The Book Vipers discussion
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How many books do you have going at once?
Mod
I have lots going too, that way I never get bored with just the one.
At the minute I have three on the go. I'm nearly finished with my book challenge for this year so I plan to try and slow my reading down. I have been in a bit of a slump lately and I feel like I'm rushing a bit.
I have three books, all fairly close to finishing. I like to have a fiction, and a non-fiction to read, something on my kindle to read whilst waiting at the school gate (term time). And perhaps a classic. And there's also the book I'm reading to my daughter at bedtime.
I currently have I Never Knew That About the English as bed time reading; Marlowe and the Spacewomanwhich I am going to start this weekend, and is the Indie Book Club read, and also Kainanwhich has been on my TBR for a while but I only started yesterday.I am also beta reading a book (or at least I am meant to be) so will be looking at that over the next few days.
I always have several too - a mixture of types (fiction/nonfiction) and formats. There's usually 2 in Large Print, one audio, one DAISY (from the RNIB - also audio - it stands for Digital Accessible Information SYstem) a couple on the Kindle, one read to me by Chris, which he started when we were 16. Just the habit you understand - not the actual book. That would be some book!
Too many. I keep getting distracted by the new pretty books and neglecting the ones I have. I have 20 books out the library and loads on my kindle.
Would you believe I forgot about those? There are also 3 library books sitting on top of the piano, one started yesterday. Just shows you can forget what you have on the go if they're all in different places!
Haha yes. I have shelves of books I haven't read and tons on my kindle. I am trying to be good and read what I have as opposed to buying new ones.
While it often appears like I am reading lots at once, it is misleading. I generally read one "real" book at a time, but will also have an audiobook going for those times when I can't actually read. This year, I have challenged myself to read one collection of short stories and one of poetry each month - these I read slowly, one at a time. So it might look like I am reading 4 books at a time.
Leslie - you mean you can't actually read 4 books at once, it just looks like it? Some of us lucky "4-eyes" can read 4 books at once.... others may only be able to read 2 - one for each eye. (Think this thunderstorm might be making me a bit spaced out.)
I usually have about 4 or 5 going on. I read several different genres so it works for me:)
Mod
I am reading two books now "The Yellow Birds" and " The Orphan Master's Son". Difficult to say which one is better, both are great!
I now have a few books going at the same time. My problem is that so many books sound like they are worth reading. I'm reading Night Circus now and cannot put it down!
Sandy wrote: "I now have a few books going at the same time. My problem is that so many books sound like they are worth reading. I'm reading Night Circus now and cannot put it down!"I'm planning on reading Night Circus next month. Glad you like it!
I used to be a one-book-at-a-time girl but since joining Goodreads and finding so many good books I want to read I've increased to 3 at a time. But when I get close to the end of one I automatically tend to focus on that because I want to find out the conclusion!
Ellie, I'm the same. Before Goodreads I would finish one, then take myself down to Waterstones to chose my next. It was a nice little routine that worked. But now, I seem obsessed and have 3-4 going on at a time. One by my bed, one downstairs, a kindle read and my kindle app. I don't really think I get to read any quicker as I don't have a great deal of time to read. I think I enjoyed books more before as well, as sometimes I feel like I'm in competition with myself and I don't know why!!!
Gemma - I suppose this could be a danger. Maybe you could cut your books down to 2 - one you choose to read for yourself (because you went down to Waterstones to choose it as usual) plus one you're reading for a book group in Goodreads. Otherwise eventually you might decide Goodreads is spoiling your reading and feel you have to cut it out, which would be a shame. Hope this helps :)
Sandy and Rowena - I have "Night Circus" out from the library too and am itching to get round to it! Next month some time probably.
Gemma wrote: "Ellie, I'm the same. Before Goodreads I would finish one, then take myself down to Waterstones to chose my next. It was a nice little routine that worked. But now, I seem obsessed and have 3-4 goin..."I'm a methodical person and I like order, LOL, so I found that having more than one going did give me "inner competition," as you describe.
Interesting that for me, goodreads helped me to focus my reading rather than diffuse it. I'm also more challenged to finish a book rather than dabble with it now that I'm "keeping track" and discussing books with others on goodreads.
I am reading one traditional book, one book on my I PAD and listening to another book. I generally decide at some time I will concentrate on one book and finish that one quickly.
