I might have mentioned it once or twice, probably more like a million times, that I am in the worlds worst reading slump right now. I am struggling so much with reading, but it's also affecting my writing of posts and reviews as well. I just don't seem to have the energy, time or concentration for reading atm. This slump has been going on now for almost two months, which feels like forever. I have been reading a lot less, which means reviewing a lot less and this really bothers me.
After two months of being in a slump, I feel like I have tried absolutely everything possible to try and get myself out of it. Nothing has worked so far. So, as it will be totally helpful, I thought I would share with you all the ways I have tried to get out of my reading slump. In return for all of my ingenious ideas, that totally work *wink wink*, you wonderful bloggers could then share with me some of your own ideas for how I can get out of this slump.
Turn To The Trusty Favourites
The expectation:
I love you, I know I love you. I shall read you, love you and your awesomeness shall restore my faith in books and my desire to read them!
The reality
I love you, you're awesome. Everything I read after you will just seem that little bit more rubbish and pales in comparison. My slump worsens, I cry.
Stare At A Book
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| A Pascal style intense stare is required! |
The expectation:
If I stare at this book long enough then the desire to read it will suddenly come to me.
The reality:
My eyes are starting to hurt, the cover now suddenly looks weird to me. Ouch, now I have an intense headache caused by all the intense staring. I couldn't read if I tried, I shall retreat to bed and hide.
Hit Self With Book
The expectation:
I clearly need some sense knocked into me, books are amazing! I do it by hitting myself with the thing that's causing all this trouble.
The reality:
I just knocked myself out because I didn't think about the fact that The Order of the Phoenix weighs a ton. But don't worry, when I come to, I will make that book my bitch!
Lock Self In Room With Nothing But Books
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| The dance isn't required, but it's recommended! |
The expectation:
If there are no other distractions then I will be forced to read.
The reality:
I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. I must leave this room and find sustenance!
Watch Hours Of The Office
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| Michael understands me and my reading slump! |
The expectation:
My brain will be filled with such happiness from all the hilarious and aww moments of this series. Then I will no longer feel stressed and reading will suddenly be easy again.
The reality:
Wow. I just watched 8 seasons of The Office. What was I supposed to be doing?
Watch Disney Films Non-Stop
The expectation:
It's Disney! Disney can fix ANYTHING!
The reality:
Why don't I have the Beasts library? Why can't I swim like a mermaid? Why don't animals talk to me? Why is my life not a Disney film? I will now sink into a my-life-isn't-a-Disney-film depression and be unable to do anything but wallow in self pity.
Read A Book
The expectation:
The only way to get through a reading slump is to power through it. Read a book and then slump will disappear.
The reality:
Yup, look at me finishing a book. It only took me... five days! Now I have no desire or energy to pick up anything else. It will just disappoint me!
Read Another Book
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| Just keep reading! It will work eventually. |
The expectation:
That first read didn't work, but this one is going to be THE ONE!
The reality:
Wow! Nope.
Cry A Little (Inside)
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| Or... A LOT! |
The expectation:
None. I just want to feel sorry for myself.
The reality:
Now I feel really sorry for myself.
Buy More Books
The expectation:
If I buy more books then I will have more to choose from. I am bound to find something I want to read and that will blow me away and take me out of my slump.
The reality:
I just filled up yet another bookcase and the boyfriend looks about ready to murder me.
Throw Book Across The Room
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| I don't advise smashing a window though. |
The expectation:
It's clearly the books fault that I'm in a reading slump. By throwing it across the room, I have now shown the book who's boss and it will sort itself out. We won't be having this problem any more.
The reality:
Now I've damaged my book! The pages are bent slightly, the covers a little torn! Now I need to buy a replacement, my OCD when it comes to books makes it impossible for me to put this atrocity back on my shelf.
Turn To Twitter
The expectation:
There isn't a problem the wonderful people of the internet can't solve for me. They'll know what to do!
