While watching a video by one of my favorite booktubers on how to read more (my 2024 was one of my worst reading years), two of the tips she mentioned were
- Read several different books.
- Read 10 pages of each.
These tips sound pretty good on paper, but do they really work?
Because throughout my time as a reader, I've realized that books have their own pacing, so reading just 10 pages a day wouldn't be enough to enjoy the book in its entirety.
That's what I think.
What about you?
by CuriousGuy21200
10 Comments
I’d personally rather read 30 pages of one book. And be very strict at DNFing books I wasn’t enjoying so I wouldn’t get stuck
I tend to read about three books at the same time and bounce between them in a rotating order. It works for me.
I usually read a chapter each time and move on to the next book.
I don’t see the point. I’d rather dedicate my attention to one book at a time.
I think you actually don’t like reading.
I don’t put a page requirement on myself (it reminds me too much of required reading in school), but I do like having multiple books going each day to keep things interesting. Usually something that’s more stimulating for the morning and more “brain candy” for before bed.
Sounds very annoying
You will never get in the flow state if you keep switching, so I’d never recommend just reading 10 pages. If you want some variety, you could switch between books every session. But personally, if I’m reading a good book I want to read on and know what happens next and if I start reading something else I lose interest in the first thing.
I sometimes do this so that I’m reading a fiction, a non-fiction, and sometimes a technical book simultaneously; although I have found it’s easier to get burnt out this way if you’re reading very long books since, as you noted, sometimes 10 pages in one book is longer than 10 pages in another. But it can also be refreshing to switch up readings if the books are relatively short and are similarly paced.
I have not tried 10 pages specifically, though, because I do not like to just randomly stop in the middle of a chapter; so I usually do one chapter in each book (or at least find a section break). I have also faced the issue of favoritism, where I would be more interested in one book than the others, and that makes reading the less favorable books begin to feel like a chore.
You watch more than one TV show, so yes it can work. I’d be flexible on the page count.
10 pages a day is good advice for people who are just starting to get into reading. The logic is that 10 pages a day = 300 pages a month = one book per month, which is a great accomplishment for most people.
I’m not sure how well it overlaps with having multiple books going though.