Fiction_L Archives Reading multiple books at a time Dates: 12/5/00,7:38 PM  through  12/8/00,12:06 PM  (29 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2011-current     2009-2010     2004-2008    1995-2003    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to December 2000 thread menu   |    Fiction_L Archives Menu

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FROM: "Kathy Loucks" <[removed]@cml.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 12/5/00, 7:38 PM

I usually am reading one book at a time, but there are exceptions. I always have to have at least one book going, even during periods when I'm not actually spending much time reading. If something new by a favorite author arrives, I will put a current "in progress" read aside because I can't wait to start the new arrival. Also, it seems like all my reserves on new books always come in at the same time, some with shorter loan periods that I can't renew because others are waiting. Then I have to prioritize by length of loan period, length of reserve list, length of book, how long will I have to wait if I go back on the end if the reserve list, etc. and I end up with three books going at once. I don't think I've ever been reading more than three at once, but I carry all of them back and forth to work every day and may read a bit of all of them every day. In addition, I tend to get nervous if I'm close to the end of a current read and don't have something else already waiting to dive into immediately, so no matter how many books I'm currently reading I've also usually got something in the on-deck circle just in case--right now I've got an advance reading copy of the last Dalziel/Pascoe mystery that's been getting bumped out of"next read" position for over a year.

FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 12/5/00, 7:53 PM

>This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a
time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at
home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose
track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the
different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2
theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book
people" did the same as I do.


I generally read three to six at a time, trying for a mix of genres,
and including usually one nonfiction, one juvenile, one reasonably
challenging text, and at least one "totally mindless/can be read
anywhere" title (and at least one short story collection).

And at given moment, I'm usually stalled on at least one of said three
to six, finding that I've not picked it up for a couple of weeks at a
stretch. (Usually I grit my teeth and plow back in, but perhaps two
or three times a year I'll decide to give up on a book.)

Thanks to mild tidiness neurosis, I try to be finished with all books
I'm reading by December 31st, so that I can start the new year off with
a fresh pile (and a fresh sheet of paper for my lists).

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: "Roberta S. Johnson" <[removed]@nslsilus.org>
REC'D: 12/5/00, 8:39 PM

Becky wrote,

> This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a time, or more than one?

I can keep three going, as long as one is an audiobook and the other two are very
different: for example, one YA romance and one hefty fantasy.

On the other hand, I began to feel overwhelmed last year by the amount of reading I felt
I *had* to do, so now I sit cheerfully when in waiting rooms and stare off into space.
It's a little vacation for me. :-)

RSJ


Roberta S. Johnson
Readers' Services Librarian
Des Plaines Public Library
[removed]@nslsilus.org
www.fictional.org
Opinions my own.

FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 12/6/00, 12:31 AM

In a message dated 12/5/2000 8:48:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[removed]@tc.umn.edu writes:

<<
>This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a
time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at
home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose
track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the
different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2
theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book
people" did the same as I do.
>>

I try to finish what I start, but I always have to have a book at hand - no
matter or where or when. For instance - I wouldn't even contemplate eating
lunch out (if I were by myself) without a book at the ready. I don't really
care if I have one or more in progress, as long as there's a bookmark handy.
The only exception being if a book is one of those that grabs me by the
throat and drags me along. In which case, I'm driven to finish that one and
gnash my teeth if things (work, the dog, etc.) interfere.

Binnie Syril Braunstein
romance novelist/former librarian

FROM: "Nora M. Armstrong" <[removed]@clsn1269.cumberland.lib.nc.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 7:44 AM

I usually have at least three going at once. One I keep at work, for
reading on breaks and during lunch, one is in the bedroom for nighttime
reading, and the other I keep at my desk at home, for whenever. I find I
have very little difficulty picking up where I've left off in any of the
books.

Of course, if the book is gripping enough, I'll read it straight through
and disregard anything else. And if I find a series I like -
fahgeddabouddit!

