If you want to chew through the game’s book list and still have time for confidants, you want the Speed Reading book as soon as it appears. Persona 5 Royal quietly moved this item compared to the original release, and the new method is much simpler once you know the timing.
What Speed Reading Does
Speed Reading is a single chapter book that permanently upgrades your reading pace. After you read it, you will finish two chapters every time you sit down to read, whether that is on the train, in the library, at home, or during stolen classroom free time. This doubles your progress on any multi chapter book and is one of the best quality of life upgrades for filling out social stat requirements and hangout spot unlocks. The effect is always on once learned, and it does not stack with anything else.
Where to Find It in Royal
In Persona 5 Royal, Speed Reading is borrowed from the Shujin Academy Library starting on July 1. Walk up to the counter and check the list once that date hits. If you already have a library book checked out, return it first so the new stock appears on the menu. This is a change from the original Persona 5, where players bought it later from a specialty bookstore. Getting it in July gives you months of benefit during the busiest stretch of the year.
Step by Step: Grabbing Speed Reading On Time
- Play through June while reading normally. Do not stress about optimization yet. Focus on early stat books you can finish in a sitting.
- On July 1 or soon after, visit the school library. If the book does not show, return your current library book, back out, then talk to the librarian again. Speed Reading should now be available to borrow and it costs nothing.
- Read it immediately. Because the book is a single chapter, you can finish it in one session and unlock the perk on the spot. Save a reading opportunity on or near July 1 so you do not sit on it.
- Keep a backlog of multi chapter books. The perk only helps when a book has more than one chapter, so line up longer reads to get full value.
Fastest Ways To Finish It The Same Day
Speed Reading only takes one chapter to complete, so you are just looking for the next available reading window. Here is what consistently works:
- Train commutes. Seats are not always free, but when they are, you can read right away without spending an activity block. Always carry at least one unread book so you capitalize on random train reads.
- School library seat. Reading here is quiet and dependable during the day if you are not locked into story events. It also lines up nicely with the moment you borrow the book.
- Your room or Leblanc in the evening. After you borrow it, head home and read at night if nothing more urgent is on your schedule.
- Kawakami’s free time in class. Once she starts giving you downtime, slide in a quick read. This is ideal if you missed a train read earlier.
Because the book is only one chapter, any of these windows will finish it and the perk kicks in for your very next read.
Make The Most Of The Perk
Once Speed Reading is active, your only bottleneck is book supply and timing. Here is how to stretch it:
- Tackle longer books first. Anything with three chapters gets cut to two sessions. That frees evenings for confidants and part time jobs.
- Carry two to three books at all times. I keep one social stat book, one hangout spot magazine, and one oddball like a mini game manual. That way any reading window pushes something useful forward.
- Save single chapter books for tiny windows. Pamphlets and one offs are great for packed days where all you can spare is a single read at home before bed.
- Pair reading with rainy days only when it suits your plan. Studying in the diner is fantastic on rain, but reading does not get the same boosted Knowledge. If you need Charm, Guts, or Proficiency from a book, read when it fits your confidant schedule rather than chasing weather.
Smart July Planning
July is dense with exams, confidants, and summer events. A little planning gets Speed Reading online without losing momentum elsewhere.
- Front load a book in late June. If you think you might forget the library on July 1, remind yourself by returning your current book on June 30 and leaving your borrow slot open.
- Block one evening after July 1. If the day is story heavy, that evening is the backup slot to finish Speed Reading.
- Keep Kawakami progressing. Her confidant eventually creates extra reading windows in class, which converts directly into finishing more books with your new perk.
What If The Library Does Not Have It
You visited after July 1, returned your book, and still do not see Speed Reading. Try these fixes:
- Confirm the date. Some posts on the internet mix up June and July. The correct unlock in Royal is July 1, not June 1.
- Back out of the counter menu and speak again. The list refreshes when you reopen the borrow screen.
- Advance one day and recheck. Story flags can occasionally push daily menus. Check again the next free morning.
For Veterans Of Base Persona 5
If you played the original release, you might remember trekking to Book Town to buy Speed Reading. That was the Jinbocho method, and it required reading a sequence of other books before Speed Reading would even appear for purchase. Royal streamlines this by placing the upgrade in your school library in early July, which is both earlier and free.
Why You Should Still Unlock Jinbocho
Jinbocho, also known as Book Town, is still worth visiting in Royal for other specialty books that unlock mini game helps or passive perks. If you have not opened the area yet, the simplest route is reading the “Musty Pages” magazine from the Shibuya bookstore, which adds Jinbocho to your map. You can also reach the district through confidant events later on. Stopping by every few weeks picks up new titles that round out your library haul, and your Speed Reading perk will chew through them quickly.
Practical Reading Route After You Get It
Here is a dependable order that keeps value high without overthinking:
- Immediately finish any two or three chapter social stat books you already started. With the perk, those wrap up fast and unlock new dialogue checks.
- Clear the hangout magazines that unlock locations you plan to actually use. Reading them earlier means more date and confidant options later in the year.
- Work through specialty manuals you need for mini games, like batting or fishing, especially if you plan to spend time there for trophies or side rewards.
- Keep one long book on deck for random train reads. The perk turns surprise commutes into meaningful progress rather than half finished chapters.
Small Mistakes That Cost Time
A few easy gotchas can blunt the perk’s impact:
- Borrowing Speed Reading then sitting on it. If you do not read it immediately, you are delaying every other book. Finish it the same day.
- Spending rainy days reading. If you are leveling Knowledge, the diner’s study bonus beats reading unless the book reward is exactly what you need for a confidant check.
- Letting your bag run dry. No book in your inventory means wasted commutes and classroom windows. Restock after every two completions.
With Speed Reading in hand and a light plan for July, your calendar opens up in a way that makes the second semester feel roomy rather than rushed. Borrow it on or after July 1, read it right away, and enjoy covering twice as much ground for the rest of the year.