Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2023 Weekly Question
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Weekly Question- Oct 1 - Reading Slumps
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Robin P, Orbicular Mod
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Sep 30, 2023 08:05PM
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I usually turn to other forms of entertaining myself. This year I did an acrylic painting and a charcoal drawing for my friend who loves kakashi from Naruto.
I binged tv shows and movies. I went through my books and donated some of them to the library.
Sometimes the writing bug strikes and I put pen to paper. This one hasn’t happened yet this year. Maybe November.
This is a perfectly timed question. In September I had 2 group readathons and read so many books. Now I'm sick and tired and the thought of reading hurts my brain so I haven't read much in days. My go to for breaking a reading slump is to either reread an old favourite (there's no pressure as you know what's going to happen) or read something low stakes like a rom-com or cozy mystery. It gets you back into the habit of reading without being too off putting.
When I hit a l slump, which this year (and I mean most of the year!) has had way too many, I read away from challenges if necessary and read only what appeals to me at the moment. I also look for something light, something fun and that will make me smile. My current go to is the Jodi Taylor series of St, Mary's. I am glad to see she has started a spin off series recently, as I have torn through St, Mary's this year because of the reading slumps.
I usually hit a slump in the summer. I start and stop a lot of books! Sometimes, it just takes the right book to get me going again. If I don’t feel like reading, I just take a break or read something short like a graphic novel, novella or a mid-grade or YA novel. This summer I reread S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, one of my favorites from the ‘70s. It was exactly what I needed!
I rarely experience reading slumps but if I do, I find that non-fiction will pull me out of it.
Since moving to mostly audiobooks I don't get slumps anymore (pretty much making up for 30 ish years of not being able to read much). It is helpful though having a weekly prompt if I'm not sure what I'm in the mood for as I don't plan books before hand.
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Sometimes I'm just not in the mood for certain books, so I'll try something else. I used to feel I ought to finish every book, but life is too short for that. I have LOTS of choice in my stash so there's usually something that appeals. Probably a short and entertaining book just to get going.
I'm currently in a bit of a reading slump, got 8 books left for the challenge,but I don't fancy reading any of them right now.
When I'm feeling like this I tend to gravitate towards a series that I can dip in and out of, currently that's the Phryne Fisher series. Alternatively I'll pick up a Graphic Novel, maybe reread a Discworld book, or listen to a podcast about books.
Nowadays I'm so busy and have so many health issues that if I don't feel like reading, I just don't. In the past, I would pick up something completely different from what I usually read or what I had been reading at the time the slump hit. What usually triggers a slump for me is finishing an absolutely fabulous book and having a "book hangover" where I know nothing else is going to be as good. I try to have something else already started so I can just slide into the next book. Sometimes, I get an urge to read ALL the things!! and wind up picking up nothing! lol
When I'm in a reading slump, I may start a few books in a row, quitting them the second I start to get that feeling that the book is "so long" and I'm paying more attention to my slow progress than actually enjoying what I'm reading. The library is great for this, as I can take risks on books I'm unsure of without having to buy them outright only to abandon them. At some point something will stick, and it's often something I had been meaning to read, but old TBR books begin to seem stale when I consider reading them, though they suddenly become fresh when I actually start to read them and it turns out whatever I had imagined it would be like is completely untrue...if that makes sense?
Robin P wrote: "I rarely have had a dislike for reading at all, except when I was in grad school, and forced to consume and analyze hundreds of dense pages a week!"LOL - I remember that feeling well. In 2018, I finished my thesis and last semester of grad school - read three books. :) Of course, I read a crap ton, it's just that most of the reading was for school!
It happens sometimes, but I usually just wait it out - either I binge watch something fun, or just search through my library's ebooks until something sparks my interest.
I’d been in a reading slump in September. There’d been just so many wonderful books I wanted to read and I had almost no reading time. So I was just overwhelmed and frustrated at the same time. Picked up a book and than couldn’t focus. I do not really have a good idea how to end a slump. I just sit it out I guess. My everyday life just slowed down a bit and there is more reading time again. Since I have time again, I can also focus and enjoy my reading again.
How do others who do not have much reading time prepare themselves for the reading session? How do you manage to relax enough to pick up a book? I have a hard time with that although of cause I love reading. But maybe that is a question for a different week…
Robin P wrote: "I rarely have had a dislike for reading at all, except when I was in grad school, and forced to consume and analyze hundreds of dense pages a week! I got back into reading then with Agatha Christie..."Same with the dropping books! I used to grimly force myself through, but then I realised that usually when I'm in a reading slump it's because I'm trying to force myself through a book that I'm really not getting on with. Life is short, I may as well move on to something actually appealing!
I did not have reading slumps until recently. Now, it is usually due to stress, which affects my ability to concentrate. When that happens, I use audiobooks, read books that have easy plot lines, or binge watch TV until the stressor is relieved.
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@Fee I don't prepare for a reading session. I just always have a book with me everywhere I go. If I have 10 mins to read, I do. I am also ready to drop a book that doesn't spark my interest. Being able to access ebooks through my library has been very helpful with that. :)
Mandy wrote: "I usually turn to other forms of entertaining myself. This year I did an acrylic painting and a charcoal drawing for my friend who loves kakashi from Naruto.
I binged tv shows and movies. I wen..."
I love what you do 💜
I've got ME/CFS so during many years I had grave problems when it came to concentration and understanding text at all. That's a disaster for a book nerd. But thankfully it has started to be getting easier and easier the last years. But I don't think I'll ever regain my reading speed, I can't read more than twenty pages per hour. And I love heavy books. Not a good combo whek it comes to ATY 52.
However I mix heavy and serious literature with British crime novels and I've started to listen more regularly at audio books and this combination takes me through weeks that ate worse when it comes to concentration problems or other cognitive symptoms.
Yes. I have a series that I love. And I have saved the books in it for when I get stuck. So if there is NOTHING that can get me reading I will pull out the next in the series. I’m very slow to choose that option now though because he’s close to the end. I don’t know what I’ll do then. 😭
Reading slump? What's that?Too many books, so little time
