How many books do you read at once?

[MysteryRose]

I was wondering, why would anyone read more books at once? You are not going faster. So what would you say is the point of reading more books? (exept reading for school of course)

[Chrissy]

I was wondering, why would anyone read more books at once? You are not going faster. So what would you say is the point of reading more books? (exept reading for school of course)

 

For the studying, it was a matter of different books for different subjects / modules, so there's that.

 

Since then I have at times had a few books on the go, with maybe a crime thriller, a historical and a non-fiction. It meant I had somehing to read for every mood, or every situation. Some books take more concentration than others, so you would have difficulty say reading in a crowd. Other times I may only have 15 minutes so would throw myself into a read that had short chapters.

 

My reading mojo has been so wobbly in the past couple of years, it has been miraculous at times to have even 1 book on the go, so for me having two books that I am reading equally feels like a personal uplift. In this instance, I am reading a collection of essays on a favourite television series, and a YA book written by one of my favourite authors, so they are a couple of good reads that cover my current reading moods.

[The D Entity]

3, sometimes 4. I really need to stop doing that though. I want to cut down to 1 to 2, audiobooks not included.

[Nollaig]

I have an awful tendancy to pick up a book, read a chunk, get distracted by another book, and then not want to finish the first book. At the moment, I'm solidly reading one book, but I have three other actual books started (one was an e-book I stopped reading and ordered in hardcopy because I was enjoying it), and I also have a couple of Kindle books on the go. I need to stop!!

[Timmo]

One at a time for me, I think I would get the books mixed up if I were to read any more than one at a time.

[Angury]

I'm usually in the middle of a fantasy series, while at the same time reading a non-fantasy book. Mostly because I cannot get enough of the fantasy genre but I still enjoy reading books outside of this range so that I don't restrict myself. For example, at the moment I'm currently reading the 4th book of the Game of Thrones series (The Feast of Crows by George Martin) and at the same time I've just started Lord of the Flies by William Golding. It also means I have a choice, depending on my mood which can change a lot.

[pontalba]

I've got 6 or 7 going at present. Of course, I only actively pursue 2 or 3 at the time, falling back on the others not as often. Some fiction, some non-fiction.

[MysteryRose]

For the studying, it was a matter of different books for different subjects / modules, so there's that.

 

Since then I have at times had a few books on the go, with maybe a crime thriller, a historical and a non-fiction. It meant I had somehing to read for every mood, or every situation. Some books take more concentration than others, so you would have difficulty say reading in a crowd. Other times I may only have 15 minutes so would throw myself into a read that had short chapters.

 

My reading mojo has been so wobbly in the past couple of years, it has been miraculous at times to have even 1 book on the go, so for me having two books that I am reading equally feels like a personal uplift. In this instance, I am reading a collection of essays on a favourite television series, and a YA book written by one of my favourite authors, so they are a couple of good reads that cover my current reading moods.

 

I thought I had replied. But I had not!

It actually makes sense what you were saying. And come to think of it, I do read more book then one book at once, but that would only be a fiction book combined with non-fiction. Never 2 fictions at the same time.

[Dr Bill]

I generally have something on the go at night (often but not always on the Kindle) and somethig a bit weightier (metaphorically and physicaly) during the day (when I get chance to read during the day!) Mind you, I'm a bit of a sucker for magazines so I often have a couple of those going as well - read BBC history magazine in bed this morning for example, and I have "Trout Fisherman" by my side as I type and "Gardeners' World" is kicking around somewhere.

[Yoghurt]

I only ever have 1 book going at a time. I like to get 'lost' in a good story, and if I'm swapping between different books it takes me a while to get back into the flow of the narrative.

[Gad786]

I do one at a time that way I finish it quickly and go onto the next one and plus if I read more than one at a time I get the storys confused.If I put my focus on one book at a time it finishes quickly.

[bree]

Just one for me.

Not too good at multi-tasking - and I'd end up horribly disoriented if I attempted more than one!

[Ruth]

I usually only read one book. However, I often have a book of short stories put by, and when I've finished reading a full length book, I'll perhaps read just one of the stories, and then go on to another full length book.

[green]

I can only read one book at a time. I've tried two but find the stories and characters merge and become diluted!

[AlysonofBathe]

I almost always have two or three books on the go at one time, particularly when one is super huge; it's nice to read something a little snappy inbetween bouts of Bleak House.

[Parenthesis]

It is usual for me to have two or three books on the go at any one time (research books aside). Any more than that and I think I would begin to have information retention issues!

[Dori]

I always read more books at once. For example, I have a 'commute book' I take with me whenever I go out, then I have at least one book I only read at home, and finally there are the obligatory stuff I need to check out for my German Literature class. This way my reading pace becomes quite slow, but I never get mixed up with the stories, whatsoever.

[Deborah]

Usually, just the one.

[RaeLea]

Good question. Typically, it's one at a time, and most happy when I've a series to devour. However, there are times when the subject matter is difficult to digest or the reading isn't quite as fluid as I'd wish, so I'll put it down to read something else until I'm ready to go back to the first.

[Nika]

Two or three....not the wisest thing in my opinion but I am too greedy :-)

[bookmonkey]

Usually two, one in the bath (paperback) and one in bed (hardback). When my shower is fixed then it'll probably be one. Although if you count the book I was halfway through when I had to return it to the library that makes it three. It'll probably be a couple of months before I get around to getting that one out again though.

[Coryographies]

I'm terrible for having multiple books on the go, it makes me feel guilty as sometimes I just forget to finish one and it gets forgotten! There's usually about 6 or 7 getting read through the week...

 

I only ever manage one fiction book at a time though, the rest are non-fiction and up to how I'm feeling at the moment. I find non-fiction is a lot easier to put down for a while and then pick up again later.

 

At the moment I'm at various stages of:

Savage Lands by Clare Clark - my one fiction book, not sure if I like it yet. It's a bit romance-y, yuck.

In Search of the Neanderthals by Chris Stringer and Clive Gamble

Boudica by Vanessa Collingridge

The History of England Volume 1 by Peter Ackroyd

Approaches to the Evolution of Language by James Hurford et al

[chesilbeach]

I've found I switch between upto four started and ongoing, and then other times it's just the one at any time. I think my TBR reading plan has seen me want to finish a book once I start it, otherwise I may not come back to it, so for the moment it's one book only!

[Kreader]

Mostly I try to keep it to one but I have had two on the go at times and when I was studying it was more.

[Janet]

I thought I'd voted in this poll years ago, but it appears I haven't. I would have voted for 'one' at the time - however, since having my Kindle I quite often have two on the go - a Kindle one for out and about and a tree one for reading in the bath!