The reality:
I don't know how to process all the different and contradicting ideas I just got suggested to me! I'm so confused.
Build A Book Fort
The expectation:
I will then have a book fort. Who doesn't want a book fort?
The reality:
Now I will have to reorganise all my books back onto my bookshelf. I have no time to read. Maybe this was my plan all along.
Buddy Read
The expectation:
I will be motivated to read the book. The other person will share their love of the book with me, making me want to read it more.
The reality:
Oh, you finished it? I'm pretty far... like, page 1.
In all honesty, blogosphere, I could probably do with somebody just doing this to me:
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| Any volunteers? |
So those are just some of the wonderful ideas I have for overcoming my reading slump. They are pretty much all tried and tested. And all pretty much useless. But you should do them all anyway! This post itself is just another way for me to procrastinate and not read. Reading is hard right now and I just can't seem to get into any book.
HELP ME!
I could do with any and all advise. What works for you usually or what got you out of your last reading slump. Or what do you do to distract you when you're in a reading slump. Do you have any ideas that are way more helpful and serious than mine?
On The Fence by Kasie West: 5/5 Review
Monthly Recap: June
Book Blogger Test
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier: 2/5 Review
Films for Thoughts on Thursday: Blended 7/10 Movie Review
My Weekly Book Haul: 05/07/2014
Pivot Point by Kasie West: 4/5 Review
Monthly Recap: June
Book Blogger Test
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier: 2/5 Review
Films for Thoughts on Thursday: Blended 7/10 Movie Review
My Weekly Book Haul: 05/07/2014
Pivot Point by Kasie West: 4/5 Review
Hi! I actually just found your blog. The first post that I read was your blended review. ^_^. I wish i had advise on how to get out of the slump but i myself only just started to crawl back into reading. And i've not been reading actively for 2 years plus now. That's long and i don't want that to happen to you.
ReplyDeleteThese days i've been meaning to get back to reading but reading blogs like yours, reviews of books - the popular, the not so popular (for these i just go to bookstores and see what's attracted me ^_^). I've yet to get out of the slump but i'm slowly too (i hope). Reading is just a wonderful thing.
Good Luck!
By the way, I LOL'ed at your recommendations in this post.
Aww, well I am happy you found me! :) Wow, 2 years is a long time. I am happy you are starting to get out of it now, that must have been hard.
DeleteIt is such a wonderful book, I hope you find an amazing book that gets you out of it. I recommend We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. It's short but AMAZING! :)
The only thing that ever really works for me is reading a book i really like. If I'm bored or it's just OK, it might take me forever to finish it... sometimes rereading a favorite helps, but it has to be something I WANT to read. Not much help I know... :)
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's fine! All advise is totally useful. I have currently gone with reading something that comes highly recommended: Throne of Glass, and I am currently OBSESSED! So hopefully this will help pull me from my slump :)
DeleteThe thing that works for me when I'm in a slump is to try something else. I go in phases where I'm obsessed with one thing or another: reading or movies or TV or being creative or something else. So when I'm done with one phase, I turn to another. I'll binge on a TV show on Netflix and come back completely refreshed and ready to read.
ReplyDeleteThat's actually great advise because that's what has been helping me atm. I have turned to watching more TV and doing other things rather than reading and blogging. It has actually really helped. I have binged The Office on Netflix, for about the millionth time.
DeleteI am sad to say these are all the things I normally do as well to pull myself out of a slump. This time I even started a couple of new TV series (new for me not new as in brand new) to see if maybe taking a break would work and while it did to an extent, I am still not back where I should be. I have read a couple of really fabulous books and I am excited about some of them that I have in my TBR pile but my love for reading right now, just isn't' what it should be and it makes me super sad.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I am burnt out? Maybe you are too and we are just pushing ourselves too hard? I don't know but I am even having a hard time writing reviews right now and that double sucks. I think all my reviews lately have been crap and that just isn't right, especially for those few books that I have really liked.
