Reading multiple books?

[simplyparticular]

I didn't used to, but when I had to for college and grad school, it became second nature.

Usually, it's just a novel and non-fiction - I tend to read the non-fiction in chapters or sections, and read a novel all the way through before I start another.

However, I often have library ebooks with a deadline going, and I'll pause on what I"m reading elsewhere to finish quickly. Also, when I started reading on my phone and had an app for every thing, I ended up with different books going at the same time, novel or nonfiction. And now I've got a few eInk devices and the iPad. So it's not unusual to have a different book going in different apps or devices.

I took a look, and right now I have:

Kobo app on iPad - Doctor Who: A Writer's Tale
Kobo app on iPhone - nothing - still have to register new phone

Kindle app iPad - nothing - still organizing collections so I can import them to PW2
Kindle app iPhone - haven't registered app yet
Kindle PW2 - Eating Mindfully

Sony T2 - The Power of Rest and Eating Mindfully (switched to reading it on PW2 for now)
Sony T1 - nothing - too busy trying out the PW2

Nook app on iPhone - nothing yet - haven't registered the app yet on new phone
Nook app on iPad - If the Shoe Fits

iBooks on iPad - On a Wicked Dawn (a re-read)
iBooks on iPhone - finished a novel on Thursday

OverDrive app iPhone - just finished a novella last night
OverDrive app iPad - The Price of Everything (barely started)

3M library iPad - nothing right now - let a Coco Chanel biography expire because it was slow going
3M library iPhone - need to download to new iPhone when one of my holds comes up.

Yes, I'm fully aware that is just crazy. 6 books at once, and there 8 until I finished two. I need to wrap some more of these up before more of library holds come up.

[Antoinekamel]

I do it, but I get lost.

(What a shame!)

[49Kat]

Switching between nonfiction and fiction, I'll read multiple books. Otherwise, I've gotten away from reading more than one book at a time. The only time I'll read more than one fictional book at a time is if a book I've had on hold at an e-library comes in. My borrowing time at one of the libraries is only 2 weeks, so in that case, I'll drop what I'm reading and read the library book first. If it's from the library where I have a 3 week borrowing period, I'll usually finish what I'm reading first before moving on. (There was one instance, though, where the book I was reading when the library book came in was rather tedious, so I was glad for the break. Made me wonder why I was even bothering with book #1 in the first place...)

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Yes, and it was a terrible habit that I learned from high school and college.

I normally have two ebooks and two audiobooks going at once. One is for out and about (kindle I carry in my purse at all times), one is for reading in my chair, one is for listening when I am cleaning/washing dishes, and the other is for listening when I am knitting/quilting/crocheting. Just no way around that. Some books are simply too complicated to listen/read unless you are in a quiet place. Believe me though, if the story is very compelling, it pretty much takes over all other reading/listening until it is done.

This weekend, I'm going to attempt to get that whispersync thing to work.

Pretty much the same for me: an in-house audio and one for listening to around town, an ebook (that I didn't finish on a recent trip), and a print book.

[Rick1971]

not only do I do that, but I actually read partials and dont get back to them for months sometimes and start right off where I was before like it was yesterday...kinda funny I think...same with movies to sometimes...

[meursault]

I also read in parallel but only so long as they are in different genres.

So, I could be reading something sci-fi/fantasy; something history; and something technical. That's easy to keep tabs on. But as soon as I start reading two or more books from similar genres I easily start losing track of the separate threads.

[FanciFreez]

Originally Posted by meursault

I also read in parallel but only so long as they are in different genres.

So, I could be reading something sci-fi/fantasy; something history; and something technical. That's easy to keep tabs on. But as soon as I start reading two or more books from similar genres I easily start losing track of the separate threads.

Ditto...

[SeaBookGuy]

Originally Posted by Rick1971

not only do I do that, but I actually read partials and dont get back to them for months sometimes and start right off where I was before like it was yesterday...kinda funny I think...same with movies to sometimes...

Not so much a fiction book with an actual plot, but with non-fiction books I've done that as well.

[leebase]

Not me. Unless they are different types of books. I read one fiction book at a time...but may read a health and fitness book as well. Even then, it would just be one of the second type.

Edit to add: and one audiobook

[AniaR]

I never read more than one book, unless for some reason I have a deadline for reading something and have to stop what I already started reading, but that happens very rarely. I get really easily confused, so knowing me I would not be able to follow more than one book at the same time

[BookGyrlinMO]

I have always been a one book at a time kinda girl. Getting too involved in more than one book confuses me

[Russell Brooks]

I can't do that with books. Even when I watch TV, I'll watch one episode at a time before watching a different program. Same thing with movies.