How Do You Read?

The title doesn't mean silent reading, lip reading, or reading aloud. It doesn't even ask whether you read newspapers, magazines, or books. I'm not talking about whether you read hardback books, paperback books, books on an e-reader, or listen to recorded books.

Actually, I do all of the above--except for the lip-reading. I haven't caught myself doing that.

I was thinking about whether you read one thing at a time, from start to finish, before getting involved in something else, or whether you have multiple books going at once.

The question came to mind when I realized how many things I have going in my own reading. I usually have several different books and/or magazines/newspapers going at once. Some I read a little at a time because they are fairly heavy going. Some I gobble up--the story gets me in its grip and I can't put it down. My granddaughter and I usually have a book we are reading aloud together; sometimes I'm the reader and sometimes she is. And I have a couple of nonfiction books that are interesting topics and that I started on months ago, but haven't gone back to. Someday I will dig into them further. And I have a continuing read-through-the-Bible project, a different version every time I finish one. I'll admit that it takes me several years for each version.

At the moment, I have a book about the history of the Roman Empire that I'm about halfway through. It is a nibble at a time book. I am listening to the I, Claudius recorded book (seemed to fit with the Roman history theme), but, again, a little at a time. It is interesting, but doesn't grip me yet. (My husband and I used to dash home from church Sunday nights long ago to watch the television version of I, Claudius. It did grip me!) I've also been listening to Outlander. I've read the book, but enjoy the recording. I've put it on hold for a while because I'm almost up to a very traumatic section of the story and I'm not quite ready to experience it in the oral, dramatically read, version. Today I started reading a new book on my Kindle. It's by an author I've never read before, and although I'm just a couple of chapters into it I am captivated by his writing. The author is Phil Rickman and the book is The Wine of Angels. How can you resist an author who writes things like "...Merrily turned away and sighed, and the sigh recorded itself on the frigid air as a tiny white cloud."

Oh, and I almost forgot that I am also listening to The Elusive Mrs. Polifax. I read the Pollifax stories years ago (this one was published in 1971) and find them fun, easy listening. When I am doing my three times a day eye drop routine, which involves keeping my eyes closed for three minutes, it's nice to have Mrs. Pollifax to entertain me. And the Bible version I am in right now is the Contemporary English Version. I'm also reading The Story from The Book (a condensed, paraphrased Bible version).

So many books, so little time! And then I reread my favorites rather than always reading something new.

The simple fact is that I am always reading something. I cannot imagine living without books.