I don;t know what to do either. I think tomorrow I am going to do something I haven't done in a really long time and that is go to B&N and just browse the shelves and pick something that appeals to me on all levels and see what happens.
Maybe I have been reading on my kindle too much and just need a good hardback or paperback? I don't know. :(
I have done the exact same thing, watched a ton of television! Mostly The Office ;) The break has helped me relax more but hasn't helped me get back into my reading.
DeleteI feel pretty burnt out really, and maybe we are. I am really struggling with reviews and blogging too atm; commenting back is taking me so much longer than it used to. Oh my god, I feel like we are slump twins right now because I have been disappointed with all my reviews lately. They don't feel very good and I am disappointed with them.
I think blogging doesn't help because I get too familiar with books before I read them. I see reviews for them, see them EVERYWHERE! I think I need to ignore some of the hyped books and go off and find a book I just love the look of.
LOVE this post! And the gifs!! Alll the gifs.
ReplyDeleteThe things that I find help me are: 1. binge-watching movies/tv shows to take a break and also to the point where you need to step away from watching them. So you kind of sicken yourself off one and then the other. 2. Read something "fluffy", the last time I was in a slump I picked up The Geography of You and Me and powered through it. I think my review is .5-1 point higher simply because this book saved me from such a slump. 3. I return to favourites, or buy new books and add them to my TBR. Because new books are always exciting. Always. Or, and this one works best, 4. Book an exam. Have something very important to do, with a deadline. This works best with an exam or coursework. You will procrastinate your way out of that slump quicker than you can say, "I can't read, I have stuff to do".
Rach
I love all the gifs, haha! :)
DeleteI am totally binge watching TV at the minute, Netflix is amazing for that. I have some more easy going reads and they do help. Haha, sadly I am done with my education so no exams or coursework for me to do.
Things are still sucky? :( Dang.. I mean, I'm still not in a perfect reading place, but I'm doing the pushing through and trying other things too, I stayed playing on my DS more now and I'm just reading through the night to push me through, cant really host a read-a-thon in a slump can I? The buddy read one is basically ToG for us isn't it, but I do say read that one, I think it's pretty good, and might help, then Percy Jackson, because I'm loving Percy at the moment, marathoning it between other books, and then your surprise Birthday present ;) Sadly, I'm not good with the advise, but maybe (this is going to sound mental), but reorganise your shelves. As your shelving them, make a list of the books that take your eye for a few seconds longer and then after they're all organised, pick one off that list :)
ReplyDeleteYUP! SUPER SUCKY!
DeleteI LOVE THAT IDEA! I have been thinking of properly reorganising them for a while now. I think it's about time I actually went and did it. I think it would help and then I could finally remember what I shelved behind my first row of books, haha.
Reading slumps are horrid, you end up with no motivation to pick up another book and try again. Love the GIFS, super cute! Usually when I hit a slump, I look for a short fluffy YA contemporary that is either humorous or just good, clean fun. It never fails to brighten me up and convince me to pick up my next book. Good luck and hope your next read pulls you out of your funk.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I am experiencing right now, even if I read an amazing book! I just have no motivation to move onto the next one. I have fallen in love with Throne of Glass, so that's really good! :) Contemps have been helping me a lot recently, they're a lot easier for me to get through atm.
DeleteHahaha, this was an amazing blog post! Made me laugh. I'm sorry you've been suffering from such a long reading slump. Mine usually last about a month, tops. They just go away after a while. I'll read like one chapter a day, and then one day I'll sit down and read for about an hour, and then I'm suddenly back into it.
