The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion
Reading Multiple Books
I don't know how people read multiple books. I read so much slower that way. I like to just read one book and focus on what happens in that book. Last month I read two books at the same time and I didn't like it. Just now I had started a book but then I wanted to read Gatsby before going to the movie, so I stopped the other book, read Gatsby and now I am back to the other book.
I have three almost at all times one is the book of the month that I read a little at a time and two are read to reviews for Lovers of Paranormal Group on Goodreads. They require you have them in your currently reading and you get two weeks but I read books one at a time and write reviews along side the book reading. I also have ARCs and Unpublished books I'm reading and I try to balance it all. My To Read list is so big there's never a lack but lately it feels like a lot. anyways I am beginning to ramble so I will stop there! >_<
I've known myself to have anything up to eight books on the go at once but more often it may be 3 or 4. Since I discovered how wonderful audiobooks are I've been finding I've been going through more books that way. I do a lot of driving because of homeschooling commitments so audiobooks come in very handy. As for all the other books I can have one book in my lounge room, one or more in the ensuite - I don't want to disturb my husband at night when he's sleeping simply because I have our bedside light on so I read in the ensuite before I go to bed - which I alternate between reading depending on my mood, and then one or more library book club books on the go as well.As for why I read this many it comes down to the fact that there is so much choice out there that I find it hard to make up my mind what books to read so I just read them all! LOL. And yes, I can keep accurate track of what is happening in each and every book that I read this way.
Since discovering audibooks I find that I could be doing something on the computer and listening to a book being read at the same time. I've also recently discovered audiobooks which come complete in a unit that allows you to have earphones in your ears and the unit in your pocket so you can listen to the book while you're doing other things like housework etc. A truly wonderful invention.
I read multiple books because I'm not always in the mood for the same type of genre. Some are devotionals so they require a daily read.
Oh, its so easy!!!! I have my kindle which is my "on the go" book central. I have 200 books on there and can swap back and forth. I also have my "Im sitting in the tub book" which is usually a paperback of some sort. Then I have my "Im sitting in bed with the Ipod going" book. :) Generally I swap back and forth during the day depending on what Im doing.
Megan wrote: "I see all kinds of people on Goodreads who have multiple books in their currently reading shelf. I don't get it. I can understand reading one book and listening to an audiobook at the same time but..."I'm currently reading about 18 or 19 books, and it's really not hard! You just have to be good at multitasking. The hardest part is keeping characters and details straight, but it's okay once you get used to it. I keep a book in basically every room of the house, so I have one no matter where I am (I find myself switching books a lot for the one I want to read more to be in my bedroom, but I always get back to the others in the end). I have so many books that are interesting so I can't just wait until I finish another. Say I'm weird, but I think of my books as having personalities, and their feelings get hurt when I abandon them. Then that thought makes me sad, and I need to give the book a hug and then read it to make it all better. I don't know, call me crazy, but it's just something I do. (Sometimes I even imagine that the books I've abandoned are jealous of the ones I'm reading, and they formulate plots for revenge). Does anyone else do this, or...? 'Cause I feel REALLY weird right now! :)
I have a kindle and have literally 2,000 books on it and it takes me forever to choose a book to read - I probably should read multiple books at a time. I use to listen to audiobooks when I worked (I'm a stay at home mom) and had a commute. I do listen to books while I clean and play on the computer - I use the text to speech thingamajig on my kindle. The voice is very weird and it takes some getting use to it but I love it. But I usually listen to the book I'm currently reading. Today I actually started 2 books - I'm reading Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore and listening to the audio book of Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth. We'll see how it goes.
I just got a kindle in December and it literally goes everywhere with me. Before that my current book went everywhere.
Personally, I think that if I actually read multiple books at a time I wouldn't read as many books. If the book is really good and under 500 pages I can finish it in 1 day. I think that if I had 4 books going it would take me longer then 4 days to read them. I wouldn't have a problem keeping track of what's going on (unless it was 18 books at once ;) I get so wrapped up in what I'm reading that I just can't put it down to read something else - even for a little bit.
