What Causes a Reading Slump?

Every year I keep a running total of the number of books I read over on Goodreads. Unfortunately, the number of books I read this year is slightly lower than the past few years. I’ve still read 42 and have time to squeeze in a couple more. But that number is eighteen less than the 60 of the previous year.

Why didn’t I read as many books in 2019? As I thought about that question, it occurred to me that I’m probably not the only one in the world to ever have a drop in the number of books I’m reading.

As much as we love reading (and love promoting reading!), at times stuff happens that may prohibit us from reading as much as we’d like too. What are some of the reasons why an avid reader may experience a slump?

Here are just a few that I considered (make sure you chime
in the comments with your thoughts!):

Less time for reading: Although I firmly believe we all can make time for the things that are most important to us, I also realize that some seasons of life will be busier or more emotionally taxing than others. Life sometimes throws things at us that we weren’t expecting and leaves us with little energy or resources for doing even the things we love.

Too many choices: While more books are available than ever before, the abundance of choices can sometimes be paralyzing. Even when reading reviews, we’re left confused about whether to plunk down hard-earned money on a book we’re not sure we’ll like. Overwhelmed, we become more selective.

Fewer books catch our interest: After reading for so long, we know what we like and don’t like. We have our favorite authors and tend to gravitate toward those books while overlooking debut or newer authors that don’t really stand out.

Plots begin to feel repetitive or unoriginal: Again, after reading widely, we may feel a sense of déjà view, where the plots and stories begin to blur together. We peruse the book blurb and because it sounds similar to a story we recently read, we push the book aside (even if the reviews are stellar). 

Our tastes change: For a while, we may read everything ever written by a favorite author. But then for some reason, the author no longer holds our interest. Perhaps our tastes change or perhaps that author’s style changes. Whatever the case, we find that what once interested us no longer does.

More diversity means fewer standout books: With the enormous diversity of books and genres now being published, it has become harder for books to truly standout (like we saw happen with blockbuster hits like the Hunger Games). Readers are buzzing quietly about a hundred books instead of clamoring loudly about one or two. The low buzz (rather than a lot of noise) can make it difficult to know where to focus.

So what were the reasons I read fewer books this past year? For me, it was a combination of fewer books catching my interest as well as plots beginning to feel repetitive. I’m always on the lookout for another author I can add to my favorites list. So I’ll always keep trying new authors, but I have to admit, I’m growing more selective!

How about YOU? Have you ever been in a reading slump? What contributed to it?