How to Read Faster Without Losing the Plot (or Your Sanity)

Wait… someone read seven full-length romantasy books in 24 hours?

Yep. That’s the clip that sent me spiraling back into my reading era.

A BookTok creator casually posted a 24-hour readathon vlog where they knocked out seven full-length romantasy books. Seven. In one day.

My brain said “excuse me??” My eyeballs said “absolutely not.”

But here’s the thing:
I’m actually a fast reader when I’m in the zone. Not superhuman fast, but fast enough that in my heavy-reading years, I could do a book a day. Every single day. For years.

I don’t read at that pace consistently anymore (life, vibes, attention span… you know how it goes), but I can still knock out 2-3 books in a day when the stars align, usually with the help of audiobooks at 3x speed.

Yes, 3x.

I know that looks absurd written out, but I’ve basically trained myself to consume every long-form thing (podcasts, lectures, YouTube videos) at max speed. It’s my superhero skill.

So that viral BookTok clip got me thinking:
What does it actually take to read faster?
And not in a “skim every page and call it reading” way, but in a genuinely enjoyable, sustainable, “books are my personality” way?

Let’s get into this reading tip.

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The Real Ways How to Read Faster (No Flashcards in Sight)

Here’s the not-so-sexy truth that actually matters:

Fast readers aren’t doing fancy speed-reading techniques. They’re doing smart, consistent habits that make reading flow instead of feeling like a marathon.

They rotate formats like it’s their full-time job

This one genuinely changes everything.

• Physical book for cozy vibes
• Ebook for speed
• Audiobook for multitasking

Switching formats keeps your brain awake and your progress… progressing.
Most people who pull off wild readathon numbers rely heavily on audio at 1.5x-2.5x.
If you’ve never tried bumping the speed even slightly, do it. Your brain adjusts in like… a day.

They pick books that read fast

Let’s be honest: some genres sprint, some crawl.

Books that are naturally faster to read:

• Romance
• Thrillers
• Cozy mysteries
• YA fantasy
• Paranormal romance
• Shorter KU books
• Novellas

Books that are not fast:

• Multi-POV high fantasy
• Dense sci-fi
• Anything with a glossary
• Books that make you consult a map every chapter

So yes, the BookTok creator who read 7 books probably chose titles that fly.

They read when their brain is awake, not fried

You know when you decide to read at 11 pm and suddenly your Kindle is hitting your face?

Yeah. That’s not fast reading.

Morning reading >>> everything else.
Afternoon reading >>> way faster than doomscrolling.
Audiobooks during chores >>> chef’s kiss.

Consistency beats speed every time.

They DNF without guilt

Fast readers don’t force books that aren’t working.

If a book makes you slow, bored, annoyed, or compulsively check your phone?
They drop it. Immediately.

This alone increases your reading speed more than any trick.

They read in micro-moments

This is the secret sauce.

Fast readers don’t only read in long, aesthetic, cozy blocks of time.
They sneak reading into:

• waiting rooms
• the checkout line
• 10 minutes between tasks
• breakfast
• laundry
• walking the dog (audiobook warriors unite)

Micro-moments add up like crazy.

They train their audio speed

This is my personal contribution to the universe.
I trained my brain to listen to audiobooks at 3x.

It did not happen overnight, please don’t try to do this in one jump unless you enjoy headaches, but over time, bumping the playback speed in tiny increments makes a huge difference.

If you start at:

• 1.0x → go to 1.25x
• then 1.5x
• then 1.75x
• then 2.0x

Eventually you hit your limit (everyone’s is different). But even 1.5x turns an 8-hour audiobook into a 5-hour read. That’s a whole book back.

They pick vibes, not pressure

If you’re in a slump, reading “faster” doesn’t fix it.
Reading something that matches your emotional energy does.

For example:

• If you want cozy → choose cozy
• If you want chaos → choose morally gray men and questionable decisions
• If you want escapism → go romantasy
• If you want serotonin → go romcom

The fastest books are the ones that match your mood.

So… how do you actually become a faster reader?

This is the part everyone wants to skip to.
The short answer? You build a routine that supports speed.

Here’s a simple, realistic blueprint:

1. Pick books that feel easy for your brain right now
   Don’t force the heavy stuff when you’re exhausted.
2. Mix formats throughout the day
   Start with an ebook in the morning, switch to audio during chores, pick up physical before bed.
3. Set a “micro-read” goal
   10-15 minutes in 3-5 pockets of your day.
4. Slowly increase your audio speed
   This alone doubles your reading life.
5. Let yourself DNF when needed
   Slumps vanish when you stop forcing bad fits.
6. Try a readathon or challenge
   Nothing boosts motivation like a deadline and some aesthetic trackers.

My Personal Take

As someone who’s been reading and reviewing books online for over a decade, and who has gone through multiple reading eras (including the “I read a book a day for years” era), the biggest thing I’ve learned is this:

Reading faster is not about discipline. It’s about friction.
Your job is to remove every point of friction that slows you down.

For me, that meant:

• training up my audiobook speed
• using Kindle for nighttime reading
• switching formats depending on my energy
• not forcing myself through slumps
• letting my reading “flow” instead of forcing a schedule

Now?
When I’m in the zone, I can still knock out 3 books in a day without feeling burnt out, and honestly, that’s usually with audiobooks at 3x doing the heavy lifting.

If someone can read 7 full-length romantasy books in 24 hours?
They’re not superhuman. They’re strategic.

And you can be too.

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