When I was younger I always only read one book at the same time, I never even considered reading differently. I also didn’t do things like DNF books, both of those have changed. Nowadays I have multiple books going on at the same time and I enjoy reading that way and I can’t imagine only reading one book now. I figured that would be a fun topic to write about.
How many books do I read at the same time?
I read a lot of books at the same time. I have certain categories (for lack of a better word) going on which I replace with a new book once I finish the one in that category. At any given moment I have at least the following books going on:
- 2 fiction ebooks
- 1 non-fiction ebook
- 1 fiction audiobook
On top of those I might also have any or all of the following going on as well:
- a non-fiction audiobook
- another fiction ebook
- another non-fiction ebook
- a physical book
At the moment of writing this I am reading 7 different books. There are a few I still have shelved as currently reading on Goodreads as I am still in the middle of them even though I am not actively reading them currently.
How do I manage reading so many books at the same time?
I always feared when I was younger that if I would start a second book next to the one I was reading one of them would be better and win and I didn’t want that. I only had one book going on and took that everywhere and always read that one. Eventually this changed and nowadays I have these select categories associated with select moments of devices. I have two ereaders and always have a fiction ebook going on each of them, one I only read before bed and the other while eating lunch and such. Audiobooks I listen to on moment that I can’t read so those are easy to keep apart. When I am going out and don’t want to take my ereaders I sometimes have a physical book going on for those moments. I have select moments or devices for eahc category like this and it makes it easy to keep them separate in my head.
I also like the read a lot of different genres and with reading multiple books I usually have different genres going on. For example my current 7 books involve a cozy fantasy romance audiobook, a YA contemporary romance ebook, a m/m scifi romance book, a women’s fiction ebook, a nonfiction self help ebook, a nonfiction ecology ebook and a nonfiction self help audiobook.
I don’t actively avoid reading the same genre as you can see I have two self help nonfiction books going currently and both are about neurodivergence even. Nevertheless most of the time it happens naturally that I read different genres and it doesn’t happen often I read the same genres. I do have mood I really feel like a certain genre and thus have multiple in that genre going on at the same time. I never have trouble separating the books as I used to fear when I was younger as they are all different and with me reading them on different devices and moments I feel like my brain associates those moments with that book, or maybe that’s because I am autistic and have a very associative way of thinking. I do usually avoid reading multiple books by the same author at the same time.
Why do I read multiple books at the same time?
Mostly I just read multiple books because it’s fun. And I just enjoy reading more when I have multiple books going on at the same time and have the variety of reading multiple books.
I read one book at a time. My mom used to have a book in each room and whatever room she was in at the time is the book she would pick up. I can’t do that. lol
I can see that technique of a book in each room working too. And you do finish books faster if you only read one, that must be nice too.
Like you, I used to only have one book going at a time. Now, it can be up to five or six. I was trying to think when it changed. I believe getting my first e-reader and then having book and audio apps added to my phone. There were paper copies all along.
I tend to have a book or two from my own shelf, a review eARC or audio, or library ebooks and audios going at once. I do try to have different genres or non-fictions going, but it really depends on mood or review/library deadlines.
I can’t actually remember when it changed how many books I read, getting my first ereader probably did play a role in it.
Same here I like having a mix of genres going on, but I’ve also had multiple of the same genre or vibe going on and be fine with that as long as it fits my mood.
I used to only read one book at a time, too, but have learned how to trick my brain into allowing more than one at a time. The trick is to read vastly different books at once, typically one on audio and one physical. For example, a fantasy vampire novel and a historical fiction novel could be read in tandem, but not two mystery novels.
Different format and different genre is definitely an easy way to have multiple books going on. I’ve done two mystery books a few times as long as it fits my mood and they aren’t too similar it works for me.
Okay, I usually am reading 2 at a time for sure. One is my review book, and one is an audiobook I listen to in the car. However, I do also have my current Outlander book sitting on my bedside table for in between review reads or if I’m in the mood. I have one sitting in the bathroom, I used to read more in the bathroom, especially when I would take baths in my bit jacuzzi tub at my last house. I do have a book sitting in my living room in case I feel like picking it up as well.
I like how all of your books have their own location or setting associated with it, that seems like an easy way to keep them apart. I didn’t realize you had a jacuzzi tub at your last house, I can see how that would make for a good reading time.