Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
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Why do people read a few books simultaneously?
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Most often than not, it's a format issue. I always have an audiobook going for commutes/work, a hard copy going for breaks and evenings, a digital for the bath (because it's easier to hold), and a short story on my phone for waiting rooms, etc. Lately I've been joining so many Buddy Reads that the start dates sneak up on me before I've finished other titles, so I set them aside temporarily to join the discussion. For what it's worth, I never push through books I'm not enjoying - all of my current reads are books I'm interested in.
Hope that helped lol. I have a hard time understanding how people can focus on one series at a time, let alone one book. I've been doing the juggling for so long, lol.
Mod
Well I know when I was in high school and college prep, I HAD to read books assigned to me for a class despite never liking them much, so I read the books I read for pleasure alongside the books for class; though admittedly I'm currently trying to read 2 books at once by my own will and I suppose it's mostly about pacing. I suppose a person would like to savor a book rather than rush through it, so they limit the number of chapters they could read for a particular book a day. I had a teacher who limited himself to a chapter a day and waited until midnight some days so he could read 2 chapters through. I'd guess that people who place such limitations on themselves would prefer to read another book or 2 rather than wait until midnight, but that's just a guess :P
Mod
1. I still read a lot of books from the library and if it's a large book I can't be bothered lugging it to work, so I'll either take my kindle or a small paperback to work to read during my lunchbreak. Hence I end up reading two books at once.
2. Whenever I've read a Malazan book I just can't read the whole thing at once. I need a break. Luckily each book to date has been divided into 4 smaller "books", so it's been easy to take a pause while reading the book, to read something else. I find the books so intense.
Thanks for your answers, that is really interesting! And thank you Nikki ^^As for myself, I tried once to read two books before I finished reading the first, yet, it was too strange and I couldn't keep up with that. When I'm reading, I can't stop until I'm finished with the series (and it has to be a trilogy or longer). Btw, don't you get confused with the characters and the stories while you're at it?
Mod
I haven't had any trouble with character or plot confusion, but I usually try to only read one of each genre at a time - one fantasy, one sci-fi, one ya, etc. it's an acquired habit lol. I used to read everything from start to finish - all the long series - but once I started working as a bookseller and was assaulted daily with all the books I wanted to read, it was all over. GR does that to you too haha.
Oren wrote: "Thanks for your answers, that is really interesting! And thank you Nikki ^^As for myself, I tried once to read two books before I finished reading the first, yet, it was too strange and I couldn't..."
Well in my case, I never did since the books assigned to me and the books I chose were totally different. I mostly had to read books by Caribbean authors for school so the settings were primarily tropical, while fantasy books are... well, fantasy! :)
For me, I have about 9 books on my currently reading list, mostly because I have ADD, and that carries over into my reading. Right now I'm reading The Eye of the World as a group read and I'm setting myself a pace of 30-40 pages a day since I have until the end of the month to finish it. During a section of the book that was particularly slow, I started reading The Fellowship of the Ring and I've been reading Mistborn: The Final Empire since about April. I'm liking Mistborn, but I find that I have to be in the mood for that book. Then at nighttime, I read my kids a bedtime story, so I'm part way through The BFG and The One and Only Ivan. Then sometimes I don't feel like reading fiction so I'm currently reading Celtic Legends: Heroes and Warriors, Myths and Monsters. Then I have two short story anthologies that I'm reading through before sleep or in the afternoon when I need a break from the kids, they are Rogues and L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 30. And then, last but not least, I'm reading The Lies of Locke Lamora because everyone says that is an amazing series so it's my "OMG HELP, I need a great escapist novel that I can fall on and lose myself in for a few hours because the world sucks and I need fictional awesomeness right now!" book! Those are my reasons, I hope they help!
I rarely read more than one book at a time, but if I do it's usually because I'm listening to an audio book for some reason, which is also a rare occurrence for me. I usually only listen to those on trips in the car.
Mod
I guess you mean GR, i.e "good reading"? If so, then although I had times that I wanted to read 3 or 4 really good series, I had to wait patiently until I finished each, in order to get to the next. It's definitely hard, but well worth it. However, I'm not as patient as it might seem, since I read a book in a week or so. When it's a series of 10 books or more, it gets me really excited from the beginning to finish it. It's bad to the point that I barely sleep 'cause of all the reading. :/
I read multiple books simultaneously for a few reasons. Firstly its an issue of format. My usual breakdown is 1 audiobook for my commutes, 1 print book and 2-3 ebooks.
