Getting out of a book slump

šŸ“š Whenever I finish a book, I usually have a good idea of what I want to read next. At the start of each month, I brainstorm and list four to five books that interest me. While this list often shifts as the month progresses, it gives me a good starting point.

But after finishing my ninth book of the year, I hit a slump. I looked at my planned reading list, but nothing grabbed my attention. Even ā€œWords of Radianceā€ by Brandon Sanderson, which I had been working through, didn’t feel like the right choice. I wanted something shorter, lighter—something easier. Since I had only been reading fiction up to that point, I decided to switch things up with a non-fiction book.

I picked up a book on menopause that had been sitting on my Kobo for a couple of months. Yeah, a book about perimenopause and menopause, which was recommended by my friend at my local Book Club. It’s very informative but the topic itself felt a bit daunting given what it means for my future. Still, it helped me get back into reading, but it didn’t make me super excited to sit down to read (mostly because of the topic—menopause can be a very scary experience for some people according to this book 😬).

So, even though I’ve been reading this book throughout the week, it wasn’t exactly scratching my reading bug. I was still missing that feeling of sneaking in a chapter whenever I had a free moment.

Another common tip for breaking a reading slump is switching genres. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of romance, but I had started and abandoned four different romance novels in a single week. Nothing was clicking. So, instead of experimenting with something entirely new, I turned to a series I already loved: The Vorkosigan Saga. I picked up ā€œThe Vor Gameā€ by Lois McMaster Bujold, and just like that—I was back in my reading groove! It brought back that fun I had when reading previously.

Here’s what worked for me this time:

This experience made me think that this year I want to focus more on continuing series I love instead of trying new things.

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Post 76/100 of 100DaysToOffload challenge (Round 2)!

#100DaysToOffload #100Days #books #reading

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.