Just finished reading a fantasy series that left you reeling in your return to planet earth? A romance so sickeningly sweet it made you want to swear off real relationships for good? An introspective lit-fit that felt like it was written for you, by you?
I know, I’ve been there (I still haven’t recovered from my Throne of Glass hangover).
It can be so hard to pick up something new after pouring your heart and soul into books that feel so real. Starting a new book suddenly feels like reading in a different language or trying to read the dictionary.
If reading has started to feel like more of a chore than an escape, don’t panic. Here are tried-and-true tips for getting over your reading slump, from a certified bookworm.
- Try fanfiction
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If you find yourself thinking about your favorite characters weeks later, wishing things were different, or imagining what they’re doing after the final page, fanfiction might become your new bestie.
Plenty of online sites, namely Archive of Our Own (AO3) and Wattpad, are home to literally millions of fics, so you’re sure to find just what you like, and, yes, even those niche ships you thought you came up with.
- Reread your favorites
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A great way to get motivated to read again is to read something you already love. Even just flipping through a few pages of a great scene is motivating enough to get you interested in reading again. I like to tab or annotate quotes and scenes in some of my books, so going through them always helps me get back into the reading mood.
So what if you end up rereading an entire series instead of making a dent in your ever-growing TBR pile? I won’t tell.
- Switch genres
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If you’ve just finished an epic fantasy, chances are, you want to read more of that same epic fantasy, but trying a whole new series that just doesn’t hit the same can push you into an even deeper slump.
If I’ve read something like high fantasy, I usually try literary fiction afterward to switch gears.
If I’ve read a lengthy classic that took a lot of brain power, I’d switch to a really light, silly romance. Your reads don’t always have to be super serious or have any literary merit whatsoever. Just have fun!
- Look for similar reads
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Alternatively, maybe you’ve got a favorite trope or theme that you’re craving from the last book you read. In that case, finding “read-alikes” can be more motivating than something new.
Lucky for you, Goodreads has tons of “Read Alikes” lists to help spice up your TBR and give you something new to read. Listopia also has a search engine for your favorite tropes, so whether you’re looking for enemies-to-lovers, found family, or love triangles, you’re sure to find exactly what you need.
- Try a different format
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I’ll admit, this has been the hardest one for me. Reading is so tactile — the feel of the pages and the weight of the book in my hand make the experience. Listening to audiobooks or reading on a Kindle feels so incredibly foreign to me, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth trying.
Audiobooks come in clutch when I’m working out or driving, and Kindles take up a lot less space when I’m reading a huge book I don’t want to carry everywhere. Even if it’s outside your comfort zone of reading, it might be just what you need.
- Give it time
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Literary spaces have normalized a form of overconsumption in reading. All we see are readers trying to read as many books as possible in the shortest time, and we’ve forgotten that it’s not normal. We need to acknowledge that any reading is an accomplishment, no matter how small. The median reader in America reads only four books a year, a far cry from the 100-book challenge everyone tries to log on Goodreads.
When I’m really deep in a reading slump, I step back from literary spaces and try other hobbies. Eventually, a book that catches my eye sends me into another all-in obsessive reading spiral. Happy reading!
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