ReplyDeleteHaha, thank you! I was a little worried most people would just think I am crazy. I really hope that suddenly happens to me, I need it! :)
DeleteBeen there, done that! To the point where I changed my whole book choosing system and deleted my entire TBR list and canceled my Goodreads account. Yep, it got pretty intense over here, lol. But, my new system is working like magic and I'm now totally refreshed and in love with reading again :)
ReplyDeleteWhat I do now is go to the library and pick out books that I have no pre-conceived ideas about. I'm now picking books based on cover art, interesting back cover blurbs etc. No more knowing everything about a book, before I even pick it out, because I read 20 reviews about it. Or because it's the popular book, or the newest release that everyone is gushing over. Now it's just me, browsing the shelves and connecting with books on a totally different level :)
I remember reading your post about that. It's really radical and I don't know if it would work for me. I only use Goodreads to keep track of what I have read, rather than for a TBR system.
DeleteI do think the idea of picking up books based on nothing but the book would help. Blogging and reading other blogs means you end up knowing so much about a certain book before you even read it.
I wish I could tell you what to do, honestly I do. But in reality I will be silently stalking this post to find out if any gives an answer that can help me too. For me its what you said at the start, I end up reading a book that blew my mind away and then I don't know what the hell to read after, or anything I do read just seems lacking in comparison to the one I read before.
ReplyDeleteTake this week just gone, I read Dangerous Boys last week and I couldn't put it down, I was on a high from how much I loved that book. So on the way to work I looked at my kindle and picked another, I've wanted to read the book I'm currently reading for a long time but for some reason I just can not be bothered. It's partial because of the high from Danerous Boys and partial because I baught/ got books this week that I'm dying to read and I can't bring myself to put the book down and come back to it another time to read one of the new ones so what do I do? just not read at all. It's crazy :(
I really hope your slump gets better and I hope you (and I haha) can finally find the answers we are after.
I know, I hope someone gives me some amazing advise that can help. I am most drawn to Amanda's idea about reorganising my bookshelf.
DeleteDangerous Boys is really great, but I still highly recommend Dangerous Girls. I am sure that will impress you just as much! I say put down the other book and hunt down a copy of Dangerous Girls!!!
Don't sweat it. I think you just need a break. Honestly don't force yourself to do anything. Reading or blog wise. I think forcing yourself will only make the slump get worse and continue to lessen your desire to read or blog. One day you'll get the spark back to blog and read all the things.
ReplyDeleteOf course I know how much time blogging takes, so maybe it'll be nice for you to do things that blogging was taking away from.
Or just continue to re-read all your favourites. Who cares about your TBR! I love re-reading and have made it a number one priority for myself this year. Who cares. Why deny myself the books I love just because my TBR is out of control? :P
I hope things start to pick up for you soon. But don't if they don't, they don't. It happens. :)
Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life
I think it probably will be good to take some time away from the blog, it really does take up a lot of time. I am going to London Film and Comic Con this weekend and I know I am going to enjoy that.
DeleteI really enjoy re-reading, so that will probably work really well for me. My TBR is always going to be never ending so I should stop letting that bother me.
You've pretty much run through every trick in the "book" (sorry about that pun) to get out of a reading slump. I've been in one for months, then I started reading books I'd read years ago and that sparked a lot of interest for me. I'm now on my third book as of the end of June and I'm ready for the fourth very soon.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should try something like that, anything is better than being in this slump if I am totally honest.
DeleteGreat post and I love the gifs.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is the Disney suggestion - Disney solves everything :)
I thought it did... it solves everything but reading slumps! Haha! :)
DeleteReading slumps are absolutely awful! Whenever I find myself in one I usually read a bunch of book blogs, and watch tons of booktubers. That usually helps to get inspired and start reading again.
ReplyDeleteI have been watching a ton of booktube recently, it's a lot of fun! :)
DeleteI wish I had some good advice! Two months is a tough slump. I've had slumps of a couple of weeks, and I just tried not to feel guilty about it. I'm sure you know this already, but when you try to read in the midst of a slump, you're probably going to hate the book. And then when you snap out of it, you could give that book another shot, and it could turn out to be your favorite.
