Hi! I really enjoy your channel and have been applying your insights to my own readings. Thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us 🙏🏻

Does anyone else find the joy in forgetting so you can return to it later? I feel like the relevant things you tend to remember and those are the best parts of the book

I'm someone who reads 3-6 books concurrently. Something I find helps with retention is not read more than 1 or 2 of the same type of book at the same time. So I wouldn't read 4 epic fantasy books at once. I might read a classic, an epic fantasy, a sci-fi, a serial detective book, and a psychology book. I get the sense that you read a lot more than 6 at once, so not sure if it will work for you, but this might help someone in the comments.

For the blended timeline part, I find drawing out a timeline in MS Paint and trying to place characters and scenes. I recently did this for The Failures by Benjamin Liar around 50% mark, and then as things click into place you can compare it to what you thought was happening in what order.

Also, I find that having a strong picture in my head of a character helps me recall things about them after restarting a book that's been on a break. This helps a lot with large cast books. As long as you can remember what you pitcured them looking like. Writing it down with your method would probably be a good idea

A good example of a man defining a problem and coming up with a quality solution that is independent from existing frameworks. Thanks for the video, it’s the first one of yours that I’ve watched and I subscribed.

So far what I've done if I return to a book after a while is to read the previous page (usually the last page of the previous chapter) and then continue through :)

I like this. I use index cards as bookmarks so keeping plot questions on there would be a great way to get back into the story when I reopen the page

Perhaps there are books I have read and want to forget.👍

I find your content tremendously valuable. You’ve added a lot to my life.

Your anti-library approach facilitates learning and absorption of the contents of a book. Apparently, a key to how we learn and absorb information is by taking breaks from the subject we’re studying to allow it to turn over in our minds. I have found that when I read several books on rotation, I remember them better than when I read a single book cover to cover before moving to the next.  I don’t think many people who read multiple books at once speak enough about this.

I can no longer read a novel without highlighting key plot developments AND writing in the margins (sparingly, of course). When I need to review the last chapter (or two) that I've read, I simply scan through those noteworthy highlighted moments and pay attention to what I've written in the margins (e.g. check marks for key scenes or dialogue, exclamation points for bizarre occurrences, happy or sad faces for crucial moments in a character's life, & "ugh" for disheartening or ugly moments that are important—something like that. In five minutes or less, I can quickly browse through a previous chapter or two's key developments, and I'm all caught up for what's ahead.

Thank you, this is incredibly helpful and valuable 😊

Okay. This is awesome advice. Thank you!

A very useful tip and not just "put down your mobile".
Also makes a good bookmark.

This is brilliant!

Thanks

Just want to say a massive thank you for your videos, only came across your channel yesterday and have benefitted immensely.

To A Lighthouse is wonderful.  Night and Day is overlooked (with a figure based on Henry James).  Everyone loves Orlando - Penguin edition w/ Notes.
I often dip into her Diaries which give me a sense of stepping back into her London as Night and Day does.  Like the three volume Journals of Arnold Bennett.

Actually I never get lost in a fiction. I have some of this problem with non fiction sometimes. I need to take a time to remember where did I read something. I believe this problem increases with the increasing of the material you consume and also with age.

Very interesting video. Thank you.

Very interesting. Thanks for explaining this so well.

I initially expected the video to be about how to remember after you finished the book. Some people seem to know things about Mr. Darcy, I barely recall which Jane Austen book he was in. Just to name an example.

I also only know whether I read a certain book or not either because I know I read all books by that author, all of them I own and I can see which books or by looking it up on goodreads. But for before I started with tracking books on goodreads, I often have no idea.

For example I recently read a Star Wars book Master and Apprentice thinking it had been unread on my shelves for years. But literally in the big twist of the last chapter I finally found that I don’t just recall some things from other Star Wars media or something but that I have indeed read the book before.

I quite enjoy not remembering anything when I reread a good book. It’s not that bad a problem. But it’s still an interest of mine how some people recall so much about books they have read and I don’t for most of them.

It isn’t how deeply they engage while reading, I am not one of those people who skip over anything. And when I find myself rushing too much I even retrace my steps so as not to miss something.

It could come down to quantity. I do read like 75 books per year. I usually only read one at once though. I’m sure that pauses in reading lead to the issue like you said.

I don’t have the problem with every book though. It’s weird. For example for years I could remember every character in a song of ice and fire and explain their relationships and motivations to others. A lot of people had huge problems with that. I not only somehow got it on the first reading, but also remembered for years. I guess because I regularly engaged with the material again what with the show and talking about it and so on.