Nora Armstrong
Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center
Fayetteville, NC
(910)483-7878, FAX (910)486-6661
[removed]@cumberland.lib.nc.us

FROM: J Heuer <[removed]@itol.com>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 7:56 AM

Well right now I am reading Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver and Close
to the Ground (YA, part of Angel series) by Jeff Mariotte and in the car I
am listening to Judgement in Death by J.D. Robb. I always have a couple
going at once. It helps if they are different genres. If I'm reading two
similar fantasys for instance, it takes me a few seconds or so to shift into
which world I've entered into. And if one of the stories really heats up, I
probably tend to finish that one first.

--
Jeanne Heuer
Brown County Library
Green Bay, WI
[removed]@itol.com

"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, Art is knowing which ones
to keep." -anonymous

> Becky wrote,
>
>> This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a time,
>> or more than one?
>

FROM: Jean Langlais <[removed]@linc.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 8:08 AM

Why not read multiple books all at the same time? It's like saying students
should only take one course at a time.
I have a book in the car (audio) and at least one by the bed stand. If I
loose interest in a book, I'll put it aside for a while and read something
else. Isn't it nice to be an adult and be able to make these big decisions
for yourself?

> ----------
> From: Dennis Lien[[removed]@tc.umn.edu]
> Reply To: Fiction_L
> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 7:58 AM
> To: Fiction_L
> Subject: Re: Reading multiple books at a time (was: Audio Books
>
>
> >This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a
> time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at
> home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose
> track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the
> different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2
> theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book
> people" did the same as I do.
>
>
> I generally read three to six at a time, trying for a mix of genres,
> and including usually one nonfiction, one juvenile, one reasonably
> challenging text, and at least one "totally mindless/can be read
> anywhere" title (and at least one short story collection).
>
> And at given moment, I'm usually stalled on at least one of said three
> to six, finding that I've not picked it up for a couple of weeks at a
> stretch. (Usually I grit my teeth and plow back in, but perhaps two
> or three times a year I'll decide to give up on a book.)
>
> Thanks to mild tidiness neurosis, I try to be finished with all books
> I'm reading by December 31st, so that I can start the new year off with
> a fresh pile (and a fresh sheet of paper for my lists).
>
> Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Lisa Olsen <[removed]@clsn1269.cumberland.lib.nc.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 8:38 AM

Whether I read more than one book at a time depends a great deal on the
quality of the books I am reading. If it a really good book I read it
straight through. On the other hand, if I find I am not enthralled, I will
often pick up something else and go back to the first one later.
Sometimes, if I have been particularly uninspired in what I have checked
out, that will turn into two or three other books. It also depends on
whether it is a hardback or a paperback. A paperback fits neatly in my
purse and thus is more likely to get read straight through than a hardback
that I have a harder time carrying around with me. Since I am always
reading a print novel, any audiobook is going to be on top of that. I
have never tried reading two audiobooks at the same time.

__________________________________________________

Lisa A. Olsen

Information Services

Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center
East Regional Library
4809 Clinton Road
Fayetteville, NC 28301-8401

(910)485-2955

FROM: "Franz, Patty" <[removed]@pamunkeylibrary.org>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 10:10 AM

Another great thread... I am presently reading 1 audiobook; 2 non-fiction
books; my book club selection; and 2 novels. This is about normal. I only
interrupt an audiobook if I have to listen to something for my book club.
And I didn't include a research project that has me part way through a bunch
of titles. Like many others, the books do have to be different genres or
settings so I can keep them straight.

Dennis' comment about finishing books, has sent me thinking in a
different direction. I gave up finishing books a few years ago when I
realized I wasn't going to be able to read everything. However, I still
find "giving up" difficult. Are most of us finishers or do we not finish?
I am not sure of the correct terminology.

