The Dreaded Book Slump

Book Slumps… they happen to even the most avid of readers. I am most definitely in a massive book slump at the moment, and I really wanted to do a post about it. I wanted to write about how if I get in a book slump, I beat myself up about it… and I’m betting I’m not the only one.

If you’re like me, you put too much pressure on yourself to constantly be reading something. You feel the guilt of not reading fast enough. When the slump hits you, you feel guilty for not reading and think about all the books on your TBR and all of the ARCs that you currently have… and it just makes you worse. So I am here to tell you one thing…

… It is okay to not currently be reading something! It is okay to be in a book slump!

Hitting the book slump… and beating myself up for it.

There are various reasons why I personally hit a book slump.

• It can be due to just having finished an absolutely epic book!
• It can be because I’ve forced myself to continue with a book I’m not enjoying!
• It can be because I’ve just read too many of a similar genre and need a change.

No matter what the reason, I always have to remind myself that it’s okay to spend some time doing some other hobbies. If I don’t immediately pick up another book after I finish one, I feel like I’m failing as a blogger and a reader. I beat myself up about it… and now I’m asking myself why? Why do we do this?

My aim is always to be a good blogger. I’ve worked so very hard to bring you new and interesting content ever since renewing and rebranding my blog. It’s hard for me… I’m not a very creative person at all… but I’m trying. For some reason in my head being a good book blogger means always reading a book and always having new posts and new reviews. But I have recently come to realise that it’s actually okay to take a break. To have a week where I’m not reading something, and to take some time for me and to remember the reason I write this blog, the reason I read. Because I love it… and if I love it, I shouldn’t feel pressured to do it.

Getting out of a book slump…

• Accept that it’s okay to not be reading and reviewing all the time – once I accept this and stop putting pressure on myself I find the book slump can often ease.
• Change genres – Often I manically read my favourite genre. For example, as I am sat here writing this, I have read over 50 books this year… 40 of them were epic fantasy. Sometimes you just need a bit of a change.
• Re-read a favourite – I love re-reading. Re-reading is the perfect way for me to get over a book slump. I usually go for Half-Blood or Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout as they are my all time favourite books. Usually that leads into a full series re-read but oh well. As long as I’m loving what I’m reading that’s all that matters right?

I’m going to leave you with my recommendations of book to get you out of a slump. These are personal favourites of mine, of all different genres, and they always renew my love of reading and blogging.

How do YOU get over a reading slump?