Reading Habits: One Book vs. Multiple Books at a time.

I am surrounded by friends who like reading a great deal(this is perhaps the greatest understatement I shall ever make). Despite the fact you and I have only just become acquainted, the above fact probably comes as little surprise to you. Don’t worry I am not going to spend an article talking about why I or my friends like reading, I want to focus on a different question. How do we read? Specifically I want to discuss some of the benefits of reading one book or multiple at a time.

In favour of reading one book at a time:

I will be upfront and say I fall into the one book club, some of the benefits I have found for reading one book at a time include the following:

1. No need for you to lug around more than one book at a time. This point is for those who prefer to handle the physical book in their hands as supposed to an audiobook or e-book. This is particularly important for those who enjoy reading fantasy, hardcover biographies, or other books that are bound to be more than 400 pages and are thick as a brick. Carry one of these books is not so bad but having to lug around a bunch in your bag can become a real pain, both figuratively and literally. If you focus on one book, it can save both your back and your bag from trouble.
2. You’re more immersed in the story the book is telling. For me personally, having a single story to read also means my focus is not as divided. My attention isn’t weaving between different stories, narratives, and key information. If you are only focusing on one book, chances are you spend more time in-between reading, meditating on what you just read, perhaps even discussing it in a book club.
3. A habit that doesn’t cost as much $$$. Reading one book at a time probably means you are less likely to buy a bunch of books more frequently, putting less stress on any budget you might have. This will of course change from person to person and this issue could very well be avoided if you solely take out books from your local library, but if you don’t and you frequent your local bookstore where a single YA paperback could sell for around $13-16, reading one book at a time could save you some money, naturally spreading out your book spending.

In favour of reading multiple books at a time:

1. It is a requirement of your job to read a lot of books. Whether you are a book reviewer, blogger, booktuber, writer, editor, bookseller, or have some role in the publishing industry, your schedule most likely does not permit you to leisurely spend your time on a single book so splitting your time between multiple is a must.
2. A book for every mood or day. If we were to look at books the same way we look at music, then it stands to reason that as there are times when we feel more inclined to listen to one genre of music over another, the same applies to our preferences in what we read. There may simply be a day where you are not feeling like reading a horror/thriller novel and would rather read a romance instead. As a result, you have a list of books you read when the moment calls for it.
3. The more books you read, the more books you can make room for. Some of the popular videos, booktubers like to make are the “haul” or “unhaul” videos. These are videos that exhibit the news books someone has recently received or the books they are purging from their collection. Hauling and “Unhauling” can both bring their own level of satisfaction for a reader who simply loves reading multiple books. If you have a great deal of books that you no longer have a love for, you can go all Marie Kondo on your collection,(find that spark of joy) and donate or sell some of your books, making room for new additions.

One thing that I would like to note is that whether you read one book or many at a time, it isn’t always feasible to simply buy all your books brand new from a store. As such, I want to encourage you to check out your local library services, book bank, or used book store. Chances are you will be able to find a great selection of books to borrow or purchase for a fraction of the original price and will make good use out of services or stores that may get overlooked. Either way, keep reading.

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Thank you so much for reading my first official post on the new blog! Did you enjoy it or was there something you disagree with? I am sure there are a ton of positives that I did not address so if you can think of any or if you enjoyed this type of article and would like to see more in the future, let me know in the comments!