When you spend enough time around books you’ll easily realise that we all read at varying degrees.
Some people may spend months reading one single book while others may only spend a day or two on the task.
There are many reasons for this and some could be lifestyle, reading abilities, the material being read and a myriad of other things that influence the art of reading.
One of the questions I came across recently…was very interesting to me as it revolves around reading a book in a single day.
I therefore wrote this post in the hopes of answering this query to the best of my ability.
With that said, Is it bad to read a book in one day?
It’s not bad to read a book in one day if you can handle it. It’s only bad if you do so without gaining any understanding from the book.
The Possibility of reading a book in a single day
To understand the implication of whether it’s good or bad to read a book in a day. we have to explore the possibility of actually being able to read a book in one day.
Below are various things related to the possibility of reading a book in one day and its chances of success.
Book length
It is possible to read a book in a single day but it’s certainly not easy.
One of the things that would determine the success of such a mission would be the length of the book.
If the book is long then reading it in a day may be impossible for some.
It would also be very difficult to actually fully understand it.
Book type
The book type being read is another thing that has to be taken into account.
Some books require more effort to read and require days to fully digest.
Therefore having this in mind is very important when choosing the book you intend to read.
For example, trying to read the Christian Bible in a single day would be impossible because of the complexity of the material itself and the length of the book in general.
The reader
The reader is also another thing that has to be taken into account.
Not all people can withstand reading a full book in a single day.
The goal
Before you consider reading a book in a single day you also have to determine the outcome you want from such an activity.
The intended outcome determines whether one would go through with it or not.
The negative effects of reading a book in one day
Below are some of the negative effects that you would likely encounter from spending too much time with words.
Eye strain
Eye strain is a common one because reading a book in a day would have you completely focused on words off paper.
This effect would even be more severe for a person reading on a screen.
It’s actually not advisable to spend so much time reading a book off a screen because of the long term damage it could do to your eyes.
Which is why I’d advise you to take your time and read for atleast a couple of days rather than fully committing to reading a book in a single day.
Headaches
Another common problem associated with heavy reading is headaches.
This is pretty self explanatory because reading a lot subjects your brain to quite a lot to work with.
Making it work harder.
As a result most people get headaches because of this.
Definitely not a good sign and one should actually consider stopping or taking a break from reading once they start to feel a headache start to develop.
Back aches
Most reading is of course done sitting up which puts a lot of strain on the back.
Which is why most people complain of back pain when they spend too much time reading whilst sitting.
Low comprehension
Another negative effect of too much reading is low comprehension.
The fact that you’re reading a book in one day should bring up comprehension issues.
It’s difficult to grasp so much detail in a single day all at once.
The better practice is to take your time and read in phases so you can atleast get the chance to process information properly.
Information overload
This is related to the previous point obviously and is something that has to be considered.
Information overload will easily make it difficult for you to read and actually process and be able to retain what you read.
This is a serious negative effect of reading too much and is one that has to be seriously taken into account otherwise the reading may turn out to be a waste of time.
How you can read enough of a book in a single day
Now that we’ve discussed the negative side effects of reading, let’s look at how you can read a book or atleast read enough of it in a single day.
Plan first
You need to have a plan, first things first.
Choose the book you intend to read and if possible look for commentary and read. This is important to help you have an understanding of a book.
This way, you can move through pages faster knowing you have the overall idea of what the book is about.
Planning will also involve how you’re actually going to go about your reading to ensure that it’s successful.
My advise in such a situation is to plan to the smallest detail.
This is key in being ready for things that would otherwise catch you by surprise.
Know your strengths
Every reader is built different.
For example, I may find it easier to go through a book on philosophy than a fiction novel.
Which means I’d work much faster and easier reading a book niche I enjoy.
That right there is an example of knowing my strength.
But that’s just one… I can take it further and say reading at night is not really my thing so I’d restrict reading to day time.
I like to read for 2 hours and then take a 15 minute break.
So now I have the book type I’m going to read, what part of the day I’m going to read it and how long my reading sessions are going to be.
This information is valuable and I can use it to structure reading to my advantage.
Of course this is my example and you’ll have to find what works for you.
Ration the book through out the day
Rationing the book through out the day is a great way to have control over your reading schedule.
If you want to spend maybe 10 hours on a book…use the number of pages in the book to determine …how much time should be spent on a specific number of pages.
How to properly read a book in one day
Below are some things that you have to consider if you intend to read a book properly in a day.
Knowing these things is important in making the right decision.
Read a manageable book
If the intent is to finish reading a book in a single day I’d say your best bet is finding a book you can manage to read.
Preference is a big one here and you’ll have to figure out what you’re into.
Reading what you like is easier and you’ll probably get through a good number of pages within a short period of time….as compared to reading something you don’t like.
Take breaks in between
Breaks are essential when it comes to reading, you want to give yourself time to process information after a heavy reading session.
Therefore take breaks through out the day.
Take some notes in between
Notes will be helpful as material you can ping on when trying to recall things you’ve read.
Read the book again later
Re-reading is vital and important. You can go back to a book you read before and read it maybe after a week so you can refresh your memory as well as pick up on what you may have missed.
Related Articles You Should Read
How Long Should You Read A Day?
Helpful Resources
You can teach yourself to read an entire book in a single day – QZ
Here’s What Happens When You Read Every Day
I Read a Book a Day for a Month. Here’s What Happened – Book riot
Here’s What Happened When I Read A Book A Day – Mens Health
