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SO just out of pure curiosity, how do some of you read multiple books at a time? My poor brain can only deal with one!

SO just out of pure curiosity, how do some of you read multiple books at a time? My poor brain can only deal with one!

Tahlia #questionnaire

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71 Answers

Gabriela

My money is on sorcery

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Angela

Separate genres and wildly different stories. It’s no different than following several ongoing tv series really.

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Jacqueline

@Angela yep! Exactly what I came to post.

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Chelsea

^ What @Angela said. I’ve read up to 4 at once, but was only able to do so because each story line was completely different.

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Ashley

I usually read 2-3 at a time (usually every week) and i average 12 books a month. I usually have a book thats easy and light for in the morning with my coffee, a differant one for throughout the day, and another one that i read in bed at night before going to sleep.

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Caitlin

I find that it helps to have the books being extremely different for example –
1 YA
1 Classic
1 Fantasy
that way I stay interested in all of them and don’t get plots confused. It also helps to have 1-2 physical books and 1 ebook or audiobook. It wasn’t until a year or so ago that I was able to read multiple books at a time

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Lisa

I’ve always been good at compartmentalizing. I always have at least two at once – one audio and one standard. Sometimes an e-book as a third.

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Stephanie

I read across genres. I’m always reading one ebook and one physical book. Sometimes ones easier, sometimes the other

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Victoria

I can only do so if the books are pretty different. For example, I read Harry Potter, Pride & Prejudice, and Fahrenheit 451 at the same time, but books that are too similar are difficult for me.

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Jen

I find if I read different genres. Or if Im reading one, I can listen to a different audiobook (not at the same time tho! Lol)

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Kelsey

I only read two at a time. And they’re usually pretty different. I only read off of my Kindle when I’m at the gym and then read actual books at home so I think that helps me separate too.

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Verena

Usually, I do: different genres and languages if possible, but most important different reading time. For example, one just before bed and the other one during the day.

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Autumn

I read a physical book and then I have an audio book I listen to in the car on the way to work.

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Amanda

i do the same thing!

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Katy

Did a degree in English literature so did up to 4 books a week. Was hard work but I had a set time to read each book each day.

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Amber

I can only read multiple books if they are different genres.

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Megan

I have no idea how I do it, it makes all my loved ones mad. Doesn’t matter the genre. I guess my brain just works that way. Makes no sense.

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Nikki

I read one book in English and another book in French. Must be different genres as well. I mostly do two physical books but sometimes I can do a 3rd one but as an audiobook (for when I’m driving). ?

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Sierra

I can never do multiple fantasy books at the same time. Usually I have one fantasy that I read at night and a nonfiction that i listen to during the day

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Meg

I can’t do more than one at a time really. Often though if a book is boring me a little bit I will stop and read something more exciting and then go back to the other one after.

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Diana

I listen to an audiobook while driving and during my commute (i find it similar to a podcast) and a physical book at home ?

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Cele

A couple of chapters in one, put that down, then a couple of chaoters chapters in another, and so on.

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Becca

I read one hard copy at a time, and also have an audiobook that I listen to at work and in the car. It’s a good way to read two books at once, but it doesn’t give me a headache ?

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Stephanie

I can read more than one at a time but i couldn’t tell you how. I’ve just always read more than one book?‍♀️

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Melissa

Audio and reading

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Barbara

When I do that is because I am torn and I just read one of the other until one of them catches my attention completely, then I abandon the other for later?

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Krix

I read very different kinds of books. I have a max of three on the go at a time: non-fiction, classics, and general fiction

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Diana

I have a physical book and an audiobook going at all times. I can’t (or just don’t want to) have more than one physical book going at once. It’s not for me.

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Jerrica

I’ve just always read multiple books at once. Genre doesn’t matter, I just have a knack for it I guess ?‍♀️

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Barbara

It’s like that part of your brain when you were in high school or college and had to prepare for different, unrelated classes. I typically have 2 going, but currently I’m reading 3.

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Angela

I choose books that are vastly different from one another. I always have a physical book, an ebook on my phone and an audio going but I often throw in some type of nonfiction book that I can pick up and read a few pages and walk away. Or short stories, etc.

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Harry

One book is read for 30 minutes every morning with my coffee before heading off to work.
Another book is brought to work and read during down time.

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Erin

I always had to read school books and the books I wanted to read after school at the same time. I just got used to reading a serious book and a fun book together.

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Michelle

I read very different types of books at the same time. I think that’s why it works.

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Michelina

I always have an audio book and at least two regular books. Usually one is more serious than the other.

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Kate

Compartmentalization. Similar to watching several different television shows, each book occupies a different section of my mind

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Jessica

I read one audiobook and one physical book at a time. Audiobook is normally playing while I’m cooking though.

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Heather

I do this too! I like to listen while I’m doing things around the house or on my commute.

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Tennie

One audio and one physical book

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Sarah

I usually always read a new book but have a book i have already read on days when my anxiety is bad, its like having something familiar around

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Alyssa

I have different ones for different reasons. Generally one for work, one for fun, and one for education. I’m also just good at multitasking and concentrating on multiple different things at once.

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Marissa

Usually I read varying different genres so they don’t get confusing

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Marissa

Also I kind of have to- being a lit major ?

