bittelitt

My mom sent me a link to this LitHub article about "so-called super-readers." (That "so-called" is total nonsense because the only one calling people that is the author.) Her definition of super-readers is people who read at least a hundred books a year. I've read at least a hundred books each of all but one of the last seven years, so I guess I meet her criteria. She interviewed some super-readers and identified five trends (sort of - another structural weakness of the article is that she has five trends, but then includes multiple things under some of them), which I thought would be interesting to compare to my reading habits.

"1. They Worked Their Way Up to Super-Reader Status"

I've always loved to read, so this seems wrong, but my book reading did skyrocket in 2020. Looking at my book list posts, I did also read over a hundred books in 2002. I would say that one of the big things that has affected how many books I read each year is how much fan fiction I read. It's not that I wasn't constantly reading in those years I didn't read more than a hundred books; I was just reading different things. In the 25 years of my annual book posts, the lowest number of books I read was 31 in 2010, and it's no coincidence that approximately 7% of the words of fic I have posted on AO3 are from that year.

"2. They Have a Wide Range of Interests"

I would not have said this is true of me, because I do think I stick within a few discrete genres of fiction, but then I started thinking about what those genres are, and it's a lot of them, so I guess I read fiction relatively widely. I do not read nonfiction widely, however. One other piece she throws in here, even though it seems like its own thing, is that most of the people she talked to will DNF (did not finish) a book that they're not enjoying. That I definitely do, and depending on the book and how much I'm not enjoying it - and whether or not it's for a book club - determines how long I'm willing to give a book before abandoning it.

"3. They Optimize for Access, Not Aesthetics"

This is about how super-readers don't care about book format, which, obviously? If the point is to read a lot, then it doesn't really matter what format it's in. This is also where she talks about how libraries are essential and that people "juggl[e] multiple library cards from different systems." That is me! I have cards from two different public library systems, plus access to ebooks from two more through one of them, plus a University library through work. (In California, public libraries that receive state funding, which is most of them, have to give a card to any California resident who wants one, although they can make you apply in person.) The thing in this one that most resonated with me is that the important thing is having the next book ready. I pretty much always know what I'm reading next.

"4. They Read in the Margins of Life"

This is about how super-readers read in little bits and pieces all the time. I only sort of do this. I can't read just one chapter before bed (unless it's a book club book I'm not really enjoying) because if I get into it, I will want to keep reading and then stay up too late. I usually read for most if not all of the day on Saturdays, and I usually read at least one book most Saturdays. I do make sure I have a book on my phone if I'm going somewhere where I'll be waiting so I can read then. I was consistently reading for about an hour after work most days for a while, but now I'm spending a fair amount of that time on my Hebrew class homework instead.

"5. They Develop Methods for Retention"

This one is about how super-readers who read for pleasure, as opposed to reading for self-improvement, don't worry about remembering all the details, but that they tend to have some system for remembering something about the book. I have been doing short notes about books I read on BlueSky, and while that does help me remember them when I go back to do my annual post about the best books I read, the purpose was actually to recommend books to other people. (And I don't know if I'm going to keep that up.) Remembering details isn't really important; the point is to enjoy the book in the moment.

"The Common Thread"

Her conclusion is about how super-readers just keep reading. She says, "it can be liberating to see what happens when reading becomes less about mastery and more about momentum—not as an exercise in discipline, but one of sustained pleasure." This is another one that makes me say, yeah, obviously? Are there people out there who think recreational reading is about "mastery" and not about enjoying it? I guess I will join her conclusion that being a "super-reader" isn't about some special talent (although my reading speed is pretty fast) and is primarily about reading continuously.