I Can No Longer Read More than 1 Book at a Time and Other Bookish Habits that Changed for Me in the Last 13 Years

For those of you who’ve only come across me or my blog recently, first of all, hi! Thanks for dropping by. I really appreciate you for keeping up with my ramblings. 💖

I’ve actually been book blogging since May 2012. I know! I was 12-going-on-13 at the time, and I am still constantly wondering—how much did I really have to say as a 12 year old? 🤔 (The answer is, apparently, a lot.) I started blogging about a year after I found myself addicted to reading (my origin story deserves its own post 😂).

So that’s about 13 years of readership! And while I did take the world’s longest hiatus after my huge university reading slump, that’s still the longest time I’ve been able to keep up with a hobby. Goodreads says I’ve read over 650 books in that time. Wow.

I’ve changed a lot in those 13 years (and it would be concerning if I didn’t lol), which, of course, affected my reading habits and my ability to blog and talk about books.

It’s easier for me to figure out whether or not I’ll love a book before I read it.

It’s so much harder for me to choose what books to read because, since my reading slump, I’ve been trying to make more conscious decisions when choosing to read something. (Keyword: trying!) It could be because of age, or it could just be because I’ve read so many books at this point that I can read a blurb for a hyped-up romantasy book with hot guys and dragons and think, This sounds like a trainwreck

Until the FOMO kicks in and I still end up reading it. 😭 But I could at least go into something with low expectations, and read a book I know I’ll at least enjoy right after to cure the brain damage. 😄

My attention span has gone to hell and might not ever return.

The reason I managed to read so much pre-Great Reading Slump was because I used to read 2 or more books at a time. I remember that I had a system—I’d have a physical book to be my “main read”, and I’d have an ebook (different from the physical book) for when I go out and can’t lug a 500-page paperback around with me. I’d literally read anywhere and everywhere.

Now? I can’t even get through a whole meeting at work without zoning out for at least 5 whole minutes, let alone read more than one book at a time!

I am quite okay with the reading one book at a time thing (NOT the attention span thing bc it’s so bad 😭), because I won’t be comparing the books I’m reading against each other. And I won’t have to go back a few sentences to figure out where I’ve left off or what’s happened or who’s talking (though I still do this sometimes… it’s definitely less).

I’ve transitioned to an ebook girlie, AKA adulting is hard and physical books are freaking expensive.

I’m bringing up my 6-year-long reading slump again because you wouldn’t believe how shocked I was coming out of my slump and finding out that books have almost DOUBLED in price where I live. A paperback would cost around $14 – $18 here now, and that might sound pretty standard for people who live in the States, but where I live, that’s a week’s worth of food and transportation. 😅

I’ve come to appreciate ebooks, so I guess that’s fine. I can lie down on the bed in any position I want and still be able to read without my arms tiring out. No fear of paper cuts!

ALSO! It’s really hot and humid where I live, so it’s difficult to take care of physical books. (My books from 13 years ago are now brown. Not even yellow—brown.) My hoarding tendencies will disagree with me, but ebooks are definitely more convenient and more practical.

This former ENFP is now an ISFJ.

12 year old me had no fear of screaming to the Internet void, posting about everything bookish on social media, and writing reviews with a million curse words.

I don’t know what it was about unviersity that transformed me into an incredibly anxious person, but that’s who I am now. I realized during the pandemic that I’ve become so socially anxious that even writing this post right now is making me a bit jittery 😭, and I miss the old, fearless me. But I’m trying. Because I really do love talking about books. I love having meaningful bookish disucssions, and figuring out what everyone else is thinking while sharing my own thoughts. That’s something that hasn’t changed in all these years. 🙂

So I do hope I can continue to chat with you all about my love of books! And maybe some day, I can do it without sweating and feeling so shy. 😄

And if you can, please bug me a little to be more active on Bookstagram and Booktwt (I’m @aimeecanread on both)! I’m so intimidated by those two platforms and get so anxious every time I open them. But I do want to be more active, and I think I might be able to do that if I have the right push. 🥺

Some things changed, but some things stayed the same.

I jokingly tell people that I feel like I’m returning to my 12-year-old self because I’m also noticing a few bookish this that have stayed the same despite all the time that’s gone by!

