TGIF (33) Down with the Reading Blues!

 TGIF is a feature hosted by Ginger over at GReads! Ginger asks a fun question every week and bloggers post their answers. TGIF is a great way to learn about some of your favorite bloggers, and have fun posting too!


This Friday's Question is...

Reading Blues: We all get them from time to time. What helps you overcome those reading slumps when nothing seems to grab your attention?

     First off, I don't think that reading slumps have to be completely negative. Sometimes it's good to take your time to process a book, especially if it was a really powerful one. However, there are other times when you have like a bazillion books to read and you fall into a reading slump and you're like "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!" Ok, no, maybe that's just me...

     But before I start on how to get out of a reading slump, I think I'd really first like to explore how you get into a reading slump in the first place. Wah, wah. I'm not a psychologist (I can't even detect my own feelings most of the time...) but there are some things that seem to throw me into a reading slump. One of the main ones: Reading a really, really, really good book. Because then after that it just sort of seems like nothing really compares to that one book. I remember after I finished The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, I just sort of lounged around pondering the meaning of life. And then I would compare every book I read to The Fault In Our Stars, so nothing seemed very good.
     Another way I get into reading slumps: Not Finishing A Book! When I don't finish a book, then whatever book I read next I don't want to finish, and so on and so forth.

     So now the main questions are a) how should we avoid reading slumps and b) how should we get out of them? Let's deal with question a first.
     Looking at things that spark my reading slumps I think there are a couple of things that might help you to avoid getting trapped in a reading slump. Obviously, you don't want to avoid reading good books, but maybe trying to follow up a really good book with another one that you've heard good things about. It's definitely not guaranteed that the follow up book will be good, but if it is, then I think that it could help avoid that slump. I think the same thing goes for the "not finishing a book" issue- just try to find a good follow up book to that one that you just couldn't finish.
     Now let's move onto to questions b. Wah wah, you've managed to get yourself into a reading slump (that you don't want to be in and you're probably in it because you didn't listen to the tips I gave you. I'm kidding.). So what do you do? This goes along with the earlier tip about avoiding reading slumps, but (like all problems in the world) I think it can just be solved by reading a really good book.


    You guys are all probably like "All I wanted to know was how to get out of a reading slump and she gave me like 7 paragraphs on it." Sorry, just know that now you have the knowledge you need to take over the world get out of a reading slump and avoid one in the first place. Enjoy your weekend! (and PS- I'll be out of town, so email replies will be slightly delayed for the next couple of days)