We've all been there. You set a reading goal for the year, create a list of books you want to read, and dive headfirst into your reading with gusto.
But somewhere along the way....something happens. The books you're picking up just aren't holding your interest. You're struggling to finish reading the story. Even if its a good story, you find yourself not caring whether the hero and the heroine get their happily-ever-after.
It's frustrating.
I've been in one of these reading slumps over the last month. Even though I go into the book excited to read the story, I find myself lacking the desire to pick it up even when I have time to read.
So what can I do?
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened. When I was in my late teens, I went two years without reading anything for fun. Back then, it was because I was being forced to read things I had no interest in for school and it killed my desire to read for recreation.
As an adult who hadn't had to pick up a text book for years, that isn't really an issue.
In recent years, the usual culprit is either stress or my schedule is overloaded. I need time to get into the story, to allow it to build and hook me with the plot and the characters. If I'm trying to grab five minutes of reading time here or there, that doesn't really do it for me, you know?
Does that mean I accept my fate and stop reading until the craziness has passed?
No. If I did that, I might never read again.
The best way I've found to get out of a reading slump for me is to pick up an old favorite. Returning to a book I already love can rekindle my passion for reading.
One of my favorite stories is Shadow Dance by Susan Andersen. It's one of her first novels and it hooked me from the beginning. I loved the characters, the story, and the mystery added an element of danger to the characters interactions.
After trying to read several stories and not being able to get into any of them, I'm turning to an old favorite.
How do you deal with reading slumps? Do you turn to old favorites? Try reading in a different genre? Switch to audiobooks?
Leave a comment down below and let me know what works for you.
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