I’m definitely still into the same genres (I will always be a high fantasy girlie 💖) and tropes (give me a good friends-to-lovers story and I will eat that shit up any day!). I still need to get some reading done right before I go to sleep. I still count the pages I have left before the end of a chapter. I still prefer the good boys to the bad boys! Always.

It’s cool that a lot has changed, but that there are still some things that have stayed the same. And that those haven’t changed in 13 years is crazy. 😂 I guess I’m still kind of predictable. 🤷‍♀️

Let’s chat!

How long have you been a reader/blogger? 💖 Have your reading/blogging habits changed at all over time? Do we share any experiences? Tell me everything. 😊

Feel free to tweet about this post if you liked it!

@aimeecanread shares the things that changed for her over the past 13 years of being an avid reader! Share on X

32 responses to “I Can No Longer Read More than 1 Book at a Time and Other Bookish Habits that Changed for Me in the Last 13 Years”

  1. fwiwkea Avatar

    I’ve been blogging since 2010 and my reading has completely changed the last few years. I stopped taking ARC’s and review books which lifted a ton of pressure off me but now I have no schedule or motivation to read lol

    I’m not sure if I’ve outgrown the whole thing or I just need an extended break. I just blog about & read whatever now. And I think that’s a natural progression. WHile I was much older than you when I started – life changes after more than a decade and that’ ok.

    I never seem to be able to actually quit though – I kind of love checking in with people I’ve been talking to for so many years now.

  2. […] So to those who didn’t know me back when I was a book blogger in 2013 – 2018(?)—hi, I’m Aimee! If you want to know a little bit more about my reading/blogging journey, I have a post where I talked about how I’ve changed as a reader/blogger over the years. […]

  3. tasya @ the literary huntress Avatar

    This is a really fun post to read! I agree with switching to ebooks- when I was home I read mainly ebooks since it’s cheaper but now that I have a library, I’ve been slowly getting back to physical books. The prices are just getting so expensive it’s insane! And I didn’t even think how the heat and humidity affects my books! 🙈

  4. Cas @ Daydreaming Ink Avatar

    omg this was absolutely wild for me to read because I started blogging at a similar age and I’ve been properly reading since maybe 2012? (it’s also crazy for me to think about the books I read as a tween and how wildly inappropriate they were lol). and noo I relate too hard to becoming anxious during uni, what is it about academia that does this ah! I think I’ve changed a lot over the years as a reader though, I used to be fearless and would read 500-page books, no problem, but now seeing a thick book scares me and I definitely read a lot more ebooks now, not because I want to but mostly because like you said, books have become really expensive. and ahh I just followed you on instagram! I’m @daydreamingink 🙂

  5. […] I Can No Longer Read More than 1 Book at a Time and Other Bookish Habits that Changed for Me in the … (Aimee @ aimee can read) […]

  6. The Sassy Library Fox Avatar

    I love this blog post so much! I’ve been a reader ever since I learned to read and I’m convinced so many of my reading habits changed over the years. lol I would have to sit down and reflect on it, though. XD But I know for fact my reading habits changed when I started to work, too. Time is an issue. Haha! Great and extremely relatable post! <3

  7. Dini @ dinipandareads Avatar

    Lmao, this is probably one of the most relatable posts I’ve read on the bookish interwebs in a while and I’m a significant amount of years older than you! 😂 I feel like all of what you’ve mentioned is a huge part of the reading lifecycle of a book worm cos I went through all of this too. My attention span is with yours in hell although sometimes I still do read more than one book at time, especially if it’s a buddy read or one is slower than the other. I think having that balance makes me want to keep up with the slow read! As a former ISFJ (I’m now ISFP) welcome to the “I” club! It’s wonderfully relaxed here, lol. I’m also really happy that I’ve transitioned into a big e-book reader because like you said, physical books are expensive and I hate how hard they are to maintain in tropical climates but I’m also thankful that my job allows me to indulge when I want now. It’s probably one of the better things about this whole adulting life. 😂 Great post, Aimee!

  8. Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard Avatar

    I would be more surprised if your reading habits hadn’t changed, since you became a blogger at a young age and you’re now in your mid-twenties!

    My attention span is somewhat shorter now, too. I blame it on my cellphone.

