Hello Library Readers!
Today were going to discuss how many books is too many books to read at once, with a small survey of select library staff members.
Jessica: The maximum amount of books I can read at once is about four, with set perimeters of course. I can handle 1 fiction novel, 1 nonfiction, 1 poetry books, and 1 audiobook at the same time, where the different genres and formats keep me from intertwining plot lines. Now, I never usually read four books at once, but tend to teeter between the 2 to 3 book range every now and then.
Joseph: Our Adult Services Librarian, Joseph, usually devotes his reading to one novel at a time. However, there are instances where he will read two books at a time, especially if he is becoming bored with the first.
Katie: Our Head of Adult Services Librarian also usually only reads one book at a time but can read two is she has to. Katie says, “If I do read two, I tend to split my time too much and lose interest in one.”
Janea: Our Adult Services staff member Janea can read about 2-4 books at a time. She keeps one book in each room for convenience. Out of these 4, one is usually a biography and the remaining 3 are nonfiction. She says that it’s easy it read multiple nonfiction books at once because you can grasp the subject matter a little bit at a time. She rarely listens to audiobooks because she gets distracted.
Anna: Our Head of Youth Services Librarian has been known to read A LOT of books at the same time, in fact she can read up to TEN books at one time. Anna says, “One of my Masters is in English and part of my English MA coursework requirements was to read the equivalent of 4-8 novels every week. This would be in a combination of novels, short stories, essays, etc. I have to admit I didn’t read everything — I was also working three part-time jobs at the time and didn’t have the time to read everything that was required — but I did read a lot and it was necessary for me to read multiple things at once. Before getting my English MA I could only read one book at a time but now I can read up to 10 at once with no problem. I don’t read as quickly though, and now read at a more leisurely pace.”
Comment below with how many books can you read (or have read) at once!
-Jessica Bielen, Adult Services Librarian