Mod
Ch - I agree that Goodreads has focussed me so I would generally only have one reading book on the go at any one time. However, now I have (very recently) discovered audiobooks, I have that going too. I don't think I could flip between book and book very easily, but listening to something is sufficiently different I can cope with book and audiobook.
Mod
I vary. Vanity Fair is a bit of a slog so I'm limiting myself to it for the present.
I have quite a few books going at the moment but I don't like it. I am reading some books in a judging capacity and they are coming thick and fast (they are children's books ranging from picture books to young adult novels). I am currently reading My Life as an Alphabet which is great.I am also currently listening to a detective series on my way to and from work (it is a 40min drive each way!), I have started "in Cold Blood" on my Kindle app and have also started "The Night Circus", which I think has been put on hold because I am not enjoying it as much as the others! I just purchased another audio book "burial Rites" which I am bursting to read and have started but right now DCI Banks is my preferred read, so he gets first dibs each time!
Jen wrote: "I try to do one so I can concentrate though I've seemingly given up on Anna Karenina and War of the Worlds as they're still listed as "currently reading""I have tried to just read one at a time, and generally I'll concentrate on one book but, at least with non-fiction, I tend to have a few on different subjects going at once. At the moment I'm reading 1Q84, but I also have been dipping into Life by Richard Fortey, Wildfowl by David Cabot and the first volume of A History of Britain by Simon Schama.
Between one and three. I tend to read a gritty or scary one, and then an easy going one, but if the gritty one is long or slow going I'll use the easy going one for breaks. Occasionally I'll have a book I admire so much that I analyse it scene by scene (currently doing that to A Game of Thrones ). That is always an extra, as I just fit it in a bit at a time around everything else.
Non fiction tends to be extra, as I usually like to read it slowly alongside something else.
Im currently reading just one but i usually don't go over 2
Mod
Ha ha!! Me too
I'm going to try to focus right down. One hard copy paper book. One audio book. One DAISY book. One Kindle book. That's still 4 but should be enough for anyone, right? Wish me luck!
I seem to be unusual here as I only read one book at a time and yet amongst family and friends etc that's the norm lol
I always used to be a one book at a time reader, but now I often have a paperback, something on my kindle, an audio book, and one I'm reading to my daughter. I always keep the types of books separate, so there's never two fiction books with similar storylines so as to avoid confusion. One of the books is usually non-fiction as well.
Guess it depends on what I'm reading. Some books require individualized attention for me and some I can read along with others.
I try to have one owned paper book,one kindle book,one library book and one that my 9 year old daughter and I are sharing.... just added up my TBR books today..over 1200, so I'm in no danger of running out..
My books are divided by location--I have one book on my nightstand, one by the chair and footstool in the living room, and one in the kitchen to read while eating! :-)
Cannot read two novels together, one at a time for me. However can manage different genres, at the moment am reading a novel and book of short stories. Books that can be dipped in and out of are perfect for me to run simultaneously with a good novel.
I can manage a novel, non-fiction book and an audio book at most.
Mod
I like to read 1 at a time. This allows me to go more into the story and I even remember more details of a book when I read it exclusively. When I have 2 or 3 (never more) in my "currently reading" shelf that only means I'm taking a break from a tiring book, or I'm deciding if I give up or give it other opportunity.
I used to read one at a time. Then I remembered (when did my hypnosis practitioner training - no idea why then, just was after this) - that I used to read 8 at a time when a child. That was all you could get out of library at a time then. Now I read a few at a time. I think its 3 or 4 at present, a combination of non fiction, an audio book, for on way to work, plus a fiction book or 2. Our minds are more flexible than we think.
It depends a bit for me. It depends on the format (paper book, e-book, audiobook) and/or the language. So sometimes it is only one, sometimes two or three books at a time. Three is the maximum though
I am reading We Need New Names, Jude the Obscure, the Goldfinch, the Six Wives of Henry vIII and Love nina. Five is probably too many!
The Book Vipers
Books mentioned in this topic
A Game of Thrones (other topics)I Never Knew That About the English (other topics)
Marlowe and the Spacewoman (other topics)
Kainan (other topics)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (other topics)
I did just put One Hundred Years of Solitude on hold due to feeling plain exhausted by it. In the past I would have read another book alongside a difficult one, but I'm finding that taking a break seems to work better.
What is the reading style of my fellow Vipers?