Friday, July 15, 2011

What the heck was I thinking?

UPDATE: The winner of Blood of the Wicked is Amy (angeldream3@gmail.com). Thanks everyone for sharing your reading habits and helping me keep the masses straight.


Hi all, Laura, here! Hope your week’s been a great one!

Since returning from RWA ‘11, I’ve set myself a challenge to read a book a week. Yes, on top of the deadline we’re on, and the plotting that needs to be done for the next Dark Breed story, and getting toddlers ready for Pre-K (and preschool), and trying to read over a couple partials and come up with a new plot for an idea that’s rolling around in my head. Okay, I’m not even going to get into all the other distractions that come with being a writer, wife, and mom, ‘cause I’m sure everyone can fill in those blanks and just the thought of all that work has distracted me from my original comment: reading a book a week.

Sure, this shouldn’t be hard, but there are a lot of great books out there and I get easily distracted. So, yeah, I have three books going at one time. Blame it on my lack of focus—did I mention I have five toddlers in the house on any given day?—or that I might suffer from a serious case of adult ADD, but I tend to read according to mood. There’s of course a paranormal in the mix, and a straight romance, and a horror story. They’re all great books and I’m enjoying them all immensely.

So what’s the problem, you might be asking?

Well, simply put, if I’m reading three books at a time, then I haven’t finished a single book this week, which puts me very close to failing in my self-imposed quest. This upsets me because I hate to fail. But no matter how hard I try, or what strong talking to I give myself, I can’t seem to focus on just one book.



That brings me to my question for you: Do you suffer from the multi-book reading problem? No? Either way, share your ideas for keeping focused and finishing whatever you're reading in a reasonable amount of time and you could win an autographed copy of one of the books I’m reading at the moment: Karina Cooper’s Blood of the Wicked.

20 comments:

SandyG265 said...

I usually read two books at a time. I keep one in my car to read during my lunch hour or if I'm somewhere where I have time to kill. And I'm usually reading another book on my Kindle in the evening. Once I finish my Kindle book I also read the paperback in the evenings until I finish that and then I start two new ones.

I find that reading two books at a time works better for me if they are very different. It's easier to switch back and forth that way.

Teril said...

You know i actually enjoy reading a few books at a time. I have: the book in the car for waiting for kids activities. The book in the bag: for waiting at appointments. The audiobook: for trips. The ereader: for the bus ride, and then the book on tape the kids listen to (me too) when it hits bedtime. If I really love the book then I pour all the way through it, but having some book stashed around in places to read when stuck has been great.

terilhack at gmail dot com

Cate said...

I usually read one book at a time. I download it on the iphone and read wherever i am and whenever i have time to kill. I can't focus on the story if I read two at a time. Kayko118@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

i reckon im slow . 1 book at a time. though i have tried to read 2 books, just cause i only had the 1 with me and started t, but i kept blending them togther

Sullivan McPig said...

I usually have to or three books going at the same time.
One that I'm reading purely for my own enjoyment.
One that I'm reading because a review was requested
and a third one that I have in my bag for those moments I suddenly have to wait somewhere for a long time.

I usually have no problem getting through them, but if I do I put the book that's giving me trouble aside and pick up another book.

Anonymous said...

If I am really enjoying a book I can't pick up a different book but if I find the story just okay I will jump between two! :)

legallycaz@yahoo.co.uk

Unknown said...

It's so good to see I'm not alone in my reading. There are those times when I catch a book that doesn't completely hold my interest--which makes it easy to bounce between the others. But this time, I really am enjoying all three. Maybe I've just spread myself a little too thin this week.

Love hearing about everyone's reading habits. Keep the comments coming!

JenM said...

I used to read multiple books at one time, but now that I have a kindle and an iPhone, I find it much easier to read and finish one at a time since my current book is always with me. The only time I'm reading more is if I'm reading a paperback. In that case, I tend to have another one also going on my K. I think the main reason I've changed is that I read so much faster these days. Since it doesn't take that long to finish one, I tend to just stick with it rather than putting it down.

Jen at delux dot com

Sheree said...

I read mostly in paper but I also have a Kindle so I have two different books going at the same time. Since the two media are different, I don't get that confused. Otherwise, I try to finish one book before starting another so I don't confuse the plots/character names especially if the books are in the same genre.

ironss [at] gmail [dot] com

Leigh said...

Yes, yes!! Everything you said and more. My problem is I can't read a book when I'm trying to write one. So I suffer from readers anxiety when I'm doing my writing thing. *sigh* I guess we can't win.

StacieDM said...

I cannot read more than one book at once. I have to focus on a single story. I am also a slow reader. I like to savor what I'm reading. I have friends who can read 4 or 5 books at a time and I don't know how they do it. Sometimes I have to wear earplugs just so I can tune out the world while I read.

user1123 AT comcast DOT net

Na said...

I try to read one book at a time, if I do read multiple books at a time then it is one fiction and one non-fiction. I love to get lost in a story and want t odevote myself to one story. Otherwise I find it too distracting. I average about 3 books a week but this month has been slow. Too many distractions. I also try to read according to my moods but sometimes if I have an hold to pick up or a book is due then itry to read them first.

Cambonified[AT]yahoo[DOT]com

Amy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chelsea B. said...

I usually just read one at a time, though sometimes I read one print book and one kindle book :-) Maybe read one throughout the day and the other at night?

Barbara E. said...

I usually only read one book at a time - but lately I've been reading a couple - one regular print book and one on the computer. I usually get them both read within a couple of days and then start on something new. The reason I prefer to concentrate on one thing at a time though is because then I don't have to try to keep all the characters and situations straight between the books I'm reading.

Casey H said...

I read multiple books at a time, unless one book holds me completely captive. Then I stick with that one book until the very end while ignoring all others.

c4casey(at)comcast(dot)net

Sharon Stogner said...

I try to do one at a time. It makes it easier to focus when writing a review, but I will pick up a novella to break up a book that might be a little hard to get through. I *love novellas for that quick, but satisfying fix. If I do read multiple books, I try to make them from different genres. I have gotten books mixed up before, which means I have to reread parts

Wanda Fleming of River Girls Soap said...

Being a Gemini Mercury and Sun, I am usually reading two or more books at once. I have found, however, that it leads to finishing none. For example, I have been reading Fast Food for Millionaires for months! So more recently, I have committed to one book at a time. I just finished Little Bee by Chris Cleave two weeks ago and Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games last night. I read a ton of newspapers and magazines too.

Wanda
www.rivergirlssoapwandafleming.blogspot.com

binabug said...

yeah I have to admit that I will and have been guilty of reading two different novels at the same time. I also hate when you have to go on hold for a series and wait for the last one to come out LOL

jeanette8042 said...

I sometimes suffer the multi-book problem, especially when I'm just not connecting with the story and need a break. To stay focused I sometimes take some breaks in between reading, like watching TV shows online or just going out to get refreshed again.