1. chronicler

    chronicler New Member

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    One at a Time?

    Discussion in 'Discussion of Published Works' started by chronicler, Aug 7, 2011.

    Does anyone read more then one book at a time? No, I don't mean you hold two books and read them together at the same time...

    I usually only read one at a time, however the last few books have hit a dry spell (either my interest in the part or just plain dry) and have debated about starting another while I plug thought the boring parts.

    I fear that I would loose out on the total enjoyment of both books, cheating myself in a way. Does anyone here read more then one book at a time?
     
  2. Mr Mr

    Mr Mr Active Member

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    I read several at a time. Usualy because I leave them in different places around the house :p
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I often do. At any given time, I can be alternating between a couple works of fiction and a few nonfiction works.
     
  4. chronicler

    chronicler New Member

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    Any you manage to keep all the details straight? Maybe my memory isn't as good as it used to be
     
  5. Eunoia

    Eunoia Contributor Contributor

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    I usually read one book at a time. However, if I do lose interest in what I'm reading, I'll read something else and then come back to it afterwards.

    I don't really want to dip into one world and then another and go back and forth between them really, particularly if it's fiction.
     
  6. AllThingsMagical

    AllThingsMagical Member

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    I find myself getting confused if I try and read more than one book at a time. I tend to give up and concentrate on the one I'm enjoying more anyway. My friend however has a book to read in breaks at work, a book to read at home and another one when she loses either of the previous two - which is a fairly common occurrence apparently.
     
  7. Sundae

    Sundae New Member

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    I prefer to read one book at at time and was this way for years, but had to adapt to learning how to learn and enjoy reading several books at a time once I started University and had reading requirements in which I need to read several books at a time.

    I now read practically all the time. I have certain books that I pick up anywhere, anytime on my phone/kindle, I have a different book in my car, and then I have several at home.

    What I have done (made a requirement for myself) is save the books that I'm truly interested in and find myself caught up with for home only. The rest of the books that I can pick up from anywhere, at anytime are either light entertaining reads, research purpose books, or something that I don't mind being constantly interrupted through at various times.
     
  8. Shadowstar

    Shadowstar Member

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    I used to read one book at a time but I started reading two or three at a time so when I get to a boring part I can switch.

    I've only gotten things mixed up a couple times, but usually the books I'm reading are different enough so that doesn't happen.
     
  9. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    I am generally reading 5 to 7 works of fiction at any given time. Right now it is six. And 1 non-fiction. I alternate between them depending on what I'm in the mood for.
     
  10. hiddennovelist

    hiddennovelist Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah, I'm reading seven books right now. Different types for different moods...
     
  11. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    I do. I do it quite a lot.
     
  12. chronicler

    chronicler New Member

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    Seems like a lot of you are multi-readers.. Is there any advantage to multiple reads in terms of influence or researching writing styles, or is it just to stave off boredom?

    I usually alternate between genres with each new book, so multiple reading for me would be a variety of works.
     
  13. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I'm a multitasker. It's just who I am. I have a wide range of interests, and like to keep them all well fed.
     
    1 person likes this.
  14. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Same. Right now I'm on the phone, using the laptop and reading.
     
  15. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I'm on the laptop, watching STTNG on DVD, reading a funny novel, and starting the grill for dinner.
     
  16. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    I find multitasking easy to be honest.
     
  17. AJSmith

    AJSmith New Member

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    Though I am a multi-tasker in some ways, I struggle to read more than one book at a time. I struggle to even do non-fiction and fiction at the same time. Also, when I'm in a writing push, my reading dwindles.

    I would love to read multiple works while still writing but for some reason this is one of the areas where I become hyper focused and I can only seem to make myself devote to one. :(
     
  18. pattycat

    pattycat Member

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    I am not a multi-tasker at all, as my brain can only focus on one thing at a time. But I do read multiple books at once. I'm currently in the middle of 8-10 books (although my Goodreads page says I'm only reading one... I like to keep it looking clean and sane).

    Mostly I think its because when I get excited about a book (by seeing it on my shelf, hearing about it from someone else, etc.), I have to start reading it immediately. My Kindle also makes it way too easy for me to download something and just start reading, even though I should probably finish that other book first. So, I wind up going back and forth between books. It makes life exciting. :)
     
  19. skeloboy_97

    skeloboy_97 New Member

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    When i used to read junior fiction, i would speed through them, because they were so short, I would finish one and move on to the next. But, obviously, unless a novel is very captivating, it will take me a few days to get through. I will not read two at the same time due to the fact that I will always get the plots and characters mixed together. So, yes, i only read one piece of writing at a time.
     
  20. skeloboy_97

    skeloboy_97 New Member

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    Oh Nice :)
     
  21. dizzyspell

    dizzyspell Active Member

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    I used to read a lot of books at once when I was younger, but now I'm a faster reader and it doesn't often take me longer than 3 or 4 hours to read most books.

    If there's a longer book I'm reading, it will (obviously) take me longer to finish, so I normally have one long book that I return to periodically, while I read a shorter book once every two or three days. It's good fun.
     
  22. diluvian

    diluvian New Member

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    I used to, but now I won't unless (1) I'm forced to by school, which happens often, or (2) I'm really dragging my feet about the book I'm "reading." I've been doing this recently to Bukowski, and, technically, I've been reading the Fellowship of the Ring for the last ten years or so. Yeah, I returned it to my bookshelf, temporarily defeated, but there's still a bookmark wedged in it. It counts.
     

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