The Joy Of Reading More Than One Book At A Time – The Confessions Of Culture Critic Julia Keller

At any given moment, I have at least six half-finished books sitting within easy reach. But which six? How do I choose? Ah, that’s where the magic happens.
A wonderful literary synergy is created by the accidental juxtaposition of reading materials.
Julia Keller, CULTURAL CRITIC, Chicago Tribune – Why need read many books at once?

Keller:

So I really meant that it’s something I think is kind of part of the human species, to always be kind of looking over the horizon to the next thing. And I think that when you break off your reading to go read something else, the first thing is enhanced. It’s enhanced by that contrast by realizing all the different varieties of voices that there are out there.
The Joys Of Reading Many Books At Once (from an interview conducted by Jennifer Ludeen, for NPR’s Talk of the Nation)

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You are either a reader or you are not.  That’s my theory, anyway.  I have always loved reading. I started with comic books (if only I still had my original collection!).  I used to hide a book propped up in an open textbook during class as far back as junior high school.  (I think the first books I propped up in such manner were the Nero Wolfe mysteries, which I still re-read every few years).    It probably (ok – definitely) hurt my grades – but I loved my reading.

Anyway, I got the link to this NPR interview in an e-mail, sent by another book lover.  Here’s Jennifer Ludden’s introduction to the interview:

Many people are serial readers — they pick up one book and read it cover-to-cover before putting it down.
And then there are poly-readers like Julia Keller.
The Chicago Tribune cultural critic juggles four, five, or even six books at any given time, never able — or willing — to choose just one.
Some have frowned when Keller mentions how many books she’s reading…
But she’s nurtured her habit not because she’s flighty or easily bored — or even because it’s her job to read many books at a time. It’s just because she finds life is simply better when lived among multiple books.

If you love to read more than one book at the same time, then you know the joy of this approach.  If you don’t – well, I just feel sorry for you…

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