Thanks for all the interesting comments on both audiobooks and
multiple reads, Patty

Patty Franz
Supervising Librarian
Pamunkey Regional Library
P.O. Box 119
Hanover, VA 23069

[removed]@pamunkeylibrary.org

FROM: Viccy Kemp <[removed]@ci.carrollton.tx.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 10:22 AM

Okay, I have to weigh in here about finishing. For many long years, I was a
"finisher": had to read to the end because giving up in the middle was an
admission of defeat, even if the book itself was a miserable failure. And
then I had an epiphany, Mrs. Giles (my seventh grade teacher) was NOT going
to come and slap me on the wrist for not finishing a book. What a relief!! I
could finally admit to myself that it was okay to not finish a book. The
author was not going to be mortally wounded; he or she wouldn't even know
it. If I didn't like it, I didn't finish it. I cannot tell you how
liberating that was. Now a book gets a hundred pages and if I cannot get
into it, then I pass it on to the next person. I know, I know, "Lonesome
Dove" didn't get good until after a hundred pages, but I gotta tell you,
nothing Larry McMurtry has ever written has griped me. I read a lot of
non-literary trash (e.g., everything Nora Roberts writes) as well as
"Literature" (e.g., Gail Godwin, Annie Proulx), I admit it up front, but I
find it all entertaining which is the only reason to read a book (IMHO).
Not that it makes any difference.
Viccy Kemp
The opinions are my own; the library wouldn't want 'em!
P.S. Three books at a time is my limit. One at work, one at home and one in
the purse for standing on lines.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Franz, Patty [[removed]@pamunkeylibrary.org]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 10:06 AM
> To: Fiction_L
> Subject: Multiple reads
>
> Another great thread... I am presently reading 1 audiobook; 2 non-fiction
> books; my book club selection; and 2 novels. This is about normal. I
> only
> interrupt an audiobook if I have to listen to something for my book club.
> And I didn't include a research project that has me part way through a
> bunch
> of titles. Like many others, the books do have to be different genres or
> settings so I can keep them straight.
>
> Dennis' comment about finishing books, has sent me thinking in a
> different direction. I gave up finishing books a few years ago when I
> realized I wasn't going to be able to read everything. However, I still
> find "giving up" difficult. Are most of us finishers or do we not finish?
> I am not sure of the correct terminology.
>
> Thanks for all the interesting comments on both audiobooks and
> multiple reads, Patty
>
> Patty Franz
> Supervising Librarian
> Pamunkey Regional Library
> P.O. Box 119
> Hanover, VA 23069
>
> [removed]@pamunkeylibrary.org
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: Kathleen Stipek <[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 10:44 AM

Until I went to school (and we won't talk about how long ago that was), I
didn't know that most people read one book at a time. In my family it was
not unusual to have 3 or 4 books going at one time, fiction and nonfiction.
I accepted my teachers' word for it every year and proceeded to ignore it
entirely. At the moment I've got a book on Buddhism, a P.G. Wodehouse
collection, a novel, and a collection of short humor going plus this month's
stack of magazines. Makes perfect sense to me.

Kathleen Stipek, Alachua County Library District (FMG), 401 E.
University AV, Gainesville, FL 32601
[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us
352-334-3938 (voice)
352-334-3948 (fax)

Non, Merci--Cyrano de Bergerac


-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Lien [[removed]@tc.umn.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2000 5:08 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: Re: Reading multiple books at a time (was: Audio Books

>This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a
time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at
home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose
track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the
different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2
theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book
people" did the same as I do.


I generally read three to six at a time, trying for a mix of genres,
and including usually one nonfiction, one juvenile, one reasonably
challenging text, and at least one "totally mindless/can be read
anywhere" title (and at least one short story collection).

And at given moment, I'm usually stalled on at least one of said three
to six, finding that I've not picked it up for a couple of weeks at a
stretch. (Usually I grit my teeth and plow back in, but perhaps two
or three times a year I'll decide to give up on a book.)

Thanks to mild tidiness neurosis, I try to be finished with all books
I'm reading by December 31st, so that I can start the new year off with
a fresh pile (and a fresh sheet of paper for my lists).

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: "Deb Warner" <[removed]@co.durham.nc.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 10:47 AM

I'm usually listening to one book--this is at night before I go to sleep.
It is always something I have already read, just for relaxing. I am
currently lisitening to Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder. I also have at
least three books in progress: One at home for earlier in the evening, one
that lives in the car for times when I'm out and about, and one at work for
lunch, etc. I also have one series I am currently working through from
which I am currently taking a break.

