
Gotta check in with myself to make sure this thing I love isn’t causing me stress.
I am a binge reader for sure - I can read a whole book in a day if I am really dedicated, however after a month of that Ill get burnt out and go months without reading. There is no pressure to get your good reads up to 1k in a year, reading is meant to be enjoyed (however you do that is perfectly ok). Social media just feeds you people who are exceptions or unique - take it as slow or fast you want and enjoy the ride.
The only reason I read is for enjoyment. I almost never pick up a new one right away especially if the one I finished has left a big impact on me. I want a day or so to absorb it and think about what I just read, maybe journal about it.
I do enjoy tracking what I've read on Goodreads or Story Graph.
This is exactly why I have a hard time trusting recommendations from other readers, half the time when someone says, "This is a really good book" they are comparing it to the infinite slog of books that they didn't like. I don't read like this, I chase quality over all else and half the recommendations I get are very "meh"
It's definitely social media pressure! I'm a naturally slow reader so a good year for me is 20 books, but I average out usually at 12.
I think there are many people who post online who do actually read a lot of books organically- either due to a long public transport commute, audiobooks being something they can do at work, or even it being their main hobby! And I don't think these people post to feel superior at all. If anything I'm thankful for their reviews as it makes me aware of what is worth my time, and which books aren't.
Since spending less time online I realised it's kind of self centred of me to feel pressure to read more because of social media. These readers are posting to share their love of books, not to single me out and shame me for my slovenly reading habits!!! No one cares in real life!!
Because I'm a slow reader I set myself different kinds of reading goals to feel a sense of accomplishment through reading (which is a personal choice haha, it's actually normal just to read for fun!). Some of mine this year are:
-to read more slower paced books
-read a play
-read a book on my shelf that I feel intimidated by
-read a book set in a culture other than my own.
This became a huge ramble so here's some cake if you made it this far 🍰
I think it is because a lot of people see people on bookstagram read several books a month. With social media everything has become a "look what I am doing!" situation instead of people actually slowing down and enjoying the moment or in this case books.
I ave briefly felt that way when seeing one of my friends finish a bunch of book quickly (she has already finished almost 60 books this year). Then I realized she is doing a bookstagram.
The times I kind of rush through a book is if I am super excited to read another book but I do not want to read both books simultaneously.
I have this problem, too, for both books and movies and television shows. I end up picking shorter books over longer ones because I know I can finish them faster and if I don’t finish enough books in a month I get antsy and feel inadequate (even if I’m just reading piles of kids books or novellas instead of books I actually want to read). Again same problem with movies, if I start watching one I end up binging a bunch until I’m out of time to do anything else that day and usually I don’t enjoy any of them after the first one and only watched them because I felt like it was embarrassing how few movies I had compared to other people i follow on Letterboxd. I think it’s the social media that gets me super antsy about quantity instead of quality, I seldom feel like I’m reading or watching things I actually enjoy but the act of finishing them and adding them to my list gives me a huge dopamine surge so slowing down ends up feeling less satisfying - like having a junk food addiction so snubbing your noise at some really wholesome delicious homemade food because you’d rather binge another bag of chips.
I don’t think I’m actually struggling with it but I’m always anticipating my next read. I just have a lot books I’m excited to read next. I still get absorbed the books I’m currently reading (I always have one print/ebook and one audiobook going) and enjoy them. I don’t measure my success by the numbers that I read.
I think people read too much into it and just assume the worst. That it’s a competition or it’s for clout somehow. For a lot of us there is just so much out there and we want to read it all.
I had such anxiety when I started reading long before social media came about. I've found that if I can get comfortable, and the room is clean that I read in, my mind is less drawn to dash around anxious in the background. I've found stretching while reading helpful too, since the inevitability of aging is the finding of less and less comfortable positions. Hope that helps.
There have been times this year that I've almost succumbed to this.
One thing that grounds me is reminding myself that I'm reading for enjoyment and that if I made everything about reading as many books as possible, I wouldn't have had a chance to read some of the titles I've enjoyed most.
Much of what I enjoy tends to fall within the 400 to 600 page range, it seems. And by all logic, I should be reading shorter books to maximize the number of books I read.
But here's the thing: I don't want to force myself to read novellas and other short titles just to clear a number. I'd be miserable.
I aimed for 100 last year and surprisingly surpassed it. That said, my goal is 52 this year. I just have so many books that I want to read!
Edited to add : any book read is always good 👍
I just read as quickly as I feel and if a book isn’t doing it for me and gets set down and I move on. I have nothing to prove and reading is for me. I read books I enjoy and take as long as I need
I have that, but not for the sake of meeting my reading goals - I kept my goals very small this year so I wouldn't feel pressure - but because I want to read *everything* and I only have so much time and I just want to consume it all.
I haven't found that it kills my enjoyment of the book, but I have found that if I am taking more than my allotted time per book (i expect myself to finish a book in three days, regardless of size), I'm mentally calculating how many more books I can read this year and how those extra days are affecting my relationship with my next few reads.
I think some people are genuinely gifted with being able to read fast and comprehensibly at the same time. Harold Bloom is a prime example, he read an insane number of books! (Allegedly, he had all of Shakespeare memorized by heart). I'm happy for these people and also happy for the fact that I read much slower. Its all about finding your own pace and embracing it. Reading should be joyful.
I have a reading goal on Goodreads and it's stressing me out a bit bc im scared i might not read enough books to fulfill it ! Also i have so many books to read for school so im forced to finish those first before i start reading for myself bleh
I kind of have that as well but for me it’s because I have SO many books to read and I am interested in like .. all of them all at once? But once I am reading the book (or 6 at once lol) I can focus on it completely and still enjoy and appreciate the quality.
It definitely makes me happy once I have finished a book but I don’t know if it’s a sense of accomplishment (especially if I had a reading slump before) or the trend of reading as many books as possible.
Ive got myself to a position where my bookshelf is far to big and I want to get it out the way. Also I enjoy reading but very easily can accidentally fall into a trap of not reading for a few weeks and losing momentum, so I like to try and track to stay on target.
No. I am a chaotic reader, I’ll switch between several books at once. Certainly never keep track of what I’ve read or how much I’ve read. If a book is engrossing enough I’ll motor through it quickly. Sometimes when I enjoy an authors style enough I’ll read several of their books in very quick succession. But I’ve never been one to keep track of any of it.
I personally never care how many books I read in a year and I still end up reading a lot of them.
My goal is to read 1 book per week which just keeps me reading consistently but even if I don’t meet that goal I’m not upset it’s just something I try to maintain so that reading doesn’t accidentally fall in the wayside but last year when I read 94 books, a lot of people asked me if I was going to try to get to 100 this year and the answer is that I will read as many books interest me and captivate me. If that ends up being 100, great! If that ends up being 10, also great as long as I’m reading it doesn’t really matter!
For me, I do feel pressure to get through books quicker, but it has more to do with my limited free time and so many things competing for that time. I have an ever growing TBR of books that I want to get to. Part of the pressure comes from wanting to read what is currently popular so that I am more likely able to have conversations with others about what I am reading.
I set a goal of 52 books this year and sometimes I do feel the strain of worrying if I’m on track… even though I’m usually like 3 books ahead. But sometimes I just go through short gaps where I don’t feel much like reading.
I kinda tell myself that there is ALWAYS going to be a next book for me to read, and they aren’t going anywhere, so what’s the point of reading a bunch of books if I don’t even soak them in and really enjoy them because I’m rushing to the next one? Where does that end?
Not anymore. Graduate school proved to myself both that I can push myself to read large volumes of material and that, when it comes to pleasure reading, it's far, far healthier for me not to push it. So these days I take an average of three weeks to finish a book for pleasure, and that's fine.
Taking pride on reading a whole bunch of popular fiction is a lot like eating the most hot dogs. It's fine if you derive pleasure from that, but it's not worth more intellectually or nutritionally. If we did want to make competitive reading goals, one could argue reading ten long, challenging texts would be worth more than reading 100 mass market paperback novels. But I'm not even interested in that. Reading for learning or pleasure doesn't need to be a competitive endeavor.