I do one at a time Im not sure why it just suits how i read
Well this was the first time that I was reading two books simultaneously but it was just that I had started Anansi Boys and friend of mine gave me Inferno for few days , so I had to read two books side by side .But it was easy for me , while travelling from home to office and vice versa I read Anansi Boysand when I reached home I used to read Inferno. So it worked for me . However , this was just one time otherwise I read one book at a time :)
Megan, do you follow more than one TV show? You'll find that it's not much different with books. I think it's a much more accurate analogy than comparing books to movies. With movies it doesn't really make sense to stop in the middle and start another, but with TV shows we do it all the time. Re reading speed: probably depends on the individual, though obviously you could read more if you also listen to audiobooks when you can't read a physical book. (In audiobooks you could also double the speed.)
Re the 2000 books on your Kindle: you should use groups so it's easier to wade through them and pick the next book.
I am readinf ,ultiple books. It is much slower,however you are given a lot more freedom. When I read multiple books I read the book that interest me the most and if I get board with that book I move to another book. I tend to switch back and forth until I am done with one book or decide to move to anoher. I really do not like letting go of a book that I have started. I like to know how my books end. All I really needed was the break.
Jon,I do follow more then 1 TV show though I do prefer what the whole season/series in one go. I am very impatient I guess. Book series - I hate starting them if all the books aren't out. George r r Martin made me like that. I read Game of Thrones when it originally came out years and years and years ago...and it drives me nuts not to have a conclusion yet.
I think the issue I have with reading multiple books is that I like to read a lot so I feel it's less productive, for me, to have multiple books going. Someone said something about boredom - which I have set books down before half-read and then gone back to them a few days later.
What are the groups that you are talking about on the kindle? I have the new kindle fire HD and haven't found anyway to organize my books.
@Megan,I can empathize with you re the Game of Thrones books. At least we have the TV show now... Do you watch that? Although, that will be over very soon and we'll have to wait another year.
The groups are called collections. I have a regular Kindle and it has a built in feature for collections. For Kindle Fire you need to install an app; I think it's called Collections. I haven't tried it though.
I read multiple books at a time. I have different moods so I sometimes base my reading on my current mood. Other times I'll be reading a heavy-going book so I might want to take a break and read something more light-hearted. Generally I'll have different types on the go though, for example one on my kindle, a paperback and a graphic novel.
At most I read 2 books at a time. One on my Nook and a 'real' book.
I used to be a "one book only" person but since joining bookclubs and goodreads my TBR list is so big and there are so many cool challenges......Now, I read a few books at a time. The reason is that I read them at different times and different formats. I usually have one fiction book that I'm actually reading the most. I always have an audiobook that I listen to during commutes. I have another book that is on my Kindle but I usually pull it up on my Kindle app on my phone. This one is for those times (maybe at work.....) where I can pull out my phone but if I had my actual Kindle out someone would be able to tell that I'm actually reading! :) I might have an interesting non-fiction book going as well that I read in bits and pieces. The hardest thing for me is deciding which books to actually read vs listening to them on audio.
I can read 2 books at time in different formats, on my Nook & Digital edition on desktop, so people at work think I am doing computer work not reading on breaks! But I cant see reading more then 2 and I prefer one at time but will squeeze in another if time permits.
I read multiple books at a time because I read accoding to my mood. Romantic, being in funny mood, want to be scared…etc… it's not that hard after you get used to it. I have a friend who said he wishes he could do it…he doesn't see how to keep the characters straight. I do limit myself to 5 or 6 only because I sometimes get caught up in one and that puts the others on hold…and that irritates me. I also wake after a couple hours of sleep so I get extra reading time to possibly finish a book…That's it from my view…happy reading…:-)
I read multiple books very often. I don't read like 10 books at the same time, I have set a limit to not read more than 3 books at the same time. That way if I get tired of a book, I just put it away for a day or two, while reading another genre that fits my mood and later on catch up on the first book.
