How to Get Out of a Reading Slump

Last updated on 10 November 2021

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How many times have you been in a reading slump?

Unforutanley for me, this year has been full of them. Usually, I’m pretty good and not much can put me into a reading slump, but for some reason with the year we’ve had, I’ve read barely any of the books I wanted to read, and my Goodreads Reading Challenge is looking terrible.

It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed the books I have read; it’s more that I’ve struggled to just pick them up and read them. Which of course, does nothing for my goal of 60 books this year. Classic, right? Spend most of the year at home where reading can happen and then … nothing.

But pandemic or no pandemic, reading slumps happen to the best of us. Over the years I’ve collated a list of ways that help people get out of reading slumps, so if you’re like me and you’re there right now, let’s try some of these things together.

1. Put the book down (you don’t have to finish it)
2. Pick up a genre you don’t normally read
3. Find some new inspiration by reading book reviews
4. Don’t replace your reading time with something else
5. Read a book you’ve always loved
6. Listen to an audiobook
7. Ask for recommendations
8. Read a book under 200 pages
9. Pick up a book that’s light-hearted or humourous
10. Be kind on yourself

10 tips for getting out of a reading slump

Put the book down (you don’t have to finish it)

This is one of the hardest ones for me! I hate not finishing a book! But sometimes it just has to be done. If you’re not enjoying the book, put it down. If you are enjoying it but you’re struggling to pick it, just put it down anyway. You can always come back to it later.

Pick up a genre you don’t normally read

Non-fiction is something I generally don’t read. Like, at all. There have been a few that I’ve picked up and really enjoyed (Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis for example, was really good), but on the whole, I tend to stick to fiction. But when you’re in a reading slump this is one of the best ways to emerge from it, victorious.

Find some new inspiration by reading book reviews

If you’re anything like me, you love reading book reviews. You can gain so much insight into new books or authors that you’ve never read before by checking out what other people thought of them. A word of caution though: like any review (mine included!) you have to remember that the person writing them is coming from their own place in the world, with their own ideas and thoughts. You might love a book they hate, you might hate a book they love. Read the reviews to broaden your options for books to read when you’re in a reading slump, but remember to be open-minded when you do.

Want to find heaps of book reviews in one handy place? Check out Blogger’s Bookshelf!

Don’t replace your reading time with something else

Hand up if you’re guilty of just binge-watching Friends for the hundredth time instead of reading? I mention that because that’s what I’ve been doing this year. It’s bad. But the times when I have really wanted to keep reading have been when I haven’t just put on another episode, I’ve shut it down, and I’ve picked up a book. The more you read, often the more you want to read.

Read a book you’ve always loved

This has been a super helpful way for me to get out of reading slumps this year. I re-read some of my favourites (and they still count towards your Goodreads Reading Goal if you’re one to track your reading!), including Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and A Darker Shade of Magic, by VE Schwab. Getting into books that you have loved in the past excites you about reading again.

Listen to an audiobook

Speaking of Harry Potter, both my HP re-reads this year have been the Stephen Fry audiobook versions (which I highly recommend, by the way!). I borrowed them from OverDrive through the Auckland Libraries, and it was an absolute joy ‘reading’ them again. It also gave me the chance to ‘read’ during the day. I could pop it on while I was doing other things and it meant the stories were going in, but I didn’t have to set aside extra time to read (which is often the problem when it comes to reading slumps).

Ask for recommendations

Much like reading book reviews online, asking for recommendations will see you reading books that you might not have otherwise picked up before. Get on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and ask your friends, family or audience what their favourite books are. Or let them know a book that you really enjoyed and ask for books that are similar. You never know what they might suggest! They might just be the books you need to end reading slumps!

Read a book under 200 pages

Need a fast read to boost your Goodreads Reading Challenge number and your reading confidence? Pick up a book under 200 pages and read it in a flash! You could even read it in one go and pick up another! Often you’ll find short reads are the books to get you out of a reading slump.

Need a list of books under 200? Check out the Blogger’s Bookshelf Book Club post!

Pick up a book that’s light-hearted or humourous

Humour will often pull you up out of a sad place, and a reading slump is, indeed, a sad place. Whether it’s a biography from a comedian or a light-hearted chick-lit novel with a quirky, hilarious protagonist, reading something that is fresh and funny will brighten your day and hopefully you reading slump too.

Be kind on yourself

It’s totally okay to be in a reading slump. It’s just a season, you’ll spring back.

What things have helped you get out of a reading slump before?

What are some books to end reading slumps?

Pop them in the comments!