My most recent tbr pile.
“I am in a really bad reading slump” is a phrase that I use all too often lately. As many of us probably do, I go through a bout of books about 11 long and then I can’t read another book for at least a week or in the case of this summer, I haven’t read a book in over three weeks.
I recently watched a video over on one of my favourite booktubing channels, Reading With Jack. In this video, he questioned whether reading slumps actually existed. This, as many things do, got me thinking.
Unlike many people in the blogging community, I didn’t pick up reading until later on in life. Don’t get me wrong I have always read, but that was mainly for school and not for a hobby. I didn’t actually serially read until my GCSE English teacher told me to. This means that there was a period of time in my life where I didn’t read. This personally for me is where I thought my reading slumps steamed from.
Reading slumps are something that we all suffer from (I have yet to find someone who hasn’t had one). This says to me, that they are more natural I first thought. Having watched Jack’s video, I realized that my reading slumps aren’t necessarily “slumps”, but more breaks.
My theory is that we take on so much when we read a book, whether it be the feels (my favourite internet phrase ever) ideas, new opinions or different points of view. We take on so much that it gets to a point where we can’t take on any more and we need to take a break – something that I used to call a reading slump. In said breaks (especially the ones I have) I literally can’t get in to anything, regardless of if it is an old favourite or if it is a new book that I have had on my wish list a while.
When I previously had my reading breaks I would try all of the books on my shelves t no avail. Now I realize that this just prolonged the agony and I should have just waited them out. Nowadays I do wait them out and in the end coming back to my books fresh and ready is very therapeutic – but that’s just me.
What do you guys think about reading slumps, do you think they actually exist or are they more natural than we think?
Side note: This has been published in many places including my old blog and my tumblr.
The Shelf Diaries... 
I only read slightly when I was younger, I hated it while I was in school because it was mandatory and I never read for pleasure (aside from harry Potter) until after College.
I think reading slumps exist for sure. I once went months without wanting to even look at a book, and it bugged me because I just wanted to get back into it. It actually made me really sad, and I almost wanted to give up on blogging because of it.
I think that reading books that we don’t enjoy at all set them off too, or at least they always do for me. And the stress of having a ton of bookish tours and constant review books stressed me out into a slump too. Nowadays I try to just read only what I want and so far no slumps since then.
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I think school can be the worse thing for reading sometimes. Maybe it is just me being a little rebel but when things were mandatory and I didn’t like them, they took a back seat when it came to work.
Last year I did the same thing. I did not read a book for three weeks. I agree that it can be quite saddening. I think it is pretty crap when something you love so much like reading becomes a chore!
I agree with reading book you don’t enjoy setting them off. When I first started blogging I took on loads of review books and I hated it because none of them were good or they weren’t my thing. I get stressed by blogging all the time. Especially with my old blog. Ever since I started this one I have just read books I know that are my jam.
Thanks for stopping by. I really enjoyed your input. Especially since I can sympathize with most of it! 🙂 xxx
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Hello my dear! I’ve nominated your blog for a Liebster Award!! Congrats and click this link Liebster Award info
❤
Brittany
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Thanks you for nominating me! This is an award free zone though. however thanks for thinking of me! 🙂 xxx
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I didn’t start reading until I was 15 years old. I’m glad I’m not the only one!
For me, reading slumps don’t exist. They just don’t. Sometimes, it takes me a while to find the next book I’ll read, but slumps? They don’t exist, not to me at least. A very simillar thing are writing slupms. Sometimes, I write three chapters in a night and then I just can’t write for a week. So I guess slumps do exist, they just vary from person to person. 🙂
Ivana @ BookishTeens
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It really does vary from person to person. I think since I have written this my perspective keeps changing. I think in my case, now after looking at other peoples slumps, I may just be being lazy. :’)
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 xxx
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They do exist. Thankfully I haven’t had one in a long time but at times I do get burnt out. When that happens I either take a break for a few nights and watch my favourite shows or Ill go back to one of my all time favourite books and read that. No matter how many books I have, to review or otherwise, I don’t let myself get overwhelmed. Dont stress because then you just work yourself up and its harder to get back to reading.
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I think that is a good tip to not stress. Sometimes I look at all the books and I think I am never going to read them all so I get all mardy! :’)
I agree with taking breaks, watching favourite shows is definitely one of the favourites. I have just finished Breaking Bad!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 xx
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They most definitely exist! I get them pretty often, usually after I have read several really good books in a row. I guess when that happens I keep expecting the same level of awesomeness and when I don’t get it feels like a slump.
I am also someone that wasn’t a huge reader like a lot of people that blog, but I’m so glad I do read now and that’s why I love to share books with everyone through my blog.
Great Post! Thanks and have a good week!
Kristalyn
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Woo someone that has not always had their nose in a book. We are few and far between! 🙂
If I think back to it, I have been in a slumpish thing since I read Clockwork Princess in March last year. I finish college early that day and I wen and picked it up because I pre-ordered it. I got home about 2pm and I did not get up until about 9pm becayse I finished it in one sitting. IT was flawed but I adored it and I have not read many books of that level since!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂 xxxx
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Clockwork Princess GUTTED ME! I loved it so much! I did find a few other favorites last year, Chasing Forever Down by Nikki Godwin was a very emotional read for me. It really stuck with me, so much I read it twice! I also was in a horrible slump at Christmas and discovered Katie McGarry. All of her books are amazing and they definitely pulled me out of my biggest slump of 2013!
Thanks so much for coming over and visiting today as well! I love having people stop by and chat! It’s a lot of fun to get to know you better! 🙂
Kristalyn
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It left me hollow. It was weird because I could pick the flaws out but I still like the book so much. I did not read a book properly for about 2 months after that! I read Pushing the Limits McGarry and I loved it I know she has bought some more since then so I might have to invest in the rest of the series.
Thanks for popping back! 🙂 and no worries, bloglovin sends me things when you post so I know when to pop by! 🙂
Side note about blogging, on my old blog I had hardly any interacting, that’s probably one of the reasons I started again. I love actively seeking out new blogs and people! 🙂 and it is great to get you know you better, You can tell you are a regular now because it is not asking me to moderate your comments any more! ;D
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