Oh goodness. I’m in a pretty awful reading slump right now.
For those of you who don’t know, a reading slump is when every book you pick up feels like a lead weight. You definitely want to read that book, but it’s not on the top priorities list. You read the words on the page and all you want to do is watch that episode of the Kardashians you missed last week. You’re just not interested in reading.
What usually takes me about a week to read a book took me nearly a month. Yup. One book in a month. As an avid reader, that’s some pretty slow reading especially for something less than 400 pages and pretty easy to read.
I’m here to tell you that reading slumps do suck, but that it’s also all okay. There’s some ways to manage it and I hope it relieves your slump as well as mine.
Reassess the books you’ve read this year – I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve got a threshold for the number of books I can read in a year. It’s not only about reading the books but also remembering what these books are about. Instead of putting another notch on your proverbial bed book post, take a look back at all the books you’ve read this year. See if you can remember what the basic plots are about. Make it a game!
Write! – Again, with the many books that I’ve read this year, if I can’t remember what the book is about, I’m going to try and write about it. Or if I remember it having some profound effect on me, then I’ll try and write about it. Writing about books almost feels like you’re dumping out those thoughts from your brain. You’re making space for other books to occupy your mind. And if you’re a book blogger, you’ve got a line up of blog posts for the next few weeks.
Organize your TBR – When I say “organize your TBR,” I really mean take a look at each book you’ve been wanting to read and realistically tell yourself if you’re going to read it. TBR piles are always so daunting especially when you’re buying books faster than you’re reading books. It could cause you to stress out and stop reading. Organizing those books allows you to manage them and maybe you won’t feel intimidated by that ridiculous pile. Konmari those books. Ask yourself if this will definitely be a book you’ll read. If not, then maybe think about donating it to someone or putting it up on the shelf. Out of sight and out of mind.
Do something else – Yes, the best thing you can do in a reading slump is not to get down on the fact that you can’t read. Just go ahead and do something else. Is there a craft project you’ve been wanting to do? Is there a tv show you need to catch up on? Don’t let reading become another chore. If you can’t do it, don’t force yourself to do it otherwise you’ll end up resenting it.
The last thing you should always remember is that there’s no goon standing over you watching you read. There’s no pressure to read a book when you don’t want to. When you’re not reading, you’re still a reader so enjoy yourself! Be you! And always remember to give yourself a break because you most definitely deserve it.
Simone and Her Books 