Books

How To Escape The Dreaded Reading Slump

by Julia Seales
Instagram/twirlingpages

Being a book-lover is like being in a relationship. And like any relationship, there are ups-and-downs. Sometimes everything is great – you’re steadily chipping away at your TBR pile, you're discovering tons of great new books and finding new series to fill your time. You’re going to the library, asking people for book recommendations, and occasionally staying up all night because you can’t wait to find out what happens next. But there are also difficult times: you hit a reading slump, you can’t find anything to capture your interest, and you read the same page over and over without really comprehending what it’s saying. Maybe you even question what made you love reading in the first place.

If you’re in that slump, don’t worry: there are ways to fall in love with reading all over again. You’ve always known that Books are your True Love, and even through bad times your True Love is there for you. You might be tempted to spend more time with your friend Netflix, and sometimes that break is needed, but you’ll always come back to Books in the end. Here are some ways you can rekindle that romance between you, the book-lover, and your True Love — reading.

1Re-read your favorite book

Sometimes all it takes to fall in love with reading again is reading the book that made you fall in love with the first place. Whether it's a classic, YA, or nonfiction, the book you love most will remind you how much you love literature.

2Join a book club

Talking about books can often rekindle your love of literature. If you find yourself finishing book after book, but feeling no spark, try joining a book club so you can gush about your favorites and complain about plot lines you would rewrite if you could.

3Create a reading nook

Reading nooks can make all the difference. Light some candles, brew some tea, and bundle up under a literary-themed blanket, and you'll be in the reading mood right away.

4Revisit a series you loved as a kid

Maybe it was The Baby-sitter's Club, or the Magic Tree House series, or the Chronicles of Narnia. Whatever children's or tween series you loved as a kid, try revisiting it, and you'll feel nostalgia combined with that familiar love of reading.

5Watch book-inspired TV and movies

Sometimes it takes a book-loving character, or a book-inspired film, to remind you how much you love being a bookworm, too.

6Ask a friend for a recommendation

If you've been having difficulty finding books you love, seek out bookworm friends and have them give you some recommendations. Chances are they have some favorites they would love for you to read, because then you can finally discuss them.

7Give a friend a recommendation

Nothing reminds you how much you love reading like forcing someone to read a list of all your favorite books.

8Read a 'guilty pleasure'

When I don't feel like reading something heavy, I can always count on reading a few page-turners to get me back into the swing of things. There's nothing wrong with reading some guilty pleasure literature, because hey — books are books.

9Listen to a book with a soundtrack

Booktrack has eBooks available with soundtracks, so you can have an entirely new reading experience. The novelty of the experience will refresh your reading spirit.

10Buy a book the day it comes out

Find out when a new book by your favorite author is coming out, and mark the day on your calendar. Buy it the day it comes out, or request the book at your library, and you'll have something to look forward to that will make you want to read it right away.

11Set aside time to read

The best way to fall in love with reading is to just do it. Set a time each day, and read.