Reading Slumps and how they can be a good thing

[lwptoc]

Hey everyone and welcome to Owl Book World. Reading slumps are something that I’ve been wanting to talk about for a while now. A lot of bloggers talk about reading slumps like they are a bad thing. In a way I guess they sometimes can be especially if reading is your only hobby. Or it can potentially be a bad thing if you have a lot of ARCs (advanced reader copies) that are going to be published soon.

If published dates aren’t coming up soon then a reading slump could potentially be a good thing. Why? Well you’ll just have to keep reading in order to find out!

What is a reading slump?

A reading slump is basically when you get in a funk towards reading anything. For a while you could have been reading a lot and really enjoying what you were reading. But now for whatever reason you just don’t want to read anything and that includes books that you’ve been really anticipating. To me that’s one of the main things I hate about reading slumps. I wind up getting so excited about a book and then by the time I get to it I don’t even want to read it anymore.

What causes reading slumps?

This is something that can kind of vary for different readers. Here is a list of possible reasons of getting into a reading slump:

• Last book was too good and now you don’t have much interest in anything else.
• You’ve been reading a lot and now it’s starting to feel like a chore.
• The books you’re currently reading isn’t meshing with your state of mind.
• Stress. Stress has a huge impact on how you feel and whether you get any fulfillment from your hobbies.

Why can reading slumps be a good thing?

I know most of you are probably going to think that I’m crazy for saying that reading slumps can be a good thing. Hear me out though!

Sometimes we all just need a break from reading especially if you’ve been reading so much you wind up getting tired of it. So, taking a break and doing something else you might enjoy will be a good thing!

On top of that reading slumps can kind of help you narrow down what’s causing you to get in a slump in the first place. That way the next time it’s starting to happen you can attempt to avoid it.

If it’s a book that’s causing the slump then this could be a good way at figuring out what about the book is causing it. Do you have more books that are similar and could cause the slump to worsen? Sometimes reading slumps can be a potentially good way at helping you figure out what books you should and shouldn’t read. Being able to figure out what types of books cause it will hopefully stop you from getting into a reading slump again (at least you won’t from a book).

If reading is your only hobby then I say take this opportunity to find another hobby. I am by no means saying to stop reading, but having another hobby can help. Sometimes that hobby can help you get out of your reading slump if it’s something you truly enjoy. Just make sure that the hobby you pick isn’t something you will give up pretty easily.

How to get out of a reading slump

If it’s been a while since you’ve last read anything and you really want to be able to pick up a book again then here are some tips:

• Read something short. Novellas are good short books that can help you get started. Or you could read a middle-grade book since a lot of them are short and pretty quick reads.
• This idea came from Genie in a Novel and it’s actually a really good idea. The tip is to reread one of your favorite books. There’s a reason you enjoyed the book. Also, if it’s a book you haven’t reread in a while then you will pick up on things you missed the last time you read. If you do pick up on new things then that will definitely spark some interest!
•  Change genres. Don’t change to something completely unrealistic though. What I mean is if you hate Non-Fiction books then don’t make that the genre your alternative. If you like thrillers, but all you’ve been reading is romance then start giving thrillers a chance. Sometimes a reading slump can be caused by constantly reading the same genre.
• Reorganize your bookshelf. This can be a good way to inspire you and also help you find books that you forgot were on your shelf.
• Wait it out. I get that this might be something you might not want to hear but if the steps above don’t help then it might be best to wait. It could potentially be stress-causing things to not really help and you might need to find another way to destress. This is where having another hobby would help too. If you find that you have to wait it out then try not to feel guilty about it. It will be okay and your books will still be there!

Thanks, everyone for reading my post and I hope this helps you. If you love reading, sometimes getting in a reading slump can suck. I know it at least sucks for me because reading is my form of escape. I get tired of hearing about bad things happening in the world and reading takes my mind off of that. Make sure to leave me a comment and tell me your ways of getting out of a slump!

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If you like this post then make sure to check out my list of YA horror books.