I love to read books, which you might have figured out about me if you are familiar with this blog. I typically I am in the middle of mutliple books at once, reading each one in bits and pieces, so to speak. It can take me a long time to get through a book at this rate, but as long as it is well written I can pick it up even if I have left off of it for awhile. I have sometimes spent a year or two to finish reading a book. Taking notes helps with retaining comprehension, and also with the review that I will eventually write on goodreads, where I’ve been tracking my reading since 2019.

I read multiple books at once because I like to be reading books in different genres simultaneously, for example a work of fiction and a short work of popular history, and then also a heavier history book that will take longer to get through. It also happens because as I read a book, I get drawn into the subject matter, and then want to read other related books in my reading list.

For example, I was interested in brushing up my knowledge of the medieval period, so I started a book I had picked up at a thrift store, Life in a Medieval Village. But I also had a biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine I had acquired around the same time, and was intrigued to compare and contrast the villagers’ lives with that of a powerful noblewoman. But then while reading about Eleanor I learned that she was a patroness of Marie of France, famous for her poetic lais, so then I broke out my copy of The Lais of Marie de France to brush up on those.

What have I done? How am I ever going to finish my 2024 reading challenge now if I am always starting new books?

So you understand what I’ve gotten myself into, I’ve posted a screenshot of what I am currently reading above. It’s from the sidebar of this blog, but I gave a screenshot since the dear reader could be looking at this post at any time, long after I’ve finished the books pictured. I will finish them all! Maybe not by the end of the year, though.