Reading Slumps

[Nadia]

They are brutal, and this is officially my first one. I can't read ANYTHING without wanting to beat myself brutally with the book. Nothing holds my attention past the first few chapters- even books I love like Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (which is action-packed!) How do you get out of a slump?

[Jodi]

Reading slumps are so hard. I was in one last year for more than half of the year, partly due to stress and partly due to the books I was choosing. I couldn't finish any books, even books I was excited to read. What helped me get out of it was I signed up for a Twin Read from this group, where I was partnered up with a buddy and she was counting on me to read and talk about the book we chose to read. After that I have chosen books i was pretty confident I would like. I am signed up for a buddy read in February to help mke sure I read one of my bigger books. It is hard to get out of a slump. Good luck.

[Karina]

Sometimes the best thing is to just leave it for a while.

And sometimes just a little, uh, change of scenery - try an audiobook if you don't usually do those, try a short story collection or non-fiction or graphic novel or a play(!) if that's not usually your thing - or even re-read an old favourite for comfort. (An OLD favourite, like a children's book, even!)

[Nadia]

Thanks, everyone! I'll try my childhood favorite, and do the March buddy read!

[penneminreads]

I know the feeling and it can be so terrible... personally, I think (or rather, hope) that it is just a phase that'll pass eventually. When I notice it happening to me I just take a break from reading. Forcing things doesn't help anyway.

[Kris]

It's the worst! I got in a funk for a couple months, then had some personal stuff, then it was the holidays and I realized it had been almost 6 months without finishing a book, or really wanting to start one!
My saving grace was reading to my kids...
I have found though, usually digging into something else rekindles that fire...
I am hoping that some reading challenges this year will help keep me consistently reading more in 2015...

[Lorina]

I write down the books I read in my planner's yearly calendar, and it's always painful to look back and see a three month time frame that is completely blank. It doesn't help that I find it almost impossible to stop reading a book, even if I hate it. But then it just takes me forever to pick up the book and finish it.

All it takes is that one great book to fuel my desire to start reading again, but I end up feeling like there was too much time wasted in between.

[Krystal]

Personally I work on other projects when I'm in a slump of any kind. I go through phases. I'm trying to get as much reading as I can this winter/spring because I know I probably won't read much during the summer months. I go through slumps with my photography too and it can be really annoying at times

[Nadia]

I forced myself through Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, enjoyed it immensely, and am now crawling through Grave Mercy.