Three Ways To Get Out Of A Reading Slump

by - 7:00 AM



Reading slumps are so annoying, am I right?

I'm currently suffering from a reading slump at this very moment. I have two books sitting right here with me that I'm supposed to be reading, but neither are appealing to me at this moment in time. 

What two books am I stalling on, you might ask?

Well, currently I'm reading both Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift, who is a debut author. I am only in chapter nine at the time of writing this, (hopefully further when you read this. 😬) but for all you fantasy lovers out there, you might really enjoy this book.

I don't read or enjoy just one specific genre, so it's not that I don't like fantasy. I do, actually. But I'm just making such slow progress. 

The other book is Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I am new to reading The Hunger Games and I've never seen the movies. My review of book one can be found here, but TL;DR I was not a fan of the book. I did, however, buy the set so I might as well read all of them, haha. I've only read a chapter of Catching Fire and it's not as bad as The Hunger Games so far, but it's definitely not what I'm in the mood to read. 

So how does one get out of a reading slump?

Try a new genre

Are you burned out of reading the same old thing over and over? Do you want to read something different?

You can always try a new genre. There is a wide variety of genres out there. Dystopian, Speculative, Literary Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Historical Fiction, Contemporary... the list goes on and on! If you're tired of that boring cliche romance novel type, try picking up something with more action and adventure. You can even explore sub-genres within your genre, and even find books within your preferred genre that are different from what you read. 

Just try something new and see what sticks out to you.

Reread a comfort book

If you're like me and kind of bored of your current reads, there's nothing wrong with taking a pause and rereading something you love. A comfort book can be any book that you dearly love. It probably has the worn out pages and maybe even some annotation in it from all the times you've read it. Or, if you like your books pristine and clean, maybe it doesn't have notes, but you know what book brings you joy and comfort and makes you feel like you're at home. So grab it off your shelf and read it. Let those feelings soak in to refresh you for your other reads when you return to them.

Take a break from reading

This may seem too obvious, but you could always take a break from reading. We get so caught up in our Goodreads reading challenges and our personal goals that we forget why we love to read. Books start to become a number count when we start to compare our reading speed and frequency with other readers on social media. It becomes a less fun and exciting experience all the way around. So take a break, find something else you love to do. Maybe it's writing, or journaling, or maybe there's a T.V show you haven't been keeping up with. It's okay to have other hobbies besides reading. 

Conclusion

So there you have it, three ways to get out of a reading slump. I hope these tips helped you through your reading slump as much as this post is helping me through mine. I know this wasn't a total life update post, but considering I have no big life updates currently, I thought a helpful reminder during reading slumps would be more useful than a boring post about absolutely nothing. 😂😂

Let's Talk!

What's a book you've struggled with? 
And what is your comfort book?
Let me know in the comments!
~Stay Amazing~





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22 comments

  1. S. J. BarnardFebruary 24, 2021 at 10:40 AM

    This is so true! I was in a reading slump recently, but alternating between two genres really helped me...In fact, I got through The Federalist & Anti Federalist Papers by reading How We Rise in between essays!!

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    1. Brooke RileyFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:31 PM

      Oh my goshhhh this made my day!! that's such a huge compliment! I hope you enjoyed it!!

      Delete
    2. S. J. BarnardMarch 3, 2021 at 3:33 PM

      I LOVED it!! It helped me get out of the book slump I was in. :)

      Delete
  2. R.F. GammonFebruary 24, 2021 at 3:05 PM

    I love this! Obviously I haven't been reading many books lately because I've been OBSESSED with webtoons...haha, but this is AMAZING! I got so many books for Christmas, I need to at least ATTEMPT to read a couple of them goodness

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    1. LiaFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:06 PM

      webtoons you say???

      Delete
    2. Brooke RileyFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:31 PM

      we're obsessed it's a problem we're not looking to fix it though 🤣

      Delete
    3. Brooke RileyFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:33 PM

      yes yes we've been reading TOO many webtoons but let's not stop ever xD yesss read all the books

      Delete
    4. Nicole DustMarch 21, 2021 at 1:39 PM

      *chokes* wait, webtoons??? Do you have any recs?? I lowkey discovered them a few days ago and I'm HOOKED

      Delete
    5. Brooke RileyMarch 22, 2021 at 5:21 PM

      hi, I clicked on this comment so fast because DO I HAVE THE RECS FOR YOU!!!

      first of all, first of all you need Siren's Lament in your life above all else. If you only ever read one webtoon in your life, THAT IS THE ONE!!

      next up we have Subzero. There is some innuendo to that one and it can be a bit spicy BUT the PLOT, THE CHARACTERS, THE EVERYTHING!!!

