Reading Multiple Books at Once

Approximately 17 years ago I went though a period of time where I started around 15 books, but didn't finish any of them. The odd thing is that for many of these books, I would read over half of the book and then I would abandon it. I was enjoying each of these books and I simply put each one down with the intent to continue. I would go on to another book before too long without circling back to the prior books. I am sure there was some psychological reason for this behavior, but quite frankly, I am not inclined to explore it. Many years later, I made an attempt to finish the books into which I had made significant inroads. For the remaining unfinished books, I removed the bookmarks so that if I picked them up again, I would start from the beginning.

Since then, I have made a point of not reading more than two books at once. I have held fast to this rule. However, today I realized that I am in the middle of 4 books: 1) The Yacoubian Building by Alaa-Al-Aswany. This is a fascinating novel about modern Egyptian life that I am reading for my book club; 2) Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. This is truly one of the greatest "hard" science fiction stories ever. It borrows from Chaucer in that a group of pilgrims (in space) tell each other their life stories. It includes elements of action, noir mystery, political intrigue, religious mysticism, and psychohistory. It is a mind blowing portrait of humanity's imagined future. 3) The Cuban Reader is a collection of essays, stories, poems, and histories of Cuba from Columbus through the present. I am learning a great deal about my roots (the brutality of the Spanish, the long history of slavery, the origins of the Revolution). 4) Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth by Terrence Dicks. This is a novelization of an early episode of this beloved series. To be clear, I am reading the book to one of my daughters. However, I have to admit that I bought the book about 20 years ago for my own reading. Yes, I was a fanboy in my younger days, and yes, my daughter is a beard in this situation.

I am not worried that I am heading back down the road of not being able to finish any books. That was a long time ago and in the interim, I have picked up and finished upwards of 200 books. There are a few books that I have dropped, but that was because the books sucked; and that is a good reason for not finishing.