Escaping The Dreaded Reading Slump

 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.

I'm In A Reading Funk #FridayReads

It happens to all of us. At least, it happens to most of us. That's right, I'm talking about the dreaded reading funk. That feeling like you want to read something new, but just can't seem to get the motivation to read past the first few pages of a book.

 

And it's not that the book isn't well written. It has nothing to do with the book or the story at all.

 

The question is, how to snap out of it.

 

From my experience, sometimes it happens all on its own. It could be that a book I've been waiting for from one of my favorite authors releases and I'm so excited about it that I can push through the first few chapters, and then I'm good to go.

 

Other times, not even that is enough of a motivator. When that happens, I'm left with two choices: wait until it passes or go back to an old favorite.

 

Most of the time, I choose the latter. I'll pick up a story I've read a half dozen times already and start reading. The trick, for me, however, is not to start at the beginning. Since I've already read the book before, I will usually open the book somewhere in the middle and dive into the story from there. The characters are already establish. There is no world building. No relationship set up. The story is in full swing. And somehow, to my brain, it will engage and I'll be fully invested in the story within a few minutes.

 

One of my old standby's is Shadow Dance by Susan Andersen. I believe this was her first book and it is by far my favorite from her. It's about a show girl who falls in love with a cop (Yep. I've always had a thing for men in uniform. How about you?). The two meet when Tristan is assigned to investigate a serial stalker that seems to be targeting show girls. The chemistry between Tristan and Amanda is off the charts and I love the story line revolving around Amanda and her dancer friends.

 

Have you ever found yourself in a reader funk? How did you break it? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below.