Confessions of a Book Juggler

Confession time. I juggle books.

I didn’t use to, but once I became a mom, I either had to learn to juggle, or go insane. I’m also generally suspicious of all non-jugglers if they claim they are married and have children. I’m lucky if I can get out of the house and remember both kids. If I was chained to one book, I’d go crazy searching the house looking for it while one, possibly both children, sneak out the door to set up an impromptu race outside with a Volvo. Or I’d give up and go bookless to the park. While playing with the kids is great fun, sometimes it’s nice to sit there and read once the pretend pony games start because let’s face it, I’m not 20 anymore.

I guess that’s not fair, I do have an eBook reader on my phone, I could read that at the park . . . but I also like physical books. What can I say, I’m a traditionalist and probably always be (I won’t mention that I write in my physical copies. Or make notes in the margins. No need to talk about that, right?).

And that is where temptation rises up and grabs me. Why limit myself to just one? I can have a tangible book, one on my phone, and one or two on the iPad. What’s wrong with that? Everyone does it. Besides, there are so many out there. We are only hindered by the bars we create around ourselves. Am I right?

Sigh.

I know, I’m weak. Don’t get me wrong, I get the idea of dedicating myself to one story at a time. I would love to be in that phase of life again, but I don’t think it’s probable possible any time soon. So I’ve resigned myself to my unfaithfulness. At least while the children are still so small. Honestly, going nuts wondering where that ONE book I was reading is just not worth the extra stress in my life right now.

I’ll keep juggling until there comes a time when I don’t need to any longer. Which brings me to why I felt compelled to confess today. I’ve just finished several books and the opportunity to go back to a one-book-at-a-time reader presented itself. Being the weak person I am, I stomped all over that idea and replaced the books I’ve finished reading with new books. I’m just not ready to break the cycle.

In case you’re wondering, I’m currently reading:

Dawn by Octavia Butler. This is one of the Goodreads Fantasy and Sci-Fi group’s book choices for the month of June. I am in love with this book. On page one I became intrigued and it’s only gotten better from there. Butler is a genius and within those first few pages, I felt like the character. I could see the walls, feel her loneliness, and her longing for interaction. By the time the alien showed up, I was hooked. This is the book that might reignite my book fidelity. We’ll see.

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. This is on my phone and I’ve no idea why I chose it. I think it popped up on a list and the blurb intrigued me. I’ve only read the first chapter so far, but I love what I’ve read. The story begins when the feds in Chechnya take a man into custody and burn down his home, while his daughter hides in the woods. A neighbor steps in to take the child to safety. I doubt I’ll laugh, or be inspired by brave new worlds, but I’m pretty sure I’ll cry by the time I’m done with this story. It’s very compelling and when the interruption came (Mamma, you forgot lunch. I’m hungry!), I was sad to put it down.

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett. It’s about bringing the Steam Engine to Ankh Morpork. Oh, do I need to even mention who Terry Pratchett is or why I read his books? If you’re one of the few people on the planet who hasn’t heard of him, I urge you to run out and grab any of his books. Better make that at least two of them. Trust me, you won’t regret it. He will make you laugh . . . and then laugh some more.

And finally, on the iPad I’m reading Nimbus: A Steampunk Novel by Austin King and B.J. Keeton. I’ve been itching to write some steampunk, so I’m exploring what’s out there. Nimbus is an indie book and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet. I guess I haven’t read far enough in to know if I’m going to like it or not.

And there you have it, the books I’m currently juggling. Oh, I do have a book on my nightstand in Swedish. It’s about a dog that ran away. I’m not in the mood for Swedish, though, so I’ll stick to these English ones for a while.

What about you? What are you reading and are you a book juggler? Or are you faithful to one–and only one–book at a time?