ReplyDeleteWould taking a little break from the blog help at all? I know that can be a scary thought! It looks like you've been posting frequently. I'd say that if you're doing that because you feel like YOU have to, maybe cut down on the frequency of your posts for a bit. (For me, forcing myself to post when I don't want to is even worse than forcing myself to read.) However, if the blogging part is not contributing to the slump, then by all means, continue!
I would suggest you ignore your review pile for a bit and just read for pleasure, but it looks like you've already done that.
OK, I'm just rambling now. Not sure if any of that was helpful, but rest assured that your slump WILL end. Good luck!
I know, I have ended up really disliking quite a lot of the books I have read whilst in this slump. I don't know if I would give them another try or not.
DeleteI am enjoying blogging, but am finding getting the energy to post/reply to comments pretty hard right now. Hopefully that picks up soon. Haha, my review pile has been totally forgotten about atm - it's terrible!
I usually find that reading something that's not in my usual genre helps. I either sprint back to what I love or find a new genre worth getting more of... Therein lies the possibility of more books though... Lol
ReplyDeleteI have tried that by trying fantasy, and am loving it so far! :)
DeleteHow about listening to a book on audio? Seems that might help. I read while on the treadmill, so I always get a little reading time in each day...but getting on the treadmill is, in itself, a problem for many people!
ReplyDeleteI definitely should try an audio, I have never actually listened to them before!
DeleteJust found your blog through Stephanie Faris. LOVE IT! Bookmarking and will be checking up weekly. Would also love to read through your YA reviews, as I'm an 8th grade English teacher and am constantly on the lookout for good stuff for the kids!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Jessica @ tinybabyg.blogspot.com
Thank you! Well I hope you find some great books on here :)
DeleteHahahaha this post is great!
ReplyDeleteI usually stop reading if I have a slump, do other things like watch TV shows and so on, and then maybe something will grab my fancy. Maybe try reading something you never read before or something you're wanting to but are ashamed of (like an erotica :P), maybe try a comic book since it's more pics than anything else...
Haha, me and erotica never go well together! But I have been distracting myself with other things, like TV shows and so on.
DeleteSo many of these things should totally be helping, I am sure, so I'm sorrowful to hear they're not helping you get out of your book slump! When I get into one pretty badly, which happens for a couple of weeks each year, it seems, close to December (probably because of NaNo), I don't follow my own instructions but it seems like a good idea to go back to basics. I read Kidnapped whilst in one once and that helped so much- so... try classics/old books?
ReplyDeleteWhilst in a book fort.
Haha! I definitely want to build a huge book fort to sit and read in! :) I definitely need to find something that will work for me. I have tried a lot of different things and nothing seems to be working atm.
DeleteI FEEL YOUR PAIN. I don't know what helps me out of reading slumps though...just keeping on reading, I suppose? HA. How nice is that advice... -_- I know I love it when I read a book that's mindblowing, it always always cheers me up. Rewards? You get a cookie when you finish a book? Hehe. I should do that with myself...I'd have an awesome ol' time.
ReplyDeleteBUT I FEEL FOR YOU. And this post is gold, also. x)
Oh my, I should so do the rewarding myself with food idea! That would be GENIUS!!! I am definitely going to start using that idea. I am going to keep on reading, even if I am finding it really difficult right now.