FROM: "Kathy Loucks" <[removed]@cml.lib.oh.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 12:16 PM

I was also a "finisher" for many years, feeling guilty if I didn't slog all the way to the end no matter what, but I too had an epiphany a few years ago. If I'm reading a book for my own pleasure and entertainment, and it's not delivering for me, I DON'T HAVE TO FINISH IT! So now I don't. (Too bad it took me until my mid-forties to become a liberated reader.) I also now do something else formerly unthinkable--I skip ahead and read the ending to see if it looks like it's worth getting there.

FROM: Kathleen Stipek <[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 12:24 PM

I don't know who tried to force non-finishing on me, but I was able to
resist, thank goodness! Now that I don't have to do book reports any more,
if the author doesn't grab me in the first 20 or so pages, back to the
library pile it goes. It's like a rule someone once gave me for videos--if
in the first 10 minutes you spend more time on 'fast forward' than on
'play', back to Blockbuster it goes.

Kathleen Stipek, Alachua County Library District (FMG), 401 E.
University AV, Gainesville, FL 32601
[removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us
352-334-3938 (voice)
352-334-3948 (fax)

Non, Merci--Cyrano de Bergerac


-----Original Message-----
From: Kathy Loucks [[removed]@cml.lib.oh.us]
Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 1:05 PM
To: Fiction_L
Subject: RE: Multiple reads

I was also a "finisher" for many years, feeling guilty if I didn't slog all
the way to the end no matter what, but I too had an epiphany a few years
ago. If I'm reading a book for my own pleasure and entertainment, and it's
not delivering for me, I DON'T HAVE TO FINISH IT! So now I don't. (Too bad
it took me until my mid-forties to become a liberated reader.) I also now
do something else formerly unthinkable--I skip ahead and read the ending to
see if it looks like it's worth getting there.

FROM: [removed]@bensenville.lib.il.us
REC'D: 12/6/00, 12:46 PM

I run several book discussions and the people always ask me if I finish
the books
I start. This seems like an odd question - if you knew me, you'd know I
have *no* patience. I'll give a book usually 20 pages to grab me. If
it doesn't, I stop. Period.
If it starts to drag in the middle, I have more patience, but not a lot.
This is not to say
I don't read voraciously, because I do (5-10 books a week finished).
However, there
are so many books that I want *desperately* to read that I won't read
stuff that
doesn't grab me.

Occasionally a book by a favorite author (Terry Pratchett, Sharyn
McCrumb) will
start off slow, and I will give it a chance to build though.

Interesting question.

Jennie Cisna
Community Services Librarian
Bensenville Community Public Library
Bensenville, IL

FI>> Dennis' comment about finishing books, has sent me thinking in a
FI>> different direction. I gave up finishing books a few years ago when I
FI>> realized I wasn't going to be able to read everything. However, I still
FI>> find "giving up" difficult. Are most of us finishers or do we not finish?
FI>> I am not sure of the correct terminology.
FI>>
FI>> Thanks for all the interesting comments on both audiobooks and
FI>> multiple reads, Patty
FI>>
FI>> Patty Franz
FI>> Supervising Librarian
FI>> Pamunkey Regional Library
FI>> P.O. Box 119
FI>> Hanover, VA 23069
FI>>
FI>> [removed]@pamunkeylibrary.org
FI>>
FI>> ......................................................................
FI>> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
FI>> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FI>......................................................................
FI>Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
FI>Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html

FROM: Mary Van Dyke <[removed]@CLSN3046.glenview.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 2:42 PM

Patty,

Very interesting comment--I also have about three different books going
at any one time(my own book club, short stories by my bed, and probably
a non-fiction or mystery): however I usually only do one audiobook at a
time.