Secondly its because I am trying to diversify my reading. I am a hardcore fantasy/SF reader. So at the moment I am doing a Classic book challenge, along with the r/fantasy Bingo challenge, plus I try to read some other stuff like historical fiction or non-fiction.
Thirdly I have annual TBR list of new releases. So one of my reading slots is dedicated to that.
Also I can get very impulsive and just randomly pick up a book I like so often I am reading that parallel to all the others.
Where is the fun with audiobook? If you're not into it, and need someone else to read it to you, then why won't you wait to read it yourself? All the fun of reading a book is that you can imagine the world without interruption, and sometimes without even remembering that you read the lines. Almost like having a dream.
I like audiobook because they force me to slow down and fully appreciate the world in the book. When I read books I sometimes find myself skimming over passages about the setting or background to move along the plot. It's nice to sometimes slow down and fully take in the world.
Mod
Where's the fun in audiobooks???!! The fun is being able to experience books when you wouldn't have time to read otherwise. Not to get dramatic on you, but they have changed my life! I used to be able to read only on weekends and maybe 15 minutes or so in the evening. This equal out to about one book a week. Since discovering audiobooks, I enjoy books ALL THE TIME! When driving, cleaning, working out, drawing - with audiobooks the book world is your oyster, lol. Not to mention they saved me from going crazy when suffering from and eye strain injury for two years.
If you can't tell, I'm an audiobook fan, lol. I still love sitting down with a hard copy too, so my love is not mutually exclusive. :)
I generally read only one book at a time. When I do have multiple books going, it's usually either because:a) one of them is an old favorite that I'm rereading, and therefore want to savor and only read a chapter or two each night (plus, since I already know where the plot is going, there's no compulsion to "read just one more chapter to see how the cliffhanger resolves"), or
b) I find myself in a "mid-book funk", and therefore start a second book since I usually read more voraciously at the beginning and end of a story, or
c) One of them is non-fiction. I read non-fiction veeeerrryyy slowly, and it's usually some kind of Christian theology or apologetic.
Nikki- I just joined this group sounds like great fun!. I read your post and I completely agree that audiobooks has also changed my life. I still do a fair amount of reading on my Kindle specially as I can read in my cell phone and on my iPad but as I drive to work and sometimes even work out, audiobooks have been indispensable part of my daily life. I used to listen to all sorts of crap including news while driving and just got me stressed out! I turn on the audiobooks in my car, and I flyaway...it's pure awesomeness!
Mod
It doesn't matter what they are either and I find I don't burnout when I get to read 3 books at once. I need a break from a book, that means I read the other book!
More so, audiobooks has transformed all of my mundane tasks into magical ones. I can do housework without getting antsy because I'm not reading etc, and I can sew in my workshop until the wee hours and still have read half of a book in one night :)
I can't remember when I've read just one book at the time. I'm used to 'multitask' between 2 or more books. I have one for in bed, I have one for in my bag...Also I go frequently to the library besides buying books, so these I have to read first. If one book gets to boring , I put it aside for a while, I just read another one.
I was asking myself the same thing. I can do an audiobook and an ebook, but it's not my tendency to do so. I prefer to read one book at a time and immerse myself in that book. Juggling too many books at once sounds too much for me.And welcome to the group, Oren!! :)
Mod
As most people have said, it is about the format. I always have a minimum of 2 books going, but will have anywhere up to four or five at once. I've never had a problem with reading books of the same genre at once as long as I knock out a big chunk of the book right away (~100 pages).
Usually these are the formats I read in at one time:
1. Ebook on my phone. While I love print books, I don't want to buy up too many while living abroad, and my e-reader broke. I have a phone with a large screen so while not ideal, I can put up with it. Sometimes I read more than one of these at once if there is a group read happening.
2. Ebook on my computer. For when I am home so I don't have to look at my much smaller phone screen.
3. Audiobook. For when I am walking, doing the dishes, cleaning, cooking, etc. I just recently got into audiobooks and it takes a while to get used to, but now I can't believe what I was missing out on.
4. Print book. Again, I don't always have this because I don't want to buy too many books here and there is not much English selection at libraries.
5. A book I read at a book store. There's a sweet used book store near my house with a decent English section so sometimes I just go there, read a book and put it back. Sometimes this takes multiple trips to the bookstore and this is always a book I kind of wanted to read, but it wasn't really a high priority (again, selection issue for books I really want to read).
