Skill Books Sluggish? Turbocharge Your PZ Read Speed

In Single-Player

Fast-forward time. Find a safe spot (clear the area or hide upstairs), start reading, and hit the >> fast-forward button. Your character will blaze through the book in a fraction of real-time (just keep an eye out for lurking zombies!).

Also, avoid taking the Slow Reader trait on character creation – it makes reading 30% slower for a mere 2-point gain, which isn't worth it if you plan on power-leveling via books. (There's actually a hidden Fast Reader trait in Build 42 that does the opposite, more on that below.) For more guidance on optimal character builds, check out our comprehensive occupations and traits guide.

In Multiplayer

Use the server sandbox settings. If you're hosting, go to Host > Manage Settings > Sandbox (Character tab) and set "Minutes Per Skill Book Page" to a lower value (the default might be 1.0 in MP; try something like 0.1 or even 0.01 for ultra-fast reading).

This essentially multiplies reading speed for everyone on the server. No more real-life 25-minute reading sessions! (If you don't have admin access, ask your server admin about this setting.)

Mods for Even Faster Reading

Not satisfied with the above? Grab a quality-of-life mod. "CC's Faster Reading" lets you choose speed multipliers up to 100×, and "Read Faster when Sitting" gives a small boost if your character is seated while reading. Cat's Faster Reading is another lightweight mod – by default it halves reading time and even lets you walk while reading. These mods are Build 41 compatible and updated for Build 42 in most cases (always check the mod description for version). For help setting up mods, see our complete modding guide.

Real-Life Tip

Read in shifts. Don't force yourself (or your character) to finish a book in one go. It's often safer and more efficient to read a few game hours at a time. For example, do a task (farm, build, fight), then read until your character gets drowsy, bored, or until nighttime falls. Breaking it up keeps your survivor's boredom and fatigue in check.

Base Reading Speed

In vanilla Build 41, the default reading speed is 2 in-game minutes per page. Most skill books are 220–380 pages long, so reading one cover-to-cover can take many hours of game time. For example, a beginner skill book (220 pages) takes about 7.3 game hours for an average character – that's roughly half a day in-game. Higher-level books (say 380 pages for a mastery book) can push ~12.5 game hours or more. If you play with the default 1-hour = 1 day timescale, that's about 12.5 minutes of real-time per book just staring at the progress bar.

"Slow Reader" Trait

Project Zomboid offers a negative trait called Slow Reader (worth +2 trait points). If you took this in Build 41, you read 30% slower than normal. That turns a 7-hour book into a ~9.5-hour slog for your character. In real terms, that beginner book now might take ~18+ minutes of real time instead of ~14 minutes.

The trait doesn't affect anything else – just reading speed – which is why many veterans call it "free points" in single-player (you can always fast-forward through reading downtime). But in multiplayer, Slow Reader can really punish you, since you cannot speed up time and might literally sit idle while others wait.

Is there a Fast Reader trait?

In Build 41's default sandbox, no, there wasn't an official "Fast Reader" counterpart. (It existed in game code and older versions, and some mods or custom servers enabled it, but by default you couldn't select it.)

Build 42 changes this – Fast Reader is now an available trait you can pick for -2 points, letting you read books about 30% faster (70% of normal reading time). So if your friend without the trait takes 10 in-game hours to read a book, you'd finish in ~7 hours – a noticeable boost. This trait finally gives bookworms a buff in vanilla.

Boredom, Thirst & Fatigue

While your character reads, the rest of their needs keep ticking. Reading itself can make your character bored (after all, studying "Intermediate Electricity" isn't exactly fun). In fact, boredom, hunger, thirst, and unhappiness all accrue while reading.

Practical tip: Keep magazines or comics around – you can read those quickly to reduce boredom if your skill book is sending your character into a funk. Or do what one clever player suggested: read outdoors if possible. Boredom increases indoors, but slows or stops outdoors. For more ways to manage your character's mood, check out our depression and boredom guide.

Build 42's Big Change – Reusable Books

The major shift in Build 42 isn't about reading speed per se, but it affects how you use books. In Build 41, once you've read a skill book, it's "used up" for that character. Build 42 introduced re-reading: skill books are not consumed on read anymore. After you read one, it gets a "cooldown" period before you could read it again for another temporary XP boost.

This means in B42, books become long-term tools. You might actually care about how fast you can read the same book multiple times over a long run (for example, re-reading Farming Vol.2 every few weeks to refresh your farming XP boost).

New Skills = More Books

Build 42 expanded the skill list (Animal Husbandry, Glassworking, Masonry, etc.), and as a result, there are more skill books than ever. It even added books for skills that previously had none (like Aiming and Reloading got their own skill books now – those weren't in B41).

