Get Over It: 5 Tips for Getting Over a Reading Slump

 It happens to the best of us. You finish a book – probably a really amazing one, because that’s  always how it happens – and when you go to start another one – nothing. It’s just not working for you at all, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t start this next book!

Well, lucky for you, friends, this happens to me ALL THE TIME. And over the years, I’ve come up with some tricks to get over it and get back into those books! So without further ado, here are my 5 tips for getting over a reading slump.

1. Set Manageable Goals

Starting a new book can be a daunting task, especially when you just finished an amazing one and you’re not sure if this one will live up. Beginnings also tend to be slow and, well, not very interesting for the most part, so when you already have a book hangover from something else, it can be especially hard to keep yourself reading. So, try setting a goal for yourself! Come up with something like, “If I can read these first 30 pages, I can stop and go do something else.” A small page goal is much more manageable than looking at the whole daunting book in front of you, and you’ll feel like you have something to look forward to in order to help you push through those pages. But by the time you’ve made it 30 pages into the book – the story has started, and you’re probably interested and wanting to keep reading!

2. Touch your books!

Yep. Just like I said: go touch your books! Just go play with them. Hold them in your hands, flip through the pages. For me, this helps to remember what books I own and how badly I want to read them! It gets me excited about them all over again. Just thinking about what books you own and looking at them on the shelf is so much different from actually holding them in your hands. You can also spend some time re-organizing them, whether you want to change up your shelves or just spend some time with your books. Rearrange by color, genre, release date, whatever seems the most fun to you! Once you’re done, you may have found something you feel excited about reading!

3. Switch books or genres

You just finished reading the most amazing fantasy novel. NOTHING can compare to this! Well, you’re right. Nothing can compare to that. Not right away, at least. If you just read the most amazing fantasy novel you’ve read in a long time, chances are, when you pick up another fantasy novel, you’re going to be comparing them the whole way through. And then, when the new book inevitably doesn’t live up to the previous one in your mind, you’re going to give it an unfairly low rating when it could have been something you loved had you just given it more time. So – go pick up a contemporary! How about a sci fi? A nonfiction or romance or historical fiction! Just switch it up! It will help you feel  refreshed and ready to take on that fantasy novel again.

4. Do a buddy read

This is just something I discovered this year. I met a friend in the Bookstagram community on Instagram, found out that we owned quite a few of the same books, and started planning buddy reads! Buddy reads are great ways to hold yourself accountable to push through a book in a timely manner, while having tons of fun discussing the book along the way. Having discussions with someone going through the same bookish experience with you is not only fun, but also a great way to enhance your reading experience and make those books last longer in your mind. You’ll remember the details longer, have more motivation to read, and have someone to freak out with when the sequel is announced.

5. Take a break!

And finally, the most obvious tip – just take a break! You deserve it. If no other tip is working for you, you may just be burnt out on books for a little while. Do something relaxing, hang out with friends, watch a movie, play a game, go out for a little while, just anything to get yourself away from that book that’s been staring at you and begging you to read it for the past week. Once you’ve given yourself a break and done something else fun (a change of scenery is always nice, no matter how much you love reading), you’ll most likely come back feeling much better and ready to tackle a new adventure!

Thanks for reading my list! I truly hope at least one of these tips helped you. Let me know in the comments if they helped or if you have any other ideas!