I'm also a quick reader, but trying to tell me kids it's not a competition as my 7 year old quizzes me continually about what page I'm on!
I've started giving myself reading challenges, currently on a mission to read this year's Women's Prize longlist before the prize is announced. My longer term challenge is to read all the winners.
I visited Reading Lasses yesterday, a bookshop that exclusively stocks female authors, with the best cake selection ever!
At primary school, one other girl and I used to go for reading with the headteacher because we were so far ahead of our class, in both speed and comprehension. Skip forward a number of decades and I'm not quite such a peppy reader permanently with a book or two on the go but I can still see off a book club choice on the day of the meeting if I have to. Yay for ADHD and hyperfocus but boo for ADHD and the extent to which I'm distracted by other (let's face it, lesser) entertainments.
My first primary school teacher told my mother that i “knew too many long words and knew what they meant!”. Apparently that was a fault. I was always a super fast reader….similar brain to you, too 🤓
Also a fast reader and ADHDer. Also can’t remember the plot or character names, I’ve even had to turn back pages to figure out who a character is to only realise it’s the main character…
My great grandmother taught me to read before I was old enough to remember learning and I've never lost the joy of exploring other people's imaginations and word-play.
Moreover, discovering that fast-reading can be a sign of ADHD makes me more and more convinced that this is something I need to explore. For the last four decades I've just been the weirdo who soaks in paragraphs and pages much faster than anyone else I know (but always gets to discover something new in each re-read, of which there are many. Old friends are regularly revisited, probably more often than some in real life. But don't tell them that...)
Loved this! My screen time has got silly. I’m going to find a prize to judge! And what will you do now? Hang out with me and talk about books while showing me the best pain au choc in town?
Loooooved this. My library holds all came in at once so my reading pile is a bit out of control (I have returned Real Americans twice now without getting to it), but I will be checking those on the longlist out!
(also loved that Bridgerton managed to slip in. My feeds are also Benedict-ful and oh how I dove headfirst into istg-gate!)
I read in a very similar way to you, so I'm excited for the moment you watch Heated Rivalry and then immediately have to read all 6 books in the series in a week.
I read an article recently that talked about how Gen Z's are worried about reading in public because they are worried that people will think they're being performative. I've never been so glad to be old! This was great to read after reading that one.
Someone should look into it, it effects men too, so perhaps they’ll give some funding to it! THIS made me laugh out loud Cariad, so thanks for that!
I read three books a week for work, I'm in two book clubs and read for "fun", so I agree with everything here. If shy, bookish child me knew that one day I could spend all day reading at home, with a dog, it would have blown my mind.
(I also remember being soooooo frustrated by the early years books). x
I thought I’d imagined the book that only had the word look on every page. I remember feeling cheated by it - I wanted more words. Glad to know it was real. And pleased to have moved onto more interesting books 😊
I'm also a quick reader, but trying to tell me kids it's not a competition as my 7 year old quizzes me continually about what page I'm on!
I've started giving myself reading challenges, currently on a mission to read this year's Women's Prize longlist before the prize is announced. My longer term challenge is to read all the winners.
I visited Reading Lasses yesterday, a bookshop that exclusively stocks female authors, with the best cake selection ever!
Oh where is it??
It's in Wigtown (aka Scotland's Book town) in Dumfries and Galloway, along with about 20 other bookshops!
Oh that sounds like heaven
They have a book festival… get yourself a slot!
I'm dyslexic and read super fast which I love. My husband always says it's because I don't read all the words and he'd probably right...
Not ALL of them are relevant I’d argue
At primary school, one other girl and I used to go for reading with the headteacher because we were so far ahead of our class, in both speed and comprehension. Skip forward a number of decades and I'm not quite such a peppy reader permanently with a book or two on the go but I can still see off a book club choice on the day of the meeting if I have to. Yay for ADHD and hyperfocus but boo for ADHD and the extent to which I'm distracted by other (let's face it, lesser) entertainments.
We would have been such GOOD readers in mediaeval times I think
My first primary school teacher told my mother that i “knew too many long words and knew what they meant!”. Apparently that was a fault. I was always a super fast reader….similar brain to you, too 🤓
Also a fast reader and ADHDer. Also can’t remember the plot or character names, I’ve even had to turn back pages to figure out who a character is to only realise it’s the main character…
My great grandmother taught me to read before I was old enough to remember learning and I've never lost the joy of exploring other people's imaginations and word-play.
Moreover, discovering that fast-reading can be a sign of ADHD makes me more and more convinced that this is something I need to explore. For the last four decades I've just been the weirdo who soaks in paragraphs and pages much faster than anyone else I know (but always gets to discover something new in each re-read, of which there are many. Old friends are regularly revisited, probably more often than some in real life. But don't tell them that...)
Hyperlexia, it can be a neurodivergent trait. I was an early reader as well, I remember getting very bored of those Peter and Jane books.
Loved this! My screen time has got silly. I’m going to find a prize to judge! And what will you do now? Hang out with me and talk about books while showing me the best pain au choc in town?
Yes please!!!
I think Alice Mondritch could be the new Whistledown...
Oooooohhhhh yes this could work!
Loooooved this. My library holds all came in at once so my reading pile is a bit out of control (I have returned Real Americans twice now without getting to it), but I will be checking those on the longlist out!
(also loved that Bridgerton managed to slip in. My feeds are also Benedict-ful and oh how I dove headfirst into istg-gate!)
I think good people like books and Benedict…
I read in a very similar way to you, so I'm excited for the moment you watch Heated Rivalry and then immediately have to read all 6 books in the series in a week.
This is amazing and I totally agree.
I read an article recently that talked about how Gen Z's are worried about reading in public because they are worried that people will think they're being performative. I've never been so glad to be old! This was great to read after reading that one.
Ah thank you!
Thank you! I’m off work just recovering from a small op and this made me very smile.
Yay! Get well soon x
Someone should look into it, it effects men too, so perhaps they’ll give some funding to it! THIS made me laugh out loud Cariad, so thanks for that!
I read three books a week for work, I'm in two book clubs and read for "fun", so I agree with everything here. If shy, bookish child me knew that one day I could spend all day reading at home, with a dog, it would have blown my mind.
(I also remember being soooooo frustrated by the early years books). x
Isn’t is amazing it’s a job? And why did no one tell us?
I thought I’d imagined the book that only had the word look on every page. I remember feeling cheated by it - I wanted more words. Glad to know it was real. And pleased to have moved onto more interesting books 😊
We need to set up a support group!
The audio version of this book, where they just say “listen” every few minutes, isa corker. Such feeling, such sated curiosity…or…
Love this - and am sad you can't yet talk about your faves among the books you read for the judging. Looking forward to the podcast coming back!
Should be back in April!