How to Break Up With Reading Slumps



Calm down, calm down! Don't beat yourself up! Reading slumps. They will happen to the best of us. We all dread the moment that not getting into a page on one book will turn into not getting into several other books. Slumps will make reading feel like a chore instead of fun. We all faced it at least once or twice by now, with varying degrees of severity. But it isn't the end of the world, and you can break up with your reading slumps. That is until the next one starts creeping around.


How to Break Up With Them:

1. Sleeping: I don't know about you, but typically if I am not reading or at work I will take a nap. Jessica will tell you, she will be trying to contact me for hours and I am just gone. I found though that sometimes after not being able to get into a book it isn't because I am in a slump but more because I am tired. 



2. Watch a TV Show: Sometimes you just need a break from reading in general. Just binge watch a TV show for a bit. This is why I have a Netflix subscription (Not really... but I just tell myself this) Some Recommendations: Orange Is The New Black, Orphan Black, Grey's Anatomy



3. Try Reading a Published Book: Sometimes I try to binge review copies so they won't pile up. Most of the time I am successful, other times I can't get into a single one. In these situations a I try reading a book that I already have on my book shelf or can borrow from the library. Popular new releases are also another good route to go! 


4. Go Hang Out With Friends: I know every book nerd is guilty of ditching plans so they can finish up a book. But if you are in a slump maybe this is an opportunity to contact people and go socialize. I know after I go out with friends I realize how much energy and effort that took and is able to dive right back into a book and avoid plans again! 


5. Relax on Blogging:  So, you post 3-4 reviews a week and this week you only posted 2 reviews. You are fine. Sometimes I panic when we only have two reviews set up and I put myself into a slump because I am desperate for something to post. It is no big deal. Maybe instead of a review in that spot try a discussion post! 


6. Visit Other Blogs/ Comment Back/ Read Reviews:  Take this time do comment back on that over grown list of blogs you been telling yourself you were going to comment back on for weeks. Through other blogs you'll found a book that will spark your interest and that may be the one to help you out of the slump!

7. Read a Short Book: A book over 400 pages tend to intimidate me. Especially if they are review copies. Maybe instead trying reading a book that is under 300 pages. They are quick easy reads that you may end up enjoying!


8. Hang Out on Social Media: My biggest thing while I am in a reading slump is going on Twitter and Instagram. If I get bored enough I will alternate them. Going on social media and chatting with your online friends is a good way to relax and let your mind think about other things beside books. 


9. Try Reading Something Recommended to You: As a blogger I am constantly getting books pushed at me. Mostly by Jessica (My co-blogger!) and Rachel from A Perfection Called Books. Sometimes these books are just what you need, when you are in a slump trying to actually pick out a book on your own is a personal type of hell. 



10. Take a Break: As a blogger you feel like you have to be reading 24/7. Reading is not an obligation and it is okay to take a break if needed! 




Those are the top ten ways I try to deal with slumps. Honestly, they are a bitch when they happen. I won't lie, I find it hard to relax when I know I have dead lines coming up and I can't get into a book. But not enjoying a book and rating it bad or taking a few hours and then trying will make a whole difference in the end. 

I hope you found this post helpful! How do you deal with reading slumps? Do you push through or do you do something to help unwind for a bit? Let me know in the comments below! 


22 comments

  1. That was awesome!! Totally sharing this with my readers!!

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  2. I'm just crawling my way out of a one-month reading slump. Luckily, I was also on a blogging hiatus, so I didn't have to worry about blog posts. I think it was The Martian by Andy Weir that brought me back -- something spacey, which I don't often read, but it's still something I enjoy. I'd suggest trying a genre you don't read a lot!

    By the way, thank you for using a That '70s Show gif <3

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    1. I think that is the biggest cause for a slump is the stress of blogging. It is like your brain is rebelling! I am glad you found something to pull you out of it :)

      Hehe, I specifically searched for that GIF too!

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  3. This post is so wonderful- the tips are totally on point. Just recently went through a slump. Getting up and walking around, then watching some netflix was great. And then I realized the current book i was reading just was not my style. I totally wasn't into it. So I grabbed a new book and I'm back in business :)

    What brought me back was Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

    Also I have never heard of Depth of Field, but that cover is gorgeous. I might have to pick it up.

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    1. Sometimes I mistake a slump with a book that just isn't me. Depth of Field is such a cutesy book and it like exactly 200 pages as well!

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  4. I love these tips so much! I hate getting into reading slumps. Sometimes, they can last for months for me! I have found that the best option for me is watching a TV show. I usually binge watch a few seasons and then I feel complete somehow and ready to continue reading!
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

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    1. My longest one was 6 weeks, and it was right when I first started blogging so it wasn't too bad. Typically after watching a few episodes of a show I start to get antsy for a book and can pick it back up again

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  5. That puppy gif <3 And I love this post. I definetly agree with taking it easy on blogging. I took a small break when I was having a reading slump and it did seem to help me. I also find that re-reading a book that we love to be very helpful.

    ~Karina @ A Reader Under The Sea

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    1. Thank you! Blogging is so stressful sometimes that you are just throwing yourself into a slump. Its basically you're brain saying to take it easy. I don't reread often, but when I am in a slump it usually works.

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  6. Great tips Amber!! I am going to try a few of these... Namely sleep and reading an already published book!
    ❤️Britt

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  7. this is a great post! love it. personally, what i do is all of these things. however, i don't really get slumps - i get hangovers which are more or less the same thing. i just got one for a tv show that lasted my entire morning. i couldn't stop thinking about it and now it's more or less faded. i think the point is that these things pass even if it doesn't feel like they will and that's what we gotta remembere

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    1. Thank you so much Nova! Hangerovers are just as bad. My last one was with TRATD and it killed me.

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  8. What a great post! Very good tips, and the gifs were on point. I definitely need to take the sleeping advice, as I gave that up last week to read smut. LOL!

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    1. I sleep too much, if I cut out all the naps I take I could probably read an addition 2-4 books a week!

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  9. Great post! So many helpful solutions to the ever dreaded reading slump. I was in a pretty bad one several months back, and it was torture. And I have to say, I just recently got Netflix and I'm obsessed with OITNB! It's actually taking over some of my reading time, which isn't good... but I just can't help myself! I started it two weeks ago and I'm almost caught up. IT'S SO GOOD! :)

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    1. OITNB is so dangerous to my reading time. All I want to do is watching season 3 but I am trying to limit myself so I can actually read. It is the best TV show I every watched to be honest!

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  10. Ugh, I HAAAAATE reading slumps! They are the absolute worst. Sometimes, I try to just push through. But mostly I take breaks. It used to happen when I read too many ARCs in a row, and felt that pressure to read and review them all in a timely manner. But I have a better balance with those and published books, and it helps immensely. However, I still get slumps (and had one in June actually). And when I do, I generally binge a lot of TV shows, and also be chill about blogging. Social media, aka Twitter, is also great. I take a break, relax, and then jump back in when I'm ready. These are really good tips! :)

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    1. That is typically what happens to me. It is the ARCs that end up doing me in. Thank you Holly!

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  11. Great idea! There's nothing worse than a reading slump. I'm not a nap taker but I definitely marathon TV series once I get in one and I also spend wayy too long on Instagram.

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    1. Naps are literally all I do. I sleep more then I am awake probably!

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