A Reader's Worst Nightmare: The Reading Slump
by sassymonkeyI have a case of the reading blahs. There's no good reason for them to appear right now. I have piles of great books to read. The weather is perfect for curling up in front of the fire with a blanket and an excellent book. But I just don't feel like reading these days. I want to knit. I want to watch dvds. I want to play on the internet. I want to do everything but read. It will pass shortly I know but for the moment I'm just not in the mood to read. I am officially in a slump. Thankfully I know that it will pass and that I'm not the only person that suffers from the slumps.
Kristen at BookNAround describes my situation very well when she says "You know I'm in sad shape when I don't want to go upstairs to bed because none of the books I have bookmarks in are making me want to get back to them." But there's hope. Bibleeohfile had been in a slump when she posted this but quickly came out of it.
I don't understand why, but every now and then I just don't feel like reading. I don't know if it's the stress of life, the overwhelming stack of books I have piled everywhere, or just a slump that happens every now and then, but when it happens I don't read. At all. No magazine, no newspapers, no flyers posted on the walls, and definitely no books.
Sarai, at Reading Romance Books was in a slump recently looking for help to get out of her reading slump. I think she was far more into her slump that I was.
I mean what am I going to do? Will it pass? Will I live through it? Should I just give away the books (NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!) I am lost. What would you suggest?
Noooo don't give away your books! You're need to read will come back, I promise.
Miz B of Should be Reading shared some of her tips for kicking yourself out of the reading slumps.
To get out a reading slump, I just keep trying different books, though. Sometimes picking up a book by a favorite author will help.
Sometimes that does help me. As does re-reading favourites. But I've tried both of those and nothing is sticking. Loramae of Pop Culture Vixens wrote of something that scares me - a reading slump that lasted for years.
For several years, I was in a reading slump. I couldn't find anything to read that I felt I couldn't put down. I was constantly looking for something to read that was a great story and something I couldn't put down.
I could go Samantha's route and join a new challenge like the Fall into Reading Challenge but I think part of my problem is that my list of books that I need to read is too much. I have them piled up by my bedside and there's not one, but three piles, all which are threatening to fall over.
Maybe my brain and the season are just telling me to slow down and relax. I will say it's doing wonders for my knitting progress. What do you do when you're in a reading slump?
Contributing Editor Sassymonkey blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
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Comments
Busy life
I haven't been reading and it's due to being too worn out at the end of the day - when I'm super super busy, books fall by the wayside. I don't choose anything other than sleep over reading, though.
Now that the big kids are gone, I'll catch up on work and then get back to my normal reading patterns. By Wednesday, I'll be "normal" and probably finished with the book I've been NOT reading for the last several days.
Maybe Michelle's idea will get you motivated.... 101 books in 1001 days? Won't be hard to do, but might get you enthused about reading some of those books from your stacks?
~Denise
BlogHer Community Manager
Flamingo House Happenings
I think my problem is too many lists
I have too many lists (or one ginormous list, depends on your perspective) of books I "need" to read. I don't think that another would help me exactly. Perhaps a goal of reading x books from my stacks might...maybe next year. I have too much on the go right now!
I hear you on worn out. I've been too tired to read at the end of the day lately and somehow too busy to read during it.
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
Pick a new book
I've found that when I'm in a reading slump, it's the "list" of books that gets me. I'm tired and I'm worn out and the "list" just feels like something I have to accomplish. Sometimes, honestly, just going to the library or bookstore and browsing--with no preconceived notion of picking something up--will spur me to a new book that doesn't feel like the work of the stack at home.
But then, sometimes (like now), I just go with it, let myself slump and watch tv, movies, surf the web, etc., since I know eventually it'll come back.
Ginger
Ramble Ramble
I've been going with it
But now I've gotten frustrated with it. I have all these fantastic books around me and I don't want to read anything! Even browsing in bookstores isn't doing anything for me. sigh.
I'm trying out a new book tonight, hopefully it will get me back on a reading kick.
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
Slumps All Around
I don't know about a reading slump specifically. I have a business that I started 5 years ago that I'm feeling the "slumping" with now. As a matter of fact, it almost feels like more than slumping...more like loosing a passion. I don't know what you do with that.
Maybe time heals everything....even a reading slump?
~Mia.
My blog is General Hysteria~
I hope so
And I also hope that it's less time versus more time. ;-)
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
I've only just started reading again.
And I was prompted by a few books I'd never normally consider. Get a friend to recommend you something sci-fi, or historic romance - anything, as long as it's something you don't normally read.
I think we have a little bit of everything in
the house!
Between what I read and what my boyfriend reads I think we really do have most genres represented! I just had some books delivered though and I'm hoping that one of them will give me a boost.
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
Waiting Room Reading
I spend a lot of time at doctor's offices. I used to use the waiting room time to catch up on my People magazines, but then I realized how "germy" those magazines probably are. (Think about it -- sick people, fingers, coughs and sniffles?)
Then, I thought, why not use the time to read books? So, I take my own reading material. That way, I also have material for those moments when I'm stashed in the tiny exam room waiting for the doctor to come in.
Rhonda
Rarely leave home without a book
I started carrying a book with me everywhere when I used to commute to work. Since I didn't have a car I took public transit early and public transit always seemed to have me arriving either 20 minutes early or 10 minutes late. Since I hate being late I would throw a book in my bag and read until the appointed time. I actually used to try to meet people in coffee shops and purposely get there even earlier so I could squeeze in extra reading time!
Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
Need vs Want?
http://www.enlightenmentgirl.blogspot.com
You might be in a slump right now because reading might feel like something you "have" to do rather than you "want" to do. After all, you have a list of books you "have" to read,and you blog regularly on books, so reading might feel like a job right now. The knitting and other activites are not required because of a challenge or a blog, so that's why you "want" to do them instead of the reading.
Maybe read some really silly trivial stuff that you don't feel is worthy of a blog post or much thought. Maybe allow yourself a break for a few days. If you treat the slump as a big deal, it will become a big deal. Forgive yourself and give your self a little knitting vacation. (Or blog about knitting books?)