How to Read a Novel in One Day

Preparing to Read

Choose a book you'll enjoy. The book you're reading has a lot to do with how motivated you'll be to finish it. If you don't have a perfect book, or if you want to find a book you'll really enjoy, make a list of your favorite hobbies, subjects, and genres. Use the list to guide you when selecting the book you'll read. Solicit suggestions from friends and family. You can also visit your public library, and speak to a trustworthy librarian. Whatever book you choose, make sure it is suitable for your preferences and reading ability. Be realistic. Do not choose a book that is difficult to get through, or one that you find boring. If you don’t get to choose your book, find a way to get excited about the book you have been assigned. Try to connect with a character or the setting. Let yourself be transported to the time and place described in the book. Imagine what you would do in the protagonist's shoes.

Consider the length of your novel. If your goal is to simply read any novel in a day, you’ll find it easier to read a 200 to 300 page bestseller than War and Peace. A shorter book can generally be read in a shorter period of time than a longer one. As you become a faster and more focused reader, you will be able to begin reading longer, more challenging novels in a day as well.

Find the perfect reading area. The location of your reading can have a profound effect on how well you read. Pick a quiet, comfortable place without distractions. Turn off your tablet and phone. Avoid any crowded, busy or noisy spaces. Don’t read in a place where you’ll be too relaxed. Beds, hammocks, and the like make poor reading environments because you are likely to fall asleep in them. Your reading area should be arranged to facilitate concentration on your novel. Let your family or housemates know you’re trying to focus on your reading. Kindly ask them not to distract or interrupt you.

Set the mood. There are a number of ways to create an ideal reading environment. You could play soft music in the background to make you more relaxed. If need be, use earplugs or white noise machines to drown out noisy neighbors or housemates. Do whatever makes you most comfortable and will most benefit your reading experience. Wherever you are, maintain an upright posture with both feet on the ground. This ensures adequate blood flow and even breathing. Ensure your reading space is well-lit to avoid straining your eyes.

Grab a snack and some water. Snacking will help reduce your need to set your book aside for a big meal when you get hungry. Choose a nutritious snack like fruit or carrots – something you can eat with one hand -- and place it within reach of your reading spot. You'll need a cup of water as well to wash the snack down and avoid dehydration. Junk food is a poor choice for a reading snack. Chips, soda, and candy don’t have the nutrients you need to keep your brain refreshed and alert. They also make you crave more snacks and leave you feeling empty.

Set targets for yourself. Take breaks only after reaching a predetermined goal. You can set a goal based on reading time or on number of pages read. For instance, maybe you decide to read 100 pages before taking a break. Or you might decide to read for thirty minutes, then reward yourself with a 5-10 minute break before returning to your novel.

Commit yourself to reading the full book. Before you even open your novel, tell yourself you can and will read it in one day. Set aside a specific time to read and then do it. Telling other people your intentions makes you more likely to follow through on them. Share your reading goal with a friend or family member.

Reading the Book

Eliminate regression. Regression is the act of re-reading portions of the novel that you’ve already read. You can eliminate regression by using trackers and taking notes. Trackers (sometimes called pacers) will help you precisely follow a line of text. For instance, following a line of text with a pen or your finger as you read can help you maintain your position in the novel. Taking notes is a good way to eliminate regression too. Making notes on your reactions to the novel’s events or characters will help you stay focused. If you have questions about the text, write these down too. The novel’s atmosphere or the author’s tone may also deserve attention. Read an entire paragraph or page before taking notes to limit the disruption. You can write notes in the margins of the book or on a separate notepad.

Practice speed reading. Speed reading is the act of absorbing a greater amount of textual information in a shorter period of time. There are a number of tricks to speed reading: Look at more than one word at a time. The eye can be trained to absorb whole lines or paragraphs of text as well as single words. Don’t stop to look up unfamiliar words. It is likely that the word in question will have only a small impact on the overall meaning of the text. Try to use context clues to reason out the definition of the unknown word. Visualize everything in detail. The more clearly you can see the characters, locations, and events of your novel, the easier they will be to recall. This is because you will be reading with the part of your brain which manages visual information, as well as the part which processes linguistic information.

Take it to go. If you have to leave your ideal reading area for some reason, you don't have to stop reading. You can listen to an audiobook or read an e-book on the train, plane, or bus. While some people are attached to the physical form of the book, if you own an e-book reader you can use it to read more easily on the go. Take your e-book with you when you have to go out. It takes up less space in your backpack or bag than a regular book. Listen to audiobooks. Bring a copy of the audio edition of your novel with you when you leave your reading nook. Listening to your novel as you drive or walk is a great way to continue making progress on it when you can’t sit down for quality reading time. Don’t try to substitute the audiobook for the real deal. "Reading" an audiobook to completion takes far longer than does reading through the text of your novel.

Take short breaks. After a reasonable amount of time has elapsed, give yourself a brief rest. Refresh yourself and splash some water on your face. Reload on water and snacks. Refresh your mind for another round of focused reading. The amount of time spent reading before taking a break will vary with the individual. A seasoned reader may go an hour or more before taking a break; a slower reader might want to take a rest after just 30 minutes. Since you want to finish your novel in just one day, the longer you can go without taking a break, the better. If you find yourself staring blankly at the page, re-reading large portions of the text, or feeling generally distracted, set the novel aside and take a break. Walk around the house for a few minutes or grab a snack.

Enjoy it. Try to get caught up in the action, and forget where you are at the moment. This can make you want to read more and accelerate the reading process. Concentrate on the story and get excited about what you're reading. With your novel complete, reflect on what you've read and share your experience with a friend.