I don't understand why people are always trying to find shortcuts for somethings that are meant to be done very carefully.
Writing is done to communicate ideas, ideas that the author took considerable time to formulate and put into a coherent work. Reading is one of the tasks in life that should be done very carefully. The only way to read quicker and retain the same level of comprehension is to practice reading.
I noticed that as I became a faster reader, I lost my interest in novels. I used to think this was because my taste had changed, but now I think the speed itself is the problem. When I read novels in foreign languages, I enjoy them much more.
My advice, start reading slower (and closer) and save time by stop reading fluff. Anything worth reading is worth rereading.
The reason to find shortcuts is that there is a vast amount of information out there and limited amounts of time you can devote to learn it.
I am not trying to do it less carefully, I would like to do it more efficiently. To put in perspective: I know people (mostly English PhD students) who read 2x or maybe even 4x as fast as I do AND retain and understand what they read better than me. Of course, this doesn't apply to them trying to read SICP, but it does when reading Virginia Woolf. Specialization and practice have something to do with it; but, the point remains that there is something to be gained by making the process of information intake as efficient as it can be.
If you're a speed reader it doesn't mean you read everything quickly. It just means that if you choose to, you can.
A good novel is a terrible waste of time if read quickly. But a blog post announcing that company X has done something vaguely interesting shouldn't get too much time.
Writing is done to communicate ideas, ideas that the author took considerable time to formulate and put into a coherent work. Reading is one of the tasks in life that should be done very carefully. The only way to read quicker and retain the same level of comprehension is to practice reading.