I cannot read one book at a time. I have tried countless times to be able to do it, and each attempt ends with half a dozen unfinished books. It is quite an intense juggling act to make time for all of the books I'm reading at a given time.I am sure I am not the only one out there who has struggled with the inability to read books one at a time instead of all at once. I used to wonder if I had an odd form of ADD or some undiscovered mental disorder.
I know now it is none of these. You see, I've spent my entire life asking why? about everything. I struggled with math because the classes I took never explained why and I hated not knowing. I've always loved words and the ability to put them together to form sentences, to communicate emotions and experiences, because with these words you could explain why. I love history because it is the study of why - Why did the Southern states secede from the North? Why did Napoleon try to invade Russia? Why did England declare war on Nazi Germany? Why?
With all of these questions -why- swirling through my head, you can understand my reaction to a bookcase full of books I have yet to read. You can see how I would struggle to read only one book on one subject, when there are two others on (different) subjects/events I've always wanted to study. This ravenous desire to understand the why's of the world are the reason I can't read less than three books at a time.
I'm not satisfied with what I know; I don't know enough. And the best way I learn is by reading. And maybe by the end of my life I'll have read enough to satisfy my insatiable curiosity, but I doubt it. I'll always be reading, I'll always be learning, and I'll always love it. ...And I will always struggle to finish books in a timely manner (because who can when they're reading six at a time?).
Am I the only one who struggles with reading only one book at a time? Do any of you, the few readers I have, pick up multiple books at a time? How long does it usually take you to finish all of them? I am really curious to know.
I read multiple books at a time (currently reading eight simultaneously) but they serve different purposes and are from different genres. I find it quite refreshing to switch gears and hop back and forth. My interests vary pretty widely so it's hard to imagine being satisfied with only one subject for any given length of time :)
ReplyDeleteAs for time to finish, it depends of course. I usually read about 50--150 pages a day, sometimes all one book, sometimes split between two or three, so do the math. Week? Two weeks? Currently reading through Les Miserables and while loving it, it's looking like I'll easily hit the month mark before it's over (of course I'm splitting my time between it, Brothers Karamazov, and Wealth of Nations!)
I'm hugely impressed with the amount of pages and swath of literature you are currently reading. I have not had a very consistent work schedule in a while, but I like the idea of breaking each book down into a specific number of pages a day. I don't do that currently with the books I read, as I don't always have time in the day to read as much as I would like, but I'd like to test it out. It would definitely help me to be self-disciplined and consistent in reading, while allowing me to keep the variety of genres. Thanks for your feedback and insight into your reading methodology!
ReplyDeleteY'all make me feel inadequate. I started a couple of books a very long time ago, and finished none. But hey, I got a third of the way through A Tale of Two Cities, 2/3 through the O Palmer Robertson book (Jonah), and halfway through a book that Chris/Mike/I were studying.
ReplyDeleteMy problem here isn't having many books to read, it's finishing any of them. :-D
Haha, I think you are giving me too much credit (though I echo your sentiment about Logan; his self-discipline makes me feel inadequate also). I do struggle with that on occasion. I never really *stop* reading the books, but I take a good year or two to finish them... which one could very easily categorize as stopping and then starting again. Mostly because I start reading something else that's a tad more interesting than the current selection at the time, and so said selection is left on a shelf for a good six to eight months before I realize I am interested in it again. :P
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