Fantasy Book Club discussion
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I usually have at least two books going at a time. A type of short story anthology or two as well as any novels on the go. If a book doesn't hold my attention then I am likely to read short stories until it does or start a book of a different feel. Whether it's a sci-fi and a fantasy or an epic fantasy and a book of weirdness. Preferably books I won't get mixed up with. Sometimes the book I'm into is huge and I like to have a book with me while waiting, so I start a smaller one to carry around.
About character names, try to pronounce them when you first see them, even say it out loud a couple times. It will help, at least it helps me when a book has a lot of hard names.
plus I never try to say how long a book will take, it depends on the writing style and so much more. Sometimes a 300 page book takes me longer than a 500 page book because I don't feel as comfortable with it or because it is a harder read.
I hope these help Dino!
I try to read different types of books I decide which one to read based on my mood or where I am or if the part I am at is good. I started doing this because a lot of my books are series and I just didn't want to read a series. As far as the characters go, I remember the main and if I forget who a minor character is, I do a search in book on my Kindle.
I usually have at least three books on the go...a paperback at home, a paperback at work and an ebook on my Kindle at home. I love printed books, but, when I'm reading in bed, I prefer my Kindle because the lighted screen and lighter weight makes it easier to read than a 300-400 page printed book.
Usually, all three books are of a different genre...for example, I might be reading an adult fantasy and a young adult paranormal at home and a cozy mystery at work.
I always have three books going and usually five.1 - audiobook always
2 - sometimes a non-fiction audio book as well
3 - an epic book that I get lost in but also usually need at least an hour at a time to read
4 - a book that I can read in short bursts (10-15 minutes at a time) for when the time arises
5 - usually I have at least one re-read going
I love doing it this way and I don't get lost or forget characters/plot because they are usually very different books...I couldn't (for example) read two or three epic fantasy books at the same time.
But this works for me, everyone is different.
Scott-I like the reread idea. There are a few books I would like to reread but keep putting it off so I can read new ones but I could definitely squeeze one in.
I stick to one main book at a time usually, both audio and ebook, switching back and forth (whispersync with amazon/audible is great for this). I like to completely immerse myself in a story and tear through it as fast as I can.Unless I'm reading a book for a club and finding it hard going, then I will have one I'm reading just for fun to switch to when the other becomes a bit much.
Sometimes I also have a nonfiction book I slowly read in little bits, like one chapter before I go to sleep, once a week.
I usually have two books going at the same time (literally) one physical and one Kindle ebook (and I'll have a magazine or non-fiction I read before bed if that counts.) I can't really do more than that. I switch back and forth between the books throughout the day. Usually it will be a couple pages in one and then switch to the other. I don't really recommend this unless you're me lol. My process might seem mad to others, but it works for me, and fortunately I don't usually get lost or confused either. Also when I'm out and about or on the move, I pick my physical book as my main read, unless I'm getting close to finishing a book on my Kindle, then I take that one.I used to just read one book at a time a long time ago, but I can't do it anymore. Too many books out there I want to read :P
Mod
I was one of those who read one book at a time.Now thanks to my Goodreads clubs......
;)
I'm trying to keep up with many.
It's definitely slow going this way, but I like the interaction with others reading at the same time.
I usually fall behind, though.
Wish I could have joined with Jim's read too, Helen. Think he will do it again next year?
;)
Mod
Goodreads is responsible for me not reading a series back to back, I know- shocking!
I usually read a single book straight through, but I sometimes have two going, especially if one is non-fic and one is fiction, or one is 'heavy' and another one is 'light'. I also usually have a back-up on hand so if I can't continue with the one I'm in I can switch.
I am the same, K.A, I will read two if one is fiction and one non fiction or if they are completely different genres. I like to usually stay in one world at a time. Because I write too and already experience the madness that comes with that, I cannot be inside too many worlds at once.
Satinder wrote: "I like to usually stay in one world at a time. Because I write too and already experience the madness that comes with that, I cannot be inside too many worlds at once."
Lmao, just remembered asking some idiot question from my dad at dinner a few weeks ago. He just looked at me for a minute 'till I realized I was talking about something in the book I was reading.. big opps!
should not have taken the book to the restaurant and read while waiting I guess!
I usually have two on the go at once and I bounce back and forth between them depending on my mood. I wish I had more time to read....
Usually read three to five books at a time. The only problem sometimes is that a book you might've enjoyed may sometimes seems boring in comparison to one that you really like.
I usually just read one at a time, and I like to read all the books in a series together if possible. If a later book in a series doesn't come out for a while, I usually go back and re-read the earlier books once it's been released.
I read a book like watching a t.v. show. Something for one reason or another like seeing someone else reading a certain book, I will pick up the book or anything else by that author if I have it, and start reading that instead.
I always have several books going at the same time.. some physical, some kindle and occasionally an audio book too. It depends on the mood I am in and/or the circumstances if my reading session. Like others who have posted here I prefer my tablet for bed time reading and I ALWAYS read before I sleep. If I am travelling I will have my tablet (which includes bother kindle books and audio books) and at least one paper back (in case my batteries run out :)). I just hate to be caught out without a book of some kind when the opportunity arises. Like at the Doctor's waiting room.. I read a variety of genres so I don't really have a problem with mix-ups. I love a BIG book which I can really dig into so the rest of the world ceases to exist, but I also like a light hearted humorous book (which are usually much shorter than the epics) if I need some light entertainment.