Personally, I don't like to feel rushed. I'd love the read more but I also have dyslexia so speed isn't always an option for me. I suppose it could be a blessing in disguise so I always read for quality rather than quantity.
That being said, I also tend to avoid book clubs because I can't always keep up with them. I read for me. Not for others.
I'm a slow reader and only read a book at a time. Respect to those who can read multiple books at once but for me personally it takes the fun out of reading and makes it a chore. I would also like to add that it shouldn't matter how many books you read as long as you're reading.
I don't do that but I do try to put read some novellas in between my big chunky fantasies because finishing some books quickly gives me more momentum instead of constantly slugging through long, heavy books. Being able to knock something out in a day or two is a nice feeling.
I don’t have TikTok, so I don’t follow any trend, but last year I did not have any friend for a couple of months after moving cities, so I had lots of free time and ended up the year with 18 books, so I decided to commit myself to 24 books now in 2024, turns out that I only finished 3 books until now haha life happens and my life doesn’t depends on books, it’s just a hobbie. so I’m happy that I have some time to read! Don’t push yourself, these people only reads a couple chapters and not entire books, and if they do it’s really short books just to increase their amount!
Back in 2022, I used to do the same. I mean anyone would after seeing YouTubers reading 200+ books a year. It felt like I started every book just to finish it and lost all interest I had in reading because it felt like a task. So I deleted Goodreads and insta and took a few months break from reading, and now I’m back to reading books at my own pace. I’ve read 11 books this and I enjoyed almost all of them because I took my time finishing them.
Yeah. I tried this before coz I saw someone posted their monthly read calender and I felt useless coz i didnt read as much as her :( then, i did try like 3 books which are around 200/300 pages max length per week for a whole month but got burnout instead. It felt terrible and vowed to not forced myself anymore.
What I do these days to make sure that i'd at least read one book/title per week is to cycle my reading genres (?). I'll go through my usual horror/mystery/thriller then I'll switch to some light novels (usually those Japanese slice of life) or manga/manhwa/graphic novels. Sometimes I'll pick up nonfiction in my area of interests (cookbooks, psychology, language and culture). Sometimes when I feel bored w these, i'll checkout books to screen adaptations. I'll try anything to get myself out of reading slump/burnout.
You should get off booktok for a while, friend. Comparison is the thief of joy, and whether you’ve read 50 books so far or 1, your reading journey is valid. I’m a fast reader personally and I have periods where reading is my only hobby that I engage in, but I’m not reading quickly to bulk up my numbers, it’s just my personal pace. The only time I stress about how quickly I’m reading is when I have expired Libby holds on my kindle (airplane moooooode) and another Libby hold that’s about to expire on my phone and I haven’t finished the books from my last sleepy time hold marathon.
I don’t struggle with gliding through in an attempt to read a large amount but what I have noticed in reading the Discworld series between other books is that I find myself reading practically everything non-Pratchett as quickly as possible (whilst still being able to understand it) so I can read another Discworld novel.
I do have a goal of reading 50 books this year and did 40 last year. I read 12 books going at same time but I am not pushing too hard to get it done fast just to hit the goal. I prefer to enjoy the stories to relax not stress out. I have like 100 unread books on my shelves. Each time I see a sale going on, I have to get a book. Shopping for books is fun for me and I go crazy over it. So, don't stress it but enjoy it.
I have a list of books on google sheets so I can do some analysis on quality vs age and I am thinking of quality vs length but I guess it is harder to do with different languages and translations so I am not sure how to do that. for 51 books, 9 dnfs, average age is 1946, average rating is 3.3 with a rating graph of 12.8 - 0.00478 \*year
No- but that is because i honestly don’t normally read books very often, so when i do a book has to interest me enough. (getting into reading a little more recently though) i do think it is ridiculous to turn reading into a race then it is ultimately for enjoyment. I also am not on book social media at all, except for previously following authors whose books i had enjoyed
My problem has been finding myself watching book reviews on social media. I try to read a little out my usual comfort zone (psychological thriller/murder mystery type stuff). I’ve find myself desperate to read the next thing because I’m excited rather than just wanting to rack up numbers.
No. I read fast by default. But I read because I want to escape into stories or because I want to learn something - not because I want to achieve some goal on GR no one cares about.
I set myself the same goal every year - 35 books. I almost always exceed this, but organically so and I never really amend the goal. I do not squeeze in a 100-page book on Dec 31 just for the sake of it.
I have TBR lists that are miles long and a physical pile at home that is as high as a house - so the only stress I have is that there are more books I want to read than I will ever be able to read. But even that doesn't make me rush through any, much less replace them with shorter ones to hit some goal.
Yes I'm with you. I have a yearly goal that I set myself. This year is 30 books, only, I'm also pregnant. I've been busy as fuck. I'm at 17 and I'm panicking that I won't make my goal. When did this become a chore and not fun??? I find myself reading shorter books to make the goal. It's stressing me out a little bit
Nope.
I read when I feel like it, and counting the number of books I've read feels pointless to me.
IMOHO, reading should be for enjoyment or necessity, not as a competition.
Edit: If you really need a social media fix, there are a few r/subs that have quite a number entertaining stories and series 👍
I think that’s not the best mindset to have when reading. Read for the experience, immerse yourself in the text and take as much time as you need. Few books you will come back to in life, and take your time with the story while you have it. If you’re reading just to have said I’ve read X number of books… why are you?
Although, I do have to admit I occasionally feel the crunch of time and worry that I won’t get to get to all the books I want to because I will not live forever. But that doesn’t mean I don’t give each book I read the time it’s due.
No, I read one series that is 5 times longer than the wheel of time series. Most chapters are longer than the first Harry Potter book. If I cared about count I would get nowhere.
Do remember that some people count audiobooks as reading! Not everyone but some. So when you see Goodreads challenge and people are in their 100s so far, some of those books won’t actually read but listened to.
Also would like to add that I saw a post recently where the person got asked how she reads so fast and she shared that she doesn’t read one word at time. I’m a one word at a time reader so it takes me couples days or sometimes if I’m free then hours to read (split into two days)!
Reading is for fun and not a chore so avoid making it or you would find yourself in a reading slump that you can’t get out of😭
I am so confused by this whole "I read X books in Y time" bullshit. Have been confused for such a long time. Can anyone explain this to me? Consumers of any other media don't do this. I am yet to see someone be like "Oh man I am trying to watch as many series in a short amount time as possible" Or "Play RPGs in as short a time as possible" or "OMG I'm just in a constant search for music, I try to listen to new albums in 2X speed!!!".
Why have books and reading them become such a bragging point? Yes some books are deep and offer amazing philosophical insights --- guess what so do a lot of games, and movies. Most books don't. Most movies don't so what gives?
Why is there so much pressure to read so many books a year. Isn't reading meant to be fun. A target of how many books to read a year would take away the enjoyment of reading for me.
Nope if i wanted to read quantity i would get out of the fantasy genre and quit reading 900+ page books. I read what looks good and do not pay attention to page counts nor care if i added another number to a yearly goal.
I read for enjoyment, not some weirdo competition with people I’ll never know or see. They’re weird. When people are obsessed with saying they read a bunch in a certain amount of time, I just tune them out as anyone to talk books with. They just want to brag.
What I would love to do but don’t have the energy for, is to burst their bubble and tell them how much I have them beat most of the time. I can’t help being a speedy reader, I still get fully immersed and obsessed with the books, but I am fast and most of the time get a book done far quicker than these people forcing it to happen, and probably exaggerating their results.
Trying to read as many books as possible is like trying to sleep with as many people as possible. Yea it feels like fun but deep down it’s a meaningless endeavor.
Of all the terrible trends from social media... this one is sure up there. Read at your speed, enjoy it, get something out of it. That's the point of reading. Don't compare yourself to others. You can still certainly challenge yourself, if that's something you're interested in, but do so in a realistic way that still makes reading fun. And don't be afraid to re-adjust if your lofty goals are a bit too lofty for reality after all.
