Readers Block

[Jestersinc]

Just like writer's block, but you battling to start to read, you start a book and about 4 or 5 pages you just cannot comprehend what you reading. Do you guys and girls experience this as well sometimes ?

[Lu]

All the time! What I normally do is stop reading for a few days or I read Harry Potter (obviously the first few books) or anything else that is fun and light :)

[Henri]

It happened to me bigtime last year. Put me on a 9 month reading break, but now i am reading more than ever and taking in all of it.

[Cat]

Oh yeah. OH YEAH. I know this feeling well.

Although the problem I have is a little different - it gets worse for me when I'm in editing mode from my own work. I cannot just sit back and enjoy something. Instead I find myself screaming over ever weak line and longing for a red pencil.

Not the most productive way to read.

[Barbara]

I need my reading to relax. I and also my friends and family notice it when I don't read enough, because I get restless. Last year I had a period that I just didn't want to read. Every time I picked up a book I read one or two pages and put it down again. There were whole days that I didn't read at all just because I didn't want to and couldn't focus on the book. Even books I loved didn't interest me. It lasted two months. It had some people worried but I just kept in mind that it was something temporary and that it would end someday and it did. I am back at full reading speed.
When it does happen to me and it doesn't happen too often I just go with it. If you force yourself you'll only make it worse.

[Cat]

Sometimes I wonder if that kind of reading-funk isn't linked to depression? (Not trying to diagnose anyone over the internet but what you're describing there sounds like me at my worst.)

[Barbara]

Yeah sometimes it is, but this time it wasn't. When I do get depressed I am not interested in anything and turn in a total coach potato. And now I was interested in a lot of things and I did a lot of other things like making dreamcatchers and getting my Star Trek Collection in order. I just didn't want to read.

[Cat]

Sometimes our brains just wanna do other stuff. It's all good.

[Naz]

I haven't read anything since mid December. At first I was just too busy but then I was plain lazy. Usually just waiting it out as Barbara said works because you reach a point where you just craving something good to drown yourself in. This happened to me last night and I went to find my long neglected Kindle asap :)

[Barbara]

That is good news. I hope you had a great book waiting for you :)

[Naz]

I decided to continue the WoT challenge before I fall too far behind :)

[Crusader]

I'm so far behind in the WoT challenge it's not funny.

[Barbara]

I still have to start that one and order the books.