That's great for depth, but it means more reading if you want those sweet multipliers. And some players have noted that in B42's loot rebalancing, books are rarer and found in more specific locations.

Fast-Forward is Your Friend (But Be Careful!)

In single-player, you can toggle fast-forward (the > and >> buttons by the clock, or press F3/F4). At 3x speed, that "5 real minutes" reading session shrinks to about ~1.7 minutes of real time. You can even go ultra-speed (faster forwarding when your character is sitting/idle) if enabled.

This effectively nullifies the Slow Reader penalty in SP – who cares if it takes 30% longer in-game when you can just zoom through time? This is why so many SP veterans take Slow Reader trait without worry.

One trick: keep the inventory or health panel open; time will auto slow if a zombie enters your view or an event occurs, giving you a chance to react even if you were fast-forwarding.

Choose Traits & Occupations Wisely

• ✖ Skip "Slow Reader" in SP – As we discussed, slow reader's downside is easily bypassed in single-player, but it can make those first-day book readings a bit tighter on time.
• ✓ Try "Fast Reader" (if available) – In Build 42+ (or if you use a mod that unlocks it in B41), Fast Reader is a cheap positive trait. It costs a few points and cuts reading time ~30%.
• 🔧 Occupations and Skills – Some occupations start with higher skill levels which can skip the need to read lower-tier books. For example, a Mechanic starts at level 3 Mechanics, meaning you don't ever need to read Mechanics Vol.1 (levels 1-2) in that run. Learn more about optimal starting builds in our occupations and traits guide.
• ⚠ Illiterate – Only for masochists: There's a trait that completely prevents reading skill books (Illiterate). It gives a lot of points, but you can't read any books or magazines.

Timing is Everything: Read Between Life and Living

One pro-tip for Build 41 story mode (and still relevant in Build 42, though with changes): utilize the Life and Living TV schedule in the first week.

Plan to read before the show: Say it's Day 1, and the Carpentry TV show is at 12:00. If you woke up at 9:00, you have 3 hours. Grab "Carpentry for Beginners" and read as much as you can before noon. Ideally, finish it (to get the full 3× XP boost for levels 1-2). For comprehensive first-day strategies, see our first day survival guide.

Fast-forward trick: Use fast-forward while reading in the morning to maximize pages read before the show. Just don't miss the show time! Set an alarm on your watch if you have one, or keep an eye on the clock.

New B42 TV cap: Build 42 introduced a cap – TV shows won't raise a skill beyond level 3. So if you're already level 3 or higher, watching Life and Living won't give XP for that skill.

Multi-Task Your Reading

In single-player, time management is key. If you're going to spend 5 or 6 hours reading in-game, try to accomplish something else simultaneously:

• ✓ Rest while Reading: If your character is exerted or tired, reading is a relatively low-energy activity. You can right-click furniture like chairs, sofas, or even the ground and choose "Sit" before reading. While sitting and reading, your fatigue will go down.
• ✓ Eat/Drink during breaks: Reading takes hours, so your character will get hungry or thirsty partway. Keep some water and food on you. You can eat while reading (just queue it up in the action queue).
• ✓ Healing downtime: If you got injured (not badly enough to need constant treatment, but say you're scratched or recovering from an illness), reading is a great way to pass "recovery time."
• ✖ Avoid Night Reading in the Dark: Currently, Zomboid doesn't penalize you for reading in poor light (though there's been suggestion that it should). Still, practically, if it's pitch dark and you have no flashlight, you might want to wait till morning.

Adjust Server Reading Speed (Admin/Host Tips)

The single best fix for multiplayer reading woes is in the server settings. As mentioned in the Quick-Start, server hosts can tweak the Minutes Per Page setting.

Where to find it: On the host (or server admin panel), go to Sandbox settings. Under the "Character" tab, look for "Minutes per Skill Book Page".

Suggested values: Many community servers set it around 0.1 or even 0.01 for a very fast read. For instance, one Redditor mentioned 0.01 lets you read an entire book in ~10 seconds real-time.

Affect on gameplay: This doesn't break anything; it just reduces the tedium. You might worry it makes the game "easier" since you can power-level skills quicker. But realistically it just removes idle waiting.

Coordinate and Share the Load

Communication is key in multiplayer. Here are some team strategies to ease the reading burden:

• 👤 Assign a "Reader" Role: If playing with a group, sometimes one player can take on the job of reading the relevant skill book for the team. While they read, others can do productive tasks.
• ⏱️ Take Reading Breaks Together: Some groups designate a "reading hour" where everyone grabs a book to read at the same time.
• 💬 Use Voice/Chat to Multitask: If one person must read while others are active, keep communication open. The reader can say "I'll be reading for the next few minutes, you guys handle the farming or watch my back."
• 📚 Share Books (B42 advantage): In B41, if Alice reads the Carpentry book, Bob would need another copy to read it himself later. In B42, the same book can be reused after cooldown.

