# Are you reading books quicker, or slower, on your Kindle?



## Iain Edward Henn (Jan 29, 2011)

I mostly read while commuting, and I often fall asleep, so I'm a  bit of a slow reader these days.

I'm also fairly new to Kindle, and I found I was reading books much quicker on my new toy. I thought maybe it was my imagination and didn't say anything to anyone about it, but then my wife Janne, also new to Kindle, remarked she was finishing books much quicker.

I started wondering why this was. So far, the only theories I've come up with, are:

1. With each print book, you're copping a different type font and size, some suit you, some don't. But with your Kindle, you select the type style and size that's most comfortable for you, and then that's the same for every book. Which in turn is more conducive to reading for longer and at a brisker pace.

2. With a Kindle screen you're generally getting less words on the page than with a print book, so I'm often thinking, "I'll go just one more page..."

Any other theories on this?

What about you guys, are you reading books quicker, slower, or just the same, on your Kindles?


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## arshield (Nov 17, 2008)

I think quicker. Initially I attribute it to being a new toy so I spent more time reading it.  Now because I tend to have it with me most of the time.


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## audreyauden (Nov 26, 2011)

I definitely read faster on my Kindle! Some contributing factors for me:


When I'm reading at night, I don't have to deal with holding a book flat. (I never fold a paperback in half, so sometimes it slows me down in the semidarkness of the bedroom when there are those shadows over the text near the inner binding.)
I can hold the book one-handed if I'm reading while commuting or walking my dog. (This may not mean that I'm reading faster per page, but it does increase the amount of time per day that I'm able to be reading.)
I can change the text size, so for some of those books where I might have had a tendency to get lost on a word-dense printed page, I now have a page that's more easily scannable to the eye. (I read somewhere that certain line lengths maximize reading speed. Not sure what that length is exactly, but you must get close to it when you're on some of the slightly larger font sizes.)


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## Rejean (Mar 31, 2011)

I read a lot faster, and I don't seem to put the book down as often. 

I know my dad really likes the one I got for him, and when his eyes get tired he just switches to 'read to me' mode, so he's reading a lot more than he has in recent years.


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## Marata Eros (Jul 23, 2011)

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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I was a fast reader long before the Kindle. I don't think my speed has changed, but I read more at odd times with my Kindle simply because I always have it with me. ALWAYS.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Much faster with my Kindle. For me this is mostly because of readability. That includes the flat surface, the font size and my wrists not getting painful from holding open a stiff paperback. 

I am still in awe at how my eyes just glide over the surface and the text and I don't have to strain. 

E ink made my reading experience flawless and I really get lost now in the story. No more musty smells coming from old paperbacks, no more hands hurting from holding the pages open, no more squinting at the curve towards the inside, especially with small margins in PB, no more squinting trying to read weird looking font and small font, even with bifocals. 

I can now reads hour in one block of binge reading and not get headaches. Although I still get blurry far vision just from using close vision for long periods.  .

I almost read nothing anymore before getting my Kindle in 2008. I am talking a few fiction books in a 5 year period. I used to read so much in the past so I really missed it. But my eyes just were getting to stressed and it took a long to read a book. 

I read about 500 books since my first Kindle almost exactly 3 years ago. 

The kindle gave me back my joy of reading. Can't really put a price on that one.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

I've been a voracious reader since around age seven or eight, and so got quite speedy at it long ago. However, now, in my old age, I'm forcing myself to read a lot more slowly, in order to better savor a book (and really good books are hard to come by), plus learn from my betters, author-wise, in order to improve my own writing. It does take a little of the fun out of it to be actively learning at the same time you're reading for pleasure, but I believe it'll pay off in the end. Or maybe it is already, as I catch some nuances in the stories I may have missed before, when I used to read at high speed.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I feel like I read much faster.  I have certainly read a lot more books in a shorter amount of time than I ever did when I had to go to the bookstore and buy books.


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

I think generally reading is easier and faster on my Kindle, but if a book is a slow book, it can still take me a long time.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

As several people have mentioned, with a paperback it gets uncomfortable to read near the inner edge of a page where the book curves inward. Holding the book open while the spine was still new and stiff used to make my hands tired, yet it felt wrong to intentionally break a spine. I also never realized how much the page curve, combined with small font sizes and the brownish coloring of aging paper, really used to hurt my eyes. With my Kindle I don't have these inconveniences, so less strain on my eyes equals longer reading periods for me. These days I finish most full-length novels in only one or two reading sessions, whereas I used to need more frequent breaks to rest my hands and eyes.


