Slow Down... The Books Aren't Going Anywhere

I read so much that at this point it’s speed reading. This allows me to read on average about three to four books a week when the mood strikes me. Recently, however, I have seen how the lapse in time between when I finish a book and when I pick a new one up can be a detriment to my reading process.

I had this revelation last week after I read Basic Black by Cathie Black. I finished the book last Sunday afternoon and as soon as I read the last sentence, I picked up the next book on my nightstand, Maximize the Moment by T.D. Jakes. As I started to read the first chapter in that book, I paused almost immediately. I realized that I didn’t give myself a chance to really digest the information I learned in Basic Black. It hadn’t even been a good 20 minutes before I picked up the next book.

As we know, I have absolutely no problem with reading multiple books a week, however, I do have a problem with us not retaining all the information because we are in a hurry to pick up the next book for whatever reason. Yes, I am participating in the #100BookChallenge but that is no reason for me to race to the next book.

I will always be a speed reader. Most books I am able to finish in one day if I have the time and that is not something that I plan to change anytime soon. What I do plan to change is the time I spend in between the books. Whether I am a part of the challenge or not, it is important for me to read quality books and giving myself time to digest the book’s material and be able to properly articulate my thoughts on the book. This is not to say that I am not able to do that now. This is me saying that sometimes I jump into the next book so quickly that I tend to forget parts of the previous book if prompted or storylines tend to blend together if the back to back books are in the same genre.

I know that I can’t be the only person guilty of this so I encourage us all to slow down, the books aren’t going anywhere. Let’s take our time, enjoy the books and give ourselves a little breather in between reads. I think we will all be better for it. I am taking my own advice and haven’t read a book since Basic Black which was about 10 days ago. Granted, I probably won’t take that long between books again but it was good for me. The next book I read (which I haven’t chosen as yet, I’m not sure if it will be Maximize the Moment at this time), I will read in with a much clearer mind.

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Natalya

Natalya is an Account Manager by day and an editor and author's assistant to passionate creatives by night. When she is not adding to her enormous book collection or stationery supply, she is catching up on her favorite television shows.

Natalya is the author of All The Things I Never Said, a soul-stirring collection of short stories, prose and love letters for the soulful wanderers, the brokenhearted and the hopeless romantics.

You can follow her rantings and occasional sparks of brilliance on Twitter @NatalyaMuncuff.