I'm exclusively a one book at a time guy because I honestly can't trust myself to finish 2 books at the same time like now I'm reading 2 books that are part of buddy reads but I didn't finish one due to stuff in my life and the other I haven't start yet due to being ill so it's a matter of just trying to finish it without getting distracted or too into one story over the other However I have started to read one or two graphic novels between each book since most of them take less than an hour to read and the graphic series I'm reading is very enjoyable so it breaks up the reading quite a bit
As to audiobooks I've never tried mainly due to not trusting my self with them since I'm always worried I'll miss something or skip over it and it will be a pain to go back but maybe I'll give it a go for a smaller book or so but yeah right now I try to read one book at a time
Some books I read for work and some for pleasure. I try not to juggle more than two but it happens sometimes when a) I hate the book I am currently reading and need to take a break lest I have a reading slump;
b) I have a very intense period at work and need to binge read on certain topic.
Mod
1. Book one something challenging or detailed that I need to pay attention to.
2. Something easy for when I'm tired or just want something light.
3. An audiobook for the car and when doing chores to take my mind off of the doldrums.
This is actually a great thread, Oren =]. Personally, it's a combination of things, because like many others I usually have a book that I'm listening to on audio (for my commute) and another book I am reading in print/ebook format. If you're wondering about the appeal of audiobooks, it's a good way to get reading in if you have a long commute. I listen while I'm driving, while I'm at the gym, and even while I'm at work sometimes, because I have a pretty relaxed desk job. I can listen to a book MUCH faster, because of that.
Another reading for reading more than one book at once, is because sometimes it's easy to get bogged down in just one book if it gets slow. Reading two or three at once helps mix it up a bit.
That's just my preference =].
Mod
Yes!!! Based on the books you've been loving lately, I think you'll like it here. :) And I agree - audiobooks really seem to take the stress away!
Mod
All the fun of reading a book is that you can imagine ..."
Did your sister say why she likes reading so many at once? :)
Oren wrote: "Where is the fun with audiobook? If you're not into it, and need someone else to read it to you, then why won't you wait to read it yourself? All the fun of reading a book is that you can imagine ..."
As a person who refused to read anything but print/physical books for years I had to change how I read books when I started working full time. Audiobooks area great way to pass the time in traffic and they have actually made me more motivated to go to the gym and take my dog for longer walks because the only way I can continue the story is if I listen to the book. :) If you get a great narrator audiobooks can be tons of fun. There have been a couple times where I just sat in my car or outside with my headphones in because I was at a really intense part of the book.
I used to be staunchly against audio books until I had so little time to read that it became my only option. Now, I honestly don't know how I went without them haha. Certain books I have even enjoyed more on audio!
I tend to read two at a time, and I keep them separate in my mind by having one be physical and one a kindle book. Any more than that and it's because I can't decide what to read!
Niki Hawkes wrote: "Did your sister say why she likes reading so many at once? :)"Yea, she said it's because she wants to read several books, and also because some books are boring. That's why I couldn't understand the point of reading so many, and I had to hear what others think about it.
All in all, I really like to read all those comments here, and get a glimpse as to how others enjoy their reading!
Thank you everyone for sharing!!!
I tend to always read 3-4 books at the same time. I just started ebooks and audio books, and that's an absolute life changer! It is so much easier to read books at the same time if they are in different formats, as many other people said here in the comments. That makes it easier to keep them separate in your head and not get all the stories confused.
Kayleigh wrote: "Oren wrote: "Where is the fun with audiobook? If you're not into it, and need someone else to read it to you, then why won't you wait to read it yourself? All the fun of reading a book is that you..."
I don't listen to audio - books or read e - books. I'm not against them, but I can't get used to it. I love to have the physical books, just the smell of it, the weight...I also don't have enough time to read, but still...
I think it depends from person to person. I think some people do it because it's a format issue (they don't want to take a certain book to work or school due to size, they read a audio book on the commute to work/school etc). I think that some people struggle with keeping focused on one book etc. I used to have two books going at once. I had one that I would read as a primary book and then I would have one in my livingroom that I would read there. A friend I have reads a number of books at a time and she says that she keeps a book in all the main areas in her house like the livingroom, bathroom and bedroom.
I think in the end it comes down to personal preference. I also sometimes wonder if people who read multiple books are able to complete books faster than people who read one? I've always felt that people would read faster if they read one at a time but after joining booktube I've seen people who are able to complete books super fast by reading multiple books at once.
