If your nightstand is stacked with half-finished books and your library checkout list is a little ambitious, you’re in good company! Here are some tips.
Reading multiple books at once doesn’t have to feel overwhelming—with some small changes, it can actually make reading easier, more fun, and a perfect fit for your busy life.
If you’ve ever felt guilty about having half-finished books lying around, I have good news for you: it’s not a bad habit—it’s a reading superpower.
As a busy mom of 4, I don’t always have hours of uninterrupted reading time, but I do have pockets of time where different books fit different moments. Some days, I need a deep, thought-provoking book to challenge me. Other days, I just need a fun novel to escape into.
Reading multiple books at once has helped me read more, enjoy books more, and keep growing even in the busiest seasons of life.
Let me show you how this simple shift can work for you too.
Why Read More Than One Book at a Time?
- Different moods call for different books (sometimes you need deep wisdom, other times a light novel).
- Books serve different purposes—some for learning, others for fun, and some for motivation.
- It keeps momentum going—if one book isn’t clicking, you can switch without stopping your reading habit.
Types of reads that I dabble in as the mood strikes:
- Devotional / Daily Reads
- Personal Growth – (also called Self-Help or Practical Non-Fiction)
- Fiction (audiobook)
- Fiction (physical book)
- Education & Research
- Learning New Skills
- Books I skim for information or enjoyment
[check out my specific examples further below⬇️]
⭐ Practical Tips for Managing Multiple Books
- Make books easy to reach. Keep one by your bed, another in the kitchen, one in the car, or even tucked in your purse. The easier they are to grab, the more likely you are to read.
- Mix up your formats. Not every book has to be a physical one! Try a Kindle for convenience or an audiobook while folding laundry or driving.
- Give yourself permission to pause. You don’t have to finish every book in one go. If a book isn’t clicking, set it aside and come back when you’re in the right mindset.
⭐ The Bigger Picture: How Reading Widely Helps You Grow
- Expand your thinking. Reading across different genres and topics introduces new perspectives, deepens your knowledge, and keeps your curiosity alive.
- Set an example for your kids. When they see you reading often—and enjoying it—they’ll understand that books are a lifelong source of learning and joy.
- Let go of the pressure to finish fast. Reading multiple books isn’t about speed; it’s about engaging with ideas in a way that fits your life and schedule.
🗒️ What This Looks Like in My Life
In the chaos of daily life—between homeschooling, driving kids to activities, writing, and keeping the house running—finding long stretches of quiet reading time is rare. But I’ve learned that I don’t need hours; I just need moments. Those little pockets of time add up.
Different books fit different moods and tasks, and by keeping a variety in my rotation, I always have something that works. Reading isn’t about finding the perfect time; it’s about making time work for me.
Here is my personal “currently reading” stack and how I rotate through them.
My Specific Examples:
🌟[with links and personal stories]
📖Devotional / Daily Reads
I stand in my kitchen holding a book and a pen. I read and underline then stare out the back window as the tea kettle rumbles. These short few pages have given me something to think about (other than all the tasks of the day). I love these quiet moments at my tea spot.
Some of my current favorites:
I read these books in my snippets of time (less than 10 minutes) and usually only a few pages. I strategically pick something that is structured in small pieces.
📚Personal Growth – (also called Self-Help or Practical Non-Fiction)
The smell of roasting vegetables fills the kitchen, and the timer on the oven tells me I have 30 minutes before dinner is ready. I grab Rising Strong by Brené Brown and settle onto the couch. The kids are riding scooters outside, a rare moment of alone time before the chaos of dinner and evening routines. As I turn the pages, Brené’s words hit me. She talks about the messy middle—the part of the journey where things feel unclear and uncomfortable, but also where growth happens. I pause, letting it sink in. How often do I try to rush past the hard parts instead of sitting with them and learning from them?
I underline a sentence that jumps out at me. It’s exactly what I needed to hear. I take a deep breath, feeling both challenged and encouraged. The oven timer beeps, pulling me back to reality. I close the book, but I’m still thinking about what I read as I pull dinner from the oven.
Titles I love:
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
- I’ve recommended this book before but it seriously changed my life! Comer’s newest book is also on my TBR shelf.
- Drama Free by Nedra Tawwab
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck By Mark Manson
- Made for People by Justin Earley
🎧Fiction (audiobook)
It is a free Saturday afternoon. The kids are with Jim at Home Depot getting parts for a house project he is working on. My teenager is at his internship and I have the house to myself. Today I have what Kendra Adachi calls “Big Black Trashbag Energy” and I am angry decluttering my pantry. Somehow we have 5 empty Pringles cans, Halloween candy, soup cans shelved with applesauce, and 300 almost empty boxes of crackers (that might have been a slight exaggeration). I take a deep breath to regroup. I stop… stretch, roll my shoulders, and then turn on my audiobook to keep me company. While I declutter I get lost in the story.
