As a person who has been what I would consider an avid reader for the majority of my life, I unfortunately have become quite familiar with “reading slumps,” and everything that comes with them.
Now, if you’re unfamiliar with bookish terms and their definitions, you might be wondering what a “reading slump” even is.
A reading slump, according to Urban Dictionary, is “a reader’s worst nightmare.”
That’s a very general definition of the term, and it’s not like Urban Dictionary is the most credible source, but it’s a pretty good starting point.
In my experience, a reading slump is a period of time in which you mentally and physically cannot bring yourself to pick up a book and read its contents. No matter what genre it is, nothing feels fulfilling and every time you manage to bring yourself to sit and read, you just end up rereading the same sentence over and over.
It’s not fun, and as a reader, it can feel pretty disheartening.
Typically, reading slumps come suddenly, out of nowhere, and feel nearly impossible to get out of. However, like most things in life, there are solutions!
Here are five of my best tips to help get out of your latest reading slump.
1. Acknowledge That You Are Indeed… Slumped.
I think that the biggest issue that I face when it comes to reading slumps is refusing to admit that I’ve fallen into one. I’ll spend days trying to convince myself that I’m not slumped and that I’m just “too busy” or that the book I’m reading is just bad. This could be the case, but it rarely is.
Coming to terms with the fact that you are in a slump isn’t a bad thing. It happens to the best of us and makes getting out of it a lot easier.
2. Try a Different Genre!
A lot of my slumps have been brought on by my attempts to consume dense and heavy literature over and over again. While there’s nothing wrong with liking that genre of novel, I’ve found that it’s really hard for me to continue to be motivated when all I’m reading is dark academic fiction with lengthy sentences and thick paragraphs.
One of the easiest and most common ways I bring myself out of these kinds of slumps is by picking up an easy-read romance novel. These are all books I’m extremely fond of and can get through in one sitting. Some of my favorites are “Beach Read” by Emily Henry, “Love, Theoretically” by Ali Hazelwood and “Better Than the Movies” by Lynn Painter.
But the light-reads don’t stop at romance! There are plenty of other genres out there, full of easy, light-hearted reads.
Romance happens to be my personal favorite, but that’s just me.
3. #BookTok… Just Hear Me Out
Now I know that #BookTok has its problems and conflicts, but it can be a pretty useful tool when it comes to getting out of your reading slump.
I think a lot of the error that comes with navigating through the sometimes frustrating TikTok hashtag, is not filtering properly for the content you’re looking through.
To this day I get a lot of my book recommendations from the app and have an entire folder dedicated to books that I’m determined to pick up and read one day.
I tend to steer my direction of recommendations in the area of: “If you liked this, try this!”
I find that this specific type of video helps clear out all the odd genres and books floating around that I want very little to do with. This also brings back some of the excitement that I desperately need during a slump, because it allows me to reflect on books that I enjoyed and would reread in a heartbeat.
There’s a lot of trial and error with this method, but I do love it and the results are always worthwhile.
4. Visit Something Old!
You might think that when you’re in the very deep depths of your slump, even reading the label on your bottle of shampoo is impossible, but rereading an old book that you love can cure you!
Why? Because you already know what’s going to happen! You’re going to get through the plot and pages a lot faster than you would anything else. And, finishing a book quickly is some of the best inspiration I get to continue reading.
Not to mention, the giddy feeling I get when revisiting banter from some of my favorite book couples is something I cherish very dearly.
Rereading a favorite book is like visiting an old friend. You might not want to do it right away, but when it’s over and you’ve got that fuzzy ball of light in your chest – you find that you needed it all along.
5. Music! Specifically, Playlists.
I know that not everyone can listen to music while reading, so this method can get a little tricky, but hear me out.
You’d be surprised at the amount of playlists that exist for certain books and characters. Some are good, some are a little less good, but they exist all the same.
I love listening to music while reading, but what I love even more is hearing a song on shuffle and being able to relate that song to one of the characters. Especially during a boring portion of the book, which is often why I put it down in the first place.
Music sort of propels me on, and when I’m listening to a playlist with a particularly interesting song, I want to keep delving into the novel to figure out why it relates to the book or character. You don’t even necessarily have to be reading the book at that moment to give the playlist a listen! If there’s a book you’ve been meaning to read for a while now, go on Spotify and see if someone’s made a playlist for it. Chances are, there’s one on there.
Worry Not! Un-slumping is Possible!
Alright, now that you’ve got all my tips and tricks, remember: Be patient with yourself, and know that your slump is not the end! There is hope for you and all the books on your to-be-read list.
I’ve gotten myself out of many reading slumps. It may suck in the moment, but the sweet relief I feel when I’m suddenly back in the rhythm of reading makes it all worth it.
Sometimes a little breather is necessary, but don’t give up! You can and will finish whatever reading goal you’ve set for this year. Trust me!
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