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## JD Rhoades (Feb 18, 2011)

Hard to tell, because I end up jumping around a lot from book to book. I'm certainly reading MORE.


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## Suzie Grant (May 19, 2011)

Oh yes, I definitely read quicker as well as more. Before I got my kindle I couldn't find time to just sit and read. Now I can take it anywhere, I read in the car if the family travels, I read on my lunch break, I read every chance I can snag ten minutes or so. I love my kindle.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

Once you go Kindle you never go paperback.... 

I was never a heavy reader.  One book every 2 years or so.  LOL...

Since the Kindle 2 was released, and I have had each new Kindle since, I've read a lot more.  I still buy more books than I may ever have time, t read though.  Stupid 1 click.

Since we've also cancelled cable several months back I read even more.  Because I have to actively seek out entertainment, reading or video, I don't just mindlessly change channels and watch whatever is on.  So I'll sometimes read a book in a few days or a week if I'm really into it.  I did that just recently with The Strain (Chuck Hogan).


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## Iain Edward Henn (Jan 29, 2011)

It's official then, people are reading books quicker, or just plain reading more books, thanks to their Kindle, for all the reasons mentioned above.

It was particularly pleasing to read Atunah's comment, reading lots of books again since getting the Kindle, after previously having largely given up due to eye strain. 

It's remarkable to think how liberating the e-ink technology must be for so many.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Iain Edward Henn said:


> It's remarkable to think how liberating the e-ink technology must be for so many.


My aunt used my DX for the last month or so of her life. . . .she'd always been a big reader but as her eyes got worse (macular degeneration) it became impossible; even 'large print' editions weren't large enough. With the Kindle on one of the two largest type settings, she could read again!


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## Vanessa Wu (Sep 5, 2011)

Interesting question. Sometimes it can seem like I'm reading faster on the Kindle, but then perhaps what I've been reading is very short. Haha!

The pace at which I read varies a lot anyway, depending on what I'm reading and why I'm reading it. I recently finished Cocaine Nights by J.G. Ballard, which took me over a month. I read it very slowly and carefully in paperback. I was re-reading each sentence about three times.

Now I am reading The Pleasure Dial by Jeremy Edwards on my Kindle. It's light and breezy and I could probably finish it in a day or two.

Many of the things I have on my Kindle currently are short stories, so it is hard to assess my reading speed. I think it is about the same, although generally speaking I find it more comfortable to read on the Kindle than in one of those fat anthologies such as "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2011."


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## Blue Bull Book Design (Sep 18, 2011)

> With the Kindle on one of the two largest type settings, she could read again!


Hah, I've always wondered how many people (beyond the visually impaired) actually use those largest font settings. I would get so frustrated having only a few words per page!

Now I'm trying to figure out whether I read faster on Kindle, or if I just read more often due to ease of use/portability. I was pretty speedy to start with, thanks to childhood libriphilia, but with Kindle I find myself reading more while doing other things - most memorably, reading while washing dishes (with my Kindle in a gallon ziplock to protect it from the spray!)


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I have always read VERY fast and this hasn't changed one way or the other. What has changed is my difficulty in resisting picking up just ONE more novel to read.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Definitely get through the book faster on Kindle. I also read more by unknown authors thanks to the lower prices of eBooks.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Faster. I'm not sure why, but I've definitely noticed that I can finish a novel faster on my Kindle.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> My aunt used my DX for the last month or so of her life. . . .she'd always been a big reader but as her eyes got worse (macular degeneration) it became impossible; even 'large print' editions weren't large enough. With the Kindle on one of the two largest type settings, she could read again!


What a wonderful thing!


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## DwayneRussell (Mar 26, 2011)

I'm afraid I have to volunteer myself as the person with contrary experience.  I think I read a bit faster on Kindle than in book format...but with the books I have tucked safely out of sight and not beckoning me to crack their spines just a tiny bit, I may get less reading done over all.  I hope to remedy this in the near future.


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## leigh7911 (Sep 16, 2011)

I feel like I am reading at about the same speed, which is pretty fast. However, like many others on here, I'm reading MORE. I've only had my K3 two and a half months, but have already read 18 books and a handful of short stories. Now, that's nothing compared to my one-book-a-day average from when I was younger and had much more time to read, but it's pretty darn good considering I basically stopped reading entirely upon reproducing a few years ago.

Also, I love that I can customize the font size. I go opposite the way of most - I've got it on the second smallest setting. Am only in my early thirties, but find myself doing the middle-aged "my arms aren't long enough" thing while reading now. Much easier to just shrink the font than hold a book further away.