  9. Charlotte Avatar

    Wow you’ve read a lot of books!! Thats amazing. I’ve been blogging since 2019 (I had to check) but I spent a fair bit of time on hiatus too. I struggled with reading slumps on and off for ages so I can definitely relate to that. Hopefully both of ours will stay gone now.

    I’ve never been able to read more than one book at a time 🙈 although I have considered trying to do so on a couple of occasions when I’ve particularly struggled with a book but been determined to finish it. I know if I try that I’ll abandon the book I’m not enjoying and focus on the other one. Which would make morse sense tbh 😂😂

    I love physical books but really appreciate ebooks as well. Holding an actual book in your hands always feels special but as you’ve said they’re so much more expensive than digital ones. Ebooks are so much more portable too like you said and don’t end up wearing over time. Plus I love that they come with their own light built into them 😅

    I can relate on the attention span thing too unfortunately. I remember when I was younger being able to read in the same room as the tv being on. Now I need quiet. Although I think I’m getting better at blocking noise out.

    Also yay for fantasy!! That’s always my go to genre 😍 I used to read a lot of contemporary and really need to get back into that.

  10. Samantha @WLABB Avatar

    I guess reading multiple books at a time is like watching multiple TV shows (which was the norm back in the day, waiting a week for the next episode). I just like to plough through the book, and then start another. I will listen to a book while I also have an ebook in play. The time I give for those media is different, so there is no putting aside one for the other.

  11. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books Avatar

    I’ve been an avid reader since I could read so we’re talking 40+ years. That has never changed. I typically have one audio book and one ebook going but I cannot manage multiple ebooks (or audiobooks) at one time. Contemporary romance has long been my genre of choice but I throw in a mystery-thriller or light fantasy on rare occasion. 🙂

    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books
    https://girlplusbooks.blogspot.com/

  12. Ellie Warren Avatar

    My attention span is shot to pieces too. Maybe that’s just want happens after 13 years of blogging (I started way older then you though!). I haven’t deleted any of my 13 year old posts but sometimes I dread to think what rubbish I was writing…

  13. Yvonne (It's All About Books) Avatar

    I love that you started blogging so young! I started back in 2013 myself as a way to keep track of the books I was reading, but it has definitely grown into so much more since then. My reading taste has definitely changed over the years… I hardly read YA anymore, and while I’ve always read a lot of thrillers, I try to balance things out more now. I’ve grown to love the contemporary romance genres during the pandemic, and I try to read a variety of different genres in general. I’m definitely a one book at a time girl now as well! Although sometimes I end up making an exception if I pick up a physical copy… I read mainly on my kindle though.

  14. Marie Avatar

    I am amazed by how young you were when you first started and how much you read, like, woah! that’s pretty amazing! 💖 we grow and change and yet, we always find our way back to what we really love, so I find it so wonderful that you are back right here, right now! 💖 And completely get it about the whole anxiety thing, like, ugh. I’m always here to chat, always happy to do so and we’re all thrilled to have you here, know that’s absolutely certain!!

  15. Angela @ Literary Wanderer Avatar

    What a fun post! That is a long time to be blogging, even with the slump, so good on you for keeping with it! I’ve been blogging since 2016 and one of my biggest blogging changes is that now I write shorter reviews, ha! I am an ebook convert as well – I actually got my first Kindle right before the pandemic hit, which turned out to be great when I couldn’t get physical books from my library. My reading tastes have changed over the years, too – I definitely read less YA than I used to (I just turned 40, so it’s hard to relate to the characters as much anymore!).

  16. Jen Ryland Avatar

    I’m right there with you, Blogger Grandma. September 2011.
    You were 12??? Was this your original blog? I have been mostly out of the YA scene since around 2016 or so and I feel like almost all the bloggers from back then have quit.

  17. alisbooks Avatar

    FOMO is definitely real. I have for sure picked up my share of books because of hype even though I didn’t think I’d enjoy the book. That being said, sometimes I’m surprised and find a new favorite author that way. Hope you find what works for you to keep you out of the slump!

  18. sjhigbee Avatar

    I love that you started blogging when so young:)). I think our reading habits change and go on changing throughout our lives. I didn’t pick up a book from the time I had my first child, until the second one went to school – which was a gap of nearly 8 years. I was always terrified of getting so engrossed that they’d be in all sorts of trouble and I’d be oblivious:). And like you, I’m a committed ebook reader, these days. Kindles are wonderful devices and mine all have names!

