The Bookmark Trick That Doubled My Reading Speed

I made it to Chapter 47 in Warbreaker today. Remember how last time I told you I was worried I'm not advancing fast enough? Well, this week I figured out how to keep reading without sitting down. It all comes down to a bookmark.

Let me back up.

To Read or to Listen?

For a long time I only ever chose one or the other. I never realized that combining the two would make progress so much faster.

Last Saturday, I spent around 6 or 7 hours reading. I observe Shabbat, so there isn't much else to do but read. That took me to page 280 or so.

Then I did the math. If I wanted to physically read more, I'd have to give up my current fitness routine. I've been walking almost 20K steps a day, and I started seeing progress on the scale and in the mirror.

Should I give that up for a reading project?

I was almost ready to when an idea flashed in my mind during a walk.

It All Depends on the Bookmark

Whenever I finished my reading for the night or for Saturday, I would move my bookmark to the new spot and close the book.

So what if I listened to a few chapters on my walk, then moved the bookmark to the page where the audio stopped?

It seemed like such a small thing. Something so silly.

But it worked.

My Walks Became Reading Time

I went to Audiobooks.com and bought Warbreaker there. (Why not Audible? Because of #SaveStargate, of course!)

So this week I spent my walks putting in the steps and putting in the pages at the same time. Last I checked, I was past page 400.

I listen at 1.5x speed because it makes sense for this book. Today I got through several chapters during my workout and even on a grocery run. When I get home, I'll move the bookmark to the new position and continue tonight during Shabbat, back in the physical book.

It's Still Going to Take a While

Even with all this listening, the app says I have 5.5 hours of book left. I don't know how many pages that is, but we've reached the Sanderlanche. All the pieces are falling into place.

It gives me hope I will be able to cover books for this blog and YouTube every two weeks. We'll see how that works for me.

The Veilguard Is Mass Effect 2 in Dragon Age Clothing

Aside from that little reading adventure, I also revisited a piece I originally wrote for Geek Peek and gave it a new angle, both as an article and as a new video. My take: Veilguard was trying to imitate Mass Effect 2, and it failed on multiple fronts.

Here's the full article if you're interested:

The Veilguard Is Mass Effect 2 in Dragon Age Clothing

That Is Both the Praise and the Problem.

Oren CohenOren Cohen

Thanks for reading! What did you read or play this week? Hit reply if you're reading this in your inbox, or comment below if you're reading this online.

See you next week.

Oren