Today is a two part question day (because I am that nosy!) If I’m not talking about books, I’m thinking about the routines of avid readers in their natural habitat. 🙂 So, here we go!
How many books do you read at the same time?
I’m pretty boring — used to be I just read one book at a time but once I started listening to audio books it became two fiction books at a time. I just have to make sure that the physical book and the audio book are different genres. I tried reading one cozy mystery while listening to another cozy mystery (not at the exact same time, but you know what I mean) and it was so confusing!
In my booktube sojourns I’ve come across multiple content creators who read multiple books at the same time — like six, seven, eight! I was gobsmacked. Still am. To me that just means the books aren’t engaging enough and I would DNF them licektey split and move on to find something I couldn’t put down. Which brings me to the second topic of the day.
Are you a DNFer? If so, at what point to you give up on the read?
I am a firm proponent of DNFing. (Do Not Finish) Life is too short to waste my time with characters I don’t like or plots riddled with holes or a writing style that doesn’t call to me. And there are so many books in my TBR begging to be my next best read! How can I disappoint them by wiling away precious reading time on something that I’m not connecting with?
I have a three chapter rule (usually.) If I’m not hooked in three chapters then I give up. Even when people say – but the last half of the book is awesome! I shouldn’t have to slog through the first half to get there. Sometimes, I’ll DNF earlier. Like if there’s a coarse language issue or other content that I don’t want to read. Or if a trope or issue comes up that I’m not keen on. Sometimes it’s a mood thing. Those are soft DNFs and I’ll give the book another chance sometime in the future. Usually, though, I’m unapologetically decisive and don’t look back.
This year I’ve started keeping a DNF log, writing a ‘for my eyes only’ review explaining why I DNFed. It’s been eye opening and I’ve discovered I can be snarky sarcastic when my readerly sensibilities have been offended. Oops. Reason why I don’t post DNFs or reviews on GR. 🙂
The Giveaway
Let’s get the conversation started. Share your thoughts on multiple book reading and DNFing in a comment below and I’ll enter your name in a draw for a bookish gift card – Baker Book House or Amazon – winner’s choice.
Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 14, 2026.
Kav's Best Reads 
For quite awhile I had one audio and then a Kindle and a physical book, or a couple of Kindles going. Sometimes ARCs are thrown in there. I think four at once is the most I’ve had going. I’ve been reading one at a time for the last few months though. Time to switch back!
2. Yes, I DNF. Many years ago I bought a paperback by a CF author I hadn’t read before. It bored me and confused me to no end. It was torturous to finish. It took me forever and I was miserable. I kept at it because I paid for it. After that I wouldn’t buy a new author without reading a book of theirs from the library or something first.
After that I decided that I have too many books and a respect for my time. I will DNF and stand by it. It rarely happens though.
A couple years ago I read a book by a male author who brought up pee many times in the first few chapters and I was done. It was like listening to a bunch of guys chatting around a coffee shop with rambling conversation. I DNF’d and never looked back.
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I agree about previewing authors before buying! I’ve had that same tension of feeling like I should read a book because I bought it, but not really enjoying it.
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I agree about previewing authors before buying! I’ve had that same tension of feeling like I should read a book because I bought it, but not really enjoying it.
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What fun questions! I read multiple books in ebbs and flows. Sometimes I’ll have a few books going at once. Other times, especially in the case of rereads, I may drop some of the books to finish review copies. On the flip side, when I’ve read a review copy or two but haven’t gotten around to the reviews yet, I like to fill in my time with books I’m not planning to review. But then if I like those too much, they may also go on my need-to-review list 😉
As far as DNF, I try to power through review copies unless I’m objecting to the content. I’m more likely to drop recreational reads from the library (kindle/audiobooks). I recently started one and, after 2 hours in, decided I’d tried enough to get into the story. My more recent listen is the second book in a series and I really liked book one, but with a second protagonist introduced in book two, I’ve been debating if it’s worth it to get connected into the story. I’m a little over 40 minutes in.
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