Serob123 wrote: "I read multiple books very often. I don't read like 10 books at the same time, I have set a limit to not read more than 3 books at the same time. That way if I get tired of a book, I just put it a..."I do pretty much the same
tried, but it turns into mumbo jumboex. Katniss is in love with Ky who is secretly an angel that is part of a rebellion against the Society in Los Angles because killer mutant zombies are surrounding the Outpost?
see what I mean?
(p.s I included "Hunger Games", "Matched", "Unearthly", "Legend", and "Enclave" in the tid bit above.)
lol Krys. Some people just can't do it.
I have the bad habit of starting a book because it looks interesting even when I have one already going. I have three small children who chatter constantly so it is easier for me to read one book at a time but I usually have two or three started.
Four is my lucky number. It is probably coincidental, but I am usually busy with four books at one time. I can't handle more than four, though!
I usually read 1 book at a time. I am re-reading the In Death series by J.D. Robb, in order and back to back, some of the stories are novellas that are only found in anthologies. So right now I technically have 3 books going but 2 are anthologies.
Well...I can do both, read one book at time or multiple ones. if I am reading ONE book at time...its probably because its HUGE, and 2nd because I because its the only thing I am reading of my own will..
though, I read multiple book most of the time because I am college student, and, when my "to-read" just gets tooo long. Though, when doing for pleasure, I read only 2 books at a time.
Rabia wrote: "Well...I can do both, read one book at time or multiple ones. if I am reading ONE book at time...its probably because its HUGE, and 2nd because I because its the only thing I am reading of my own ..."
I do the same thing lol
I have one on my kindle that is mostly for when I'm away from home. One is audio for in the car and when working on something around the house that doesn't require a lot of though. Think cleaning the tub or mopping the kitchen floor. And a hardcover or paperback for pleasure in the evening. The secret is to be sure the books are not too similar. Recently I made the mistake of having a cozy mystery on my kindle I was almost finished with and trying to start one in a hardback. Had to set the new one aside and finish the one on the kindle first.
I tend to carry around at least one, and sometimes two books wherever I go as there is always the waiting in line deal and the stuck in traffic (standstill) deal and then the waiting for friends at restaurants or other events deal. And I am usually reading little bits and pieces of both of them. So far have not gotten confused one with the other.
Currently, I read about four books at once. All in different genres - horror, fantasy, self-help and a book on the craft of writing. I usually read all of them on the same day, especially the self-help and writing book. I have no problem keeping each book separate and remembering what I learned. Everybody is different. I used to be a one book type of person but I want to learn more and get easily bored.I also write at least 500 to 700 words a day sometimes more. Reading all theses books fuels my creativity.
At the moment I am reading three books, but only because 1 book I have been reading for a while one chapter every now and then. Then the second book is autobiography with much of a story so I can pick that up and read a chapter before I go to bed, then I have the book I am actually reading which I am really into and started it last night and have a few chapters left. But I would never be able to read 19 books at a time like some people have said.
Well even though I consider myself multitasker, I still can only read one book at a time. I have tried to do 2 but then the characters start to meld together and just confuse me LOL
Tay wrote: "At the moment I am reading three books, but only because 1 book I have been reading for a while one chapter every now and then. Then the second book is autobiography with much of a story so I can p..."Yes, I am not the 19 book type either. I read a non-fiction or fiction that is complex and long, but chapters and then switch to something that is a quick read but enjoyable. Go back to the other book and also pick up books.
When I was working (retired now) they were on project management and the new "thing" in the workplace. Also Laws and Regulations and what the Congress was doing on the various bills we were interested in. I do go on line and keep up with Congress sometimes, but since they are pretty much at a standstill now fighting with each other it does not have to be often.
Tend to throw in some history book or other. But read that slowly too. Just jump around to three or four.
I must admit, I read a lot of books at once.I always have two main books which one or the other go absolutely everywhere with me. At the moment, they are A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
After these, I then have my spur of the moment book which I randomly started because I was in the mood for it. (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling and The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis)
Then, there is the ginormous classic Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, which is a I'll read it when I feel like it.
Then there are just a couple, like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, which I started but they just keep getting pushed back.
Unlike some people, I have never had the issue of keeping the characters and plot straight, I can jump from reading one book to another in seconds. Although I'm not sure if that is because I have been doing that since I was little or what.
