BookTube Response: How to Read More!

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• How to Read More!

[@jscottphillips503]

I could find a couple more hours a day for reading if I cut out watching Steve Donoghue videos. Please advise.

[@saintdonoghue]

DON'T YOU DARE!!!

[@shawnstevens9819]

The other key point is to listen to more Steve booktube videos! I've definitely been reading a lot more the last three years since I discovered your channel (as well as a few others). It reminds me of when I was young and would get excited about a book thanks to a few great English and Reading teachers. Of course, I do understand that many of your detractors think you smell. But I assure you, I've never experienced offensive odors through these videos!

[@douglasreynolds7903]

That's no joke. Steve (and a few others) are bankrupting me. But have I ever discovered interesting reads.

[@saintdonoghue]

Sadly, it's not just my detractors who allude to my signature Klingon odor!

[@BookTimewithElvis]

Oh I just use AI Mark to do my reading for me now 😅

[@douglasreynolds7903]

As I look closely, I think Steve is actually an old generation android. That would explain his mass reading ability and instant recall when referencing books and authors and everything else. He is AI technology. He is due for a re-skin.

[@saintdonoghue]

And what's wrong with my present skin, may I ask? Re-watching this video, it seems VERY enticing!

[@douglasreynolds7903]

@saintdonoghue well, it seems worn by usage. Seeing that you are immortal, I think an upgrade for future viewers would be appropriate. If I started my own channel, people checking out my offings would think it to be Tales from the Crypt.

[@alexiskiri9693]

Yes, I am very busy watching all my favorite booktubers. It is cutting into my reading time. 😱😖😠

[@konstantinos-6-6-6-8]

One thing I hate about audiobooks is when the narrator treats it as a performance and adds all these weird pauses, changes diction etc., and I feel like just what are you reading right now, none of this is on the page! Why can’t they just read the book like a normal person would, ie follow the writer’s punctuation?

[@saintdonoghue]

Well see - I don't know much about these kinds of annoyances, since I've not explored the world of audiobooks! Do narrators really do this? It sounds awful -

[@konstantinos-6-6-6-8]

@@saintdonoghue All the time for fiction! And people seem to like it for some reason, the most highly-praised narrators do this an awful lot, and it’s not only that they are not actually reading what the author wrote, ghat style of narration is really unnatural and hard to follow. I suspect one of the reasons they do it is that so they don’t have to do multiple takes, or read the book before they narrate it… It doesn’t happen with non-fiction as much at least, but when it comes to fiction I have given up on audiobooks.

[@BluStarGalaxy]

Been dealing with health issues and for the past several years it has made it very difficult to read very much. Been listening to audiobooks and working to get my health back so I can dive back into it. It helps to watch booktube channels about reading to keep that interest alive. Thanks for what you do Steve.

[@RasmusKarlJensen]

I have my doubts that you can cut out subvocalization while still getting retention. Still, I have several novels that I want to read but wouldn’t be devastated if I didn’t remember every single detail of so they’d be great candidates to test this out on.

[@theish9]

I cant pay close enough attention to do audio books. My mind drifts and then i have to go back multiple times. But i started dedicating about an hr and a half a day

[@Xsdwolf]

