How We Read

A customer at the Library Book Store asked me last night whether I read more than one book at a time. "Absolutely," I told her.

"Just different books for different moods," she commented.

Not really. I have a book in my bedroom (and three-half finished books that I put down and think I might pick up again. Someday.), a book in my family room and a book in my bag to carry around. I read whichever book is nearest at the time.

There is little rhyme or reason to the order, or the genre. It happens that the book in my bag is non-fiction and the book in my bedroom is a biography. But one has nothing to do with the other and when I finish one, I will replace it by whatever whim strikes me at that second.

Wait, there is some reason. The book I carry around with me has to actually fit in my bag. But otherwise, my To Be Read pile (which is actually a bookcase) has plenty of options and I generally read quickly enough that I don't feel stuck with anything.

I don't imagine that my reading habits are normal. But I'm also not sure what "normal" reading is.