How to Get Out of a Reading Slump

I don’t know about you, but I always find myself in a reading slump after I finish a series or a highly-anticipated book…ahem…Onyx Storm…

After reading Onyx Storm, I felt empty and lost, and I don’t want to be dramatic, but I felt like a piece of me died. Non-readers will never understand how deeply connected we get to fictional characters and fictional worlds. For me, it is always about finding myself in these books, so when the book ends, I feel as though my life has been put on pause for a while. 

Too often, I would find myself finishing a book, and then I would go for weeks, months, and sometimes even a YEAR until I finally picked up another book. With me wanting to hit a specific reading goal, I have learned ways to get out of reading slumps when I feel like I can’t go on. 

So, what exactly is a reading slump? I feel like each person has their own idea of what a reading slump is. For some, it means they are reading slower and are less enthusiastic about reading, while others completely stop reading altogether. When I say that I am in a reading slump, I mean that books do not interest me at all, and the idea of picking up a new book seems like a chore. 

Like I mentioned before, I usually get into a reading slump after I have finished a long-winded series, or I finish reading a book that I had been waiting to read. Other times, I find myself in a reading slump when the last few reads have been disappointing, and I’m subconsciously avoiding reading because I don’t want to be disappointed again. 

No matter how you find yourself in a reading slump, there are ways to get yourself out of it. 

1. Force Yourself to Read

I know, pretty simple and easier said than done – but sometimes you just have to force yourself to read to get yourself out of a slump. As an avid reader, I truly do enjoy reading, and it is one of my favorite hobbies, but like many hobbies, it can begin to feel like a chore. But once you get back into it and rediscover why you enjoy it, it starts to feel more like a hobby again. You can force yourself to read by first listening to audiobooks or reading something light; that way, you don’t feel hugely obligated to finish, and what you are reading doesn’t require more than half of a brain cell to finish. 

2. Re-Read an Old Favorite

Sometimes, to get out of a reading slump, you just need to revisit the classics. I have a hard time starting new books and series because I’m afraid of being disappointed, so when I revisit an old favorite, it sparks new interests in me and inspires me to read something similar.

3. Join a Book Club

A book club gives you a community but also provides you with a system of accountability. If that book club says, “Every Thursday, we are talking about the last three chapters,” then you feel obligated to read to participate. It forces you out of your comfort zone a little and challenges you to read something that you might not have picked up on your own. 

4. Play TBR Roulette

If I have no idea what to read next, I will just look through my TBR and pick out something random, and if I don’t like that pick, I will do it again and find a new book. If you have a large TBR like myself, you have so many options and opportunities to get sucked into a new book.

5. Buy a new book

Nothing beats walking around a bookstore and finding a new shiny cover to add to your collection. I am in no way condoning “hoarding” or spending money when you don’t have it, but if you have some extra cash and you are lost and don’t know what to read next, maybe a trip to your local bookstore is just the cure you need to get out of your reading slump.

Reading slumps can happen to even the fastest readers. You’ll often see people online talking about reading over 100 books a year, but they never talk about how they go into reading slumps, too. Some of the common ways people find themselves in a slump are:

1. PBSD or Post Book Stress Disorder
2. Work/School/Family Life
3. 1-3 Star Reads
4. Mental Health 
5. Other Hobbies Take Over

Don’t worry, you will find yourself out of the hole in no time!