DeleteAw =( I'm sorry to hear it. I have also been in a reading slump. The one thing that usually gets me out of it is an incredibly good book (like Half A King, that I just finished reading :3 )
ReplyDeleteI suggest starting off again with a book that you have really wanted to read to get you motivated. Allocate a time slot each day to sit down and read it, every day. In no time you'll be done! Maybe a change of scenery helps too. I like going to parks I've never visited in central London and that usually lifts my mood enough to WANT to read. When I feel down, I also like reading with snacks. :3
But for ME (snort), my reading slump is more like a reading collapse right now so I just have to do what I can. At the moment I am only reading fantasy, which is by principle bigger than literary fiction and YA, it's a bit of a joke at the moment to try and read one in a week, even though two months ago I was managing that fine. At the moment, I really just don't feel like it, so I'm not going to beat myself up. I'll just wait until I do. Be kind to yourself. c:
NOW, on a completely different tack, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? ^_^ Harry Potter Surfaces After Seven Years M.I.A. article on the fantasy faction, apparently J K Rowling has released a new bit of writing on the Pottermore site. I don't think I can handle reading it but I wondered what you think about it!
I have read some incredibly amazing books that have blown me away, but they still failed to get me out. I thought that would work, but it hasn't.
DeleteI have YALC and Comic Con this weekend so at least that will distract me for this weekend, Maybe being surrounded by books, authors and other readers will put me back in the mood to read :)
Haha, mine feels like a collapse too. It's really hard to get through any book atm, even if I am loving it.
I HAVE SEEN IT! I thought it was okay, but just the bare bones of information. I NEED MORE!!! It's also written in the style of a news article by Rita Skeeter so you can't trust everything you read in it - which is irritating, haha.
Haha, I know this experience.
ReplyDeleteMy only minor success so far is to pick easy targets. "Oh, I was halfway through this book already and it was pretty fun? Okay, I'll just finish that." Right now I've got a shortlist of books I need to finish, since I think half of my slump is triggered by how damn many books I've got to read. I've done this before, but I think I still overwhelmed myself. This list has just five books on it, four I'm partway through and one graphic novel. *crosses fingers*
Good luck to both of us? Heh.
I only read one book at a time, so I don't actually have any books that I am halfway through or anything. I think I might need something more light and funny than anything else right now.
DeleteI love your post, it's so true. You are not alone my friend. I was in a reading slump not long ago and I felt like it lasted forever! In reality I think it did last like two months, where it took me forever just to read one book. It was even hard for me to get motivated to blog. Two things that helped me get out of the slump.
ReplyDeleteStep One, I forgot about the slump and acted like I wasn't in one and went about my day not worrying about reading. I did this for a week. I just took a break. I only read if I really wanted to otherwise I didn't read and I didn't let myself feel guilty about it. Step two, after the break I made my husband pick out a book for me that he thought I would like. I ended up loving it but still didn't have much energy to read another one. So I made him do it again. After reading two good books in a row (with my husband forcing me to read sometimes) I was back. Now I'm reading more than ever and I realized I much I missed it. That is the best part about conquering the slump, finding the joy again.
I wish you the best of luck! Hang in there. :D
Thank you!!! I hope I can get through it as soon as!!!
DeleteI know, I am definitely struggling A LOT with blogging right now as well! It's not good but nothing I try will work atm.
Maybe I should try that. I own so many books I haven't read yet, might get my boyfriend to pick one out and just make me read it. I am going YALC tomorrow, I will be meeting a ton of authors and getting books signed so that will be a ton of fun. Maybe that will put me back in the mood for reading :)
Ok, I feel bad for smiling and chuckling a bit while reading your post about your reading slump.
ReplyDeleteHmmm…what to do…I have no idea. I'm a big mood reader so I get in the mood for a certain type of book (fantasy, contemporary light and fluffy, etc) and I really only want to read that type of book. Even if I'm staring at my Kindle and bookshelves and looking at all the books I already have, if I'm not in the mood, I'm not in the mood. So I'll search and search on the internet for that type of book and then read that. But if you're just not in the mood to read at all, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe not worry about it? Watch bad TV shows so that you would rather read? Read other books by your favorite authors that you haven't read yet? I know I'm probably not helping, but hopefully you'll get out of it soon!! ~Pam
Haha, I was a little mental when I read it. Makes me laugh too.
DeleteIt took me so long to get out of it but it finally happened, I have Throne of Glass to thank for it! :)