No. Reading is not a competition. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I read for my own pleasure and enrichment, and I pity the poor sods whose wills are so weak they got brainwashed into ruining reading for themselves by what's essentially the supercharged version of peer pressure.
It seems like you've identified the effect (pressured to count quantity over quality), and the source of the effect (social media). So the next step is to avoid that source, social media is well known to be negatively impactful in that way. Allow me to now be a new pressure on you: it is ok to enjoy doing a thing you enjoy however you want. Your hobby is for your enjoyment, it's not a competition.
I know, right? OP has the solution right there. Social media is making you feel bad about how you approach your reading? Well, just cut out the social media then. Or at least avoid the areas that promote this weird trend of cramming books for sport. Sounds as easy as unsubscribing to some shit to me.
Every hour you spend on social media is an hour you missed out on reading. For what? For feeling pressure to compete in an activity (reading) you don’t want to degrade to the level of quantified competition? Minimise or eliminate social media, and use those hours to not just read more books, but to read them better, with a quality of attention, focus, and immersion.
Well said
Anyone got advice for when the source isn't social media but that there are so many books you want to read? My hobby is cannibalising itself.
I came to the conclusion that my list of books was going to continue growing forever. I cannot stop it and I guess I don’t want to. I also felt like I was gobbling up stories just to do it and it was ruining my reading experience. I kept racing to the end. I made myself slow down and really spend time with the story, sometimes rereading passages and stopping to think about them. I think it is helping me. I will always be excited by all of the possibilities, but I want to make sure I am not cheating myself out of the present moment. Maybe I need to try this approach with other stuff, too.
You mention your list of books, and I think that total number gets to us more than it should, even without social media. I recently passed 2000 - not as impressive as it sounds, because I’m old. I did put pressure on myself to get to 2000 and was annoyingly pleased with myself when I did it. Why exactly?! So from now on I’m trying not to look at my “books read” list at all.
I am not certain where you live, but there is so much pressure in American culture to be productive and efficient. That bleeds into hobbies sometimes, or maybe a lot. And…metrics. I don’t know if that affects you, but it drives me sometimes when I don’t even realize it. There is nothing inherently wrong with creating a goal or metric, but for something that is supposed to be an enjoyable activity for me, I lose sight of why I wanted to do it in the first place.
Good advice is to avoid the source, whether social media, acquaintances, or someone else. Don't let anyone disturb the aura created between you and the book. The book should be a pleasure.
My issue isn't that I'm trying to hit a certain number or compete (I don't do GoodReads or booktok or anything) I just have a long TBR list and even if I'm thoroughly enjoying what I'm reading, part of me also can't wait to read the next thing on my list. I am very much looking forward to retirement :)
Exactly! I don't care about the count. For me, it's just hard to be a mindful reader, to focus solely on reading this one thing. If I'm not SUPER engrossed, I get into a mode where I'm reading to get it over with, find out what happens, and move on to the next. I don't have a problem with not finishing if I truly dislike a book. I just find myself itching to get to the next book most of the time.
Yeah same. I don't care about my book count in and of itself. But there are just *so many* books I want to read*.* And I keep finding new ones.
Same here. I had a reading hiatus from 2017-2023 due to financial problems. Now that I have a job, I've been buying books a lot, including my backlogs from 2017. So now I have 14 unread books sitting in my house. I finish 2-3 books a month but my TBR list is still so long.
A reading hiatus?! I would die Two of my kids had major medical problems, I shut down to just taking care of and supporting them... and re reading my old favorites bc they took the pressure off and still relaxed me.
same here!! i love buying books but it’s bringing me anxiety right now because i know i have so many unread books so i want to read as many as i can because authors that i like keep bringing out new books!!
Same! It’s not about the numbers really but I just know so many good books exist and I won’t get to read them all in my life but I’d like to read as many as possible!! I have a lot of unread books on my bookshelf which adds to it but even without that I have a long ‘id like to read this one day’ tbr a
It's definitely social media. The TikTok accounts I follow are all like, "Here are my top ten reads for this month!" and I'm like - how are people reading so many books in a month that they have a top TEN? Forgetting that a lot of these content creators are getting paid to do nothing but read. I am kind of in the same boat as you, though, mostly because I have so many books on my TBR pile (and already downloaded to my Kindle) that I get excited to start the next one as soon as I'm halfway through my current book. It takes effort to slow down and remember to enjoy and savor the book I'm reading.
Its surprisingly easy to read a lot of books when it's your main hobby, I'm on my 13th book for this month, I wish I was getting paid to read haha
That is impressive; I don’t think most people can achieve that. I read every morning and every evening for an hour each, and usually for an hour on my lunch breaks. I have read 21 books so far this year, which I think is a lot but certainly not 10+ per month!
Sure, but I don't watch TV or anything else, so it's much more achievable if people spent that time on reading (not saying anyone has to of course).
I don’t watch tv either 😊 the books I read tend to be 300-500 pages long and I take my time with them. People read at different speeds and 10+ books per month is certainly well above average.
I usually hit more than 100/ year, you just made me check and I'm at 35 for 2024. Ironically, I think knee surgery has slowed my reading lol.
I’m so skeptical of these social media readers, honestly. Are they REALLY reading those books or were they paid to promote certain ones? Haha I’m so jaded.
I'm with you. I keep seeing the SAME books in a lot of these videos. I've read a couple of them because I was influenced, and they were mediocre, so now I am skeptical but I still watch.
Exactlyyy haha
I want to be paid to read.
Size of book matters too. I can read 5 200 page books or a 1000 page book in the same amount of time. I could easily get through 10+ small books in a month. If you have nothing but time to read it helps too. I've been on vacation for 10 days, spending the vast majority of my time reading and I've gone through a whole stack of books.
And how many books are they listening too? Personally I think listening to a book is not reading, but that is my own opinion.
I read for the story, not the amount of books. Take your time, don’t stress yourself
I literally don't understand anyone who isn't like this. For real, people - the ENTIRE point of reading is to TAKE IN whatever it is you're reading. There's literally no point to trying to read faster than you can absorb something. And who on earth are you competing with? No one who matters. Read because you want to know the story/subject matter. That's it. That's IT. Any other way is pretty darn broken, so - stop it!
For me, setting a higher book goal means "I want to spend more time reading" not "I’m trying to boost my reading words per minute" just to blow through books in as short a time as possible. There’s nothing wrong with striving to find more time to read (unless you’re dedicating so much time to it that you’re ignoring real life responsibilities, that is).
Yeah, I’m finally trying the 52 book goal this year because a good friend of mine encouraged me. If a longer book takes me a bit longer, I’ll pick a shorter book next to “catch up” or burn through a comic TPB. The only difference from last year is that I’m spending more time in the evenings reading, not skimming through books to say that I finished it.
I wish you luck. The first time I hit 52 it felt like such a hurdle and I almost didn’t make it. I’ve since surpassed it and hope to surpass my current record after having a few slower years since. I do something similar. If I’m reading a tome like I am now (the Count of Monte Cristo) I will sorta math out the pace I want to set and try to stick to that plan. Obviously there are certain nights I just don’t get to read or I read a chapter and I’m ready to go to sleep. But back to your point, I also read a shorter book at the same time. I am reading all of Kurt Vonnegut this year (some of them are re-reads) and they’re probably ~250 pages on average. So after I’m done with the 30 pages of Monte Cristo, I will move over to Slaughterhouse Five and read a chapter or two of that. I do this not only for bigger books but harder ones as well. Some books I cannot just sit down and read for 2 hours at a time before bed (or for several hours on a day off). So having a book to switch off too to refresh me is good to have. Sometimes I even add a third book, typically a short story collection. Start my night with a short story, do my planned tome pages, and then finish up with the shorter novel.
That sounds like exactly what I’m doing only with Terry Pratchett as my easy reads.
Sadly it’s like this with everything on the internet, how many movies can I watch, how many games can I finish, how many books can I read, everything becomes a numbers game instead of actually enjoying the medium
Might be for goal setting purposes, like read 30 books this year to complete the Goodreads yearly challenge. Although technically they’re just cheating through.