I usually read one at a time, but not because I can't keep track of multiple stories. I just play favorites. A story will always stick out from the pack and demand that I finish it first.
I am definitely a multiple books at once person. I started out that way though and now I just can't read one at a time. I tend to have an easy time keeping the story lines separate and in order in my head.
I can't speak for more than me. But some books don't grab me the first 50-100 pages. So sometimes I'll read more than one.
I usually read two at a time but occasionally three. I like having a paperback book and a book on my kobo to read as sometimes I don't want to take my kobo some places. Also I sometimes get a bit bored of one book and feel like reading something else. I usually read the books at different speeds. It's a bit like watching different tv shows during the week. You don't watch just one surely?
Katie.g wrote: "It's a bit like watching different tv shows during the week. You don't watch just one surely? "That's exactly what I say, I watch many TV shows during the week, why can't I read multiple books at once? Yes, it seems like it takes longer but you are also enjoying different adventures at the same time.
I usually read more than one book at a time but mine is more location. I have one book that stays at home and i read when i am there. I have another book that is taken everywhere with me (usually a paperback because they are lighter :)), and i also have a back up book on my tablet. I agree it is sometimes dependent on my mood or how far i am in the book. If my book that i am carrying is almost finished i will read it at home to complete it and then choose another one. My TBR list is so long and continuously growing i think i would be overwhelmed if i only had one book at a time. However I am also a full time nurse educator so my reading time is limited so it helps to have multiple books in multiple locations and then i can read what i am in the mood for and for what time i have available. :) But to each their own if one is for you then that is the way to go...as long as you keep reading :)
I normally "read" 2-3 at the same time. One is an audiobook that I listen to while working/cleaning/etc. (I'm listening to it now!) The other two are normally books that I've reserved from the library. Because you only have a certain amount of time before they are due back, I find myself reading them at the same time.
Sometimes I have more than one book on my to-read shelf because I've mislaid the book I was reading but don't want to re shelve it.
I read two books at a time. 1 fiction and 1 non-fiction. fiction at any time during the day while non-fiction at night with some extra focus.
Sometimes I think I read 4-5 books at a time because of my complete lack of an attention span. I lose focus and interest reading only one book. I hate using the word "bored" but I do tend to drift if I'm reading only one story. With multiple books, I can move to another when I feel like my concentration is waning.
I have always read multiple books at one time. In the past usually it was the latest hard cover by my bed, bodice ripper to keep in my purse, spare book in my desk at work, and old favorite to read in the bath (that I didn't mind getting wet).Getting a kindle cut that list to two books at a time. One ebook that goes everywhere and one paper book for the bath. The best and worst part of transitioning to the e format is now going through books like water. I'm reading at least three ebooks a week.
2 books usually at a time. It is mainly because I can't seem to make up my mind. I find I do read slower though in finishing both books. Reading only one book tends to make me lose focus though depending on the book and i switch focus on the other book.
I keep a book in the car since I send half my day driving someone to school, ballet or sports and have something different on my nook for when I'm home.
I understand both sides of the argument, while I do occasionally read two books at once, I do tend to focus more on one.I have a Kindle which does make it easier. I also have to use an Ipad at my work, and when it's slow I will go on Amazon and read some of my books.
If I do read two books at once, I usually have one heavier book (a classic or biography) and one light book (usually contemporary fiction or chick-lit).
But I do find that I usually end up latching on to one book and reading it all the way through and letting the other one fall to the side. That is probably why I have three currently reading books that have been on that shelf for months.
I do like to have "inbetween" books though, that I will pick up and continue to read while I decide what my next buy will be.
The Perks Of Being A Book Addict
Books mentioned in this topic
Anansi Boys (other topics)Inferno (other topics)
I read a lot but always 1 book at a time. I can read really fast if the book is really good. I've tried reading 2 books at once and it's usually a fail. I get too interested in 1 of the books and will just give up on the other.
Do those of you reading multiple books read more books quicker this way? Do you read a certain number of pages and then switch books or what? How do you do it and why??? I'm curious..