If you read more than one book at a time, you know that the process can be kind of chaotic, but never out of your control. 

I realized last month that while I almost always am reading 3-4 books at a time, I am NEVER NOT reading books in specific categories. I have a method for reading multiple books at once. Here it is. 

My Multiple Books Method

The Main Book

Usually a pick from my physical TBR pile, a brand new title that I’ve been anticipating or a book I’ve been sent for review, the Main Book is the book I will answer if someone asks, “Hey, what are you reading right now?” How long it takes me to get through it depends simply on how good it is. Almost always a physical copy, I read my main book when I feel the most cozy: in the mornings over coffee and on the weekends. If I have a lazy Saturday and Sunday upcoming, I get very excited for my main book. 

Current Main Book: The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos

A Non-fiction Book

A compulsive need to know as much as possible, I always have a non-fiction book on my nightstand. But I don’t always find them super compelling, and definitely not binge-able, so I usually only get through about one chapter a week. I take extensive margin notes and tend to look up every footnote (and take notes on it). 

Current Non-Fiction Read: Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

The E-book

Don’t look at me. If I’m reading on my phone, it is personal and it is most likely very horny. Without fail, whether it’s Kindle Unlimited, NetGalley, Libby or AO3, I am reading for a least a couple of hours every night on my phone. Do I have an episodic migraine? Miss me with that heavy hardback fantasy novel, but find me in my deep, dark den of a guest room with the blackout curtains drawn, the A/C on 65 and the next installment of whatever Katee Robert just published. 

Current E-book: Watching You by Lisa Jewell 

An Audio Book

Nothing helps fill in the gaps in your reading better than an audio book. Sometimes I pair one with my main book to get through it faster or to get a different perspective on the book itself. Sometimes it’s just a way to pass the time while I fold laundry and cook dinner. Sometimes I’ve exhausted all interest in my current podcasts, and audio is the only way I can handle a white man’s voice. 

Current Audio Book: A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

So … how many books do you read at a time, and what’s your method for multiple books?