      My deepest secret for all your psychological thriller needs

      I personally enjoy The Kiss Bet, which is just a big fluff piece but it brings me happiness so I read it. It's all fluff but it's funny.

      now go forth and read all the good webtoons!

      (stay away from Midnight Poppy Land unless you don't mind overly explicit content. Learned that the hard way yikes)

      Delete
    6. Brooke RileyMarch 22, 2021 at 5:34 PM

      and also I forgot Lore Olympus but odds are that is the one that got you into the whole thing because it is the gateway webtoon tbh 🤣

      Delete
    7. Nicole DustMarch 23, 2021 at 4:31 AM

      Ack THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH *slams subscribe on all those recs* And good to know about Midnight Poppy Land, I was wondering about that one . . .
      (surprising, Lore Olympus didn't get me into webtoons! *mind-blown* honestly, I'm shocked too XD)

      Delete
    8. Brooke RileyMarch 24, 2021 at 3:31 PM

      Midnight Poppy Land has stunning art and I read the whole first season, or skipped around in it rather, but it is so so explicit and tbh if that doesn't bother you, I don't judge, but I figured I'd give the heads up. I don't plan to read season two because it's just too much for me but hey, everyone has their preference.

      WHAAAAT? IT WASN'T LORE OLYMPUS?? What was it that brought you into this magical world of webtoons?

      Delete
  3. LiaFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:04 PM

    I have too many comfort books to name them all LOLOL But yeah! i got into a reading slump a couple weeks ago and it sucked so bad! But then i just realized that i didn't enjoy the book i was reading so i just DNF'd it lol

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    1. Brooke RileyFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:32 PM

      life's too short for bad books that's for sure! I'm glad you found a way out of your reading slump! they suck and it's hard to get out of them for sure *nods*

      Delete
  4. Nicole DustFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:24 PM

    Awesome tips, Brooke! I've been in a reading slump as well because #school, and I think a comfort book might just do the trick. :D Great post - and I do hope you get out of your reading slump soon. <3

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    1. Brooke RileyFebruary 24, 2021 at 7:32 PM

      aww thank you!! I hope the comfort book works for you! and THANK YOU!! <3

      Delete
  5. Skye HoffertFebruary 24, 2021 at 8:33 PM

    Fantastic tips! I'm taking a break right now, and it's making me miss reading. So it's working.

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    1. Brooke RileyFebruary 25, 2021 at 10:06 AM

      YAY!! Breaks are often the solution to a lot. I'm glad it's helping you!!

      Delete
  6. Miranda SylvesterFebruary 25, 2021 at 1:13 AM

    Awesome tips! I have used the tip of taking a break from reading. I realise I got into a reading because I was a bit like a reading machine for a few months last year and it drained my reading enjoyment side of the brain and made me not to want to read much. I got out of it in January, but I just couldn't read it a lot or at all in December. Right now I am focusing on reading when I want to as well as when I have time. Also the book that got me out of my slump was from a different genre than I usually read!

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    1. Brooke RileyFebruary 25, 2021 at 10:08 AM

      Thank you!! Burnout is very real and definitely hard to conquer. Your method sounds like a good one! And different genres often help!

      Delete
  7. Emily MundellFebruary 25, 2021 at 9:41 AM

    Yes to all of this! I've been in a reading slump over the last couple years due to a hectice schedule and simple procrastination and deciding to be on my phone instead of in books. This year I decided to change that, and make myself read again. So far it's been really great and I am well ahead of my Goodreads goal - just started book 11 of 2021 last night!

    I also totally think you should keep going through The Hunger Games trilogy. I know they are not happy and hopeful books, but they are hallmarks of the dystopian genre and do a really good job of commentating the failures of our moderns lives, while being exciting!

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    1. Brooke RileyFebruary 25, 2021 at 10:09 AM

      my phone is a HUGE distraction for me, be it reading or writing. I need to be a bit more proactive in getting stuff done first haha.

      Wow 11 books already is AMAZING!! CONGRATS!

      I plan to finish it. I'm hoping they get a little better. Or hopefully I get a bit of something from it since my home genre is dystopian haha.

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