For me, I've really gotten back into reading over the past 3 years through audiobooks. I work a 12-hour job that requires very little thinking. So, for the most part, I listen to a lot of audio books. Some things I've found that helped me with my journey in reading: 1. Build the habit. As you've mentioned already, building the habit is the most important part. I recommend to people they read what they ENJOY reading and not necessarily what they WANT to read. When I started, I wanted to read books like War and Peace and maybe some Isaac Asimov, but I just didn't have it in me to soldier through those books. Ultimately, I spent several months just listening to bad LitRPG books. It was a lot of fun and helped me build up the habit of reading. These were not books I'd consider good, would never put them on a bookshelf, but I LOVED them. Eventually, I got to the point where I wasn't just ready to move on to more challenging material, I was downright itching to start reading harder books. 2. Reading widely: In regards to this, I actually began reading very heavy non-fiction. It started off with Capital by Thomas Picketty and quickly snowballed to non-fiction works from many different fields. I didn't listen/read these books in long sittings, I would only engage with them for 15 min to an hour at most. This helped build the habit of reading long and sloggy material. Other pros were a steep increase in my personal education and in my general understanding of the world. Reading non-fiction also makes reading fiction more enjoyable as you begin to tell the difference between authors who know the world, authors who can tell a story, and authors who have both these qualities. Not to mention, it feels very rewarding to sink into a fantasy world after spending a morning cramming your head with knowledge. 3. Audiobooks: something I would add with audiobooks is that there's an option to increase the reading speed of the narrator. For those of you who struggle to pay attention to audiobooks, I find increasing the speed also helps with waning attention. My ideal speed for straightforward text is x2.25 speed, but I'll go as slow as x1.25 speed if the text is full of deep insights in every other sentence or so. Having the audiobook with the text in front of me, while I listen at much faster speeds, has also been very helpful in reading a lot faster since I struggle with subvocalization. Aided with text, I can go as fast x3 speed. 4. Audiobook tip #2: KZbin has audiobooks. Spotify has audiobooks. Libby has free audiobooks with a library card. Audible feels like an inexpensive hobby, but as someone with a +500 audiobook library, trust me when I say it adds up. Start taking advantage of the free books early on. (Also, buy the book or audiobooks from a vendor that isn't audible when you can, since they take advantage of their authors.) 5. Learn to abandon bad books: this one is hard for a lot of avid readers, myself included, but knowing when to cut your losses on a bad book has saved me a lot of time. Ideally, I try to research the books I'm reading to avoid bad books, but it does happen nonetheless. Learning to just let go of a book I wasn't enjoying and wasn't offering any special insights has helped me avoid slogs and kept me fresh on reading.

[@folksurvival]

That's not reading though, that's listening.

[@biggsheba1]

Hi Steve! I'd be really interested in a video around "how to" stop sub-vocalizing. Would love to hear your take on the practice around it.

[@hanffd]

I think I stop subvocalizing when I’m reading a highly plot driven book or get to the last 100 pages of a longer book and I’m so clued-in to the writing style that I can fly through the pages. I also take extensive notes when reading which definitely slows me down way more than subvocalizing does, but it keeps me fully engaged, looking for patterns, interesting use of language, etc.

[@saintdonoghue]

This is a point I ALWAYS want to make to people: when you're totally caught up in a book and racing to the end, you stop subvocalizing all by yourself, without any mental re-training - so you certainly can do it! The example I used for a solid decade was all those young kids utterly FLYING through the new Harry Potter, even if it was 1000 pages. They weren't subvocalizing - and they weren't missing a single tiny detail!

[@GholaMuadDib]

My most recent add on for finding more time in the day to read, is the 15 or 20 minutes before I get to work. I stop for a coffee or tea and just read. A place about 5 minutes from my work. It eventually turned into stopping their about an hour before work.

[@kiranreader]

i'm trying to break my habit of subvocalizing - sometimes i feel like i'm skimming over it and not processing it but i know i need to practice longer

[@michaelfeeney6108]

I recommend listening to audiobooks and reading physical books/ebooks at 500x speed!

[@ludvanbeethoven1]

Hi Steve, thank you for the video! Can you please elaborate on the TECHNIQUES to stop subvocalizing? I have seen you talk about this topic multiple times, but it's usually just about what subvocalization is/definition and its reading benefits - all of which I know. I was hoping you could please explain HOW to go about it? That is, specific advice on the ways/means/techniques. I ask because I've been trying a few things and no success so far :( Thank you so much!!

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

I think consistency is the main issue. You gotta keep at it even if the first few times are miserable or really challenging. You are forming a new habit, after all.

[@crypsid]

Congrats on the 14k! See, it happened.