To comment on your question--when I turned 50 I was blue because I
realized I could never read all the books I wanted--when I turned 60 I
finally gave myself permission not to finish a book I didn't like--except
when I was leading a book discussion. Give yourself a break and don't wait
until you are sixty--it's very liberating and there are tons of books
waiting to be read.

Mary Van Dyke
Glenview (IL) Public Library


On Wed, 6 Dec 2000, Franz, Patty wrote:

> Another great thread... I am presently reading 1 audiobook; 2 non-fiction
> books; my book club selection; and 2 novels. This is about normal. I only
> interrupt an audiobook if I have to listen to something for my book club.
> And I didn't include a research project that has me part way through a bunch
> of titles. Like many others, the books do have to be different genres or
> settings so I can keep them straight.
>
> Dennis' comment about finishing books, has sent me thinking in a
> different direction. I gave up finishing books a few years ago when I
> realized I wasn't going to be able to read everything. However, I still
> find "giving up" difficult. Are most of us finishers or do we not finish?
> I am not sure of the correct terminology.
>
> Thanks for all the interesting comments on both audiobooks and
> multiple reads, Patty
>
> Patty Franz
> Supervising Librarian
> Pamunkey Regional Library
> P.O. Box 119
> Hanover, VA 23069
>
> [removed]@pamunkeylibrary.org
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: [removed]@aol.com
REC'D: 12/6/00, 3:18 PM

I decide pretty early on whether I am going to finish a book or not-and once I'm in, I'm in. I am amazed at how may books some of the list members read at one time. I find that although I may read a non-fic, an adult fic and MAYBE a J or YA at the same time, what always happens with me is that one grabs me, and then I concentrate on that one, finish it, and then go back to the others. I don't feel that I'm ever really reading more than 2 books at a time, and more often just one. Of course, now that I think about it, when I had a tape deck in my car, I had a book going there, too. I do miss that. Anyway, I find this string very enlightening!

FROM: Kerry Wolf <[removed]@gcfn.org>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 4:45 PM

I always thought I was impaired, juggling reading 3 or 4 books at the same
time. It's certainly a relief to find otherwise. I usually keep one in
the car for when I'm stuck waiting somewhere unexpectedly. I keep another
by my bed to put me to sleep. I have another in the first floor bathroom
for obvious reasons. If I'm reading a fourth, I keep it at work. The
only problem is if I'm reading books with similar characters or plots as
in two by the same mystery author. I do try to avoid that situation.
Otherwise, I usually finish each and every one unless I really dislike a
book. Then I just replace the book (from whichever place it's needed) and
I'm fully stocked again. Also, I'm never without an alternative to one
I'm not in the mood for!

Kerry Pathy
Popular Library
Columbus Metropolitan Library

FROM: Kerry Wolf <[removed]@gcfn.org>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 4:49 PM

I always thought I was impaired, juggling reading 3 or 4 books at the same
time. It's certainly a relief to find otherwise. I usually keep one in
the car for when I'm stuck waiting somewhere unexpectedly. I keep another
by my bed to put me to sleep. I have another in the first floor bathroom
for obvious reasons. If I'm reading a fourth, I keep it at work. The
only problem is if I'm reading books with similar characters or plots as
in two by the same mystery author. I do try to avoid that situation.
Otherwise, I usually finish each and every one unless I really dislike a
book. Then I just replace the book (from whichever place it's needed) and
I'm fully stocked again. Also, I'm never without an alternative to one
I'm not in the mood for!

Kerry Pathy
Popular Library
Columbus Metropolitan Library

FROM: Jean Meadors <[removed]@ccpl.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 6:47 PM

Hi,
I also usually have at least 2 that I am reading at the same time, of
course it helps a lot that since I'm the children's librarian, the other
book I'm reading is a juvenile or young adult fiction book. but I have
been known to read 3 or more at the same time. I always have my "flood
book" a Caroline Feller Bauer saying about always have a book handy in
your car in case you get stuck waiting somewhere like the doctor's office.
Jean


On Tue, 5 Dec 2000, Becky H wrote:

