Speed reading - or not

One of the ‘toxic traits’ of the literary world is an expectation that if you like reading and especially if you like a book, you must be a speed reader. False! Sometimes I read 500 pages in a day, other times it takes me close to two weeks to read 324.

Am I enjoying ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’? Absolutely! But I can’t read more than a couple of chapters at a time. I read in the afternoon and I’m tired. I read for leisure so there’s nothing at stake for finishing this. And sometimes - BREAKING NEWS! - I’m not in the mood to read hundreds of pages at a time. Which is totally fine.

So, I don’t know who needs to see this, but you don’t have to speed read. Ever. Read at your own pace, read when you can. No rush!