Its my pitiful attention span, I read to slow for my brain to stay entertained. I need to be able to absorb written information faster.

Hi Animus - I find that when I am truly enjoying the material I am reading I seem to go through the book faster - do you have a hard time with speed (and comprehension) when you are reading a book with a topic you enjoy?

Hi Animus - I find that when I am truly enjoying the material I am reading I seem to go through the book faster - do you have a hard time with speed (and comprehension) when you are reading a book with a topic you enjoy?

When I enjoy the material I can read late into the night, and that seems to be the only way I can finish books within a year. I don't have problems with comprehension, its my attention, I start drifting off in my mind and forget what I am reading, then have to go back over it.

My fiancé glances over a sentence and understands the gist of it. I have to look at each word and piece them all together. I have heard about speed reading techniques but I don't know which one to trust.

When you read, look at groups of words instead of individual words.

Noun phrases (noun + adjectives) = The little black kitten

Verb phrases (verb + adverbs) = played happily

Prepositional phrases = with its grey catnip mouse.

You had written --

I start drifting off / in my mind / and forget / what I am reading, / then have to go back / over it.

Add slashes between phrases and groups of phrases in a book you are reading (don't mark up a library book, though!). Then slowly and deliberately read each group of phrases. That will help you begin to see groups and not individual words, and will help you speed up your reading.