I’m currently reading five books.
- The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge (CD)
- We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates (audio)
- The Mothers by Brit Bennett (hardcopy)
- The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida (Kindle)
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (hardcopy)
Is that odd? (I’m hoping I’m among friends here…)
Two reasons why I read multiple books at once.
Firstly, format. I usually have a hardcopy* novel and an e-book on the go at any one time (for reading at different times – Kindle in bed because it’s easier to hold and I don’t need the light on; hardcopy for when I’m watching television {I do both at the same time} so that I can easily pick it up and put it down; an audiobook on my phone that I listen to when I walk; and a CD in the car (usually non-fiction).
Sometimes I only have two or three books on the go at any one time; sometimes I finish up all the books I’m reading at around the same time and then I start over; at a certain point in a book (usually two-thirds through), I focus all my attention on that book and finish it.
Secondly, mood. My current mix is a good example – the Oates and the Bennett are grim (rape and abortion stories). I started the Vida to change the pace (it’s a thriller, oddly told in the second-person). Having different books on the go means I can choose depending on my mood. If I didn’t have the choice and felt like something other than what I was reading, I’d probably end up watching television instead.
So, how many books do you read at any one time?
*Technically, I shouldn’t count War and Peace because I have stalled (it’s just so big and heavy…) but I’m determined to chip away at it.