My Top 10 Ways To Get Out Of A Reading Slump

After reading maybe two or three books a week and finally enjoying my summer, disaster struck. I was suddenly experiencing every bookworm's worst nightmare: the reading slump. We've all been there, unread books taking over our shelves and to-be-read lists a constant reminder of all the books that demand our attention. Nevertheless, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to sit and concentrate, I couldn't get through my book for the life of me. It was insanely frustrating but a mixture of having way too many other things to do and just lacking the concentration necessary to appreciate my book made it impossible to get past chapter 2 in a whole week. So, to help myself and all other avid bookworms out there facing this so-called reader's block, I've compiled my top ten ways to combat a reading slump!

10. Read a book that doesn't require a huge amount of concentration

What tends to put me into a reading slump is lacking the ability at that moment to follow a complicated plot or a storyline with a lot of depth to it. The book series that never fails to combat this symptom of every reader's worst nightmare is The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. I know that it's faced a lot of criticism for various reasons but it will always be my go-to series. I've always found it an easy read that hasn't required too much thinking into the plot but is still really enjoyable on the whole with a dark and glamorous set of characters that really come to life through the pages. It's essential to find an easy read like this if you ever hope to drag yourself out of a reading slump.

9. Read an old favourite

So your easy read has failed to cure your reader's block? Don't fret yet there's plenty of other things to try! Turn your attention next to an old favourite of yours and you'll find yourself reading at the speed of light again in no time. For me, turning back to the Harry Potter series always reminds me why I love reading and inspires me to pick up ten other books after. Rowling's creation is so beautifully magical and vivid, you'll lose yourself instantly and fall back into the wizarding world in no time at all. It'll be like you never left! 

8. Set aside time to read

Trying to juggle a hectic schedule and still finding the time to read can be extremely difficult and failing to do so is another major reason for the common book slump. To beat this particular symptom, I would suggest setting aside as much time as you can afford to reading and sticking to it daily, no excuses! If you devote anything from 10 minutes to an hour a day at a particular time, such as before you go to sleep or during a lunch hour, you might find yourself finally starting to read more. 

7. Go on a book haul!

Perhaps all it may take to defeat your reading slump is a little book haul! You may simply need to remind yourself of the beauty of books once more and there's no better way to do that than a little trip to your local bookstore or a spot of online shopping. Some fresh additions to your shelves may make reading seem more appealing rather than forcing yourself through your reading list!

6. Visit the local library

If you're struggling through a reading slump, the best place to visit might be the library! That way you can dip in and out of any book that takes your fancy with no commitment all whilst supporting your local library service and pulling yourself out of your reader's slump. Libraries often have new releases too so perhaps that book you've been waiting for months to be released will be waiting on the shelves! 

5. Stop reading the book you're struggling with and return to it later

If your reading slump has truly defeated you this time, there's no shame in putting that particular book aside and returning to it later when you're in a better frame of mind. Perhaps you need to admit that that book isn't for you? Or maybe it is you and you simply need to find a way back into reading before you find yourself flying through books in the same way as before.

4. Try reading in a new place

Forcing yourself to read in a cluttered, stuffy room may not be the most productive way to get through a book. Perhaps reading in an over familiar spot is making reading lack the interest it once had? A change of scenery might liven up your reading experience! Try reading in a local park, on a train, in your garden or perhaps in a different room. Changing where you read may change the way you read and could be key to combating your reader's block!

3. Take a break from reading

Maybe it's time to admit that reading at this moment in time is simply not possible? That's okay, it doesn't mean you're failing as a reader! Taking a break may make your return to reading as exciting as the first time you picked up a book. You just need to take time away from reading to remind yourself once more why you love it. Don't worry, you'll probably be back into it again in no time! 

2. Try to avoid reading more than one book at a time

If you're trying to juggle multiple books along with everything else in your life, no wonder you're finding reading difficult! If you've unexpectedly hit a reading slump, it may not be so unexpected if you've got five books on the go. It might be time to drop a few and focus on one for a little while. Perhaps that would take the pressure off reading and give your mind the space to concentrate on your current read. 

1. Try reading a graphic novel

If you're finding it hard to concentrate on an 800 page hardback novel, it might be time to pick up a graphic novel or comic book. I've always found them an easy read and I tend to read them far faster than novels. Death Note is a great manga series to start with, the plot and the mystery are just a perfect mix of a crime thriller and a dark contemporary YA read.

Review: To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A Loney

I received this ebook from Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review.
Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay's self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.  

In a story filled with injustice, hope, hatred, love, grief, and understanding, readers will ask themselves what it truly means to hear the ocean sigh and learn of the dire consequences that come with its responsibilities.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and it read like a typical, coming of age YA book, which is the genre I like reading the most. However, I do feel that initially the story was quite slow to get into and I struggled to find myself gripped to the book and truly interested. I felt that some of the text conversations between Jay and his mystery text friend Saphnie, that make up such a huge portion of the book, were often unnecessarily long and slightly generic, adding little to the story.

Aside from that, I really loved the way Rudderless, a fictional book created for this story, tied all the characters together, despite their differences. It shows how books can be interpreted in many ways and gave a new meaning to each person who read it. It was quite clever how this was weaved in to plant the idea that perspectives can truly vary between individuals as this ended up being a key theme throughout the novel.

Another key theme that was presented quite interestingly was the difference in how we present ourselves to the world and the person that we believe we are. I think this was an important idea to be explored in a YA novel where the way others view us can be a huge worry for young adults. This book really did have some wonderful messages that I feel the majority of people would be able to relate to in their own lives. The darker and more emotional themes of the novel were sensitively approached, which made them easier to relate to.

The theme of religion and what it means to young people was considered in a fresh, interesting way. All of the teens found some comfort and advice at the Youth Club and it's where Jay begins his new social life. This was all unique in a way as religion is rarely presented positively in YA literature as many teens feign disinterest.

I found that the main character, Jay, could be frustrating at times as he was more of a spectator as everything happened around him, rather like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby. I did, disappointingly, find him cringey and unrelatable all too often. He rather sadly came across as dull and boring and I found myself wishing the story had been narrated from one of the more interesting characters' perspectives, such as Saphnie or Lily. However, as the story progressed, I feel that Jay was given more of an opportunity to develop into a more real and less fictional-feeling character. Jay was so desperate to develop relationships and connections with those around him that I found it pleasantly ironic when all characters later appear to be connected in more ways than they realise.

I did like that all the characters were flawed in their own way as it give them more dimensions and aspects to their personalities. At times, I found that Jay's mother came across as unrealistically over-protective and those passages didn't blend with the novel well enough for me to find them relatable in the slightest. I also sadly feel that the girls in the novel weren't portrayed in a fair light overall as they were all either seen to be crazy, prudish or desperate for attention and obsessed with popularity.

That being said, the novel was enjoyable on the whole and sits nicely in the YA genre, making a great, quick summer read.
6/10