Mods to the Rescue (MP Edition)

Most of the mods we listed in the Quick-Start work fine in multiplayer if all players (and the server) have them enabled. A few especially useful for MP:

• ⚡ Speed Reading Mods: CC's Faster Reading and Cat's Faster Reading mods both function in MP. They essentially alter the reading action to complete faster.
• 🚶 "Read While Walking" Mods: Mods like M13's Reading Tweaks allow players to move and read at the same time. In MP, being a sitting duck is dangerous if zombies breach.
• 🔄 Skill Share Mods: There are a few mods out there (e.g., "Literature and More") that toy with ideas like gaining the Fast Reader trait through gameplay or sharing XP.
• ✅ UI Mods: If multiple people are reading books, a mod like "Has Been Read" (marks books with a check if your character read them) can help you organize who's read what.

In-Game Time Management in MP

When you can't speed up time, you have to manage it:

• ⌚ Pick the Right Moment: Don't start reading a 5-hour book at 5 PM in-game when your group plans a big loot run at 6 PM. Communicate with your team. Often the best time to read is overnight.
• 🔒 Stay Safe While Reading: In MP, zombies are active everywhere all the time. Always have a safe spot to read. Fortify a room in your base as a library.
• 5️⃣ 5-Minute Rule: A trick from some MMOs – if you're going to go AFK or do something idle like reading in MP, announce "taking 5" to your team. That sets an expectation that for the next few minutes you won't be responsive in-game.
• 📚 Loot More Books Early: Since you can't speed up time, one way to effectively speed up progression is to stack multipliers and plan fewer reading sessions.
• 📼 Use Other XP Sources: In MP you might prioritize things like VHS tapes and group training to reduce the number of books you must read.

Utilize VHS Tapes and TV (Where Available)

VHS tapes introduced in Build 41.54 offer skill XP with zero reading required. These are especially handy for MP or for skills you're too lazy to read about. For a complete list of available VHS tapes and their locations, check out our VHS and CD guide.

• 📼 Skill VHS tapes: Some VHS tapes (labeled like "Home VHS: Carpentry" or retail tapes with names like "Woodcraft Episode x") give XP similar to the Life and Living shows.
• 🎭 Entertainment tapes: Even tapes that don't give skill XP still reduce boredom. If your character is too bored to read effectively, pop in a comedy VHS, get that boredom down, then continue reading.
• 📺 Build 42 channel lore: B42 added new channels (not just Life and Living) which are more for story/atmosphere. Cool to watch, but they won't boost skills.

Books vs. Just Doing the Task

Project Zomboid allows "learning by doing." You don't have to read skill books to level up skills; they just make it faster by multiplying XP gain. If reading is too slow or dangerous, you might sometimes choose to skip it, especially for lower skill levels.

Example – Foraging: Instead of reading Foraging for Beginners, you could just go out and forage. Foraging is relatively quick to level to 2 or 3 by doing, so maybe you save that beginner book for something grindy like Electricity which is painful to level without a multiplier. Learn more about foraging techniques in our complete foraging guide.

When books shine: The higher the level, the more XP needed. Skill books give huge multipliers (up to 5× or 8× or even 16×) for higher level ranges. If you're going to level a skill to 10, you'll absolutely want those books.

Training together: In multiplayer, two players cutting trees or shooting at a range can level up without books and share the workload of hauling logs or zombies killed.

Burn Through Pages – Literally?

This is more of a roleplay/last-resort tip: you can burn books for fuel or inventory space. Obviously, if you want to learn from them, don't burn them! But if you end up with duplicate books or books you've all read in MP, you could toss them in a campfire or use them as tinder.

Why mention this in a reading faster guide? Well, sometimes clearing clutter (like 10 copies of "The Herbalist" magazine) from your base can psychologically make you focus on the key books you still need to read. It's housekeeping. Plus, it's cathartic to set ablaze the book that your friend died reading... damn you Electricity Vol.1! Speaking of which, if you're tired of the grind entirely, you might want to check out our item spawning guide for a faster approach.

Future Proofing: B42+ Outlook

Looking beyond the current builds: the devs have signaled interest in NPCs and perhaps teaching mechanics in Build 43 and beyond. This could introduce entirely new ways to "read faster" – for example, an NPC could teach you a skill or your character could learn by reading while off-screen.

Build 42 already set the stage with the cooldown system, hinting that knowledge might become something you maintain, not just gain once. So speeding up reading now not only helps you immediately, but might be essential to upkeep skills later. Stay tuned for mods or updates that allow sharing reading tasks (e.g., one book gives multiplier to all team members nearby – not a thing yet, but it's been suggested).