How I Got Over a Slump (And Fell In Love with Reading Again)
I’ve opened up before that in recent months, I’ve been in a really weird reading/blogging slump. I even considered quitting blogging, but my love of the community, my friends, and of blogging inspired me to try to muddle through the slump. I THINK I’m getting there, but I’m mostly cautiously optimistic.
But I’ve noticed something really interesting to me. This year, I only set a goal of reading 50 books. And in doing that, I had slowed down even before slump. Now that I’m somewhat on the other side, I’ve been thinking back on the books I HAVE read in the last month or so, and noticing a trend. I LOVED them. They GOT to me. Gave me chills, tears, made me laugh, or made me THINK.
Being in a slump made me appreciate the books I read.
It made me realize that sometimes I’ve taken reading — and blogging — for granted. Until the desire to do both wasn’t there anymore, it wasn’t even something I thought of: that I CAN buy books (or go to the library.) That I CAN blog, and share my thoughts with y’all. That I can write, and share stories. That I can READ, and let other authors’s words take me places, and break me, and put me back together.
Suddenly, each book wasn’t just…a collection of words and pages. Each book I’ve read recently — FAR FROM YOU, LOSING IT, UNTEACHABLE, THE ART OF LAINEY, has pulled me in. Made me THINK. Made me FEEL. FAR FROM YOU made me remember coming out to my family, UNTEACHABLE made me remember a relationship I had that even though it ended and was unhealthy, at the time I NEEDED to have it to learn what a healthy relationship is, as I’ve talked about. LOSING IT reminded me of awkwardly learning about my own sexuality, and I LOVED reading a book that was so sex-positive. THE ART OF LAINEY made me remember high school crushes and friendships. They all TAUGHT me something as I escaped into those pages. They took me out of myself and into a story.
I valued each book I read for the precious thing it was.
I’m a fast reader, and I’ve always thought that I read a LOT, though I have some friends who just blow me away with the vast amount of books they read throughout a year. In 2011 I read about 50 books. In 2012 I read 120 books, and last year I read 98 books. This year, I decided to take a step back and set a goal of just 50 books. I hope to make that lower goal, but mostly, I’m aiming for quality over quantity. And so far, it’s been working!
It’s made me fall in love with reading again.
Have you ever been in a reading slump? How did it make you feel? Did you come out of it ready to read again, or did it take a while? What was the last book you read that really moved you?