[@JoelSwagman]

As someone who wants to read more than I do, I found this video very useful. Thank you Steve

[@whyimsmarterthanyou]

Such a great point about slumps. I watch a ton of European club soccer to distract myself from the caregiving life I've had to engage the last handful of years. Where before tuning into a matchday was always a fun peek into a football culture that entertained as much as the actual sport-part of sport, I sometimes find myself just wanting to get through a game. What's the point of doing something you enjoy if you just want to get through the actual thing you supposedly enjoy? I invest some time listening to podcasts or KZbin vids about the game, giving me a break from the monotony of just going through the motions of clicking on another game that I'm not invested in. Sometimes I write about the games I watch, which helps to diversify my interest in the subject. Mostly, I don't want to find my consumption of the game becoming something I MUST do, as I enjoy the emotional break that it provides from my real life.

[@BookBlather]

If you’ve got any good tips on how to stop sub vocalizing, I’d love to hear them. I really wish I could stop doing this.

[@larue131]

I want to start reading more. I have an issue that I get caught up that I can't really remember much after I've finished the book -- unless I make copious notes which ends up a slog. I'm referring to non-fiction. Any advice? Should I simply not concern myself with that and just read and enjoy and just let myself forget?

[@watermelonmanied]

Steve, would you be willing to mail a book to me even though it would be to the UK? I'm not sure if you have a cut off point like that.

[@saintdonoghue]

Alas, no - I've learned my lesson when it comes to mailing stuff outside the US! Not only does it cost $100, but it almost always fails to reach its intended recipient!

[@watermelonmanied]

@@saintdonoghue I see, I suspected something like this might be the case. Nevermind. Thanks anyway and all the best!

[@angelagray2508]

I only realised that I don't subvocalise when my daughter asked me a question - she said 'When you read do you do all the voices in your head or is it just a drone in your own voice?'. Huh! I do neither!

[@mikekean8002]

Hi Steve, would the sub vocalist apply to reading comics or just books with just text?

[@mayavarde]

I have stopped watching all other booktubers( and all other type of content like beauty , recipes...who needs these things when we have Steve and his videos ..) except Steve and that has increased my reading time ! I have noticed that I tend to subvocalize during first few minutes of my reading when I am trying to concentrate. Keeping phone away helps me to concentrate better and read fast.

[@Lokster71]

I keep trying to stop my subvocalizing, then I get frustrated and start again. I'm going to put some time aside and give it a real go.

[@monaedoyle3631]

Hello Steve. I read a lot of books. I am a huge mood reader. I read a lot of romance books. I recently found a new to me author. I am reading some of the author’s books which I’m enjoying. I do listen to books on Audible. I read books at home and at work and in bed.

[@cmleidi]

I have never been able to get through an audiobook. At some point, my mind wanders and I lose the narrative thread. I've tried numerous times, and it never works for me. I don't know why as I listen to a lot of podcasts so it's not the concentration part.

[@saintdonoghue]

Well that IS a bit odd, isn't it? I wonder if it's because you fundamentally link reading with SEEING? Could that be an explanation?

[@jamesabbiati5775]

Fascinating topic. Another tip that speeds things up for me: go hands free. I fidget and squirm way too much, so putting my book or ereader on a stand (I even have a steering wheel book holder) increases the amount of time I can last in one reading session. Probably doubles it. Now a question: I would love to skip subvocalizing but I'm afraid it might limit the "immersion" of the reading experience. Thoughts?

[@saintdonoghue]

Well, beginning to stop subvocalizing will certainly limit your immersion ... but only because you're re-training your brain! After a few weeks or a month, it'll feel very natural. I can certainly personally attest to the fact that wonderful, complete immersion (the real reason all of us read, searching for that experience) is definitely possible without subvocalizing!

[@jamesabbiati5775]

@@saintdonoghue Annnnnnnnd....so the research begins.

[@jamiebbooks]

I read very widely, and read over 200 books a year easily, and I still hit reading slumps, mostly due to depression, which saps your motivation, interest and energy. So, I have favorite audiobooks that I listen to when I notice I am in a reading slump, usually Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams novels in audio. Eventually when I am feeling a little better I shift to a new audiobook til I am motivated enough again to read print books. For me it is not about 'reading more', but about catching mental health issues and dealing with them before they get serious- I know my natural healthy state involves reading a lot very easily so when that is not happening I know to pay more attention to my mental health.