How Many #Books Do You Read At One Time? #amreading

Do you read more than one book at a time? In addition to the time I spend writing, the time I spend reading is some of the most satisfying in my day. And I have a confession: I've become a polygamist when it comes to reading. I read multiple books with abandon, and for the most part, keep the characters and plots straight in my head.



I haven't always been promiscuous when it comes to books. When I was a kid in Englewood, Ohio and had the utter joy of stocking up on books at the library on Saturday, I'd read (eat) them one at a time, back to back, almost without drawing breath. If I finished my stack of library books before Saturday rolled around again, I'd start over with the first book and continue on in linear fashion. But with the advent of e-readers and the portability of audio books, I had no problem giving up monogamous reading. At the moment, there are five books in the rotation, as follows:

On the Kindle: THE BLACK WIDOW by Daniel Silva (not the most action-oriented novel he's written, but interesting and timely)

On my Overdrive audio book app: BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR by Elizabeth Gilbert (an excellent listen for anyone who lives or is considering living a creative life of any sort)

On my nightstand in paperback: CRIMINAL by Karin Slaughter (I'm barely into this one, but I love Karin Slaughter and expect great things)

I'm using the Bible In One Year app, and I'll probably stretch that year into two years, maybe a little more, before I can claim having read the Bible from cover to cover (try as I might, I can't get into a regular enough routine to guarantee solid progress on this one - thankfully, the app didn't force me to start over when we rolled into the new year)

Also active on the Kindle: A YEAR TO CLEAR: A DAILY GUIDE TO CREATING SPACIOUSNESS IN YOUR HOME AND HEART by Stephanie Bennett Vogt (this also will take more than a year to finish, but I think whatever time I give this book will be worthwhile)

Although I love all forms of reading, they don't all get equal attention. Given that we live on a farm and spend a good deal of time outside, my Overdrive app gets lots of use. The second most used is probably the paperback on the nightstand because I can work in a few minutes of reading before turning out the light. Last is the Kindle, but one of the things I love most about it is that it's with me as long as my phone is with me, which is most of the time.


I'm curious to know if others are of the same promiscuous bent and honestly, I'd like to know if there are other ways I can work an additional book into my reading time.

So back to the original question: how many books do you read at one time? Is there one form of reading you prefer over others?


photo credit: Lester Public Library My Problem With Books via photopin (license)
photo credit: Sweet Carolina Photography 7/365 via photopin (license)