> Martha, you asked who Bob Askey is - he narrates quite a number of books in the Talking Books collection. I don't know if his work is commercially available -- all of his work that we have is from the National Library Service -- but apparently he "voices" books extraordinarily well. The 2 I listened to were both professionally done -- it wasn't the narration or the story, I just couldn't sit still long enough to enjoy them. I ride my bike the 22 blocks to work, so listening to books while commuting isn't a option for me.
>
> Someone else said they kept wanting to turn on some music when they listened to audio books -- I kept wanting to pick up another book when I was listening. I read print books while I do pretty much everything else - watch TV, eat, on the treadmill or stationary bike at the gym... If I ever have to make the adjustment to being a patron of Talking Books rather than a Reader Consultant, I'll probably start crocheting again - since I'm used to reading while doing something else. Currently, I'm re-reading Dune while watching the SciFi Channel's mini series.
>
> This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2 theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book people" did the same as I do.
>
> I'll add my gratitude for this line of discussion. It is giving me insight into aspects of listening to books I wouldn't have thought of, and so really helping me serve my patrons better!
>
> Becky
>
>
> "The more I read, the more questions I have. Every time I pass a library I get an anxiety attack."
> (SeaQuest DSV episode. Props to Linda Absher, author of The Lipstick Librarian)
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________________
> Sent by Blarneymail
> To get your own Blarneymail account, visit www.virtualireland.com
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>

FROM: Susanne Clower <[removed]@yahoo.com>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 7:02 PM

It's interesting to hear about people's reading
habits. Like many others, I now read more than one
book at a time and I don't finish if it doesn't grab
me - but I only developed these habits *after* I
started working in a library and began seeing at
least two books a day I wanted to read. I wonder if
other librarians found that their reading habits
changed when they entered the profession.
Susanne Clower
Chicago Public Library


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FROM: "Jeanne Linn" <[removed]@libby.org>
REC'D: 12/6/00, 7:12 PM

I am with you Susanne. I used to force myself to finish books, but now
there are "So many books, so little time", that I don't do it anymore! And I
did not know how many books I wanted to read until I worked in the library.

Jeanne


-----Original Message-----
From: Susanne Clower <[removed]@yahoo.com>
To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
Date: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 5:59 PM
Subject: Re:Multiple Reads


>It's interesting to hear about people's reading
>habits. Like many others, I now read more than one
>book at a time and I don't finish if it doesn't grab
>me - but I only developed these habits *after* I
>started working in a library and began seeing at
>least two books a day I wanted to read. I wonder if
>other librarians found that their reading habits
>changed when they entered the profession.
>Susanne Clower
>Chicago Public Library
>
>
>__________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products.
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FROM: "Community Relations Department" <[removed]@orion.org>
REC'D: 12/7/00, 8:48 AM

> I am with you Susanne. I used to force myself to finish books, but now
> there are "So many books, so little time", that I don't do it anymore! And
I
> did not know how many books I wanted to read until I worked in the
library.
>
> Jeanne

And I didn't know how many *more* books I wanted to read until I joined
Fiction_L!

Nancy Parry McCluer
Community Relations Department
Springfield-Greene County Library
Springfield, MO [removed]@orion.org
http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/

FROM: Dennis Lien <[removed]@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 12/7/00, 10:05 AM

At 08:05 AM 12/6/00 -0600, you wrote:
>Why not read multiple books all at the same time? It's like saying students
>should only take one course at a time.


Yup.

I've always been a bit bemused at the idea that one cannot keep track of
more than one fictional plot at a time, as most people I know manage to
retain memory of a number of episodic television serieses (soap operas,
most obviously, but also any series in which character's relations with
each other is subject to ongoing changes), plus the lives/personalities/
problems of dozens of relatives, friends, co-workers (so what's the
latest on the divorce proceedings of X and Y, the cute things Z's cat
has now learned to do, R's medical problems, S's son's troubles with
the law, T's vacation plans, and so on)...

