One, Two ... Seven?

Or more.

See, I have this habit of getting semi-bored, or just tired or annoyed at a book and switching to another. And at some points, I juggle 8 or so books, keeping all the plots and characters straight in my head.For example, currently I am co-reading:

• Tithe by Holly Black 
• Storm of Visions by Christina Dodd
• Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
• Fallen by Lauren Kate 
• Lunarmorte by Sam Young
• The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• The Woods by Harlan Coben 

          and

• The Dead Girl's Dance by Rachel Caine

Now, this is normal for me. I know exactly where I left off for each book - The morning after the graveyard party in Tithe; When Caleb divulges to the reader that Jacqueline is wearing his mother's wedding night gown in Storm of Visions; when Urdda integrates herself with Muddy Annie in Tender Morsels; The first day of classes in Fallen; The first chapter of Lunamorte (in my defense, I just got it this weekend); the gate in the forest in The Dead-Tossed waves; The Return to the Dome in Catching Fire; The shovel scene in The Woods; and Shane's realization that Michael is "alive" in The Dead Girl's Dance.

I know all the characters and all the plots, I have my theories and my hopes and everything else mixed up in what I am reading.

And it's not that I am bored, so much as I need a change.

Here's an example: In the tenth grade I heard of The Lovely Bones - well actually, funnily enough, I mixed it up at first with Bag of Bones by Stephen King - funny story for another post, maybe. The point is this: When I finally got The Lovely Bones, I picked it up eagerly, excited to get into the book and tear through it.

After the first chapter I had to put it down. I was so full of emotion and felt so gross, I had to put it down for a while. When I entered grade eleven, I was like - Okay, time to finish this book! And I picked it up again. I made it about halfway through in about a month, and then had to put it down again. It took me a little longer, but I finally finished it by the beginning og grade twelve. In between all those months and readings, I didn't abstain from books - I kept reading. I read a lot. And I always kept The Lovely Bones in the back of my head, on a shelf, waiting for when I was ready for the next part. It is just how I operate, I guess.


And then there are times where I pick up a book and race through it, unable to put it down because then I won't know what happens. This past year (2010) I have had a few of those: All the Vampire Academy books; The Secret History of the Pink Carnation; The Forest of Hands and Teeth; etc. And this year I have already started with Storm of Visions - the last book I picked up, and now I must finish it (projected finish date: tonight). It's interesting to think of I think.

And then there are books that are slow to pick up and then I am immersed in it and need to finish it. And there are ones that I start off strong, and then peter off by the end. And it really has no efefct on how much I like it - it is just where I am at when I pick it up.

Interesting to think of, I think.

How do you guys read? Slow and steady? One at a time? A massive amount at a time?