avatarNick Baker

Summary

The author has discovered the benefits of reading multiple books simultaneously, which has led to increased reading frequency, enjoyment, and productivity.

Abstract

The author shares personal insights from their experience of reading several books at once, a habit they resumed after committing to read more. This approach has resulted in daily reading, as the variety of genres available caters to different moods and prevents reading fatigue. The flexibility to choose from multiple books has also introduced a positive pressure to make consistent progress, contrasting with the ease of neglecting a single book. Additionally, the author finds it easier to abandon books they don't enjoy and focus on those they love, leading to a higher quality of reading material. The practice has also seemingly improved memory through regular recollection of previous readings and has rekindled the author's enjoyment of fiction. Overall, the author has found this method to be more productive and enriching, with no intention of returning to reading just one book at a time.

Opinions

  • The author believes that having multiple books to choose from makes it easier to read daily, as it accommodates different reading moods.
  • They express that the "pressure" of multiple ongoing reads is a positive motivator for consistent reading, unlike the ease of ignoring a single book.
  • The author finds it liberating to be able to put aside a book they're not enjoying, knowing they have other options to turn to.
  • They suggest that reading multiple books can lead to discovering and focusing on truly enjoyable reads, which might not happen when committed to a single book.
  • The author posits that the need to recall previous readings when switching between books may contribute to improved memory.
  • They have rediscovered a love for fiction, which they might not have explored if not for the variety offered by reading multiple books concurrently.
  • The author values productivity and feels that this reading method allows for relaxation while still being productive.

4 Things I Learned From Reading Multiple Books at Once

It’s also not as hard as you think

Photo provided by author

I made a commitment to read more, and ended up going to my old habit of reading multiple books at once. Looking back, the times I’ve stuck to a single book at a time were also the times I read less frequently. If I wasn’t in the mood to read that specific book on that specific day, I wouldn’t. Sometimes that feeling would last for days, in which case I did little reading.

Now, looking back at the last few months when I’ve had multiple books going at once, I’ve spent at least an hour reading every night. Both because I’ve made a conscious effort to open and read a book, but also because I have so many to choose from.

The books I currently have a bookmark in:

Most are ones that I’ve started within the past couple weeks, but Sherlock Holmes is a collection of short stories that are easy 15-minute reads that I’ve been going through for a few months.

The informal rules I follow, when I feel like it, that is. So, really the loose guidelines of reading multiple books at once, are:

  • Once I finish a book, I can then choose to either focus and finish another, or open one that I’ve been wanting to start.
  • Pick up at least one book every day. I mean, I have multiple open so I need to be making progress on one of them.
  • Use the amazing “Try a Sample” feature on Amazon Kindle. This saves me from buying/renting books I don’t like.
  • Have a designated book for nighttime reading. Something that doesn’t make my mind race when I put it down. And nothing scary.

Having multiple books open at once, and trying to follow the rules listed above, has ultimately led to me reading more, the first major benefit I’ve noticed.

Reading More

The bottom line is when I read multiple books at once, I read more. And there are many reasons for this. Having more options of what to read makes it easier to read. I can pick-up something to read for 15 minutes, or grab something different and read for an hour. I can open something that’s fantasy, or a mystery, or a biography, depending on what mood I’m in. Essentially, there’s always a book I want to be reading, because I have so many choices.

Then, there’s the pressure of feeling the need to always be reading. To always be making progress so I can finish a book, thus allowing me to start a new one. I’ve found that when I’m reading just one book at a time, it’s much easier to ignore it for days at a time. When I have five books going at once, taking a few days off means I’ve ignored five books, not just one. Although the end result is really the same, the psychology is the difference. I’m not comfortable procrastinating when the “workload” is higher.

Now, this is far different pressure or workload than that of my job. This is free time pressure of something I enjoy. If reading led to the same stress as other things, it simply wouldn’t be enjoyable. This is a positive sense of urgency to always be making progress on one book, where I can choose what that one book is.

Reading Better Books

This may seem backwards since I’m always reading multiple books at once, which means the likelihood of reading bad books is higher. Yet, I find it’s much easier to put down or put away a book I’m not enjoying when I have three or four others I can open. Whereas when I’m working on a single book at a time, I feel the pressure to finish it so I can move on to one I actually enjoy. This is the bad kind of pressure.

If I haven’t touched a book for a few weeks it probably means I wasn’t really enjoying it. Normally, it would have been one I felt the need to finish just so I could move on. But, when I already have others open I can just put it aside and either get back to it when I’m ready to just put it on the shelf.

Then there’s the point I already touched on. If I fall in love with a book, like I did with Breaking the Two Party Doom Loop, I just do a sprint finish and focus almost all my attention on it. Plus, it was a rented book from the library with a return-by date.

Improving My Memory

When I put a book down for a few days, and then pick it back up in Chapter 6, I have to do a memory jog to remember where I left off. Sometimes this means sitting and thinking for a few minutes, other times it’s reading the last few paragraphs in the previous chapter. This helps me remember what just happened, as well as some key points that led to it.

When switching between three, four, or five books at a time I’m always looking back and trying to remember what I previously read. Now, this isn’t scientifically proven. Well, they do say reading in general can improve your memory, or at least slow down the decline of losing your memory. So… reading multiple books… maybe even better at improving my memory?

What I do know is that personally I’m spending more time using my memory to think back on what I’ve read, sometimes multiple times in one day. Although I am still a physical book lover, looking back at highlights in an ebook has really helped me follow along with a book and really hone in on some of the key things I’ve recently read. Mostly, I’m highlighting in nonfiction books like How to Be an Antiracist or Tools of Titans.

I Actually Enjoy Fiction

Which is a curious thing to realize from just reading multiple books at once. I grew up reading fiction, since that’s what most children and young adult books seem to be, but for most of the past decade my book of choice has been nonfiction or biographical. And when I’m only reading one book at a time, of course I’m going to stick to what I love.

What helped get me to this realization started with a book that was a gift, and also technically nonfiction. The Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Gramm is historical, but given the murder-mystery in it, it reads like fiction at points. Now, as I make my way through Bag of Bones, I’m remembering how easy it is to get sucked in by a good fiction story.

If it wasn’t for taking on a few books at once I probably would have continued my ways of playing it safe with books I could learn something from, instead of something to simply enjoy. It turns out there are good and bad fiction books, I just need to find the good ones.

No Going Back

Now that I’m reflecting on what I learned from reading more than one book at a time, there’s no way I’m ever going back. I’ve learned things about myself and become more creative and energized about my own writing. Then there’s the thing I value and judge most of my days by, productivity. Reading is something I can relax and enjoy while still feeling like I did something productive and worthwhile with my time.

Personal Development
Self Improvement
Reading
Books
Learning
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