Books

Organize? What is this organize you speak of? Seriously, though, my husband has relegated me to one decorative box about twice the size of a shoe box for books in our bedroom (don’t worry, folks, he built four very nicely sized, floor-to-ceiling, built-in bookshelves for me in the living room). The box is where I put unread books (mostly, sometimes they end up on my nightstand too). Of course, I can very creatively stack them until they either fall over (I’ve had lots of Tetris practice) or reach the light switch (at which point my husband cries foul). This is, obviously, not counting all the unread books sitting on my Kindle (hundreds because of Prime First Reads and r/freebooks ). There’s also my Libby account where I may or may not have a list of books on hold waiting for my phone to ping that one is ready.

Truly, though, other than Libby books which I read right away because otherwise the hold and loan expire and I have to wait again, I tend to go wherever whim may take me. I am very much a mood reader and I read a bit from most genres (some genres more heavily than others, of course). When I’m looking for a book and don’t already have the next in mind, I peruse my TBR pile to see what catches my interest. If my TBR is getting a bit crazy, I look at what’s been there the longest to decide if it stays or goes without ever being read at all. I figure if I’ve passed it up enough times, its time is gone and it can fly away. I don’t tend to spend much on books (hello free libraries, Dollar Tree, and friends). If I’ve bought a book full price, it’s generally at the top of the pile and gets read quickly.

As far as how many I read at a time, that varies as well. I generally have at least one book (physical or Kindle) and one audiobook going at the same time. I listen to the audiobook while walking and sometimes while driving. Audiobooks are strictly one at a time. Book books are sometimes one at a time, sometimes more. Occasionally, I have a book that I don’t want to leave the house like if a friend loaned it to me and I want to make sure it doesn’t get messed up. In that case, I might have a couple going so I can read something outside the house too. Sometimes, I need to have something that’ll fit in my pocket (Kindle) while I have other book(s) going elsewhere. I also technically have multiple books going all the time as I have a couple of books of short stories that I’ll pick up here and there and read one story either as a palate cleanser, waiting for another book to be available, or while I’m indecisive. I do try to make sure all the books I’m reading or listening to are different though to make it easier to keep the stories separate (it sucks when I mess this up). Right now, in addition to two short story books I’m slowly working through, I’m listening to Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, and reading two books - The Hunger Games and American Demon: Eliot Ness and the Hunt for America’s Jack the Ripper.