Obviously, this is not all in one go. I’m not like an octopus, with eight arms, a book in each one, eyes jumping between them all. However, lately I’ve really been a fan of reading multiple books at once rather than just one. I never used to do this when I was younger because I assumed I would hate it and to be honest, I read so fast that one at a time was enough. I wanted to write a little post about the books I’m currently reading and my reasons (because yes, of course, I have a system)!
Just before Christmas I started reading multiple books at once, mainly for studying purposes. I had to read academic texts and wanted to read some light fiction work too so it made sense to split between the two. I quit my master’s degree recently so the academic texts don’t come into it any more (unless I’m feeling particularly nerdy and still go read an academic book that sounds interesting).
Since I quit my master’s, I’ve been reading a lot more and accidentally made a system for myself which I realised was happening a few weeks later. I’ve generally been reading a non-fiction book and two fiction books. I’ve also had a trend of reading a book which is one you can dip in and out of – it doesn’t have a narrative or particular story. For example, Hannah Witton’s Doing It! and The Little Pocket Book of Mindfulness by Anna Black, the latter of which I’m currently reading at the minute. I’ll write more about that in my currently reading section later in this post! Doing It! is a really great example as it is so easy to just read a couple of sections you’re most interested in before going back to others later.
The other plus side of reading multiple books at once is that if you hit a stand still with one, you can just go straight into another for a little rather than abandoning it altogether. Sometimes it’s nice to not have to start a brand new book when you’re struggling with another.
Currently reading:
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
I’m enjoying this at the moment but I am probably going to start another fiction book to read too. Mainly because this is a hardback and I hate taking hardbacks out with me because I don’t want to ruin them and they’re super bulky! I mainly read this at home where I don’t have to lug it around in a bag and I can just curl up on the sofa or sit outside if the weather is warm to catch up with Scarlett and the mysteries of Caraval.
The Little Pocket Book of Mindfulness by Anna Black
This is such a wonderful little book that one of my best friend’s gave me for Christmas. It isn’t one to follow like a narrative or follow in order at all. I’m finding it to be a good beginner book if you want to find out about mindfulness and start practising it in everyday life. I love to read this when I have some time to spare and time to practice the suggestions. It’s a very calming read with some adorable little illustrations and fonts!
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
I had a bit of a standstill with this book before Christmas, mainly because I really didn’t want to read any non-fiction at that point. However, I got back into it again recently and I mostly read it on my commute to and from work. It’s a really amazing book; I’ve nearly finished it now (expect a review in the next few weeks) and making sure I use my commute to read it makes me look forward to carry on with it!
My next reads I’m planning on are:
- Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (Hardback fiction)
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Paperback fiction)
- Girl Up by Laura Bates (Paperback non-fiction)
Northern Lights is a reread but I last read the whole series when I was about 9/10 years old! I struggled understanding all of them when I was younger even though I did enjoy them so I’m interested to see what new things I find this time around. I’m unsure on which to read to dip in and out of at the moment after the Mindfulness one, but I’m not going to force it if I can’t find one! The best thing I’ve been doing lately is reading things I want to read, not things I feel like I should read.
Does anyone else enjoy reading multiple books at once or would you rather just stick to one?
The Little Contemporary Corner 
I was the same, I only ever used to read one apart from if I was studying one, but now I have nothing against reading more than one at a time! I often get hit with the feeling of wanting to read a couple of completely different books at the same time, and would limit myself to just one, but thought to myself…why? And I always choose books that are completely different, like a fantasy and a classic. I find I read more this way – sure it might take me longer to finish both, but then suddenly I’ll finish them both at the same time and my reading goal will boost up a lot ahaha 🙂
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It depends on what mood I’m in, usually. I’m reading two books at the moment and I think the key to reading multiple ones is that they are really different from each other. For instance, I’m reading Timeline by Michael Crichton (a sci-fi/historical adventure novel) and a book of William Faulkner criticism. (VERY different from each other!!) Reading more than one book at a time is a good way to keep things exciting!
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