Getting out of a book slump
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 āWords of Radianceā by Brandon Sanderson, which I had been working through, didnāt feel like the right choice. I wanted something shorter, lighterāsomething 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. Itās 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 didnāt make me super excited to sit down to read (mostly because of the topicāmenopause can be a very scary experience for some people according to this book š¬).
So, even though Iāve been reading this book throughout the week, it wasnāt 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, Iāve 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 āThe Vor Gameā by Lois McMaster Bujold, and just like thatāI was back in my reading groove! It brought back that fun I had when reading previously.
Hereās what worked for me this time:
- Sampling different books ā Reading a few pages from multiple books helped me quickly determine what sparked my interest. If a book didnāt grab me right away, I moved on.
- Switching genres ā Shifting from romance to sci-fi refreshed my reading experience.
- Revisiting a favorite author ā Picking up a book from an author I already enjoy meant I didnāt have to worry about adjusting to a new writing style.
- Continuing a beloved series ā Familiarity with the world and characters made it easy to dive right in and build momentum.
- Choosing a shorter book ā āThe Vor Gameā is 364 pagesāmuch shorter than the 1,087 pages of āWords of Radiance.ā It helps to get that sense of accomplishment when I can zip through a shorter book.
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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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.