Welcome to the Sunday Salon!
Back to my own desk and computer and have a new plan - speed reading. I often read every word and am slowed down by conventional reading. Some one showed me the basics of speed reading and now I'm trying it out to get through all the books in my pile! I'm reading down the middle of the page and letting my eyes adjust to registering the words on the right and left as I go along.
My current books:
The English Patient
by Michael Ondaatje, and The Season of Second Chances: A Novel
by Diane Meier. (I actually started this novel a few weeks ago and haven't had a chance to pick it up again.) The two books are different enough that I have no trouble reading both at the same time, depending on whether I'm at home or in the car.When I returned after two weeks way, I found two other books waiting - By Fire, By Water
by Mitchell Kaplan 
and 
The Secret of Happiness, by Demosthenes Armeniades, a book described as an "off-beat fairy tale thriller." 
Now I know the secret to finishing 7 or 8 books in one week!
What have you been reading or speed reading?
Great books for you! I'm reading Tapestry of Love and The House of Mirth -- both very pleasant reads!
ReplyDeleteWhew--I can't imagine speed reading through The English Patient! I read it several years ago and remember it being slow going. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI am a speed reader, but I wish I wasn't! I wish I could read more slowly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Trish. Good luck with speed reading The English Patient. How is the speed reading going?
ReplyDeleteLOL...good job.
ReplyDeleteI want to learn how to speed read! Is it really just reading the few words at the beginning and end of each sentence? Have you been able to comprehend (and enjoy) what you've been reading?
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to let us know how you enjoyed speed reading your books- if you enjoyed them as much without laboring over them.
ReplyDeleteGreat list of books too! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Wow - that's hard. I can't imagine speed reading. Are you finding it as enjoyable as reading the usual way?
ReplyDeleteEveryone: Actually I'm enjoying the feeling of understanding the book while keeping my eyes focused down the center of the page and not moving my eyes from side to side. It seems to be working with The Season of Secoind Chances. Haven't done it much with the English Patient as yet.
ReplyDeleteJenny: You actually divide the page into 3 long columns and look at the center column of the page, reading down it while your peripheral vision supposedly catches the words on the left and right columns as you read down, so you make sense of everything.
There are actual courses you can take or just try the tips on the web. You have to get used to it but right now it's a challenge and I'm enjoying trying it.
Hi,
ReplyDeletehm, The English Patient, it was a bit disappointing for me, but I'm afraid, there was someting important lost in the translation. (It would be not the first time, unfortunately, not every book can preserve it's own values in the translated version ).
Im keen to get my hands on By Fire, By Water, I've heard lots of good things about it. Ive had many a time when speed reading would have come in handy :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your books!
My aunt can speed read and I wish I knew how!!
ReplyDeleteI also have By Fire By Water and look forward to reading it. Hope you enjoy your books! Have a good week.
ReplyDeleteI tried speed reading back in the '70s when it was such a rage. And it worked pretty well - I got through tons of books in a very short time. But when I look back at those books, I have absolutely no memory of most of them. So now I stick to the word-by-word method - slow but it works better for me.
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy all your reading this week!
I'm not a fast reader and that's okay. I like to read for enjoyment. Speed reading seems like more of a challenge - something fun to try but not something I'd want to do on a regular basis. Look forward to seeing how it goes for you.
ReplyDelete