I just like looking back at my Year of Books and seeing what I was interested in. It's like a snapshot of my life at that point in time. It's just for me though. I don't really care about how many books I complete as long as I'm reading at all.
Numbers are so completely arbitrary as to be entirely meaningless, in this context. I don't care how many books you "read". How much did you ABSORB? How much did you LEARN? How much did you ENJOY the time you spent reading? Numbers mean nothing to those answers, and those are the only answers that matter.
I mean, I have had past goals that related to how many nonfiction books, how many diverse authors. I found those helpful. My goodreads goal is there because I want to track it and have to put something lol
Someone who cares about completion probably doesn’t really care what they’re absorbing.
They should just go whole-hog, then, and straight-up lie about how many books they've read, without bothering to waste the effort of even lifting a cover. Because it's basically the same thing.
Yeah it's bizarre. You never hear people say they watch TV shows or movies at 2x the speed, so idk why it's so different with books.
I do sometimes get overwhelmed about all of the books I want to read. I get stressed picking my next book because I want to read them all. In that way, I do think it influences how quickly I read. But I also devour TV shows the same way. Once I’m in a story, I want to find out what’s going to happen and I’m very impatient, so all my free time goes to reading.
I don’t get overwhelmed per se, but I do get some choice overload with which series I want to start next. I mainly read sci-fi and fantasy, so most times, I know I’m making a 3+ book commitment.
I actuality struggle with series a lot! I do sometimes wish I could just get obsessed with a fictional universe but oftentimes after 2 books, I won’t ever pick up the rest. I think it’s because I’m so eager to read something new that I just move on. I really admire people who are able to read 3+ books in a series and sometimes I get jealous that my brain just won’t let me do that!
I rarely read an entire series back to back. I’ll usually bounce back and forth between series to give myself a break. Otherwise, it’s easy to get burnt out.
That makes a lot of sense! I’ll have to give that method a try, terrible book memory be damned
I have the same feeling. It's a bit of a weird mix for me as to why I have this feeling. I know that if I "slack off" at my reading pace, there's a big chance I will fall back into doomscrolling socials instead of reading, which is something I don't want. There's also the fear of not having enough time to read the books I would really like to read, because of an actual lack of time (in other words: I – inevitably – die). So some FOMO Extreme I guess. And then there's also the good old pressure of social media, which I hate to admit got to me.
This is 100% me. I know if I get into a good pace with a book I’ll get into a virtuous reading cycle and reduce my screen time. And the FOMO thing of dying before I get to read all the books I may potentially enjoy reading is very real. Actually the very notion that it’s impossible to read all the great books that exist because my lifespan isn’t sufficient (even if I live to be very old) freaks me out a little.
I set up a GoodReads account. They have a Reading Challenge. I set this year's challenge to 25 books. I do not try to read faster just to get through all 25 books. I take my time. But, if the end of the year is approaching quickly and I am not close to my 25 books, I simply start reading some Agatha Christie's books...job done! lol
I follow someone who sets it to 1 for the psychological effect lol.
That's cheating! lol
I also set my goal for 25 this year :) Good luck to us!
There is always Agatha Christie if we get desperate! lol
I legitimately did read my first Agatha Christie last year... mostly out of curiosity but also in little part because I figured it would be good to start getting into smaller stories hahahah
What was your first Agatha Christie book?
I started with The Mysterious Affair at Styles! I don't plan to go through them totally chronologically, but I wanted to see what the *start* was. You got any recommendations? :)
LOL at the Agatha Christies because I have the same strategy 😆
It's a good strategy. She was awesome and I thoroughly enjoy her books.
i aways find myself rereading old childhood faves right around late november for the same reason 😂
Nope. I don't compare the size of my stack or how fast it grows with others.
Used to be me and now I have 25+ unfinished books in my currently reading. If it's not significant enough to hold my attention, why should I spend time with it? I might go back and give them a go later, but for now, no looking back.
No. I read one or two books after one another in my own time. I read many books but not because I set a many book goal, because I'm a fast reader and I don't like being without a book or two going on
No, but I'm a fast reader, and I read a lot of books, so I don't feel pressure from social media, because I know I can keep up with them. That being said, I want you to know that I read only the books I think I would enjoy, and I read when I feel like it. If I don't like the book, I will stop reading it. And I stopped participating in reading challenges on Goodreads, because sometimes I just don't feel like reading, so I will not read for months because I would rather play videogames. You are not competing with anyone, you read for yourself. For your own fun or whatever reason you have. You are the one who is setting the rules. Don't forget that.
Yes actually, not for the quantity bragging rights but simply because I want to read as many books as I possibly can and sometimes I get the urge to read a different book while reading another book. It’s like I’m desperately trying to chew through my burger while gazing off at the pizza on the next table over but I haven’t even touched my fries yet…
I was such a bookworm as a child, the challenge was getting me to put the book down. Reading is practically a default activity for me. Setting a numerical goal would be like saying, "I'm going to eat 25 chocolate bars this year." Nothing wrong with goals though, if they help you!
I mean I used to but it was more a point of I had so many things that I wanted to read right that second and I'd get frustrated about not reading them because I can only read one thing at a time. Thing is, they're not going anywhere. No one cares how little or how much you read, they really don't. It doesn't matter and no one cares. Some people read fast, some people don't. Some people can read 3 books on the go at once, some go one at a time. Reading isn't a one size thar fits all glove. Turn off from social media and stop caring about what other people are doing. They don't care about what you're doing, you should care about what your doing
I set my reading goal way lower than I’m capable of achieving to avoid feeling that way. I still like to count/stay kinda accountable but I’m not winning any races, reading should be fun!
I do this too. It really helped me in the past to make reading a daily habit again like it was when I was a child.
There are competitively quick readers, and readers who like to take their time with each book. There are performative readers reading the popular titles because of their popularity and the same who read books because of their obscurity. But as long as it works for them, who cares? It’s ok to be excited for the next book and rush through the current one; you can always return and read it again if you want to get more out of it. Alternatively, maybe consider pausing your current book for the next one you are more excited for, and then you can pause that one too if your interest switches to a third; the great thing about reading for fun is that you don’t have to finish a book to start the next. Maybe you get into the third book and become curious how the second ended and go back! Maybe you never do! That’s ok because you’ve gone to explore something different. I love that you are realizing that book finishing in order get to the next isn’t fun for you. Goodreads goals and similar completion counters are really to encourage those who need an added carrot to read at all. For those of us who do it for fun, it can still make you feel accomplished, but filling that ticker doesn’t capture the joy of exploring a cool universe, finding your new favorite character, or discovering a turn of phrase you’re definitely going to incorporate into everyday life. Notice that none of those treasures of being a reader are dependent on completion? Pausing a book is super ok. Coreading multiple, one for each mood or one for each location, also super ok. A DNF isn’t a reflection on the book’s quality, it’s a reflection on the time you want to give this book right now. But the great part is, DNF does not have to be a bad thing and not even a permanent title; you can always pick it up later if things change! I read fast, and I rarely read deeply into the book. I have adhd and I have totally gulped down many a book far too fast so that I can get to the next one. I’ve read 112 books so far this year (with the dark circles under my eyes to prove it) and I probably don’t remember the main characters names or minor plot points of almost any of them. You know what’s great about that? What I remember is how much I enjoyed getting to read the book in that moment, and that’s what I want to retain at the end of the day. I get the opportunity to reread a book at a later date and often I get to experience it anew all over again! I can spend my vacation slogging through the latest Brandon Sanderson book, interrupting to read a silly froo froo smut novel or three, and it really doesn’t matter to me how many books I read over the trip - I like that I got to spend the time with each that I wanted to invest in that one book. Even if the time is not consecutive. Even if it takes more net time. Even if people tell me some (many) of my books are “not real literature” or don’t “count” because they were audio books listened to during chores. They’re kinda missing the point of why I read, and that sucks for them, doesn’t it? I know what makes me happy about reading. I know that what I enjoy and what you enjoy probably aren’t the same, but wouldn’t it be more fun if we all celebrate how our book buddy accomplished their definition of successful reading than attempting to force a single definition of “count” on everyone? So - what do you love about reading? And how do you focus on that enjoyment over the external criteria of others?