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## toadhall (Nov 25, 2011)

I'm using the Kindle app for iPad but I still find I am reading faster than I would with a physical book. I attribute this to the "one more page syndrome" as well as the ability to read in the dark when the missus has gone to sleep!


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## jamesmonaghan (Oct 22, 2010)

I have always been a fast writer, but I definitely agree that I read faster and more since I got my Kindle. 

Added to everything that has already been mentioned (ease of reading for the eyes, possibility to take it everywhere, being able to switch between books without carrying five different books in my bad...  ) I would also add the fact that it is possible to switch from my Kindle to my ipod to my telephone and carry on right where I left off thanks to the Kindle apps! 

@ Joseph Robert Lewis - absolutely loved your covers and have just downloaded a sample of your first book!   Another reason I love my Kindle!


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## Marie S (May 20, 2011)

I am reading them faster.


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## JustinDennis (Sep 6, 2011)

I definitely read more and faster. Since it's so easy and convenient, I can just get through a few pages in my spare time either on my e-ink Kindle or Kindle app on my phone. Much easier than hauling around giant books. Plus what you said about customizing font size and style; just all around easier. I love my Kindle! And now I dislike reading print books because of it, haha.


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## Cappy (Sep 6, 2011)

I definitely read quicker. I have no idea why.


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

I've always been a voracious reader, but I think I'm reading even faster on my Kindle.  It's like a feeding frenzy.    As soon as I am near the end of a novel, I find myself downloading the next one. I love to read in bed, which is the only time I have and the Kindle is light to hold.  I enjoy reading others' novels and love it that they can read mine on this wondrous device.  I'm wondering if this spells the fading out of print books within the next five years.  What do you think?


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

I buy a lot more, but I also forget to read a lot more. I'd have books stacked in places where I generally read (i.e. the bath, in bed). Now, I go weeks without remembering to read because there's nothing to remind me.


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## Louie Flann (Aug 3, 2011)

Yes, I also read faster with a kindle. It is more comfortable to use than you-know-whats because you don't have to strain your fingers or wrist or what ever muscles you use to hold it up and keep the book open. And, my favorite, I crank up the type size so I can eliminate my reading glasses.


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

Faster, I think because I can adjust the font and I find using the Kindle so easy on my eyes.


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## Iain Edward Henn (Jan 29, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> My aunt used my DX for the last month or so of her life. . . .she'd always been a big reader but as her eyes got worse (macular degeneration) it became impossible; even 'large print' editions weren't large enough. With the Kindle on one of the two largest type settings, she could read again!


Thanks for this, Ann, particularly inspiring that your aunt could read again before she passed. I'm sure all avid readers can relate to having their reading ability limited or made impossible due to eyesight (I have a close relative with the macular degeneration), and the gift that ereading can be in such circumstances.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

I have to admit that its so much easier to buy a book with the Kindle than to go to the store. I actually forced myself to think twice before buying.

Kindle also makes it easier to start skipping pages/chapters if you get bored (I know that's a sin but life is too short to finish a book to the last page if the writing turns me off or the book becomes too long in the tooth for my taste-which for me is usually the middle of a book

I now limit myself to wiser buying habits and also keeping no more than ten books on the machine at any one time.

A tip if you like:    I like to alternate with novellas and short story collections (or those Kindle singles) in between longer works to keep the longer work fresh. I really do try to finish something if I can help it but sometimes the writer pulls me out of the book for a variety of reasons and I just can't finish it


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I read about the same speed on the Kindle as I do paper books. Maybe because I still read both?  I've used an ereader since the Rockebook, (and I love ereaders-the rocketbook was sort of fun to use!) but still will read paper if that is the only way to  get the book I want to read.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

Much, MUCH faster. I'm also reading twice as many books as I used to. Probably because it's easier to find books I like.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

My reading speed is about the same but it takes a bit longer since the Kindle makes it fairly easy to look up facts / people from earlier in the book, a feature I find myself using fairly often.


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## Kathelm (Sep 27, 2010)

I find that I've been reading more.  The rate determining step apparently used to be going to the book store and finding a book, but with an online store and a queue of samples (so I never forget what caught my interest 3 months ago), I do a lot more reading.

As to reading speed itself, I think I get trough books more quickly if only because reading is more of a habit now.


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## NS (Jul 8, 2011)

Quicker, much quicker. That was the reason why I didn't like it first. I just wanted to fly through.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

Between my Kindle 2 and paper-based books, I read about the same, but with my Kindle Fire, I'm reading faster. I'm not sure why, though.


