How to get out of a reading slump

I’ve been through a few reading slumps in my life and completely empathise if you’re going through one now. Reading slumps suck and can come about for many reasons — such as reading a book you feel is dragging, a book that doesn’t uphold to the same standards as the previous one you read or a book you don’t enjoy but have to as part of a course or degree.

I’ve experienced the latter two, the first more recently when I binged Iron Flame in a few days after it was published and then couldn’t get into anything else afterwards, and the second during my final year of university where I was reading and finishing several books every week as part of the modules I was taking (I did an undergraduate degree in English). Each time I slumped, I experimented with different ways to get myself out of it, and learned that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. What worked for me in the first example did not work for me in the second, and vice versa. Over time, I managed to build a list of strategies that could work for me and would refer to it if I slumped again.

If you are in the midst of a reading slump, here are my ways to (hopefully!) get you out of it:

1. Read a book with a genre completely different from what you would normally read

This was what got me out of my ‘I can’t get into anything else after Iron Flame!’ slump. I initially thought it was a good idea to read another fantasy, but found myself consciously comparing the author’s writing to Yarros’. The same would happen with a few other fantasy-themed books I would try; the comparisons made it difficult for me to respect and appreciate the storytelling of these other incredible authors.

I eventually decided to put fantasy aside and picked up a thriller instead — it worked wonders. The change from a fictional world to one that was familiar, and a pace that kept picking up in intensity was what I needed to pull me out of my slump.

If you haven’t thought about reading another genre you enjoy, maybe give it a try and see where it takes you!

2. Don’t read for a while

You know the saying, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’? I believe it’s the same with reading too. I don’t know about you, but when I read too much, my brain starts perceiving the activity as a little boring or monotonous. But when I put the book down, step away and spend more time doing something else, I begin to miss the feeling of reading and feel compelled to pick it back up again.

3. Read something short

Sometimes, after reading something incredibly long, dense, and taxing (especially fantasy novels that contain 500+ pages!), all I want to do is just get through something quick, light, and easy. I usually lean towards poems, which is kind of ironic given how poems are imbued with symbolism and metaphors which encourage you to think about their implications, but their structure and formats are a breath of fresh air compared to endless words on a page. If poems aren’t your thing, you can always try and reach for a short story or a novella. Find what works best for you!

4. Re-read your favourite or comfort books

Whenever I’ve seemed to have lost my passion or purpose for reading, I always return to my favourite and comfort books to remind me why I enjoy the activity in the first place. The A Court of Thorns of Roses series (‘ACOTAR’ for short) and Maas’ writing was what made me fall in love with reading and romantasy. Her storytelling is poetic yet immersive; I often find myself re-reading the books and WISHING I could live inside Velaris (I mean — don’t we all?). Revisit your favourite books and worlds; it’ll pull you out of your slump and reignite your passion for reading again.

5. Try a different reading format

Other than physical books, there are a few other ways to get through books. My go-to alternative is e-books, which I love reading on my Kindle. I have a feeling some of you are like this too, but I enjoy seeing how much time I have left in a book and racing against myself to beat it! Not only that, various features on e-readers make it more comfortable for you to read as well, including font styles, sizes, bookmarking pages, and highlighting your favourite quotes.

Audiobooks are another format and are a favourite for many — they’re convenient, engaging, and accessible. They can accompany you on long commutes, runs and even when completing chores. I’m absolutely obsessed with listening to GraphicAudio versions of my favourite book series (ACOTAR and Fourth Wing!) and would listen to them as I’m doing my laundry or taking leisurely walks outside.

6. On that note, graphic novels and comics count as books too!

A different reading format also includes a change in the layout of the pages you’re reading! Graphic novels and comics aren’t chapter books, but they still contain words that come with pictures, making them easy to digest. It might feel like you’re “cheating” reading because you aren’t reading sentence after sentence, but they’re still books with pages inside, so they count!

7. Take part in reading challenges if you want to

I don’t personally gravitate towards this strategy often, only because I get competitive with myself and burn out from wanting to complete challenges as quickly as possible, but they are a great way to approach reading differently.

There are loads of reading challenges out there to choose from — from the more typical reading goals (such as number of books or pages you want to read in a year) to creative and fun ones (including the read around the world challenge, the 3x3 challenge, book bingo, blind book dates, themed book lists, etc). If you love to borrow books from the library, maybe pop in the next time you go and see if there are any weekly or monthly book lists or challenges you could participate in. The options are endless!

8. Don’t force yourself to read

This is probably the most important tip of all.

For most of us, reading is a hobby we enjoy. However, we might occasionally find ourselves in situations that cause us to end up in reading slumps, whether that’s having to read a book everyone else is reading because it’s popular at the moment, or needing to get through x number of pages or books every day because we’re trying to hit a specific goal at a certain time in the year.

I often slumped last year because I was trying to attain a reading goal that wasn’t realistic for me; I kept forcing myself to read books, even those I didn’t really like, just to reach it instead of pacing myself and enjoying them to their fullest. Reading had become a chore and something I felt like I needed or had to do, rather than something I wanted to do.

Once I recognised this, I decided I wouldn’t set a reading goal for myself this year. The pressure to read more has since been lifted, and I find myself truly immersing, enjoying, and appreciating the narrative being told in the book or Kindle in front of me.

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If you’re not in the reading mood, that’s perfectly fine. Sometimes we just need to give ourselves grace and do other things that we enjoy or make us feel happy until we feel ready to pick a book up again. Your books will always be there; just give yourself some space and time.

Give these strategies a try and let me know how they go! I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback :)