Reading eight books at once
Whenever this comes up I feel a bit of an oddball, yes, I have eight books on the go right now. Somewhere between six and ten generally. But look, Jo Walton has sixteen in a meticulously organised system. How to read sixteen books at once at all times at Reactor Mag. It's a great read.
Writing out the rationale for my system exposes the fact there is little in the way of a rationale so here is the current state of affairs as of writing this, which may not be the state of affairs tomorrow.
- The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier via my library app, on my phone or tablet. This is my 'main' read - if someone asked what I was reading I would say this.
- The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes. Physical book, nonfiction. Or maybe I would say this also, depending on the person asking.
- The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. Audiobook from the library.
- Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen. Online, on my tablet. There's only so much sixteenth century poetry I can handle in one sitting.
- Villette, via my Kindle app, on my phone or tablet. Reading with my wife. As in, I read it out loud whenever she fancies, usually for a bit before bed
- Island Builder by Andrew Karevik. Kindle app, usually on my phone. It's my 'for funsies' pick. I like to have something light I can read if I've only got five minutes.
- Les Trois Mousquetaires. Audiobook, in French.
- Elle et lui by Marc Levy. Physical book, in French.
I'm not sure if this is massively representative? Probably it is. Highlights the general trends.
I'm getting better at audiobooks but I can't listen to nonfiction. I don't even massively like getting nonfiction ebooks from the library. I need to make lots of notes.
Learning French is responsible for two books. I try to have one at least. My listening is much worse than my reading (in fairness, this is true of my English also) so audiobooks are good for me.
Confession: I've not bought an ebook from Amazon in over six months but I am still subscribed to Unlimited so I read free ebooks - for now, I am clearing a backlog.
There's usually something dense, at the moment The Faerie Queen. That I can take slowly. I just got done with a gothic kick, for instance.
Right now there's only one nonfiction, which is the least typical part. I've been reading a lot of biographies recently as well.
This way I always have something I can pick up that suits my mood and the situation. Some books will linger here for months, some for two days. I don't get bored at least.
I'd really like to get better at talking about books. I'm trying to work on a style that feels good.