So, this may be the wrong place to post this. Forgive me if it is. But I have been picking up and putting down the literal hundreds of unread books I have. I even posted last night asking you all to suggest my next read. I cannot for the life of me get out of this slump. I’ve tried different genres, varying lengths of books, etc. Any tips to help get back up and at it? I hate that it is already May and I have effectively read nothing this year so far.
by AntSea6448
8 Comments
Try an audiobook or find a reading challenge to do.
Try an audio book if you haven’t yet. That might help jump start it. Also, maybe short stories or essays? Those are shorter and you get that gratification hit of finishing something more frequently. I’ve gone through big slumps where I can’t read for long periods of time. Be patient with yourself. I’ve also tried timed reading (with success). I’ll read for 10 minutes or 30 or whatever a day. Again, smaller more frequently victory.
Take a break
I’d actually say you should go in the other direction: for the next six weeks, don’t pick up any books. No reading allowed, do other stuff.
At the end of the six weeks, see how you feel. If there’s anything that you’ve been wanting to read during that time, read that. If you still feel burnt out, do another six week fast. If you’re feeling neutral or positive about reading again, but don’t have anything particular in mind, pick up any unread book that’s relatively short and jump into it.
I find reading an easy read always helps. But don’t force it, that’ll probably be part of the problem. You’ll get back into it when you’re ready.
Do you enjoy military history? Jeff Shaara writes historical novels that are pretty hard to put down
So, if I were in your shoes, one of my biggest hurdles would be the literal hundreds of unread books (especially if they’re physical books and not digital). No matter how interested I’d be in the subject, the fact that there are THAT MANY books/options in front of me would cause reading paralysis in and of itself because it would feel like I had a monumental task in front of me.
If that resonates with you at all, I’d encourage you to just take 2 or 3 books (at random if you have to) and separate them into a different part of your living space. Pretend those 2 or 3 books are the only ones that exist, and that those are the only books you own until you’ve either tried them and DNF’d, or read them all. But make sure you give yourself a reason to DNF if you do. It’s okay to DNF! Just make sure you can identify a specific reason, even if it’s simple and surface-level.
Make the goal feel smaller and more manageable in and of itself. That’s what I would do in your shoes.
I came to suggest trying an audiobook as well. Since two others already offered that suggestion, another thought is to re-read something. Is there any book you loved so much you’d read it again? Or have you considered reading with a friend, someone to keep up with and also to chat with about the book?