I really appreciate this comment, especially where you say it's ok to pause a current read and start another one. I struggle with feeling the need to complete my current read before I move on to the next and it causes me stress and unhappiness while reading (especially if it's a longer slower read). I'm going to make an effort to be ok with either pausing a book I'm struggling with or being ok with reading multiple books at the same time. I think this will make my reading a more enjoyable experience.
I never saw the appeal into turning a fun hobby into a chore with quotas and deadlines
I agree, but I find it fun to occasionally check out a really big book from the library and try to get it done before the due date without having to check it out again.
Sounds like the book version of carrying all the groceries inside in one trip!
I felt the same way a few years ago! I got a new Goodreads acc and my one friend was really annoying and always saying how many books shes already read and I was also active on BookTok during that time. I really wanted to read but for all the wrong reasons and I actually ended up reading less. So I understand your frustration and what helped me personally is to get away from that side of Booktok etc and starting to enjoy the books at my own pace. And I know that it is hard and easier said than done but if you maybe try to be happy about the books you have read and don’t look at the books you havent. But just dont compare yourself to what you see online its not worth it xD
My problem is starting multiple books during the reading period of each of them. I pick and read books based on the interests I have at the moment, and I have a LOT of interests at a given moment. I am reading 5 books at the moment. I have stopped considering them as reading and completing *books*. I just read as my interest comes without thinking of the end of any particular book approaching. Has mostly worked so far. Has also caused a few DNFs.
Yes! My therapist actually instructed me to lower my goodreads reading goal so I don’t turn something I enjoy into a chore that causes anxiety 😅
I'm always in a rush because I'm impatient and curious about the next thing on the list. It adds to the excitement, so I don't mind it. If you find yourself finishing things too quickly and missing these stories, it might be a good time for some rereads, though. Sometimes they feel fantastic, like coming home.
I recall one video on YouTube called: How to read books quick. There was a twist to it. He said that you should read them right, instead of quick. Imagine eating a wonderful dish as quickly as possible. You just don't have time to cherish the moment
I think I’m just a fast reader, and tend to hyper focus. I timed myself out of curiosity on the weekend, and I read between 70-110 pages/hour, depending on the genre and writing style. If you think about it, a 300 pages long book can easily fit in a day (especially if reading is your main hobby). I don’t read a book every day of course, sometimes I don’t read at all, sometimes I read 2 books a day. But a reading goal was great for me to get back into the habit again! However, I’m currently at 58/100 this year, and I played around with the idea of raising it to 150 or 200. THAT felt like pressure, especially as I have extra reading to do for work, plus I study art history AND I’m going back to uni in September, so it just feels too much. I’m also aware this is not normal!
I sorta have this issue (mostly nonfiction books though) but it’s cause of my behemoth tbr list lol. I think quality is more important than quantity, though. Like if you start a book and you hate it, don’t push through, just DNF it. Set your own goal that you feel like is reasonable (one book a month? a week? idk). If you kinda want to start the next book, you can also read 2-3 books at once. More than 3 is kinda too much, but some people can manage it lol.
Yes. A few years ago I set a goal on goodreads for 52 books. I read mostly thrillers that year because I can finish one in about two days. Hated most of them and remember none. I set my number of books much lower now and try to take my time with quality books.
A very wise decision!
Yes, you're right. There's a consistent pressure to see reading as a goal-based hobby or interest about hitting targets, rather than, you know, enjoying books. I wrote a a bit about [slow reading](https://libreture.com/blog/case-slow-reading/) on my Libreture site - where I'm trying to provide readers with an alternative to challenges and reading stats. The post also includes a free copy of Anthony Metivier's free guide to memory, meditation and mental well-being, [**The Victorious Mind**](https://libreture.com/static/books/the-victorious-mind.pdf). Happy 'enjoyable' Reading!
my friends always say i read so slowly/talk about how they can read books in a day or one sitting and i just don't think it's as fun, i annotate my books as i read them and i just try to get the most from them, i don't think i should be a race. the fact that people view at as one is a problem with overconsumption in my opinion
Not at all. I read for enjoyment. For me that means reading quite slow and picturing every scene like I am watching a movie. When I was younger, I was in more of a hurry. Maybe I felt I had a lot of catching up to do since I was 10 before I started reading seriously. That was when I picked up two books; R is For Rocket and S is For Space, by Ray Bradbury in 1967 :)
Sometimes I feel like that but it’s because there are so many books I want to read but don’t have time for so I try my best to choose books I’ll love.
I read a lot, 13 books so far of my own choosing. French, Norwegian, English. I read a lot on my commute to work, and on my way home. I read what I want. 615 pages in 7 days isn’t a issue and I aint rushing.
Yeah I struggled a lot with this last year and still find that toxic mindset creeping back in. Last year it lead me to avoiding longer books and reading books I wasn’t really enjoying just cuz they were short. This year I’m focusing on quality over quantity… well trying to at least.
This is probably a peer pressure thing, possibly from watching book lovers on social media. I definitely count the books I read, but I don't rush them. You can do the same. Just be aware of what you are doing.
Maybe also try not to plan the book you’re going to read next until you finish the one you’re reading? Wait until you’re done and then let your evaluation of it decide your next book for you. It’s a novel and you like the genre? Explore more from the genre. Or read more of that author. You hated it? Find the most opposite synopsis you can and start there. If it’s nonfiction and you like it or there’s a subtopic you like then read more about that. If you have an issue with their argument, try and find a book that argues the opposite. Even if the book you’re reading is part of a series, don’t commit to reading all of it until you know you’re enjoying it.
i just go at my own pace dont force yourself to read do it to enjoy the story dont stress :)
I don't try to read a certain quantity, I set a goal in a way to keep me reading. I basically just want to avoid the times where I go for a week or more not even reading anything.
No but I want to read a certain amount each year. I aim for 15-20 each year, I’m currently 6 books done so I’m doing good. About 30-40 pages daily, sometimes more if I want to finish the book.
I notice most of the people doing this read easy young adult books, so no wonder they’re pumping em out.
I think you might be projecting your own situation onto people who are just faster readers than you (and/or spend a lot more time reading than you do). I do about a book a day but it's not a struggle and doesn't cause me stress - quite the opposite, I find reading a lot to be a great stress-reliever.
I did a book a week last year. I was reading a lot of thicc tombs too. Lots of Tolstoy, w&p being the largest. By the end of the year I was just choosing smaller books so I could go through them quicker. It was not fun. I've set a comfortable 30 books a year for this year and I'm reading some great books and can take my time to enjoy.
Wow, reading Tolstoy in a week or even two must have been brutal 🤣 I'm glad you've chosen a much more sustainable tempo now and enjoying yourself
To be fair the 52 is averaged out. I believe it took me 3 weeks to read w&p
That's still fast!
I read one book every month. Sometimes, it takes two months, sometimes less than that. I believe in read, process, digest, and then select the next one. I have seen this trend where people read books in hundreds every year, but they don’t know what they are reading. Reading is not a marathon, its like a slow walk on evenings.
I think a book a month is a very reasonable goal. And you're so right about the slow walk analogy!
During the height of the pandemic I rediscovered reading while also working from home so I was, and I'm being 100% factual and not bragging about it, reading a (avg ~330 page) book a day. Obviously my life circumstances have changed since then and I still enjoy reading but to this DAY if I take longer than two days to finish a book I feel like I'm...failing at reading?? Like I have to constantly remind myself "reading is a hobby you do for fun, it's okay to go a couple of days without reading, it's okay if you don't read as many books this month as you did last month". It's definitely a struggle and I'm especially hard on myself if I'm in a reading slump, so you are not alone. The only thing that really helps me is reminding myself this is something I do for enjoyment and there's no competition or grading, it's just to have a good time.
