I Read 20 Books At A Time #IsThatWeird?
So this might be a random topic, but I want to know if other people read books like this as well. I’ve always been an avid reader since I was a kid, and I also happen to read particularly fast. Growing up I always saw my mom reading multiple books at a time, and so I gradually picked up on this practice myself as well.
As I got older, I saw and met a lot people who didn’t read the same way as I did. The conversation would go something like this:
Person: Hey there! What’s up?
Me: Nothing Much. Just reading a book.
Person: Oh cool! What are you reading right now?
Me: ….Well… I’m reading several books, but at this moment I’m reading the “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins.
Person: …..So you don’t just read one book at a time?
Me: Well…no…I like to read several books all at once.
Person: Well don’t you get confused? I mean, it must be hard to keep up with all of the different story lines.
Me: Not necessarily *insert explanation*
I then have to choose from the list of various reasons to help try to explain my “strange phenomenon” of reading so many books at a time. Such as the following:
- I’m a fast reader.
- I read all the time.
- I can finish the book in a day or two and would like to savor it, so I read other books as well.
- I’ve been reading like this forever.
- I’m an English Major (this usually get’s a response like: “Oh! Now I see why! You’re an English major. Reading is kinda your job.”)
Person: Okay…Well see you later! *looks like*
Me: *left looking and feeling like*
I understand that some people like to read and can only concentrate on one book at time. But I feel awkward when I always have to explain why I do so! Is it that uncommon? (I’ve had this conversation with readers and non-readers)
If that’s the case, I like being weird!
So my question is to all the book worms/readers out there: Do you read a lot of books at one time (if so, how many usually? And do you have a reason why?)
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I read quite a bit myself, but I don’t usually have more than 2 books actively going at once, because I do like to finish one thing before moving on to another. The two books will be very different (fiction and non-fiction, or fluff and very thoughtful, etc. This does not count those that I’ve started and didn’t get engaged enough in to finish. There might be three or four of those on tables and shelves around the house at any one time, until I get around to deciding to either finish them or put them in the bag to go to the used book sale. The exception to this is online serial fiction, where I can’t read all the way through (since it isn’t all posted at once) and there I might have 20 stories going at a time. When one of those gets updated, I usually have to backtrack a chapter to get reoriented, if it’s been a while. I don’t get them all confused usually though.
I understand. I also try to mix my books up too since I read a little bit of everything (genre wise). I also start a lot of books too and don’t get to finish them either cause I’m very busy or I have return the to my library. Online serial fiction is a whole other thing. I hate the long wait in between chapters. For those, I like to sometime read stories that are posted fully so I can read the entire story at my own pace without having to wait for a new chapter.
Hi Rachel 🙂
I’m usually one of those one-book-at-a-time readers, but I will occasionally read two books at a time if I get a new book (while I’m in the middle of something else) and I can’t wait to start it. I don’t think I’ve ever read more than two books at once though. If I were a really fast reader like you, I could see how you could read multiple books at a time to make them all last longer. I usually only read for an hour or two a day before I go to bed, and sometimes when the books at a really good part I’ll read all day. One book at a time works for me though, it’s easier to keep the characters straight, especially in a character loaded book like Game of Thrones (what I’m reading at the moment). If reading lots of books at once works for you: go for it! Don’t let people make you feel weird about it :)!
Thanks Emily!
I understand, especially when you’re reading a gigantic book such as “Game of Thrones” (Hope you’re enjoying it). That novel, for me, I would probably only read by itself since it’s very long and detailed. I don’t feel too weird about it as much as I used to, I’m kinda used to it and it doesn’t bother me as much. Lol! 🙂
Why would anybody want to read one book at a time? That’s boring! I’m always reading like four or five books. I swicht from one book to another depending on my mood, unless one of them is extremely interesting. In that case, I finish it in one sitting!
Haha, same with me. Glad I’m not the only one! 🙂