How many books can you juggle?

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How many books do you have going at once, right now? How many can you juggle comfortably without mixing up plot, characters, etc. I usually have two in my locker at work and three at my bedside. Right now, at work, I am reading The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and another called CHANCE In the House of Fate, a Natural History of Heredity. At home: The Kills; The Winter Queen; and, Running With Scissors.

― pepektheassassin (pepektheassassin), Saturday, 27 March 2004 07:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm reading three books now. The Occult by Colin Wilson when I'm preparing to sleep, Born to Win: Transactional Analysis With Gestalt Experiments by Muriel James, et al while eating and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown whenever I find some extra time.

― Fred, Saturday, 27 March 2004 11:03 (twenty-two years ago)

It depends on the subjects, really... I've got two graphic novels, two nonfiction and one fiction novels going right now. If it's a heavy subject (one book I'm going to dig into soon, "From Digital Divide to Digital Democracy"), that number will go down to around two or three books at one time.

― yesabibliophile (yesabibliophile), Saturday, 27 March 2004 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

That's funny- for me, the heavier the subject matter, the more books I'll be willing to take on. If the book is lighter, more addictive fare, then I'll have a tendency to burn through that one book, leaving the rest to the side. But if it's heavier stuff, I'll need a break, and will jump to multiple books to change things up. Usually I guess I juggle about four or five books. Right now: the Outfit, about Chicago mob, Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Chabon, Quicksilver (which I can see after 50 pages is going to take a year to read), East of Eden (just keep any damn oprah comments to yourself, I'm trying to bone up on "classics"), and a Mike Royko collection.

― tomlang (tom), Saturday, 27 March 2004 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

not more than three, it'd be easier if they were round

― tom west (thomp), Sunday, 28 March 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

...

― tom west (thomp), Sunday, 28 March 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

At the most I can comfortably read 4 books at a time, though I try not to read the same genres at once. When I get to the last 50 pages or so, I tend to focus on that particular book to finish it.

― Karen King (Karen King), Sunday, 28 March 2004 01:07 (twenty-two years ago)

re: it'd be easier if they were round
:}

― yesabibliophile (yesabibliophile), Sunday, 28 March 2004 02:13 (twenty-two years ago)

yesabibliophile,

Provided they're well balanced. :)

Four at the most. My new limit.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 29 March 2004 05:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I think transposing characters from book to book can add to your enjoyment. Proust can be a slog, but read a little Kerouac alongside, merge the two together and you have 19th century French dinner parties attended by drugged up losers in search of the American dream. Hmm, madeleine cakes, coated with dubious looking sugar.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Monday, 29 March 2004 07:47 (twenty-two years ago)

After christmas i had six books on the go. It took me till febuary to read them all.

― sally (sally), Monday, 29 March 2004 10:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I like to read just one at time.

― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Monday, 29 March 2004 11:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Me too. I get confused like when I read 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Lady' by Henry James Joyce, about the author's youth as a transvestite in 19th century Dublin.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Monday, 29 March 2004 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Jerry, have you read Vernon God Little Dorrit? Young American kid accused of high school massacre in 19th century London.

I think this deserves its own thread.

― Mikey G (Mikey G), Monday, 29 March 2004 13:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Twelve. Blindfold. Audience participation, the lot. With a cigarette. Available for hire on [no outside sites please]. Shit. My patter's quite good.

― Dorien Thomas (Dorien Thomas), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Nipper, that is soooo great: Henry James Joyce! You are GOOD!

― pepektheassassin (pepektheassassin), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Disclaimer: I nicked that gag, many years ago in a dark alley, from Emo Phillips.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 30 March 2004 21:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, good ole Emo. How many books I can juggle depends on how different the writers are: there's no confusing Wilde, O'Rourke, and the Sandman.

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

yesabibliophile,
Provided they're well balanced. :)

Four at the most. My new limit.

-- Michael White

* * *

Certainly, as you don't want some lightweight fiction floating about when you're worried about dropping the serious literature on your head... ;D

― yesabibliophile (yesabibliophile), Wednesday, 31 March 2004 15:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The answer for me is currently three, one work related, one book (Henderson the Rain King by Bellows) and one in Electronic format on the PDA (Picture of Dorian Grey)

― oblomov, Sunday, 4 April 2004 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I take it you're all fiction freaks then. Can't read fiction since my life turned into one.

But my answer would have to be: all the ones I've started but never finished.

― Dorien Thomas (Dorien Thomas), Wednesday, 7 April 2004 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm currently in the middle of thirteen books. the breakdown: one 19thc. novel, one big silly mystery novel, one novella, one play, one memoir, one book of lit crit, one book of poems, one book of naturalist writings, one of prose selections, four books of short stories.
if i'm reading more than one novel, it's usually because i've gotten bored of one, started another, then gotten bored of that one and gone back to the first. but i can read a lot of different short stories at once.

― naturemorte, Thursday, 8 April 2004 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

My friend Lee is on: (take it away, Lee)......

A collection of Welsh short stories by Rhys davies, entitled, 'A Human Condition.' Two biographies, one on Samuel Beckett and another on Katherine Mansfield. Three non-fiction titles regarding the history of Wales ; the history of the Rhondda in particular. A collection of stories by Maupassant, Checkov and Katherine Mansfield. Lord of the Flies by William Golding and James joyce's, 'A potrait of the Artist as A Young Man, thus satisfying my craving of short stories, local history, pleasurable-reading and...well, just my regard for James Joyce really. Did I mention that I've just re-read Dubliners also? I do not juggle these books, they juggle me!

― Dorien Thomas (Dorien Thomas), Thursday, 8 April 2004 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

He's my mate, Lee.

― Dorien Thomas (Dorien Thomas), Thursday, 8 April 2004 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

WOW! I am IMPRESSED, guys! You are all awesome.

― pepektheassassin (pepektheassassin), Saturday, 10 April 2004 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Since I proofread for a living, I always have one book I'm reading for pay, and at least one in my tote bag to read on the subway and wherever else I have some time. Meanwhile there are at least three sitting by the bed that I've read part of and haven't gotten back to (all hardcovers--not so easy to tote).

― Carol Robinson (carrobin), Monday, 12 April 2004 20:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Shit! I really have a problem. I'm reading Problem from Hell, The Tipping Point, Confederacy of Dunces, American Studies by Louis Menand,and some Stephen J Gould collection. I need help. (I also just ditched Tender is the Night halfway through -- got bored).

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Tuesday, 13 April 2004 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm reading six books of the same Italian writer. His name Paolo Nori. He wrote 6 books and I think it's really toxic reading in the same time... It makes me crazy...but very funny. titles: Le cose non sono le cose; Bassotuba non c'è; Spinoza; Diavoli; Grandi ustionati; Si chiama Francesca questo romanzo, Gli scarti.

― Bed, Wednesday, 14 April 2004 10:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Two biographies, one on Samuel Beckett and another on Katherine Mansfield

I used to always think that Katherine Mansfield was a Jane Austen character, so even now I'm looking at your answer and wondering why someone would devote a whole book to some fictional character whose book I've never even read.

I often have more than one book on the go, especially if one of the books I'm reading is hardback. As Carol points out, they aren't so bus-friendly. But usually I'll have a boring-but-worthy book on the go at the same time as a fun one.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 14 April 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

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