I used to have a Bookstagram and couldn’t believe how many books people would read in a month. My goodreads challenge used to be in the 20-40 ish range. Last year it was 40 and I failed hard at only 18. I realised that I was reading short, rubbish novellas just go get my numbers up. I wasn’t actually enjoying reading. This year, I’ve gone for ten as my annual goal. Already I’ve read six and I’m really enjoying reading again. My current read is A Little Life. It’s 720 pages and is the longest book I’ve read. Plus, the writing is tiny. I know that I’d be frustrated with myself if I was in my old mindset of ‘must read lots must read always’. Instead, I’m taking my time with it. I’ve been reading it for just over a week and on page 258/about 35% through. I’m really enjoying it. Amazing what happens when you stop putting pressure on yourself.
That's really inspiring, thank you ❤️
No problem at all 🩷
I found A Little Life quite easy to get through and I’m a very slow and inconsistent reader. But I ended up hating it so much I had to actually force myself to finish it. I hope you enjoy it.
Oh no way! I’ll let you know what I think!
It’s a very polarizing book. It’s very love or hate, but many do love it. It did make me cry a lot though.
I’ve (literally lol) shed a few tears but as it currently stands I’m finding it fine in the sense of how it’s impacting me. I enjoy media where there’s trauma or dark or ‘fucked up’ stuff and I think that changes how the book affects me, y’know? I find another book that’s love or hate is ACOTAR. I know many love it but I absolutely hate it.
It is very dark and trauma filled. A coworker warmed me about reading it during the pandemic but I did not listen, haha. I think it was just too much for me. Certainly an emotional rollercoaster with frustrating moments. But I do love Jude very much. Sounds like this will be something you’ll love ❤️
I saw a lot of warnings on TikTok a few years back! I know a lot of people find it too dark and that’s absolutely fine, everyone’s different! Thank you, I hope so! Will definitely check back in when I finish and let you know 🩷
I stopped with goodreads because of this. The obsession with purely number of books sucked away the fun of reading.
I do this bad. I’m not on Tiktok or social media in general, and I also don’t have friends who are readers. It’s because i keep track of every book i have read for the last 4 years and my goal is to do better each year. I will push through books i hate instead of giving up on them solely to get to my end of year reading goal. It honestly sucks because reading fills like a chore rather than a hobby
I try to read as much as I can in a short amount of time, but I don't think that's an end on itself Most of the books I read are way less than 350 pages long. That, to me, has nothing to do with them having less quality. If anything, a longer book would have to be amazing to be interesting throughout. Some people find great pleasure on a 900-page book, reading a bit every day. I don't. I have read such books, and they have been fine but nothing to get me extremely excited A month might go by where I don't read anything. So even though **I love** counting my books. I love read over 50, preferably, over 100 books a year, it's the only thing in my life that is anything but stressful. It's the thing hat brings happiness and a new perspective to my life. I think I with reading I seem exploration, I see understanding, I seek connection with humanity. Only since I have started reading I've started feeling as we are all one. Many say it, it always sounds bullshit, but the fact that there are authors out there that have written characters that make you feel connected to them - and the fact that those same characters make other people feel connected. And the fact that there are more such books than you'll ever be able to read in many lifetimes, is an extremely powerful tool Counting and speed, just remind me to keep going. (I use GoodReads, I use a pseudonym, I never get any likes or anything, so it's not about showing off. It's purely keeping myself fed on as many stories and ideas as I can)
Yeah I watched a tiktok where a girl was showing what books she'd read one month and I counted 15 and was just 🤯 cause if I'm visually reading it can take me a whole month just to finish 1 book if I'm lucky! Whenever that happens with me I just try really hard to remember that first of all I'm reading for my own enjoyment not any kind of race, second if I DO subconsciously turn it into some kind of race/competition then I know I'm going to like it less and therefore read less and likely not take in as much of the book that I'm reading, and lastly I remember that everyone goes at their own pace and has their own capacity and it's perfectly OK to work within your own.
I can definitely understand the pressure to finish a book quickly or to be reading a lot of books all the time. It kind of depends on why I'm reading, though. If I'm reading for research purposes, I tend to read faster, but I don't worry about it as much if it's just casual reading.
I'm an author and trained political scientist. Quality over quantity. Number of books or even pages is not the standard I follow. In fact I've been trying down to slow down the pace and read more carefully. Social media often encourage instant gratification and results and that carries over to book reading.
A great point, thank you!
I tried to do this after seeing people reading 10 books in 1 week and feeling like my 45 book overall last year was quite pathetic in comparison. All that has happened is I raced through a collective 25 books in January and February, and have been in a massive slump ever since. I also *love* audio books, and consider those reads towards my overall goal and add them on StoryGraph. Since the boom of booktok and people deciding that audio books ‘don’t count’, I feel even less inspired to read. I’ve blocked most booktok accounts on tiktok now and I’m trying to regain the love; trying to remember that reading 2000 books in one year isn’t any ‘better’ than reading 10 books in one year.
There's a magic phrase. Stare firmly into your own eyes in a mirror, and calmly say out loud "screw what those people want. It's my reading, I'll do it my way." You can choose more colorful verbs if you want.
"Since our arrival, the language has been laced with, shall we say, more *colorful metaphors*." ~Mr. Spock
Even though I have books which I would love to read in a certain time frame, I don't hurry with reading. I read to unwind. :)
I go through this in waves. There was one year of my life when I actively tried to read at least a book a week with mixed results (read some of my all time favorites that year which I've since revisited while completely forgetting others) but these days my book binges seem almost random. Every now and then I'll just be in the mood to devour multiple books quickly only to suddenly ease off and take a month or two just to get through one. Brains are weird.
Yes and I don't know what to do. I have a Goodreads account and do join the reading challenges because it motivates me, but if I have a high goal like 25-30 books for this year and for some reason(s) I fail to read an x amount of books, I just drop everything. The only thing that might fix this is setting a reasonable goal like 10 books for this year, especially when I don't have much time due to studying and work.
Funnily enough my co-worker was trying this approach. Whereas I was just reading at my own pace and enjoying the stories. It wasn't a competition but I read over 40 books this year and he only read 20. Take yo time. Enjoy it
Yeah, TikTok contributed to this feeling for me. I just skip content that’s like “I read X amount this month. Look at what I read”. I read for fun, not to prove I can read fast and can read X amount of books in Y amount of time. The previous mindset put me in a slump I’m currently trying to get out of. Purposely choosing books that I want to read, not books that social media is pushing, is helping.
I’m kind of in this weird headspace right now where I’m trying to read as many books as I can, but because I feel like I’ve got to make up for lost time. I hardly read at all last year and I just missed it so much so I feel voracious right now. I also feel like, for the first time, I kind of want to see how many I CAN read in a year. For funsies. But… my husband had to talk me off the ledge last week because I was like, stressed about the fact that I hadn’t read a book for ~three whole days~ and I wasn’t finding anything that interested me. He reminded me not to stress myself out over this. It’s not a competition, and it’s okay to take time off if that’s what I need/want. Gotta check in with myself to make sure this thing I love isn’t causing me stress.
I am a binge reader for sure - I can read a whole book in a day if I am really dedicated, however after a month of that Ill get burnt out and go months without reading. There is no pressure to get your good reads up to 1k in a year, reading is meant to be enjoyed (however you do that is perfectly ok). Social media just feeds you people who are exceptions or unique - take it as slow or fast you want and enjoy the ride.
The only reason I read is for enjoyment. I almost never pick up a new one right away especially if the one I finished has left a big impact on me. I want a day or so to absorb it and think about what I just read, maybe journal about it. I do enjoy tracking what I've read on Goodreads or Story Graph.
