diff --git a/pandoc_reader.py b/pandoc_reader.py
index 877c48f..de248ac 100644
--- a/pandoc_reader.py
+++ b/pandoc_reader.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import shutil
 import subprocess
 
 import bs4
-from mwc.counter import count_words_in_markdown
 from ruamel.yaml import YAML, constructor
 
 from pelican import signals
@@ -131,12 +130,6 @@ class PandocReader(BaseReader):
             # Create table of contents and add to metadata
             metadata["toc"] = self.process_metadata("toc", toc)
 
-        if self.settings.get("CALCULATE_READING_TIME", []):
-            # Calculate reading time and add to metadata
-            metadata["reading_time"] = self.process_metadata(
-                "reading_time", self._calculate_reading_time(content)
-            )
-
         return output, metadata
 
     def _validate_fields(self, defaults_files, arguments, extensions):
@@ -206,24 +199,6 @@ class PandocReader(BaseReader):
 
         return citations, table_of_contents
 
-    def _calculate_reading_time(self, content):
-        """Calculate time taken to read content."""
-        reading_speed = self.settings.get("READING_SPEED", DEFAULT_READING_SPEED)
-        wordcount = count_words_in_markdown(content)
-
-        time_unit = "minutes"
-        try:
-            reading_time = math.ceil(float(wordcount) / float(reading_speed))
-            if reading_time == 1:
-                time_unit = "minute"
-            reading_time = "{} {}".format(str(reading_time), time_unit)
-        except ValueError as words_per_minute_nan:
-            raise ValueError(
-                "READING_SPEED setting must be a number."
-            ) from words_per_minute_nan
-
-        return reading_time
-
     def _process_metadata(self, pandoc_metadata):
         """Process Pandoc metadata and add it to Pelican."""
         # Cycle through the metadata and process them