Ever find reading is starting to feel more like a chore than an enjoyable hobby?

Ever find it’s taking you months to finish a book rather than just a few days?

What do you do when you just haven’t been into reading lately but want to be? (cause not wanting to read it perfectly okay too!)

Here are my tips and tricks for getting back into reading after a slump!

I’ve been in a major reading slump lately. My average of 6/7 books per month has slipped down to 1/2 per month since early summer, but I’m finally getting back into the mood. For me it’s been caused by a few factors: we got a new puppy who takes a lot of time, energy and attention, as well as the fact that I’m expecting my first baby in March 2022 and the summer months of the first trimester were rough. Now that I’m feeling better and have some more time to relax, I’m ready to tackle my TBR and get back into my love of reading. But after such a long slump, how to get back into it if I’m still humming and hawing over what’s on my shelf?

Don’t read it if you don’t like it!

It took me until my mid- to late-twenties to determine that reading a book I wasn’t enjoying was a waste of my time. I used to push myself to “finish everything I started” (I put that in quotations because I’m cringing as I say it). Now while I still think that’s an important sentiment in many aspects of life, it certainly shouldn’t pertain to reading. Trying to force myself through a crappy book is a surefire way of putting me in a reading slump. So just put it down! You don’t need to finish it! Or if you have a hard time leaving it half-read, take a break and go back to it later; grab something else in the meantime.

Change up the genre

If you take a look at my “What I’m Reading” page you may notice a long running theme of YA Fantasy. It’s my favourite. But sometimes I find myself in a bit of a slump and I realize “maybe I’ve been reading too much of the same stuff?” This is my opportunity to shake things up! I have many books on my TBR that are not YA Fantasy and often go overlooked, but now is their time to shine. Sometimes you just need a palate cleanser. Try a mystery, romance, thriller, classic, or….I know it can be a stretch, but how about NON-FICTION? (gasp).

Listen to an audiobook

Maybe your slump has stemmed from a lack of free time? Maybe you just can’t dedicate time to sitting down with a book? It took me awhile to get into audiobooks a few years ago, but this handsfree, multi-task friendly method is a great option for those who can’t sit still or don’t have the time to! Grocery shopping, driving, walking the dog, or even some days during work when I’m doing some monotonous tasks like data entry. They’re all great opportunities to consume those books you’ve been dying to get your hands on! Not all books need to be read in the traditional way. Take a listen.

Set yourself a goal/challenge

I’m not necessarily a competitive person, but once I challenge myself on something I love competing against myself. Since 2017 I’ve set myself yearly reading challenges on Goodreads and have pushed myself to complete the challenge. Due to my summer slump this year I probably wont be able to finish (which has taken me weeks to accept), but sometimes reminding myself of my impending challenge deadline is enough to kick my butt into gear. Knowing that finishing a book this week will keep me on track is a great motivator to push me out of a slump and have some fun doing it. I love seeing my book numbers edging towards my goal!

What do you do when you’ve been in a slump?