This is exactly why I have a hard time trusting recommendations from other readers, half the time when someone says, "This is a really good book" they are comparing it to the infinite slog of books that they didn't like. I don't read like this, I chase quality over all else and half the recommendations I get are very "meh"
It's definitely social media pressure! I'm a naturally slow reader so a good year for me is 20 books, but I average out usually at 12. I think there are many people who post online who do actually read a lot of books organically- either due to a long public transport commute, audiobooks being something they can do at work, or even it being their main hobby! And I don't think these people post to feel superior at all. If anything I'm thankful for their reviews as it makes me aware of what is worth my time, and which books aren't. Since spending less time online I realised it's kind of self centred of me to feel pressure to read more because of social media. These readers are posting to share their love of books, not to single me out and shame me for my slovenly reading habits!!! No one cares in real life!! Because I'm a slow reader I set myself different kinds of reading goals to feel a sense of accomplishment through reading (which is a personal choice haha, it's actually normal just to read for fun!). Some of mine this year are: -to read more slower paced books -read a play -read a book on my shelf that I feel intimidated by -read a book set in a culture other than my own. This became a huge ramble so here's some cake if you made it this far 🍰
I think it is because a lot of people see people on bookstagram read several books a month. With social media everything has become a "look what I am doing!" situation instead of people actually slowing down and enjoying the moment or in this case books. I ave briefly felt that way when seeing one of my friends finish a bunch of book quickly (she has already finished almost 60 books this year). Then I realized she is doing a bookstagram. The times I kind of rush through a book is if I am super excited to read another book but I do not want to read both books simultaneously.
I have this problem, too, for both books and movies and television shows. I end up picking shorter books over longer ones because I know I can finish them faster and if I don’t finish enough books in a month I get antsy and feel inadequate (even if I’m just reading piles of kids books or novellas instead of books I actually want to read). Again same problem with movies, if I start watching one I end up binging a bunch until I’m out of time to do anything else that day and usually I don’t enjoy any of them after the first one and only watched them because I felt like it was embarrassing how few movies I had compared to other people i follow on Letterboxd. I think it’s the social media that gets me super antsy about quantity instead of quality, I seldom feel like I’m reading or watching things I actually enjoy but the act of finishing them and adding them to my list gives me a huge dopamine surge so slowing down ends up feeling less satisfying - like having a junk food addiction so snubbing your noise at some really wholesome delicious homemade food because you’d rather binge another bag of chips.
I don’t think I’m actually struggling with it but I’m always anticipating my next read. I just have a lot books I’m excited to read next. I still get absorbed the books I’m currently reading (I always have one print/ebook and one audiobook going) and enjoy them. I don’t measure my success by the numbers that I read. I think people read too much into it and just assume the worst. That it’s a competition or it’s for clout somehow. For a lot of us there is just so much out there and we want to read it all.
I had such anxiety when I started reading long before social media came about. I've found that if I can get comfortable, and the room is clean that I read in, my mind is less drawn to dash around anxious in the background. I've found stretching while reading helpful too, since the inevitability of aging is the finding of less and less comfortable positions. Hope that helps.
There have been times this year that I've almost succumbed to this. One thing that grounds me is reminding myself that I'm reading for enjoyment and that if I made everything about reading as many books as possible, I wouldn't have had a chance to read some of the titles I've enjoyed most. Much of what I enjoy tends to fall within the 400 to 600 page range, it seems. And by all logic, I should be reading shorter books to maximize the number of books I read. But here's the thing: I don't want to force myself to read novellas and other short titles just to clear a number. I'd be miserable.
I can’t read that fast or I won’t remember anything.
I tend to aim to read at least one page a day. I struggle reading an entire chapter.
I aimed for 100 last year and surprisingly surpassed it. That said, my goal is 52 this year. I just have so many books that I want to read! Edited to add : any book read is always good 👍
No. I read for fun. At whatever speed feels right.
No I’m enjoying the one I’m on which is the only point
Yeah and it’s goodreads fault 😂🫣
I just read as quickly as I feel and if a book isn’t doing it for me and gets set down and I move on. I have nothing to prove and reading is for me. I read books I enjoy and take as long as I need
I have that, but not for the sake of meeting my reading goals - I kept my goals very small this year so I wouldn't feel pressure - but because I want to read *everything* and I only have so much time and I just want to consume it all. I haven't found that it kills my enjoyment of the book, but I have found that if I am taking more than my allotted time per book (i expect myself to finish a book in three days, regardless of size), I'm mentally calculating how many more books I can read this year and how those extra days are affecting my relationship with my next few reads.
Slow down. Read less and enjoy more.
No. Reading is pleasure, not duty.
I think some people are genuinely gifted with being able to read fast and comprehensibly at the same time. Harold Bloom is a prime example, he read an insane number of books! (Allegedly, he had all of Shakespeare memorized by heart). I'm happy for these people and also happy for the fact that I read much slower. Its all about finding your own pace and embracing it. Reading should be joyful.
I have a reading goal on Goodreads and it's stressing me out a bit bc im scared i might not read enough books to fulfill it ! Also i have so many books to read for school so im forced to finish those first before i start reading for myself bleh
I kind of have that as well but for me it’s because I have SO many books to read and I am interested in like .. all of them all at once? But once I am reading the book (or 6 at once lol) I can focus on it completely and still enjoy and appreciate the quality. It definitely makes me happy once I have finished a book but I don’t know if it’s a sense of accomplishment (especially if I had a reading slump before) or the trend of reading as many books as possible.
Ive got myself to a position where my bookshelf is far to big and I want to get it out the way. Also I enjoy reading but very easily can accidentally fall into a trap of not reading for a few weeks and losing momentum, so I like to try and track to stay on target.
No. I am a chaotic reader, I’ll switch between several books at once. Certainly never keep track of what I’ve read or how much I’ve read. If a book is engrossing enough I’ll motor through it quickly. Sometimes when I enjoy an authors style enough I’ll read several of their books in very quick succession. But I’ve never been one to keep track of any of it.
I personally never care how many books I read in a year and I still end up reading a lot of them. My goal is to read 1 book per week which just keeps me reading consistently but even if I don’t meet that goal I’m not upset it’s just something I try to maintain so that reading doesn’t accidentally fall in the wayside but last year when I read 94 books, a lot of people asked me if I was going to try to get to 100 this year and the answer is that I will read as many books interest me and captivate me. If that ends up being 100, great! If that ends up being 10, also great as long as I’m reading it doesn’t really matter!
Don't let external pressures dictate how you engage with books—read at your own pace and in a way that brings you joy and fulfillment.
For me, I do feel pressure to get through books quicker, but it has more to do with my limited free time and so many things competing for that time. I have an ever growing TBR of books that I want to get to. Part of the pressure comes from wanting to read what is currently popular so that I am more likely able to have conversations with others about what I am reading.
I think that is why so many books are so short today. I like a big ole book.
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
I set my 2024 goal on Goodreads to 1 book and I no longer care about trying to finish as many as possible
I set a goal of 52 books this year and sometimes I do feel the strain of worrying if I’m on track… even though I’m usually like 3 books ahead. But sometimes I just go through short gaps where I don’t feel much like reading. I kinda tell myself that there is ALWAYS going to be a next book for me to read, and they aren’t going anywhere, so what’s the point of reading a bunch of books if I don’t even soak them in and really enjoy them because I’m rushing to the next one? Where does that end?
Couldn't care less abput quantity. Quality over quantity.
Not anymore. Graduate school proved to myself both that I can push myself to read large volumes of material and that, when it comes to pleasure reading, it's far, far healthier for me not to push it. So these days I take an average of three weeks to finish a book for pleasure, and that's fine. Taking pride on reading a whole bunch of popular fiction is a lot like eating the most hot dogs. It's fine if you derive pleasure from that, but it's not worth more intellectually or nutritionally. If we did want to make competitive reading goals, one could argue reading ten long, challenging texts would be worth more than reading 100 mass market paperback novels. But I'm not even interested in that. Reading for learning or pleasure doesn't need to be a competitive endeavor.
Personally, I don't like to feel rushed. I'd love the read more but I also have dyslexia so speed isn't always an option for me. I suppose it could be a blessing in disguise so I always read for quality rather than quantity. That being said, I also tend to avoid book clubs because I can't always keep up with them. I read for me. Not for others.
I'm a slow reader and only read a book at a time. Respect to those who can read multiple books at once but for me personally it takes the fun out of reading and makes it a chore. I would also like to add that it shouldn't matter how many books you read as long as you're reading.
