THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion

true.

I don't think I have ever read just one book at a time. I have a car book (for getting stopped by trains), a bedroom book (for nights), a work book (lunch and breaks), a living room book (I cant live in the bedroom), and usually one or two miscellaneous or something that has captivated me.

Yep. One everywhere. :)

And now that I have an iPhone, I have 35-40 books with me at all times!!

I have 15 books I'm reading now. I'm kind of in a reading "slump" so I just keep starting new books that sound interesting.

Wow! 15 books at a time. That is impressive. I usually have about 4 books going at a time. Like many others I can read many at a time as long they are of different genres. I have had friends say that recorded books don't "count because you aren't actually reading them. Any thoughts?

Edy wrote: "I have had friends say that recorded books don't "count because you aren't actually reading them. Any thoughts? "

The only audio books I have are Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia, but I do enjoy listening to them, particularly if I'm knitting or doing counted cross-stitch. I have a friend who loves to read and also gets lots of books from Audible.com. She enjoys the stories and I can't see it's any different to listen to someone read the book to you than to read it yourself.

Anyone who has ever actually listened to a great audiobook would disagree with that. I listen to audiobooks when I'm driving to work and back, and I enjoy them SO MUCH. You may not be looking at the words but your brain is still absorbing and processing the information. My only friends who criticize audiobooks are the ones that have never ONCE listened to one before. Why do you have to stare at letters on paper to take in an awesome story?

reading three- going well except 2 of the 3 take place in the 14th century so I tend to call my morning cereal "porridge" lately

I have had up to five going at a time. Sometimes I'll have them scattered in different rooms of the house - another in my purse... Or I may just go for spurts according to mood. I also may pick up some that are more of a deep read that I only read a few pages out of in one setting - while I may pick up a fluff book and read it all in one day.

Rick wrote: "reading three- going well except 2 of the 3 take place in the 14th century so I tend to call my morning cereal "porridge" lately"

Nice. Very authentic. :)

I'm trying to get back down to 3 at a time. :(
Currently, I'm reading The Mysteries of Udolpho (Ann Radcliffe), Nights at the Circus (Angela Carter), Wolf Haven (a book I won & need to review), The Weird Sisters (Eleanor Brown) just for fun, Those Who Save Us (Jenna Blum) for another book group and finishing up The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (David Mitchell)-to name the most pressing works.
I overwhelm myself-I enjoy (even need) to have 2 or 3 going but after 5 I start getting frantic.
And I can't blame anyone but myself! :(

Ellie wrote: "I'm trying to get back down to 3 at a time. :(
Currently, I'm reading The Mysteries of Udolpho (Ann Radcliffe), Nights at the Circus ([author:Angela Carter..."

curious how you find-The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet - was just sent a copy from the Publisher

Usually read three at a time. One fiction, one non-fiction and one book group book. I'm curious about The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet also, I know a few people who read it and some seem to love it while others say it is vastly over rated.

I'm doing good to read one book! Being an author, I have so many demands, it's nice just to sit and read to relax. Usually, non-fiction. Pick up fiction and I start getting creative - not good for inducing sleep. :)

Heck no! I am usually reading 3-4 books at one time, a deep intens jump out of your skin thriller, something lite to help me sleep, and one or two non-fiction. Currently reading How to Invest & History of the MidEast and two mysteries. I like to be able to move from one to the other so I always in the mood to read one of my books.

i dont know how people can read more than one book at a time.. :P i find that if i read two books at a time, i'll get more interested in one and forget about the other one.. :P i dont know if it's just me but yeah...

A lot of people seem to read before bed, I can't because morning comes before I put the book down. I have lost a lot of sleep that way.

I am one of those who only read one book at a time. Sometimes, however, I will sneak in a short story while involved with a novel.

Right now I have 6 books listed as reading. I am really reading about 3 or 4 of them. One of the books I seem to have misplaced.

It all depends on my mood and the type of book I am reading as to how many I read. Just the other week I was reading and just concentrated on that book.
This is the most books I have ever read at one time.

I always have one book in hand to read, and one audio book that I listen to in the car. I also may read a self-help type book also while I'm at it if it's something I want to look into. I tend to read comtemporary most times or similar and like to listen to mystery's or something like Stephen King in the car.

Don't read Stephen King at night at home, especially Insomnia.

Robin wrote: "Don't read Stephen King at night at home, especially Insomnia."

Agreed! That's akin to watching Psycho before taking a nice shower!

I know.LOL

When I was younger I'd try to have two or three novels on the go but then I'd give way to the most enjoyable and read that one out.

I found that for me reading more than one novel at a time was detrimenntal to my appreciation of a work of literature.

At school we had to read two or three works at a time. However, I prefer to read one just novel at a time. I can however read a short story alongside it. And as for non-fiction, I can dip in and out whenever the fancy takes me alongside whatever fiction I happen to be reading.

