Reading dense literary fiction was a game changer for my SAT reading preparation. Before junior year, I focused on understanding complex prose and themes rather than just drilling practice questions. This helped me build the pattern recognition skills crucial for the SAT reading section, which is often about quickly identifying nuanced meanings and inference under timed conditions. I dedicated about 30 minutes every morning to slowly reading books like Emma, The Bell Jar, Klara and the Sun, and Never Let Me Go, which challenged my comprehension and vocabulary. In the afternoons, I tackled SAT reading sets from Lumist’s Question Bank, which provided passages slightly harder than I was comfortable with. This deliberate difficulty pushed me to improve steadily. One of the most helpful features was Lumist's AI tutor, which explained exactly why certain words or phrases tricked me — for example, understanding the specific difference between “most strongly suggests” versus generic inference. This precise feedback enabled me to recognize patterns and reasoning strategies over time, which translated into improved test performance. I recommend combining slow, thoughtful reading of literary fiction with targeted practice and AI-guided review. This combo not only sharpens critical reading skills but also builds stamina and confidence for the SAT. If you can integrate this approach during the summer before your junior year, you might see significant improvements like I did—from 620 to 740 in reading within six months. Consistency and quality over quantity made all the difference in my prep journey.