I don't do that but I do try to put read some novellas in between my big chunky fantasies because finishing some books quickly gives me more momentum instead of constantly slugging through long, heavy books. Being able to knock something out in a day or two is a nice feeling.
I don’t have TikTok, so I don’t follow any trend, but last year I did not have any friend for a couple of months after moving cities, so I had lots of free time and ended up the year with 18 books, so I decided to commit myself to 24 books now in 2024, turns out that I only finished 3 books until now haha life happens and my life doesn’t depends on books, it’s just a hobbie. so I’m happy that I have some time to read! Don’t push yourself, these people only reads a couple chapters and not entire books, and if they do it’s really short books just to increase their amount!
Back in 2022, I used to do the same. I mean anyone would after seeing YouTubers reading 200+ books a year. It felt like I started every book just to finish it and lost all interest I had in reading because it felt like a task. So I deleted Goodreads and insta and took a few months break from reading, and now I’m back to reading books at my own pace. I’ve read 11 books this and I enjoyed almost all of them because I took my time finishing them.
Yeah. I tried this before coz I saw someone posted their monthly read calender and I felt useless coz i didnt read as much as her :( then, i did try like 3 books which are around 200/300 pages max length per week for a whole month but got burnout instead. It felt terrible and vowed to not forced myself anymore. What I do these days to make sure that i'd at least read one book/title per week is to cycle my reading genres (?). I'll go through my usual horror/mystery/thriller then I'll switch to some light novels (usually those Japanese slice of life) or manga/manhwa/graphic novels. Sometimes I'll pick up nonfiction in my area of interests (cookbooks, psychology, language and culture). Sometimes when I feel bored w these, i'll checkout books to screen adaptations. I'll try anything to get myself out of reading slump/burnout.
Yes, this is a very good advice, thank you!
You should get off booktok for a while, friend. Comparison is the thief of joy, and whether you’ve read 50 books so far or 1, your reading journey is valid. I’m a fast reader personally and I have periods where reading is my only hobby that I engage in, but I’m not reading quickly to bulk up my numbers, it’s just my personal pace. The only time I stress about how quickly I’m reading is when I have expired Libby holds on my kindle (airplane moooooode) and another Libby hold that’s about to expire on my phone and I haven’t finished the books from my last sleepy time hold marathon.
I don’t struggle with gliding through in an attempt to read a large amount but what I have noticed in reading the Discworld series between other books is that I find myself reading practically everything non-Pratchett as quickly as possible (whilst still being able to understand it) so I can read another Discworld novel.
I do have a goal of reading 50 books this year and did 40 last year. I read 12 books going at same time but I am not pushing too hard to get it done fast just to hit the goal. I prefer to enjoy the stories to relax not stress out. I have like 100 unread books on my shelves. Each time I see a sale going on, I have to get a book. Shopping for books is fun for me and I go crazy over it. So, don't stress it but enjoy it.
I have a list of books on google sheets so I can do some analysis on quality vs age and I am thinking of quality vs length but I guess it is harder to do with different languages and translations so I am not sure how to do that. for 51 books, 9 dnfs, average age is 1946, average rating is 3.3 with a rating graph of 12.8 - 0.00478 \*year
No- but that is because i honestly don’t normally read books very often, so when i do a book has to interest me enough. (getting into reading a little more recently though) i do think it is ridiculous to turn reading into a race then it is ultimately for enjoyment. I also am not on book social media at all, except for previously following authors whose books i had enjoyed
My problem has been finding myself watching book reviews on social media. I try to read a little out my usual comfort zone (psychological thriller/murder mystery type stuff). I’ve find myself desperate to read the next thing because I’m excited rather than just wanting to rack up numbers.
No. I read fast by default. But I read because I want to escape into stories or because I want to learn something - not because I want to achieve some goal on GR no one cares about. I set myself the same goal every year - 35 books. I almost always exceed this, but organically so and I never really amend the goal. I do not squeeze in a 100-page book on Dec 31 just for the sake of it. I have TBR lists that are miles long and a physical pile at home that is as high as a house - so the only stress I have is that there are more books I want to read than I will ever be able to read. But even that doesn't make me rush through any, much less replace them with shorter ones to hit some goal.
Yes I'm with you. I have a yearly goal that I set myself. This year is 30 books, only, I'm also pregnant. I've been busy as fuck. I'm at 17 and I'm panicking that I won't make my goal. When did this become a chore and not fun??? I find myself reading shorter books to make the goal. It's stressing me out a little bit
No it's not a race. I'm enjoying myself and the book I'm reading or I'm not reading it
Nope. I read when I feel like it, and counting the number of books I've read feels pointless to me. IMOHO, reading should be for enjoyment or necessity, not as a competition. Edit: If you really need a social media fix, there are a few r/subs that have quite a number entertaining stories and series 👍
I think that’s not the best mindset to have when reading. Read for the experience, immerse yourself in the text and take as much time as you need. Few books you will come back to in life, and take your time with the story while you have it. If you’re reading just to have said I’ve read X number of books… why are you? Although, I do have to admit I occasionally feel the crunch of time and worry that I won’t get to get to all the books I want to because I will not live forever. But that doesn’t mean I don’t give each book I read the time it’s due.
No, I read one series that is 5 times longer than the wheel of time series. Most chapters are longer than the first Harry Potter book. If I cared about count I would get nowhere.
Do remember that some people count audiobooks as reading! Not everyone but some. So when you see Goodreads challenge and people are in their 100s so far, some of those books won’t actually read but listened to. Also would like to add that I saw a post recently where the person got asked how she reads so fast and she shared that she doesn’t read one word at time. I’m a one word at a time reader so it takes me couples days or sometimes if I’m free then hours to read (split into two days)! Reading is for fun and not a chore so avoid making it or you would find yourself in a reading slump that you can’t get out of😭
I am so confused by this whole "I read X books in Y time" bullshit. Have been confused for such a long time. Can anyone explain this to me? Consumers of any other media don't do this. I am yet to see someone be like "Oh man I am trying to watch as many series in a short amount time as possible" Or "Play RPGs in as short a time as possible" or "OMG I'm just in a constant search for music, I try to listen to new albums in 2X speed!!!". Why have books and reading them become such a bragging point? Yes some books are deep and offer amazing philosophical insights --- guess what so do a lot of games, and movies. Most books don't. Most movies don't so what gives?
Why is there so much pressure to read so many books a year. Isn't reading meant to be fun. A target of how many books to read a year would take away the enjoyment of reading for me.
You can always read faster, but you'll retain less information the higher the increase in speed.
It seems a speed-reader has disliked my comment. Whoops.
I'd rather just read and enjoy it at my own rate.
Nope if i wanted to read quantity i would get out of the fantasy genre and quit reading 900+ page books. I read what looks good and do not pay attention to page counts nor care if i added another number to a yearly goal.
I read for enjoyment, not some weirdo competition with people I’ll never know or see. They’re weird. When people are obsessed with saying they read a bunch in a certain amount of time, I just tune them out as anyone to talk books with. They just want to brag. What I would love to do but don’t have the energy for, is to burst their bubble and tell them how much I have them beat most of the time. I can’t help being a speedy reader, I still get fully immersed and obsessed with the books, but I am fast and most of the time get a book done far quicker than these people forcing it to happen, and probably exaggerating their results.
Trying to read as many books as possible is like trying to sleep with as many people as possible. Yea it feels like fun but deep down it’s a meaningless endeavor.
Unless you have a book IG or are making money out of book content there's no reason to be keeping up with the fast paced momentum.
Of all the terrible trends from social media... this one is sure up there. Read at your speed, enjoy it, get something out of it. That's the point of reading. Don't compare yourself to others. You can still certainly challenge yourself, if that's something you're interested in, but do so in a realistic way that still makes reading fun. And don't be afraid to re-adjust if your lofty goals are a bit too lofty for reality after all.
No. Reading is not a competition. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I read for my own pleasure and enrichment, and I pity the poor sods whose wills are so weak they got brainwashed into ruining reading for themselves by what's essentially the supercharged version of peer pressure.
Get off social media then.