In fact, I find fictional plots rather easier to keep up with than real
life ones: if I find I've forgotten a critical detail about character
J, I can thumb back in the book and refresh my memory, while if I've
totally blanked on something cousin K has told me, I may have trouble
making sense of why she is therefore changing jobs, and may not have
any way of asking her without admitting this and embarassing myself.

(Of course, it may help that the plots of most books I read are rather
more sensational than the daily lives of my colleagues, but I've not
figured out a polite way to suggest to them that they really need to
involve themselves more with serial killers, werewolves, pirates,
time travellers, and kinky/steamy affairs. And I'd probably get in
trouble if I did.)

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu

FROM: [removed]@carmel.lib.in.us (Mary Boyden)
REC'D: 12/7/00, 5:54 PM

Becky:

I read at least three books at the same time. One is an audiobook - I don't spend much time in the car, but listen while I'm in my sewing room. I also have a stack of "to be reads" on my nightstand and read one fiction and one non-fiction at the same time. I usually finish the fiction book first - typically takes me three fictions to one non-fiction. I don't have any trouble keeping the books separate in my head and I really enjoy some of the synergies between books. For example, while reading Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, I was also reading A Widow for One Year by John Irving. Both are books about how writers write.

Mary Boyden
Reader's Advisory Librarian
Carmel Clay Public Library
>
>From: "Becky H" <[removed]@blarneymail.com>
>Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 10:47:22 -0600
>To: Fiction_L <[removed]@maillist.webrary.org>
>Subject: Audio Books
>
>Martha, you asked who Bob Askey is - he narrates quite a number of books in the Talking Books collection. I don't know if his work is commercially available -- all of his work that we have is from the National Library Service -- but apparently he "voices" books extraordinarily well. The 2 I listened to were both professionally done -- it wasn't the narration or the story, I just couldn't sit still long enough to enjoy them. I ride my bike the 22 blocks to work, so listening to books while commuting isn't a option for me.
>
>Someone else said they kept wanting to turn on some music when they listened to audio books -- I kept wanting to pick up another book when I was listening. I read print books while I do pretty much everything else - watch TV, eat, on the treadmill or stationary bike at the gym... If I ever have to make the adjustment to being a patron of Talking Books rather than a Reader Consultant, I'll probably start crocheting again - since I'm used to reading while doing something else. Currently, I'm re-reading Dune while watching the SciFi Channel's mini series.
>
>This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2 theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book people" did the same as I do.
>
>I'll add my gratitude for this line of discussion. It is giving me insight into aspects of listening to books I wouldn't have thought of, and so really helping me serve my patrons better!
>
>Becky
>
>
>"The more I read, the more questions I have. Every time I pass a library I get an anxiety attack."
>(SeaQuest DSV episode. Props to Linda Absher, author of The Lipstick Librarian)
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________________
>Sent by Blarneymail
>To get your own Blarneymail account, visit <a href="http://www.virtualireland.com">www.virtualireland.com</a>
>
>......................................................................
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>

FROM: "Jeanne Linn" <[removed]@libby.org>
REC'D: 12/7/00, 6:17 PM

I used to always read more than one book at a time, depending on my mood.
Now I have been reading one at a time but try to keep one here and there for
when I get stuck somewhere etc. I am listening to Beach Music (Conroy), in
my car, and just finished One Last Dance (Goudge), and am reading The Cat
who said Cheese (Braun), as well as just starting Larceny and Old Lace by
Tamar Myers. I did get a little confused between Beach Music and One Last
Dance, then would remember which I was reading/listening to. Both
excellent! The others are just fun and light reading. Jeanne