I like having two going at the same time. I read durring my commute to work but it can sometimes be difficult to concentrate. So I usually read something that I can easily get into durring the day. And another book I can concentrate on in the morning and at night. And on weekends.
currently got 4 books on the go at the moment, i usually have 1 on my kindle, 1 re-read, and a couple of books going.
I read more the one book at the same time only for practical reason, for example if i'm reading a very big book, it's not very comfortable to bring that with me on the train. Otherwise, I must read some books for university and simultaneously I want to read a book for myself. However, I prefer to finish a book before to start with another, I'm more involved in the story in this way!
For me, I used to read something like four books at the same time: one "professional", one "spiritual", one Pratchett (Quite often a re-read), and one other. This changed since i got my kindle, and discovered gutenberg.org with the ton of great books from the public domain, now I am reading in addition to the aforesaid collection several more, like Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and some German history novel about Napoleon III, which is a very interesting read, plus stuff from St. Augustine and Martin Luther King.And I tend to do the same as Kate:
Kate wrote: "... I like to read all the books in a series together if possible. If a later book in a series doesn't come out for a while, I usually go back and re-read the earlier books..."
So, with George Martin I have a problem, since his song of ice and fire books are great, but they are soo long that its hard work to re-read them every time for a new volume....
I've been rereading Martin's books between each season of Game of Thrones to refresh my memory. I don't even know how many times I've read A Game of Thrones so far (counting before the show started) but I've only read Feast of Crows once (liked it though) and haven't gotten to Dragons yet. I'm trying for it this time.
Deano wrote: "I also have major problems remembering names of characters"I struggle with that a bit sometimes. I do often wish that authors would remember that people recognise shapes of words rather than reading individual letters as they read, and help a bit by making sure that as many names as possible start with different letters and/or look different from each other on the page (different length, etc.) - it can make a big difference, especially to people who generally read fairly quickly (to pick an obvious example, having two busy, central characters called 'Kalten' and 'Kurik' can rapidly get confusing, and even more so if you then add a 'Krager' into the mix).
As for books on the go at once, I normally try to stick to one these days as far as possible. I used to often have several going at the same time, but found that I'd sometimes manage to get distracted and forget about one of them, and end up not finishing it (having forgotten the start by the time I noticed). Maybe I just have problems keeping too many ideas in my head at one time!
Hah! I was ambitious I tried it once, went three at one time, with different genres (Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, Anne Rice's The Witching Hour and Tolkien's Silmarillion). I was doing okay (although The Witching Hour was my third go then so it doesn't really count)so I thought I could do more,and I added George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones (which was a HUGE mistake) and my brain just got toasted, it suddenly quit running on me. Yep, crashed and burned, baby!Just a tip: DO NOT start on A Song of Ice and Fire when you're still finishing something. Make sure you're done and your mind is already clear before taking the plunge. There's just too many characters (and more so on the second book) that it would be utterly impossible to keep track of them all. Unfortunately I learned the hard way. I vow never to do it again for as long as I can still read, lol!
And besides, I realized that all these books deserve the reverence of a reader's undivided attention as homage to their author's masterpiece. So any more chance of even taking two at a time? Nada!
I have two or three books at a time, usually. I'm kind of used to it, actually, so I don't get confused. However, there are some books that require more attention (some fantasy series like The Song of Ice and Fire as the post above suggests) and these take me longer to finish if I have other books on my list.But I like having more than one to read at any given moment, usually of different genres. Oh yes, it all depends on my mood :)
D.S. wrote: "Hah! I was ambitious I tried it once, went three at one time, with different genres (Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, Anne Rice's The Witching Hour and Tolkien's Silmarillion). "I would imagine that trying to read Silmarillion alongside something else would be a nightmare. Mind you, trying to read it is bit of a nightmare anyway!
T. wrote: "I would imagine that trying to read Silmarillion alongside something else would be a nightmare. Mind you, trying to read it is bit of a nightmare anyway!" Well, yes, i tried to read it, too. Got stuck somewhere in the first third, never started again.
And with the song of ice and fire, yes, thats a tricky one at first, but after you come to know the characters, its not that difficult any more -and certainly not after watching one or two chapters of the TV series, which makes the characters quite memorable.
"I would imagine that trying to read Silmarillion alongside something else would be a nightmare. Mind you, trying to read it is bit of a nightmare anyway!"I knew that was gonna come up, lol! I did say I was ambitious, didn't I? And also disillusioned that I'd be able to do it, but I bit off more than I can chew. =)
I always have 2 books going at the same time, one to read at home and an audiobook to listen to while I work. However, I will alternate which series I'm reading and listening to. It works out better for me, because I found I will start to lose interest if I read a long book series back to back.
I am a one at a time reader. Generally, if something doesn't grab me pretty quickly, I wander on to something else. Most recent reject-
Shadow & Claw - Gene Wolfe. Made it about a quarter of the way through, just wasn't digging it. It was boring frankly.
well it's an update for me. Now that I have a cat I have to have an extra book on the go, that way when she buds in and lays all over the one I am reading, I can get the other one to actually read for a bit.
I usually have 2 books going at once but I'm finding that harder to do reading fantasy so for now at least I'm reading one book at a time. One series at a time - otherwise I find that I have a hard time going back into a series if I read too many books between and I never finish them.
I've seen a few people seem to be able to read 5-6 books at the same time (you know what I mean)
I can most of the time have one audio and one to read.
If you have more how do you determine how much time and which you will read, when.
I also have major problems remembering names of characters.
Any tips on this too