How to read ALL THE BOOKS at the same time
By Megan Collins, Founder of @themanicuredshelf
This month, I thought I'd do something slightly different than recommending books specifically ABOUT balance; after all, that looks different for everyone. Instead, I thought I'd focus on sharing 4 books I'm balancing reading right now and how I balance reading multiple books at once in general.
Sometime in 2020, the Sisyphean nature of working from home was starting to get to me. Every day was the same, and I desperately wanted to feel differently. So, I decided I would start reading a different book every day to spice things up. I know, wild!
What was actually wild was how well it worked. With no outside distractions beyond my 9-5, I found myself balancing 10 books at once. (More on tips for doing that later!) Since then, I've still been reading regularly and have adopted the practice to always be in progress on 4 books: a classic, a memoir, a novel, and a non-fiction book for work.
This month I'm balancing reading:
A CLASSIC: 1984 by George Orwell
I think reading the classics is overrated, but why not add them to the mix when you read a lot anyway? I was supposed to read this in high school but read Wikipedia instead (shoutout to the internet). However, I'm glad that I didn't read it until later in life when I wanted to. Now I'm rereading it for the second time and finding a perverse comfort in the fact that we're living in an Orwellian nightmare, and yet I have a semblance of hope for the future. If that's not balanced, I don't know what is.
CULTURAL THEMES: Society, Politics, Surveillance, Power
Read Speed: Slow
A MEMOIR: God Level Knowledge Darts by Desus Nice & The Kid Mero
If you prefer your nihilism balanced out with humor, then look no further than this comedy duo's memoir God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons From The Bronx. As a lifelong lover of popular culture, I like to read celebrities' biographies to get a sense of what pieces of culture influenced them.
To be honest, this book isn't for everyone. It's structured like a conversation, my guess as a nod to their podcast background and the banter that made them famous. It goes back and forth from Desus and Mero, and while I like the back-and-forth, Mero's sections are written in all caps. Maybe it's my Gen Z-favoritism showing, but it was distracting to read.
CULTURAL THEMES: Personal Essay, Pop-Culture, Comedy, Social Issues
Read Speed: Fast (if reading in all caps doesn't give you a headache)
A CONTEMPORARY NOVEL: Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney
I've only just started this much-anticipated novel, but I'm a fan of Normal People (the show as well as the book) and even more so of Conversations With Friends. I find novels the most enjoyable to read, but it can be challenging to keep the characters straight when reading more than one at a time. However, one of the upsides of reading newer books is that it adds some urgency: you have to read it relatively soon to participate in the discussion around it.
CULTURAL THEMES: Women, Relationships, Existential Dread
Read Speed: Somewhat fast
A NON-FICTION INFO FEST: You May Also Like by Tom Vanderbilt
Of all the books I'm reading this month, You May Also Like is my favorite. It's a detailed exploration of why people like the things that they like. As a cultural analyst, that's the eternal question that I'm always trying to answer, and I'm gaining so many insights from this book. Having a book that you are reading specifically for work can be an excellent way to balance long Zoom meetings and staring at a screen with a tangible activity.
CULTURAL THEMES: Pop-culture, Marketing, Art, Psychology
Read Speed: Somewhat Slow
So, if you’d like to join me on the reading of ALL THE BOOKS at the same time, here’s what I recommend:
Create a reading routine. Carve out pockets of your day (mine are in the morning, during lunch, after work, and before bed) where you could read and then try to stick to them.
Keep the plots straight by reading books of different genres to make it less likely that you will confuse them. So, maybe don't read 4 mysteries simultaneously because your detective skills will be thrown off.
Read books in assigned places, whether that's different places in your house or out in the world, it's up to you! I have various reading nooks and corners because that helps my mind compartmentalize
Take notes, even in novels! It helps you stay invested in the book and remember your previous thoughts if you need a refresher.
Don't let too much time pass between readings. When you're trying to read several books at once, it's best to be consistent and do a little at a time than to save it all for one day and "catch up."
I made the "just 10" rule for myself. If I don't feel like reading on a particular day, I'll sit down and decide that you're going to spend 10 minutes or 10 pages reading (whichever comes first.)
Happy Reading!