It’s been a looooooooong time since my last discussion post……. as in, I honestly can’t remember the last one! I’ve always wanted to do more of these but I feel like I struggle to come up with topics. Not today!
A little while ago I had a discussion with someone about starting a new book. She said that she has to wait at least a full 24 hours after she finishes a book before starting a new one. She likes to take the time to let the book set in and ponder what she liked/disliked about it. Smart and makes sense!
But that conversation made me take a look at my own reading habits and ask the big question:
How long do you wait after you finish a book before you start a new one?
…… and I am apparently the polar opposite to her! Almost immediately after finishing a book I start to search my shelves for what I’m going to read next. And If I know what I’m going to read next, I can sometimes grab it within about 5 minutes of turning the last page of a book. As great as it feels to finish a book, it also feels great knowing that you crack open the cover of a book and a whole new adventure starts!
I bet you think I’m a monster!
There are exceptions of course! Some books really drain your emotions or make you think hard. And some just call to you so deeply that the book hangover won’t allow you to touch another book! I can sometimes go days without picking up a new book because my emotions haven’t left the previous world or characters.
What about you? Can you pick up a new book right after finishing one, or does it take you a while before you can start something new. I’m totally curious!
Until next time, happy reading!
Bionic Book Worm 
I’m the exact same way. I pick out my next read as soon as I finished one. I don’t necessarily start reading it right away though. Like you, it depends on how the book I just finished made me feel.
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After I finish a book I sometimes spend up to the next four days trying to decide on my next one… I need to come up with a better system!
Great post with an interesting topic!
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I feel your pain. You sound like a mood reader like me. Sometimes it takes days for me to figure out what I’m in the mood for! What helped me was starting to think of 5 books I want to read next. Then when I’m done a book I’ll adjust that for other books I might be in the mood for and pick from those 5
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I love that idea a lot! It’s just that since I use the library for 98% of my reading, I can’t really predict which ones will be available when. I’ve been having good luck recently though with actually sampling books before I read them instead of just analyzing the synopsis. It seems like an obvious thing but it’s really helping.
Thank you for your reply and sorry for the ramble!
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I can start a second book right after I finish the first. If the first was mentally draining, I will read something lighter and easier to digest.
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Yes!
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I normally have my next book lined up ready to go as soon as I’ve finished the previous one. But sometimes I have to read something ‘light’ (ie doesn’t require much headspace) if I’ve just finished something dense. I will also try and mix up different genres – I read a lot of fantasy, but can’t finish one heavy fantasy only to pick up the next without something inbetween.
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Omg exactly! I’m in need of something non fantasy right now but I have an arc to finish. Then I’m taking a break 😂
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Hmmm….🤔
After I finish a book, more often than not, I will wait a day or two before picking up another one. It’s more so that I don’t burn out from reading too much. Or I’m busy with school or (gasp!) I just don’t feel like reading.
Sometimes I start another book almost immediately after finishing another one, but I put it down for a few days anyway. I pick it up again as soon as the urge to read comes back.
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That’s a good idea! Sometimes I get burnt out from reading and end up taking a break for longer than I should have. But my brain needs rest 😂
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If I actually manage to finish a book I go straight into the next one, but sometimes I get so distracted by a pretty cover that I stop reading my current book to start another! I usually have one or two books going at the same time with one being my main focus and the other one meant as a break if I want to mix it up.
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Oh how I’m envious of you actually! I’m a book monogamist. I can only read one at a time. I think if I read multiples I might feel like I was accomplishing more lol
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I wish I was better at sticking to one book and finishing it all the way through 😂
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I almost always have at least two books on my person in the event that I finish a book and need to immediately dive into a new one, but there is always that book that wrecks me too hard and I need a couple hours to decompress. But never longer than that!
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Wow that’s impressive! And something I need to do more of! I hate finishing a book and not having a new one to start!!
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If I have the new book picked out I will start the next day. Sometimes if I’m really wanting to read the book I will start right away. I finished one book and within seconds started one I was anticipating the other day.
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Wow!! That’s amazing! I love it when the mood to read is so strong that you start one that quick!
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Yep if finish one and still want to read, find another straight away. Read most in bed so if late then will find one next day for next night. I finished one earlier and couple hours later started reading next.
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I’m supposed to wait? And only read one at a time? You know that I tend to have multiple books going at once but there are times that I have to have a minute to process a book. Not necessarily a slump but some books require processing time. Some I can process as I read it. I never know which ones are going to get to me.
Recently I have been reading cuckoo bananas romance and I often have to put the book down and just try to put context to what I just read.
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Ugh I wish I could read more than one at a time!!! My brain would have to work too hard to differentiate. And you know the romances are crazy when you have to pick up another one to settle your thoughts 😂
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Usually I just start a new book right after. I have a bad tendency to start a new book while I’m still in the middle of one already. I’m such a mood reader, so it really depends on my mood. Sometimes I’ll devour three books in a row, sometimes it takes me a while to start the next one.
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Mood reading is a problem for so many different reasons. I’m afraid that if I start another one that my mood will take me out of my current read and I’ll never go back
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I usually try to wait some time (days) before starting to read a new book in order to have time to write the review (or at least some thoughts) about the book I finished reading. During holidays I usually manage to write the draft review in few hours after finishing the book, and then I jump to the next one 🙂 This approach helps me to keep up with blogging reviews, no matter how enthusiastic I am about the next book.
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Few days? Reading part of my sleeping ritual so could not wait that long.
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Same here! I always write my review before moving on. I need my brain to still be in that book so I can get all my thoughts out there
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It really depends on the book. I can usually wait a few hours and then start something new. Other times, I need a day and may just pick up a graphic novel.
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I don’t usually jump right into another one unless I was bored with the current one. But you can bet I finished one yesterday and The Vagina Bible came in the mail and I dove right in! lol
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The Vagina Bible…….. rushing to Goodreads to see what this is all about…..
….. I’m back and that actually sounds really interesting! Not something I would typically read but something every girl probably SHOULD read!
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A lot of the time, I usually start something within a day of finishing. I try to read every night before bed, so if I finished something in the afternoon, time for a new book! Once in a great while, a book will pack such an emotional wallop I might go a full 24-48 hours before I pick up my next book, but that’s rare. I basically need a ready book on hand at all times, so I usually dive into the next pretty quick!
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I’m exactly the same as you. I almost always pick up a new book the same day (and I HAVE to read before bed or else I don’t feel complete) but sometimes I need a while to think or decompress
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I’m like you! If I already know what my next read will be I can just put down the book, and immediatwly pick up the next one!
If I don’t know, or the ending was really ‘impactfull’, I will wait longer. But I don’t think I ever wait 24 hours between books..
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Ugh I wish I couldn’t go 24 hours without reading. It kills me not to read for a day but my mood reading won’t let me sometimes
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I think I’m a bit of both – sometimes I can finish a book and start another within an hour or so…other times, I finish a book and don’t even look at my shelves for my next read for a few days!
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Since I’m almost always reading multiple books at once, if I finish a book, odds are, I’m still in the middle of reading other books, so it’s safe to say that I am completely comfortable with “starting” a new book immediately. I have no qualms about it. There are so many books I want to read, so why wait?
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I’m totally envious of your reading multi tasking! I wish I could read more than one at a time – it might save me from having days without reading!
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I look at it similarly to how I can watch multiple television shows and still be able to follow all of those plots. I also think because I have minor ADHD, I can’t really focus on one book for too long before I need to do something else. And sometimes, something else happens to be picking up another book 🙂
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Most of the time I tend to take at least one “day off” after finishing a book. I need at least that to get the finished book out of my head so it won’t get mushed with the next book I start to read. Especially if I pick another fantasy book after one finished, it’s almost a rule that those two will get mixed up in my head and then I don’t know anymore what happened in what book. 🙈😂
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I have the same problem! I read a lot of fantasy so it’s easy to get the worlds and details all mashed together. Especially if you read more than one at a time. My brain can’t handle that lol
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I’m the same as you, soon as I’ve finished I’m picking my next book and grab it to dive in!
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This is such a good topic to think on. Personally, if I’m emotionally affected, I probably will wait a bit before starting a new book (which usually happens because endings always hit me hard XD)
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I start a new book the second I finish one. That doesn’t mean I don’t find myself mulling over a just finished book in the days to come, it’s just that I have to keep reading, it’s like breathing 🙂
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True reading is as much a part of life as breathing!
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Great topic! I normally prefer to review the previous one, before I start a new one. Might be due to my excessively bad memory…
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My answer is pretty much immediately. Sometimes I may wait til later that day or the next day but my TBR is so huge I don’t really have the time to wait a bit between reads, hah. Also, jumping right back in helps me avoid book hangover. 🙂
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