After a few chapters, I have a clean, organized pantry and I feel calm as if I’ve just stepped out of another world and gently landed back into my own. I pause my book and look around at the now-organized shelves. The tension I didn’t realize I was carrying has eased, replaced by the lingering emotions of the story—gratitude, wonder, and maybe even a touch of nostalgia. My mind feels clearer, my heart a little lighter, and the quiet hum of the house feels peaceful instead of overwhelming. I take a deep breath, enjoying the rare stillness, before closing the pantry door with a satisfying click.
Fiction I have loved:
- Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy
- The Last Bookshop in London By Madeline Martin
- Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson
- The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
📖Fiction (physical book)
The house is finally quiet. The dinner dishes are done, the leftovers tucked away, and the last cup left on the counter has been claimed by the dishwasher. The kids are in bed—hopefully asleep, but I’m not checking. My husband and I gather with our teens in the living room for some relaxed evening downtime.
I sink into the couch with a sigh, pulling a soft blanket over my legs and reaching for the book I left waiting on the armrest. The spine creaks slightly as I open it, and with the first few sentences, the weight of the day begins to fade. My mind shifts from to-do lists and meal plans to a different world entirely. The glow of my favorite lamp casts a warm light over the pages, and for the first time all day, no one needs me. It’s just me, this book, and the quiet exhale of a day well spent.
- I am currently reading The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yaros for the first time. I just started Onyx Storm and it is intense!!
📗Education & Research
The afternoon light filters through the kitchen window as I settle into my chair, a cup of tea within reach and a well-loved book open in front of me. The house is unusually quiet—each of my kids is engaged in their online classes, leaving me with a rare pocket of time to focus. I flip through the pages of Home Education, underlining passages that challenge and refine my understanding of how children learn.
This year’s deep dive into Charlotte Mason’s six volumes has been both humbling and invigorating. I first encountered Mason’s ideas in The Charlotte Mason Companion back in 2009, and they shaped the foundation of my homeschool. But reading her own words, cover to cover, has been an entirely different experience—one that has stretched my thinking and deepened my convictions. [read more about that here]
I jot down a few notes in the margins, thinking about how this philosophy has shaped not only my homeschooling but my parenting. This challenge was intimidating at first, but I’m so grateful I committed to it. Learning in community, discussing big ideas, and revisiting principles that have stood the test of time—this is the kind of education that fuels me as much as it fuels my children.
Here are some good places to start your general self-education:
- Managing Information: Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte
- Beginning the Creative Life: The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
- Parenting & Home Education: Modern Miss Mason by Leah Boden
📘Learning New Skills
Yesterday, while the kids were in their piano and guitar lessons, I sat in the car with a non-fiction writing book that had been sitting in my stack for weeks. As I read, I found myself nodding along, underlining sentences, and jotting notes in the margins. AJ Harper’s insights on clarity, structure, and engaging storytelling lit a fire in me—I couldn’t wait to apply what I had learned.
Now, in my office, I pull up my latest draft and begin revising with fresh eyes. I tighten a clunky sentence here, swap out vague phrasing there. My fingers move quickly across the keyboard, the ideas flowing more smoothly than they did the day before. I feel the energy of a good writing day, the kind where everything just clicks. That book was exactly what I needed—a nudge, a guide, a reminder that writing is a craft I can keep refining.
Outside my office door, I hear the kids finishing up their afternoon work, and I know my quiet time is about to end. But for now, I savor this moment—this stretch of uninterrupted focus, this creative spark that turns inspiration into something tangible.
Writing Craft Books that I love:
📑Books I skim for information or enjoyment
I don’t have a specific story to go with this one. I usually use cookbooks as something to look at when I know I will be easily distracted. My goal is often to glance over the information to get ideas about meals to make next week or a list to create for seasonal meal ideas. My favorite cookbooks have lots of photos.
A Gentle Nudge to Get Started
- Pick up a second (or third!) book. If you’ve been stuck in a reading rut, try adding a new book that excites you.
- Need ideas? Choose a mix—a novel for fun, a nonfiction book for growth, and maybe an audiobook for those busy moments.
- Remember, small moments add up. Even just a few pages a day will keep you moving forward. You don’t have to wait for the perfect time—just start.
Reading multiple books at once isn’t about keeping up with some literary marathon—it’s about making reading fit into your real, messy, beautiful life. Some days, you’ll fly through chapters, and other days, you’ll reread the same paragraph five times between interruptions. That’s okay.
Every page you turn (or listen to) adds up, expands your thinking, and brings a little more joy into your day.
So go ahead—scatter books around your house, embrace the unfinished stack, and enjoy the freedom of reading what you need, when you need it. Your future well-read self will thank you!