@Jenna: I also have books in almost every room of the house and in my bag. I don't want to fall without. I think it depends on how many pages the book has to complete it faster as a multiple reader. It depends on what mood I'm in for which book I will read further.
Yes, the too little time, so many books theme. I pretty much am always reading two at a time. One in audio, one in print. Though lately I've been enjoying whisper-sync and doing both at once. Most of the time I'm cheap though and am mostly a library user and am doing one of each independently.For example, now I'm re-reading/listening to Way of Kings (though I have it in paperback too) and rushing to finish Forge of Darkness before reading Dancer's Lament.
Hmmm...reading more than 1 book at a time....yep...right now all on my Nook. Looking at my currently reading shelf i have two novels and 4 anthologies. Both novels are for reading challenges in another group. The first I am nearly finished with. I have less than 75 pages to go. It is an odd book as it only has 4 chapters. Chapter 3 is over 100 pages long and I am in the middle of that chapter now. The other novel is also a mystery and I am only just starting Chapter 2.The 4 anthologies include the Complete Sherlock Holmes, the first of the complete short stories of Louis L'Amour. I tend to read a story out of one of those between novels. The other are also mystery collections. Both are from the same publisher and contain stories in ongoing series I am reading. When I reach in continuity where the short story fits I read it.
Sometimes I have a real book going for the times the Nook is charging. I haven't gotten into audiobooks. In my head I hear Eric Idle as Rincewind in the Discworld series or Basil Rathbone as Holmes and it would be hard for the audiobook reader to overcome that.
I had that question too. I've tried doing it but I just couldn't. It's because when I read a book I just want to lose myself in its pages and I can't read another one simultaneously I feel like it's too much pressure, too muck to comprehend.
I only read one book at a time unless I have too for school. It just gets too confusing
@Slytherpuff I'm kind of the opposite. Unless I have school, I usually read at least 2 books. Problem is, I've gotten into the habit of reading just one. For me, it's mainly that I get easily distracted. It's not that the current book is boring, but that the other ALSO looks interesting, and I wanna get to it ASAP.
I don't do much audiobook since I listen to already a lot of podcasts but when I do it I can definitely read more than one book at the same time, with the other being an ebook or dead tree edition.I never read more than three books at the same time. My head would explode even though they are in different genres.
I always read 2 books at a time. One book from library and one on kindle so I can read in the dark putting my daughter to bed. LOL. I usually end up sitting in there for a while and want to have lights of so she will fall asleep.
Oren wrote: "Why would you read another book (or more :O ) when you didn't even finish the one you're still reading?If it isn't interesting enough, why don't you just stop?"
Firstly because moods vary. Sometimes I'm in the mood for grimdark posturing, other times I want humor and banter or I want fluffy emotional connections. A book I'm really excited to read today may end up feeling wrong tomorrow, and rather than abandon it, I prefer to shift to another genre for a while to reset my mind into the frame the first book requires.
I do abandon a LOT of books, since I don't have the "must finish must know" compulsion so many other people seem to have to contend with. But I try to give all of them a few chances before I do and genre shifting helps with that.
I read 4 or 5 books at the same time at the very least. Right now, I've got Fangirl, Crowns of Croswald, Kings of the Wyld, Magic Strikes, Assassin's Quest, Winston Churchill, Dear Aaron and more loosely Barchester Towers. That's because I'm a mood reader and my reading mood changes like all the time. Also since my reading slump this past couple years where I read a loooot of comics and mangas but not a lot of novels, I have trouble staying to long on the same book like I used to do. What I now like to do is read a couple pages from one, switch to another, go back to the first or switch to a third one, depending on the mood...
I'll often have 3 or 4 books on the go:1 x SFF book for myself.
1 x YA book to read with my daughter.
1 x Middle grade book to read with my son.
1 x non fiction book to read for professional/personal development (occasionally).
Because these are all different genres, I find that I am able to keep all the reading threads untangled :-)
But I think I would struggle a bit to read a number of adult SFF books at the same time :-)
Fantasy Buddy Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
The Eye of the World (other topics)The Fellowship of the Ring (other topics)
Mistborn: The Final Empire (other topics)
The BFG (other topics)
The One and Only Ivan (other topics)
More...
So, I've seen that there are some people who read a few books simultaneously, and I never understood that. My sister is doing the same thing with maybe 10 books but I just don't get it! Why would you read another book (or more :O ) when you didn't even finish the one you're still reading?
If it isn't interesting enough, why don't you just stop?