I am a notoriously slow reader—almost to the point of embarrassment. When I read with someone else, I often pretend to be finished, even when I’m not, just to appear as though I’m keeping up with their speed. Of course, I have no idea what their speed is; I just get so self-conscious that I find myself staring blankly at the page or the plaque or whatever it is I’m trying to read.

That’s not to say that I don’t read; I actually read more than the average person—usually around 20 to 30 books a year. However, to achieve that, I need to set aside a lot of time for reading, which I enjoy. But something changed this year.

I got busy!

That’s right; up until September, I had only finished three books—three books! That is unacceptable. Granted, I’m over 60% through one long collection of short stories by Alastair Reynold (Amazon) and 50% through the third book of the Wheel of Time series (Amazon), both massive tomes, but still… I am way below my yearly average for 2024.

So, I decided to change that. With a few months left in the year, I wanted to get back on track and finish as many books as I could. To achieve this, I needed to challenge myself properly. I wasn’t just going to set a random goal of reading ten books by the end of the year. No! I needed something more structured. 

You see, if I want to read more books in the time I have left this year, I can either schedule more time to read or read faster—or even better, do both! 

However, reading faster will require some practice, and that requires a process. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s building a process to help myself stay consistent.

I went to the library and picked a book. It could have been any book, but I ended up choosing one bigger than I intended: Killing Commandatore (Amazon) by Haruki Murakami, which is about 680 pages long. My goal is to finish reading it before it’s due, and I plan to do that by speed reading.

As for the process. First, I need to set a specific amount of time—let’s say 30 minutes per day. Next, I need a technique to practice; for me, that’s speed reading. 

After doing some research, I discovered that the easiest technique to start with is using a pen to guide my eyes. This helps me focus on the next word in the line without letting my eyes dart around, which is a natural tendency. This is often why I find myself rereading sentences and paragraphs. 

Lastly, I need a way to hold myself accountable. The best way to do this is by keeping a record of my practice, and there’s no easier way than filming myself and posting it as an Instagram story. Yes, it may seem a bit odd to showcase myself reading, but I know that external pressure can be one of the most powerful motivators.

So off I went. The objective was clear: I needed to finish this 680-page book before it’s due. The Vancouver Public Library has a borrowing period of 21 days from the day you check out. Which means I need to read an average of over 32 pages every day.

According to Marc Brysbaert from Ghent University in Belgium, who analyzed 190 studies on reading rates, silent-reading adults average 238 words per minute, while adults reading aloud average 183 words per minute.

With a quick calculation, at 350 words per page, I’ll need to read about 11,333 words each day in 30 minutes, which comes out to approximately 378 words per minute.

Of course, I didn’t expect to reach 378 words per minute right away. I anticipated that it would take some practice to get used to it. However, I hoped that I would eventually get there, increasing my average reading speed in everyday life while still maintaining a level of comprehension—and, of course, enjoyment.

So, off I went!

Day 1: I read 19 pages. I didn’t use the pen today—just my bookmark. This gives me a good starting point for my reading speed.
Day 2: I bumped it up to 23 pages! I started using the pen, and I felt the difference right away. My eyes were following the words much easier.
Day 3: Another 23 pages. It seems I’ve found a new baseline.
Day 4: I managed to read 28 pages! Now that I know the technique works, it’s all about pushing myself a bit faster. I need to average 32 pages, after all, which means I have some ground to make up.

Today I passed the 100-page mark!

Day 5: I read 29 pages today. I’m still pushing myself, but it feels like I’ve hit another plateau.
Day 6: Finally broke through with 31 pages! This is my first day hitting the 30+ mark, and it feels great. Using the pen to guide my eyes is becoming second nature.
Day 7: I only managed 27 pages today. A little regression is totally normal, though. I was tired, and sometimes you just need to recover after a big push during the week.

Today I past the 200-page mark!

Day 8: I hit 31 pages again! This shows me I can get back over 30 pages in 30 minutes. It really boosts my confidence that I can step it up when I need to.
Day 9: I reached 32 pages—new personal best! I’m feeling pretty confident that I can hit my goal if I just keep up this pace. Plus, I still have about two weeks left!
Day 10: Sticking with it at 31 pages today.
Day 11: 31 pages again! Looks like the low 30s are my new comfort zone. It’s going to take a little extra effort to break through, while I’m trying to keep my comprehension up as well.

Halfway through the book!

Day 12: I read 32 pages! I’m halfway through, and I can really feel the improvement. It feels good! I’m ready to pick it up.
Day 13: I pushed it to 34 pages. I started reading a bit later in the evening today, and I think the quiet atmosphere helped me focus. Plus, it felt great to hit a new personal best!
Day 14: 37 pages today! This is a big milestone for me. I was really feeling it, so I pushed myself a bit more, moving my pen and guiding my eyes just a bit faster. It’s all about gaining confidence in reading the words together instead of just one by one.
Day 15: I managed to replicate yesterday’s effort with 36 pages. It felt good, like reaching a new level in weightlifting. Adding just five more pounds on top of 300 is significant, right? We call that marginal gains.
Day 16: 37 pages! I’m super proud of my consistency lately. I’ve really shown progress! With less than a week to go, it’s crunch time.

Today I passed the 500-page mark!

Day 17: I read 33 pages today. Not as good as before, but there was a time when 33 pages would have blown me away! Progress is about looking back and seeing how far you’ve come.
Day 18: Another 33 pages today. At this point, consistency is key. The fact that I’ve read every day is what matters—it’s like chipping away at a big project. It doesn’t have to be a home run; sometimes you just need to get on base.
Day 19: I hit 38 pages—new record! Some days, everything just clicks, and reading feels easier, whether it’s from having more energy or focus.
Day 20: I managed 33 pages again. I can feel the finish line coming, and I know I’m going to hit my goal. It’s all about finishing strong and making the most of this time.
Day 21: I only needed to read 21 pages to complete the book, and I did it! I finished on the exact day it was due!

If you are familiar with Haruki Murakami’s writing, you know it’s full of beautiful prose and surreal imagery. And this one is no different. If I was to compare it with another one of his novels, I’ll say it’s kind of like The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (Amazon). So if you like that, check out Killing Commadatore. There’s no way to show my comprehension of the book in this video and I’m not going to give it a proper review. But I do want to share my favorite passage: 

“When you’re locked up alone in a cramped, dark place, the most frightening thing isn’t death. The most terrifying thought is that I might have to live here forever. Once you think that, the terror makes it hard to breathe. The walls close in on you and the delusion grabs you that you’re going to be crushed. In order to survive, a person has to overcome that fear. Which means conquering yourself. And in order to do that, you need to get as close to death as you possibly can.”

This year, like I mentioned, has been a bad year for reading, but the year isn’t over yet. And next year is just around the corner. I’m getting back on the horse. I’m not going to let the excuse of being too busy slow me down from my reading goals anymore. If I can’t create more time in the day, I just need to read faster. And now knowing that I can read at 377 words per minute at a somewhat comfortable pace, means I will be able to finish books at a rate hopefully a quarter of the time faster… if not double the time faster.  

But there is a lot more practicing for me. A muscle only stays strong if you keep using it. So… 

I’m going to keep borrowing books from the library with the intention of finishing them before the due date arrives. 

Yes, often times, I will be able to renew the book, but… if the library thinks I can read a book in 21 days… then hell… I’ll do my best. 

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