Today was just one of those days when my professor gets into speech mode. Today's speech was about how my professor went to this leadership conference and saw the likes of Steven Spielberg there as well. The challenge presented at this conference was to read a book a day for a year. People in the media field must do a lot of reading, you see, so this was not an outlandish thing to suggest. But a book a day? 365 books in a year? I tried to think of how many books in a year I've read, and I doubt the number could breach a hundred.
This also got me thinking to how lax my reading has been lately. Since I'd first learned to read I've been a big reader. Book after book as clueless friends say, "But didn't you have a different book yesterday?" I was proud of my reading. I plowed through the small chapter books when I was younger. Later I started on young teen books and eventually moved onto adult novels. Heck in 3rd grade I was reading 1000 Leagues Under the Sea (though I admit, I never finished it). The point is, I read all the time. I would finish one of those small chapter books in a day easily. Thicker books maybe 2-3 days. When a book took a week to read, it would feel like I've been reading it forever.
Perhaps a combination of an increased workload and other stresses slowed my reading down in my junior/senior years of high school. I remember reading the second book in the Inheritance trilogy, Eldest, wondering why I was being so slow with it. Believe it or not, I was sad that I wasn't reading as much as I used to.
I still read, though I don't devote the time I used to for it. Now, thinking of this challenge, I want to get back into reading an insane amount of books. There are so many books I have that I haven't read yet, and so many books I want to read. So that's it. I'm taking the challenge.
Now, moving from half a week to read a book to a day may be an extreme move, so I'm molding the challenge a little. I have a reason for fudging the rules. I will begin by timing myself on my reading time in days. Book after book, I will decrease this reading time until I can begin meeting the challenge's demands. Maybe then I will start the 365 day counter and truly begin the challenge.
What do you think? Will you attempt the challenge with me? There are plenty of benefits to reading books, so just imagine reading a whole lot more and what you can learn, how you can improve yourself as a person, and what you can hope to achieve.
Here's my list! As I finish, I'll add to the list:
1. The Husband by Dean Koontz. A pitiful 6 days to finish...but granted the writing was really small...
2. The Supernaturalist. Gotta look up author and read time.
3. Phantoms by Dean Koontz. Probably 6 days. I lost count.
4. Moon Phase 2 by some author with a complicated Japanese name. 1 day.
5. Hattie on Her Way by Clara Gillow Clark. 2 days.
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I like to learn about other people's views and ideas so yes I will take the challenge with you. Right now I only have books about psychology, weird history 101, unsolved mysteries and the end of times. But I will try more to read maybe it will keep me off of this site! Not sure If I can read a book a day because I don't have that much time, but I will try to read more and I will challenge myself to read a book a week. Well see how that goes first. Great minds do think alike!
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Alright! I got one taker already!
A book a day is quite a feat, so you could do what I'm doing to improve your reading speed. Sometimes though, there just isn't the time to read a whole book in a day! I guess that means I'll have to make up for it on the weekend.
I'd let you borrow books if I could, but being that this is the Internet and you probably live a hundred miles away, that would make the book exchange a little difficult.
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Sorry, not taking up this challenge. The books I like to read range from 300 pages on up to 700 or more pages, and I cannot physically read them in a day, plus maintain all my grades. Heck, I'm doing research for a paper I'm writing, and it's taken me several hours to get through 68 pages there (granted, I've had to stop several times to take notes, so I've probably read double that, but still).
I do want to read more, but for the time being, it'll just have to wait until I graduate.
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I'm with mvenus on this one. I'm reading a book that's 1128 pages (without the epilogue) right now. There is no way I can possibly finish a story of that length in one day.
I used to read like you once did, plowing through books one after another. My mom tells me I read my first book towards the end of my second year of life. Pizza hut used to do that promotion where you got a free personal pan pizza for every ten books you read--sometimes I think they stopped because of me. :-P
But I started reading slower as I got older. My combined English and literature classes started teaching me how to analyze books as I read them, in order to comprehend the meaning behind what I was reading. It forced me to slow down when I read. It forced me to actually enjoy what I was reading, and know why I was enjoying it.
I find joy in savoring my books as I read them, and in order to do that, I need to be alone with my book. It's not always an easy task to accomplish. My reading time usually happens while I'm laying in bed, waiting for sleep. I usually make it through 2 or 3 chapters a night.
Another reason I read slow is because I dread knowing that my book is almost over. I like to postpone the inevitable sometimes.
"Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it."
Truman Capote
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I read some long books too, so one a day will be hard to accomplish. That's why I've changed the challenge somewhat to reflect those of us with college/school work to worry about. Increase reading speed, instead of right away trying to start out with one book in a day. That's easy to do with chapter books for younger kids, but difficult to do with full length novels and anything that can rival the size of the HP books.
