Sunday, April 24, 2016

Reading slumps: The bane of a reader's life





Who doesn't hate a good reading slump?
Reading slumps are the worst thing ever for a reader. Every reader has a few things they don't like. For me it's: Insta-love and love triangles, but reading slumps definitely take number 1.
The inability to read creates a hole in your heart that can lead you to depression and frustration.
"Why can't I read?" You ask yourselves, "I LOVE reading." And: "What is wrong with me? Will this ever pass? What if it'll go on like this forever?"
I'm here to reassure you: You're not alone in this. Every reader around the globe had, have or will have reading slumps. It's a global pandemic. Good news are: even though there is no known cure and all the tips and suggestions on how to deal with it won't work on everyone, it doesn't stay forever. It will pass.
If you're in a reading slump you probably have forgotten what is reading and are unsure how you'll ever go back to it. Reading is part of who you are. It can be lost but never eradicated. And you will find it again.
I am, in fact, in a reading slump myself. Worst. Thing. Ever. It feels horrible.
My symptoms include:
* The mere thought of picking up a book feels like picking up a 100 Kilo weight.
* Disinterest in book reviews and book hauls.
* Much less excitement over new releases.
* The inability to merge myself into the world of a book. 
Basically? It's hellish.
Thing is, in all my reading life, I've never had a reading slump until now. Yep, I know, it's a shocker. I didn't even realized what I was in until a friend of mine from Goodreads pointed it out.
2016 was, so far, not very kind to me on the reading front. My first reading slump ever was in the beginning of the year. I noticed it but it wore off pretty quickly. Now though... now I'm in a very harsh reading slump. As in, it refuses to leave me alone.
Apparently, It's a mistake to think you're immune. Even if you never had a reading slump in your reading life, it can still hit you whenever and wherever, with not as much of a warning.
Some things, like: Reading a book in a different genre from what you're used to, or doing other things like watching TV, movies, while waiting for the reading slump to pass - can help you shake it away.
But there is no known cure, no exact reason for why it happens and not even a Wikipedia page about it.
Which means It's up to us, readers of the world, to unite and fight our greatest enemy: the reading slump. 

"There are only twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. You would think there would only be so much you could do with twenty-six letters. You would think there were only so many ways those letters could make you feel when mixed up and shoved together to make words."
          -- Colleen Hoover, Maybe Someday.  

My next post will be coming up soon.
In the meantime, tell me all about your reading slumps and what your advice for dealing with it is.
Me? My next attempt of breaking through it will be to read a most anticipated new release - The Rose & The Dagger. 


See you in my next post! (:  



2 comments:

  1. Finding a good book-books with shiny glittery covers preferred- helps. Kiera Cass Selection series is what helped me out of this book slump.

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    1. Hey, thanks for the suggestion! I've already attempted to read the selection and... well, it wasn't my thing. But I'll keep a lookout for other shiny-glittery books ;)

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