FROM: "Laura McCaffery" <[removed]@acpl.lib.in.us>
REC'D: 12/8/00, 8:29 AM

I have many books going at once. I usually have a couple at my desk
at work - properly checked out, of course, circulation stats are
important - and three or four going at home. I have them in as
many rooms as possible. Keep them straight? No problem. Includes
fiction and nonfiction. Plus my usual assortment of professional
journals, newspapers, and Email. Yes, I read fast.
> >This brings me to a question - do folks on this list read one book at a
> time, or more than one? I usually read at least 3 at a time (1 each at
> home, work & in my purse), and have had people comment that they'd lose
> track if they read more than one book at a time. It may be that the
> different genres keep them separated (I'm reading 1 science fiction and 2
> theology right now, & that is the usual mix) but I wondered if other "book
> people" did the same as I do.
>
>
> I generally read three to six at a time, trying for a mix of genres,
> and including usually one nonfiction, one juvenile, one reasonably
> challenging text, and at least one "totally mindless/can be read
> anywhere" title (and at least one short story collection).
>
> And at given moment, I'm usually stalled on at least one of said three
> to six, finding that I've not picked it up for a couple of weeks at a
> stretch. (Usually I grit my teeth and plow back in, but perhaps two
> or three times a year I'll decide to give up on a book.)
>
> Thanks to mild tidiness neurosis, I try to be finished with all books
> I'm reading by December 31st, so that I can start the new year off with
> a fresh pile (and a fresh sheet of paper for my lists).
>
> Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // [removed]@tc.umn.edu
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Laura Hibbets McCaffery
Readers Services
Allen County Public Library
Fort Wayne, Indiana
"All opinions are mine alone. Others are
free to agree..or disagree."
"...all things are to to be examined and called into question. There
are no limits set to thought." Edith Hamilton, THE GREEK WAY.

FROM: "Laura McCaffery" <[removed]@acpl.lib.in.us>
REC'D: 12/8/00, 8:56 AM

Unless I am reviewing a book or judging it or reading it for a
professional opinion, I quit if I want. After years of reviewing
and writing "criticism" I found the luxury of a nonfinish a fine
experience. {> I don't know who tried to force non-finishing on me,
but I was able to
> resist, thank goodness! Now that I don't have to do book reports any more,
> if the author doesn't grab me in the first 20 or so pages, back to the
> library pile it goes. It's like a rule someone once gave me for videos--if
> in the first 10 minutes you spend more time on 'fast forward' than on
> 'play', back to Blockbuster it goes.
>
> Kathleen Stipek, Alachua County Library District (FMG), 401 E.
> University AV, Gainesville, FL 32601
> [removed]@exchange.acld.lib.fl.us
> 352-334-3938 (voice)
> 352-334-3948 (fax)
>
> Non, Merci--Cyrano de Bergerac
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kathy Loucks [[removed]@cml.lib.oh.us]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 1:05 PM
> To: Fiction_L
> Subject: RE: Multiple reads
>
>
>
>
>
> I was also a "finisher" for many years, feeling guilty if I didn't slog all
> the way to the end no matter what, but I too had an epiphany a few years
> ago. If I'm reading a book for my own pleasure and entertainment, and it's
> not delivering for me, I DON'T HAVE TO FINISH IT! So now I don't. (Too bad
> it took me until my mid-forties to become a liberated reader.) I also now
> do something else formerly unthinkable--I skip ahead and read the ending to
> see if it looks like it's worth getting there.
>
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>
> ......................................................................
> Need to subscribe, unsubscribe, search the archives?
> Everything Fiction_L: http://www.webrary.org/rs/flmenu.html
>


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Laura Hibbets McCaffery
Readers Services
Allen County Public Library
Fort Wayne, Indiana
"All opinions are mine alone. Others are
free to agree..or disagree."
"...all things are to to be examined and called into question. There
are no limits set to thought." Edith Hamilton, THE GREEK WAY.

FROM: Anne Marquis <[removed]@publib.edmonton.ab.ca>
REC'D: 12/8/00, 12:06 PM

All this talk of not finishing a book reminds me of the rights of the reader
listed in Daniel Pennac's book "Better than Life":

1. The right not to read
2. The right to skip pages
3. The right not to finish
4. The right to reread
5. The right to read anything
6. The right to escapism
7. The right to read anywhere
8. The right to browse
9. The right to read out loud
l0. The right not to defend your tastes

Anne Marquis
Fiction Librarian
Information Services
Edmonton Public Library
7 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2V4
Canada

[removed]@publib.edmonton.ab.ca

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