I like to savor books too. I tried to limit myself to 100pgs a day when the 6th Harry Potter came out, but no can do. I just had to keep going. Even slowing myself down, it took about 4-5 days to read.
But there are other books available that can be read in a day. A friend of mine got me to try reading Manga, which is like a Japanese comic that you read backwards. One of those takes about an hour to read and that's it. Comics too, can be easily read in one sitting. Novellas are shorter than full length novels, though I'm not sure exactly what qualifies for a novella.
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But by increasing your reading speed, you're missing out on a lot. My boyfriend can fly through novels in no time at all (he can get through a HP book 2-3 times before I can finish it once). But I remember a whole lot more from the books than he does, because I savor them as I read them, instead of just reading them for the sake of reading them.
~C
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True...
But usually if I like a book enough, I'll return to it later. A re-read often reveals extra details I had missed the first time.
Plus, it's not really how fast my eyes are moving, but how much time I devote to reading again that I'm trying to improve.
I know a lot of random details from the HP series because I've read the books (the earlier ones more so) multiple times, save maybe the #6 and #7. One little detail I like is the mention of Sirius Black in the first book, when Sirius Black was truly introduced two books later. I dunno. I like random trivia I guess.
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I guess I semi-qualify, but not really a full book a day. I read approximately a script a day and average a book a week, which being a theatre major is a pretty good balance. I will take the challenge to increase my reading, but I already read more than the average person so I think I'm doing pretty good.
Good Luck with the book a day. One day I will definately make this a goal and do one a day, but that would pretty much require no job (or at least not a full day job).
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A script a day could count, I think. My professor read comics and counted them as a book.
I didn't think of this, so I'll add scripts to my list. Scripts can be easily read in a short period of time, depending of course on the length and language of the play. Shakespeare's a no-no for me.
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It's my idea of heaven, but no can do in reality. When my long range financial plan comes to fruition (read: Powerball) and i no longer have to work for a living, I will sign up!
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365 a year? Doable. I read very quickly. When I was younger I could go through five or six on Saturday, my day off from school. Problem is I'm in college and trying to get a job... and I don't think I'd be able to actually acquire that many books. Right now I have... six books I haven't read yet. I don't think I can get another 359 quite that fast. I don't have that much money. O:
I wish I could lend you books. Because my dad and I go to auctions, I've gotten boxes and boxes of books. There are hundreds of them just stacked away, waiting for me to donate to the library, possibly sell, or read myself. So many books, so little time...
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paperbackswap.com
^my god.
Dude, I just joined the site. Thanks for suggesting it! Even though I only have to pay for postage, the cost may add up....I may not be an active member until my funds get more orderly.
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I plowed through the small chapter books when I was younger. Later I started on young teen books and eventually moved onto adult novels. Heck in 3rd grade I was reading 1000 Leagues Under the Sea (though I admit, I never finished it). The point is, I read all the time. I would finish one of those small chapter books in a day easily. Thicker books maybe 2-3 days. When a book took a week to read, it would feel like I've been reading it forever.
Perhaps a combination of an increased workload and other stresses slowed my reading down in my junior/senior years of high school.
I was just like you. When I was younger no body could beat me when it came to reading. Back then reading helped me become the runner up in spelling bees, have a better vocabulary , and made me smarter than my peers. Everyone thought I was a geek. But when I got to high school, I was so booked with AP English papers and history papers and other school work, I wouldn't have the time to even flip through a book even if I wanted to. But I will try my best to take your challenge cause I do need to get back to reading again. Thanks for the challenge.
No problem, I'm glad I could suggest some ProgressiveU worthy.
I was the "geek" for a while, but suddenly in high school it was like reading wasn't geeky anymore. I wasn't the only one reading in between classes and at lunchtime anymore! Strange how times can change.
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I'll with you on the challege ,but only part way. Right now i'm trying to read at least 50 books before the year is out, i'm at 21 now ( manga included).
sometime i find it hard to get though one book. mainly bnecuase i'm the type of person who can't stand to be bored. When ever i come to a boring part in a book ,and find trying to pass this speed bump is becomming a tiresome hassel, i usualy put that book down and start on something new. I know that may not be the best habbit in the world but it works for me. : /
I love reading, but I can still get tired/bored of reading at a certain point. Even I'm only with me halfway. I'm just trying to get more books read this year, really.
I'm glad my friend introduced me to Manga. I've read two already. They really are entertaining and don't take long to finish. Too bad they're so darn pricey. $10 a book is a bit much for something that can be read in one sitting, but I suppose those artists need to be paid.
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