Reading in Parallel

Is it possible, I wonder? I mean I have tried it, and I am ambivalent about it.
Earlier, I could never read two books in parallel - I felt my focus was not as singular, but in the last one year, I have tried doing that and I did manage to read.

Is it better now? I don't know. Have I lost interest, in general? I don't know that as well. But I have noticed that if I can finish two books in the following conditions:

a. Book A is a breezy read; Book B is heavy/intense
b. Both the books A and B are breezy reads
c. I am not too interested in the book but I just want to finish it

I do know a couple of friends who read in parallel but I am not sure I can do a good job of it. I wonder what is the general split - of people who read multiple books at a time and people who prefer to finish one after the other. 

Midnight All Day - Hanif Kureishi

Midnight All Day - A short story collection from the noted UK based writer Hanif Kureishi. I had not read any books by him till now so I was eager.
He is damn good - so good that sometimes you wonder what is he saying. I am not being sarcastic here. Some of the stories were difficult, to say the least. I probably would make sense of them when I re-read them again. However, I remember a quote on poetry by someone known saying that it if it requires explanation then it is not good enough. Some times I wonder if this is applicable to the short stories also. Complexity is fine, but incomprehensibility?
Anyway, his stories, thankfully are not incomprehensible. They are complex, because they are about people. ANYthing to do with people is always difficult, isn't it? Especially if it is about how well or badly they handle relationships in life.

The running theme of the book is about difficult relationships - the presence of a third wheel, in particular. Extra marital affairs, affairs with older men, difficult women, dying relationships shadowed by the presence of a lover - he has explored many angles. It is quite an interesting book. Some of the stories bothered me at many levels - which is to say, they were really good in disturbing one's equilibrium. I generally do not mind open-ended stories, but some so abrupt, it felt as if the author lead me to a mysterious house, promising all sorts of goodies and then just when I was about to cross the threshold, banged the door right on my face.

I want to read other books and stories by Hanif Kureishi. Definitely worth the effort.