  19. Leslie Avatar

    How awesome to have been blogging so long!! Oh yeah, there’s a lot of things that have changed since I started reading and blogging, even. I have been blogging about 6-7 years. I should figure that out bc I’m curious now! Figuring out DNF books quicker is a great thing to have learned. I still struggle with that. Ebooks are my way to go for a lot of reads because it’s so much easier to lug around, especially with kids! I buy my physical copies that I love from Book Outlet when they pop up there! Great post!

  20. Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction Avatar

    My reading has definitely changes over the years, but you’re right that there are some things that will always stay the same!!

  21. Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer Avatar

    While I have always read, I didn’t begin blogging until I was in my late 40s in 2011. When our children were preparing to leave the nest. Like you, I am pretty darn good at knowing what I like, but also learned the fine craft of letting go (DNF) I too read mostly ebook, although there are a few authors whose hardcovers adorn my bookshelf. Gone are the paperback and trade books as we move towards retirement. I discovered audiobooks which allowed me to enjoy 2 books at a time, one ebook and one audiobook. Always different genres.

  22. blodeuedd Avatar

    I have been on tiktok for a year and I am not kidding when I am saying that is has KILLED my attention span for reading.
    And yes I have a hard time reading two books at once and to just sit down and start :/

  23. yvonne473 Avatar

    I’ve tried reading more than one book at a time, but it never goes well for me. So, I’m sticking with one at a time. I swore I would never be an e-reader and now I only read ebooks. For some of the reasons you mentioned, plus I can increase the font size without anyone knowing I’m reading “Large Print”. LOL Have a great week!

  24. hena Avatar

    I used to be a one book girl but have become a two book girl. I can listen to an audio but get easily distracted if it’s an ebook.

  25. Tammy Avatar

    What a fun post, it’s nice to go back and evaluate your habits and likes. I’ve been blogging since 2011 and my blog has changed a lot:-)

  26. ratmom Avatar
    ratmom

    I read my first book for me, at age 16. The genres I liked have changed but I read all the time. I’ve been blogging for 18 years.

  27. theorangutanlibrarian Avatar

    It’s so cool that you started blogging so young 😊 and you read a lot in that time!! and it’s totally natural that things have consequently changed! I definitely feel like I’ve gotten better at knowing which books to pick up (and also much better at giving up when it’s not for me!)

  28. Anne Bennett Avatar

    I can still juggle more than one book at a time, but they can’t be similar at all. Otherwise I get confused. So I will have a poetry book open on my night stand next to a historical fiction novel and I’ll have some dystopian thing going on my audiobook player. My husband can only focus on one book at a time, and he reads much deeper and slowly than me, so that makes total sense. Don’t feel bad that your reading has changed. You were young and carefree, now you have other things on your mind. Thanks for visiting my blog.

  29. Leah's Books Avatar

    Wow, I’m so impressed that you were blogging at such a young age! I’ve been reading ever since I was 3, but took a long, long break and only got back into reading in the last five years or so. I took up blogging a few years back, and really got into it during the pandemic, but it is so interesting to see how much has changed for you in this time.

  30. Jodie | That Happy Reader Avatar

    It’s incredible that you were blogging at that age!

  31. Melina Elisa Avatar

    I’ve been blogging since the end of 2016, and it’s kind of crazy how bold and unconcerned I was about sharing whatever I wanted to.

    I have also become a much more anxious person since after the pandemic. I get overwhelmed easier, and therefore put a lot less on my plate compared to how I used to be. If you think about it, we went through a really traumatic situation, so of course there may be some changes in our personality and the way we react to our surroundings.

    I loved reading about this, and you should feel proud of yourself for sharing with us! xx

    Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com

  32. Hannah Avatar

    I’ve been blogging since I think 2017/2018. I’ve really enjoyed the community – but slumped off a bit during the pandemic, and haven’t really come back the same since…

    And I’m also anxious as hell – and my attention span is shot. Maybe they’re linked – but honestly, I feel the pain and frustration there so so much 🫂 hopefully we can both make progress in those areas 🤗

Let's chat! 🙂

Go!

Follow aimee can read on WordPress.com

Follow

Discover more from aimee can read

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading