As a keen bookworm all my life, I have always had several books on the go. The hardest time was when I first went to work in London, and really felt I was missing reading as much as I wanted to, until I then devised a system. Hardback book at home available whenever., second book by my bed, then paperback in my bag available to read in the tube, and then another one kept at work in a drawer.
Whenever I move , which was quite often, the second day after I had arrived, the rules where find the library and get my name down for a ticket and of course , look up all the clubs and interests that I might want to contact. Living abroad, I could read in 4 languages , but of course there were never enough, and I used to scrounge any decent books I could from people coming out, but drew the line at Mills and Boon! Not a lot of pleasures about being a widow and living alone, but it does allow me to have books besides all sorts of places, and others in the car etc., so that I have a book with me whereever I go. No one to say "not more books!" and I pass them on and give them away, apart from some very special ones that I enjoy rereading, including a very special copy of Elizabeths German Garden, in a lovely soft cover that I enjoy reading and holding. Hurray for libraries, for that chance to come across something you have never read before. When I find something new I tend to read everything else that the author has written. Enjoy fiction, travel ,non fiction and autobiographies etc etc. Not into horror or sci fi. Enjoy all sorts , from Neville Shute, to Jane Austin to Alexander McCall Smith, who strangely I enjoy his No 1 Ladies Dective agency group, but never got into the Scotland Road group. My great pleasure was to get a book token for my birthday which allowed my to wave it about as I spent ages looking round book shops. Love 2nd hand book shops as you really dont know what treasures you will come across. So going back to the question, I tend to have 5 or 6 on the go and have no problem switching from one to the other. I also really remember books I have read, yet can easily forget someones name!!