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## emmameade83 (Nov 14, 2011)

so much quicker because I've a long list to go through.


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## Judy Powell (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm reading a lot quicker with kindle and now find that I'm reading 3 or 4 books at the same time (flipping from one to the other).

For non-fiction I still prefer the traditional book, though, even though for me it's a slower reader.  Kindle is my place for fiction/ fast consumption.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I have always been a fast reader, but am definitely reading even faster on the Kindle.  Easier on the eyes, easier to hold and fast page turns..


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## normcowie (Jun 21, 2011)

I still read a lot of paper books, and find I read faster on the Kindle because I can set the type to be the way I want it to be. I also tend to vary my font size depending upon mood and venue.  Anyone else do that?


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## Selina Fenech (Jul 20, 2011)

I don't have a kindle, I read on the kindle app on my iphone. I think I'm getting through more books because I can read any time I have my phone and 5 minutes to spare, and can read with one hand (which is really useful now I have a baby in the other arm most of the time). Although, I'm sure reading on my iphone is ruining my eyesight. I'd love to get me some e-ink action...


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## Stephen T. Harper (Dec 20, 2010)

I'm one of those readers who goes slow but has squeezes every ounce out of a sentence or a paragraph.  I do think my iPad may cause me to read faster for some reason.  But I'm having the other problem people talk about - content overload.  I can't keep up with all the sparkly new books I keep downloading.  Will I get to them all or just keep piling on more?


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

As others have said, I'm not sure if I'm reading faster, but I'm definitely reading more. I bring my Kindle more places than I would a regular book, and if I'm not in the mood for whatever I'm currently on, it's easy enough to start another. I also like the convenience of being able to read with one hand, as I have a lot of strange reading positions (free hand behind head, free arm behind back, free arm between knees, etc).


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## Kim Sheard (Nov 13, 2011)

Yep... my two cents into the pile.....

Reading more is the way I would assess my reading habits since getting my kindle. In the first two months of owning it, I read 23 books and started two others. 

The other thing it has changed for me is that I used to be a "one book at a time" kind of gal. For some reason, I don't have the problem putting a book away until my mood is more suited to it when reading on my Kindle. In paper form I always forced my way through it regardless...


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## Iain Edward Henn (Jan 29, 2011)

joanhallhovey said:


> I've always been a voracious reader, but I think I'm reading even faster on my Kindle. It's like a feeding frenzy.  As soon as I am near the end of a novel, I find myself downloading the next one. I love to read in bed, which is the only time I have and the Kindle is light to hold. I enjoy reading others' novels and love it that they can read mine on this wondrous device. I'm wondering if this spells the fading out of print books within the next five years. What do you think?


Joan, this is a hard one to speculate on - I love print books but like most Kindle converts I'm apt to choose a Kindle read over a print one. On this thread Justin Dennis joked that he now dislikes print books because the Kindle formatting is so easy on the eye. And with ereaders pricing now coming down under $100 it's becoming more accessible to more people.

However to paraphrase Oscar Wilde -the death of the print book is being greatly exaggerated (or not.) I definitely think there will be less print being produced in 5 years, but just as cd's (albeit fewer of them) are still around despite a decade or so of itunes and ipods, so I expect paper and hardcover will exist in smaller numbers alongside the growing ebook segment.

But in 10 years? The book landscape will have changed beyond recognition....


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

I've always been an avid reader as most authors are, but I really think I'm reading even faster on the Kindle, (which is my new bed partner  ) because there is such a buffet out there and it's so easy to download.  I'm literally NEVER without a new book.  

Joan


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## lea_owens (Dec 5, 2011)

I used to be an avid reader then, over the past twenty years of raising children, there just didn't seem time to read all that much. I bought a Kindle keyboard on an impulse earlier this year and have read over 60 books in that time. It's just so easy to grab it, slide the button over and resume from the last page read rather than struggle to find the page after the bookmark fell out. I just take it with me wherever I go and instead of gazing out the window for a half hour train ride, I'm reading. I really did NOT think I'd enjoy the Kindle this much as I was a 20th Century sort of girl who loved print on paper and the feel of a good book, but I love having all these books at my fingertips wherever I go.  If my eyes are tired and I need my reading glasses, instead of searching for where I last put them down, I just enlarge the print and keep going. Love it! Turning pages with the single-handed press of a button rather than a two handed page turning also speeds up the reading process.

So I am definitely reading faster and reading more on the Kindle than in my pre-Kindle era.


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