How Many Books Are You Reading Concurrently?

[ownedbycats]

Usually 4-5. Four on my eBook reader (Kobo displays 4 on home screen), and sometimes paperbook on side. Plus any number of fanfics that have chapters updated.

I usually only read 1 or 2 per day and make sure they're different enough (e.g. sci-fi and cozy mystery) to prevent confusing the plots. Usually one's of them an omnibus too.

[Tarana]

Right now, reading one, listening to another. I usually also have a book of short stories going as well on my bedside reader.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

This happens to me too, but not often. Unfortunately when it does happen, I tend to leave the earlier books unfinished. Sometimes I'll return to them later, sometimes not.

But as I said, it's not a frequent occurrence with me, so I finish most books I read.

Yes. That's often me.

[JSWolf]

I have 4 audiobooks I'm currently listening to. I mostly listen while taking the dog for a walk. I have two books on the go. One is fiction and the other non-fiction. The non-fiction is a bit of slog but I want to find out if it gets better. It's The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It's about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

[Deskisamess]

Lately, just one at a time, but life has been hectic. In the past, having 2-3 books going at the same time was the norm. Lite fiction for reading before bed. A piece of non-fiction was usually read during the day when more brain power is necessary. And usually a study type book, or something inspirational used in Bible study.

Life hasn't been "normal" lately, what with getting my mom settled in a nursing home and all that entailed. But it is getting back to a new normal now, so I may have the brain power for something a little heavier.

[troubledMan]

I use to read one ebook and one (or two, as much) paper book at the same time. And I also change from fiction to no fiction when finish the ebook; almost every paper book that read is non fiction.

[bluepeter]

I currently have six novels, one book of short stories, two autobiographies and a book on politics on the go. I read one for an hour or two, then swap to something else.

I've always read several books concurrently. I remember my father commenting on it when he saw several books with bookmarks in sitting on the table beside my bed. That must have been about fifty years ago. If anything, the number has increased in recent years (i.e., since I retired).

[rowe]

I've experimented between 1 and 10. I find 3 is the sweet spot for me:
- one novel
- one non-fiction
- one audiobook

Fewer and I'm more likely to reduce my reading volume, higher and I lose track.

I usually finish 3 books a week, getting through the novels much faster than anything else.

[haertig]

I read so slowly that I can't even claim to read one novel at a time. More like 1/2 a novel at a time.

[EowynCarter]

Sometimes I can't resist starting a new book that came out and I was waiting for.

But I try to limit the number of "reading" books.

[possumbly_human]

Usually I finish books in 2-3 days max, on weekends I tend to finish a ~300 pager in a day - so I rarely have books "active" for long and therefore don't tend to read several books simultaneously.
However sometimes I need to take breaks during nonfiction/academia reads; or when I've read myself into a hyperfixation on a fiction series that bubble might pop after starting the next book. Technically I tend to take actual longer-term breaks from that book/series then, and read several other books consecutively instead. Not sure if that still counts as simultaneous reading then.

[ps67]

Very seldom more than one.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by issybird

Right now I'm reading six, which is more than I'd like. One is rather a slog and it's going slowly.

My ideal is four. One audiobook and three books on the Goldilocks principle: one hard (generally serious history, etc.), one medium (a memoir or travel book, say) and one easy (a novel). But there are ramifications with all of these and it doesn't (frequently doesn't) work out. I'm especially susceptible to not feeling in the mood for anything I'm in the middle of, so I start yet another. But I always, in the end, will either finish a book or do an official DNF.

I also read about 4-6 books at a time. For me, the reason is that I read in many different languages. I like to combine my main two hobbies, reading and language learning.

If I'm in the mood for something in particular then I'll choose to read that. Otherwise I'll choose based on a difficulty principle, as well. I'll start with the most difficult book in my weakest language and then work my way down the list.

If I'm too tired to read something relatively simple even in my primary language then I know it's time to sleep

I also read comics/manga on the side in the languages I learn.

[Renate]

Dang, I just killed my last book so my count is zero.
Normally I'll read one book at a time, possibly with a chunk of a technical reference as a bit of a change-up.

[SeaBookGuy]

Right now: two audiobooks and three ebooks