Simone and Her Books

Well, I don’t know what did it this time but I’m stuck in a reading slump this week. And instead of going without a blog post for another week because I’m not crunching out the books reviews, I thought I would write about it.

I’ve been pretty mindful of my book slumps in the past. I never know what book causes it. In fact, I was on a streak of some 5-star reads so I’m a little upset this has hit me while I was having a really good time with my reads. But sometimes the universe has a tendency to tell you to slow down or pump the brakes, so you just have to listen to it. It’s almost like the acrid taste of burnt food on your tongue when you pick up a book and try to read it and you don’t want to. It’s bitter, so you go to your shelf to find something to get the taste out of your mouth and nothing looks good. It’s a horrible feeling.

I’ve written about book slumps or reading slumps in the past. I know that you need to ride it out, play it by ear until the want to hold a book comes back to you. But I never shared some tips on what to do when books are just not cutting it for you. Some of these may seem fairly obvious while others may be new! Here’s what I’ve been doing to occupy my time:

Rewatching a favorite TV show or movie

Instead of reading books, I’m watching TV based on books. I’m rewatching the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and it’s truly giving me life. This is my second time watching the series and honestly, it’s now trumped my ardent love for the 2005 Pride and Prejudice (you know, with THAT hand scene). There’s something about Colin Firth’s Mr. Darcy that really makes you hate him and then absolutely love him and Jennifer Ehle’s spicy Elizabeth that really make you wish they get together in the end. The language is much more robust and the acting feels more on point with the time period. It hits differently for me and I’m here for it.

Playing video games

I’m not sure if everyone is a cozy video game person, but I love them. I’m really into this puzzle game called Block Blast right now. Some kids put me onto it and it’s like a complicated version of Tetris where you make combinations in both the horizontal and vertical positions. I could spend my day just sitting there trying to puzzle out each of the challenges.

Getting into a different hobby

Well, my favorite other hobby has always been knitting, but living in the state where the sun shines all the time, there’s really no need for sweaters, cardigans, or scarves. So I’ve decided to pick up gardening. This recent book slump had the perfect timing to hit me right when I’m trying to start up a vegetable garden for the new year, so instead of reading fiction, I’m reading articles on how to best germinate your peppers.

You can always reread a book you loved or you can read an audiobook

I rarely do these options mostly because it’s very hard for me to read anything when I’m in a slump and audiobooks are hard for me because I’m a visual learner (I can’t see what the author is describing). But these are still valid options for those who don’t struggle with that problem!

What about you? What are some ways you pass the time when you’re not reading?