Yes, I only read one book at a time. Always have and always will! I like to get lost in one world at a time, haha.

I usually have two books going at once--each very different from the other, e.g. mystery & nonfiction. Occasionally I'll have three, but if one title lingers too long without my moving the bookmark, then I figure I must be done with it. It goes on my "didn't finish" list.

On a weird twist, I only read one book at a time, but I sometimes write more than one at a time. I've been writing my third book in The Adventures of Guy series for over a year and over the same period completed two entire novels.
norm
www.normcowie.com

currently reading a thriller, a buddy read (Name of the Rose), a James Masoner's Book (Review to follow) and also I like to read several poems from my Norton Anthology before going to sleep- I especially enjoy Donne and Jonson

Nah I like to read at leas 2 books at a time. Because I kept thinking that if I can read 7 text books at once , most definitely can read 2 :D

Don wrote: "Nah I like to read at leas 2 books at a time. Because I kept thinking that if I can read 7 text books at once , most definitely can read 2 :D"

great point!!

I always have several books going. And I generally have at least one on my nook going at the same time. What can I say? I am addicted to reading.

Rick wrote: "Don wrote: "Nah I like to read at leas 2 books at a time. Because I kept thinking that if I can read 7 text books at once , most definitely can read 2 :D"

great point!!"

Thank mate! XD

I am a serial monogamist. When it comes to fiction, there is room in my heart for only one book at a time. With non-fiction, I'm all business. I've got at least five going at a time.

For me, I think I'm incapable of having two books being read at once. I'll have one book at hand and I'll try and finish it asap before continuing on to another book. The book feels more priceless and more special to me that way. :-)

I agree with Naseem. How can you love two at once?!

I try to be a one book person, but whenever I get books from the library, and if I find another book that I find compelling, like I just did, I chuck the other book I was reading and read the library book. I feel that I have a time constraint with library books over the books I have purchased.

I juggle a dozen books at a time. There are non-fiction and fiction books on the list. But I'm reading three novels for myself, depending on my mood. One is an acquaintance's book which I read out of courtesy and it requires alertness. Another is a romance, but it hasn't grabbed my attention, so I read it off and on. The third is pure enjoyment which I use to reward myself for good work finished. I also read the required books my children are reading for school, since I homeschool them.

Robin wrote: "I try to be a one book person, but whenever I get books from the library, and if I find another book that I find compelling, like I just did, I chuck the other book I was reading and read the libra..."

That happened to me, Robin. I had started reading a book I purchased, but then I looked at the due date of the book on top of my library pile. So I had to read that. It turned out that there were several library books that I had to prioritize and I didn't get back to my purchased book for a couple of weeks.

I read books one at a time, actually. But sometimes I stop and read another book -- which is more interesting.

I feel that the library books do take precedence over bought books, but I never know when a book I borrowed will become available. I do know that I have a huge wait before I get to some of these newer novels, though.

The Mysteries of Udolpho; Madame Bovary; Lord Jim God help me! Saint Maybe;Love the One You're With and constantly working on Correct Spelling Made Easy Constantly writing spelling words in my notebook. Grandson thinks I am crazy to do homework without school

Absolutely not. I read two to three at a time, AND am usually writting two books at the same time. Perhaps I need therapy!

I keep a book in the car, at work, and another in the bedroom, so Im never bored.

I can only read one book at a time. Unless it's like an instructing book, like right now I'm reading "drawing on the right side of the brain" and I can read any other book along with that.

Rick wrote: "I find that readers can be divided into several group' Genre being the most obvious. I, like so many on here, love many types of books- and also have a TBR list longer then the Nile River!! I am a..."
I generally have 3 stacks going. One with books that don't require a great deal of concentration; one where I know I am going to take notes from and record my thoughts about; and the third one is the borderline books that have to engage me more or are going to the reject pile soon.

Normally I have more than one book going. Usually one from every genre I like so that I can decide which genre I like to read before I go to bed. So it can happen that I have six or seven books in my 'currently reading' list. I love to 'travel' between stories, universes and times so that I can't read just one book at a time. But it happens very often that I get so fascinated by one of the books that I keep reading that one and the other have to wait a few more weeks. *laugh*

I usually have 2 books on the go, occasionally 3; always one on my Kindle and a paperback in my bag, sometimes a PDF on my MAC if I'm reviewing. I like to flit between stories.

I've become a fan of audio books and listen to one when I'm doing routine chores like watering my plants or folding laundry. I have many non fiction books on the go at once and stop when I want to ponder something or apply what I have learned.

I haven't gotten any audio recently, though have reserved some at the library. I usually have one or two, but not concurrently, only if one is kind of boring,will I resort to reading the second one.