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Melissa

I have one book I read on my Kindle before bed and when I wake up (on the weekends), one physical book, and one audiobook. Usually the topics are pretty different so I can keep them straight. For example, I’m reading “Rejected Princesses” on my Kindle, “No Shortcuts to the Top” as a physical book, and “Frankenstein” as my audiobook.

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Estela

My husband asks me the same thing. I tell him it’s no different than keeping all his fave tv shows’ storylines straight.

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Bethany

Me.

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Laura

I have adhd and I usually have a few books on the go at the same time, when I get tired of one I bounce to another and then go back to the one I was originally reading, it helps me quiet down my brain haha but yes it can sometimes get confusing

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Ann

I have 3 books going
-one physical book. (For when I’m hone.
-one on my phone for when I’m at work and have down time.
-one on audio for when I’m driving.

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Beatriz

I can’t even read while playing a videogame… I can’t fixate the story properly

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Miranda

I’m reading like 5 right now.

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Abbi

I have two books and a comic I’m reading right now. I just pick up whichever one I am in the mood for at that moment. I read ebooks at work mostly and I read my physical book at home and I read comics whenever I feel like it. Of your issue is getting plots and characters and stuff confused, it helps if you read books that are different genres.

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Angela

They are always very different types of books so I don’t get confused. I Iike a variety of genres and always have a true crime going.

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Lorey

I can only read one book at a time, too!

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Adrienne

I can’t. If I’m listening to an audio, I might keep a book of short stories handy for when I’m lounging on the couch at nighttime don’t want to listen. But I cannot really immerse myself in more than one story at a time. I’m always amazed by how many people can.

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Morgan

I can’t block read one book at a time and I’m spoiled for choice. I always come across another book I want to read and at it to my pile.

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Cristy

If you plan on reading multiple books, try them in diff. genre. So that you won’t get confused, think of it like your watching a diff tv series. ☺️

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Brianna

Make sure they are different genres. It also helps to not read more than one book with a ensemble storyline at a time. For instance if I’m reading GoT I make sure another book is not a fantasy and has one consistent narration line.

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Alysha

Different genres and/or different formats. That’s the only way it works for me.

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Amy

I always have a copy of Alice in Wonderland with me as my purse book, while my kids and I sit to read together as many nights a week we can (atleast each weekend night) which is currently Howl’s Moving Castle. But as their ages vary I also read 10min books like The Wolf’s Chicken Stew or a few tales from Aesop’s Stories (and so on and so forth) on nights we don’t have time to read for a couple hours. Then I also read manga, currently reading The Ancient Magus’ Bride, but I love far too many to list here. I also read the Harry Potter series to help my one son with any words/spells he couldn’t sound out, as well as Mrs. Peregrines Children and A Wrinkle in Time series’ to refresh my brain so as to be able to answer questions my eldest had while discussing the books. And this doesn’t even included the other 3 Alice in Wonderland themed series books I reread on a regular basis while reading a new book every couple months…(Alice in Deadland, Alice in Zombieland, Insanity) In fact I’ve been told I’m worse than a Bookworm, so I’d surmise that makes me a Bookdragon??‍♀️
Not sure how I keep track, but the different genres may be what helps.
?????

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Cathline

@Amy dang!! that’s awesome!

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Amy

@Cathline Thank you! As a kid books were my sanctuary, and as I’ve gotten older I find comfort knowing I always have my books. I just got lucky that my kids all love reading as much as I do

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Kevin

I read across formats (physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks) and I read different kinds of books. If the books I read were all substantially the same, there’d be no point in reading more than one at a time. Right now I’m reading a spy novel, a humor/sci-fi book, and two books of classic short stories/novellas, but they’re by different authors with different aesthetics and focuses. Prosper Mérimée is a Romantic through and through, often dealing with bandits and other disreputable characters, whereas Henry James is much more of a literary realist, with minute character studies of wealthy or upper-middle class Americans abroad or at home who are all too reputable and constrained by these arbitrary and rigid codes of conduct in society.

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Hailey

i get super bored very easily and struggle to focus, so i never read just one book at a time (i’m currently reading about eight books right now). i think it’s really just how my brain works!! i always have a million things going on at once and never mix them up, and it works for me!

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Danielle

I currently have four on the go. Two collected editions of comic books which I read digitally. They are both kind of intertwined to tell one story, though. Then there are two paperbacks which I alternate between during my weekly volunteer shifts. They’re both non-fictions on different topics which is helpful in getting them straight.

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Myrthe

I always have between two and six on the go. Only one of them is a novel, though. Otherwise, I have to switch too much between ‘book worlds’, characters and storylines. The other books are always a mix of nonfiction, short stories and essays.

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Sofia

Well I usually have one on my kindle app, one as a physical copy and one on my scribd app

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Portia

I tend to read non-fiction alongside fiction, that definitely helps me not get mixed up with plot lines!

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Katie

I’ve recently got into NetGalley so I’ve started reading one physical book and one e-book…I try to make sure they are different genres or fiction/non-fiction so I don’t get them mixed!

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Laura

Different media physical, kindle and audio and I try to do different genres so I don’t get confused.

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Justine

I always want to read so I have an audiobook for when I have to do things and a physical for when I want to relax. I also pick up a lighter physical book for when I don’t have much time and the other book is dense

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Justine

I always want to read so I have an audiobook for when I have to do things and a physical for when I want to relax. I also pick up a lighter physical book for when I don’t have much time and the other book is dense

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