If you were to ask me what my dream job would be, without any hesitation I’d tell you that if I could get paid to read, I’d take it. I mean, wouldn’t that be the life?
But by getting paid to read, I don’t necessarily want to be in the publishing field, editing novels all day. I really just want to sit around drinking coffee, reading books, & then chat with people about them. In a way, I get to live that dream because I’m an English teacher. I take my coffee to school, spend part of each class reading with my students, and then talk about what we’re reading.
Plus, there’s summer where I’m often holed up with a book.
Though, this summer has been going a bit differently than the norm. In the last couple of years as I’ve started writing novels, I’ve learned how to balance my summer time between reading and writing. I know that writing should take precedence, but I firmly believe that to be a good writer, you have to be a reader. So, I often read widely in the genre I’m writing to keep up on what’s out in the industry today, but also to learn from the great writers who are publishing!
This summer I planned to not only conquer my huge TBR (to be read) stack, but also to read through several writing craft books. It seems, though, that my brain has other plans, since I’ve been in a major reading slump this month.
Some of you are like, “reading? blah. not my thing,” while others of you know just how miserable it is to be in a slump when all you want to do it read.
So, what’s a reader to do? Having been a reader for my whole life, I know that eventually, the slump will pass. BUT, there are a few things I can do to help speed it along, and more often than not, one of these ways will get me back to my TBR pile in no time.
Here are five things I turn to when a reading slump hits:
- Relax as best as you can. Reading is about enjoyment. Sure, there are challenges & plenty of books to get through, but the biggest pleasure of reading is simply enjoying the book in your hands. It’s not about how many books your read, but that you turn the page, smiling, because it was a good read.
- Thus, abandon the book if you aren’t enjoying it! *see above* There are too many good stories out there to waste energy on one you don’t like, even if it is all the hype right now. There’s nothing more miserable than feeling “forced” to read a book, even if you’re the one forcing yourself!
- Get lost in a good TV show. I started Outlander at the beginning of summer because every time I sat down to read in the evening, I either couldn’t focus or kept falling asleep. Outlander offered a good story in a setting I love, and I found myself invested in the characters. Now, I’m not binge-watching it every night, but it has kept me involved in the the story during the in-between time of books, reminding me why I love stories in the first place! Plus, it’s got me interested in the book the TV series is based on, and most likely, I’m going to read it!
- Turn to a genre you know you always enjoy. Sometimes when I get in a slump, it’s because I’m not reading enough middle grade, which always makes me smile. There’s something about that age group of stories that pulls on my heart. I think they’re the secret to keeping me young, but also, middle grade makes me believe in magic & wonder & goodness. If anything is going to pull me out of a slump, it’s having several middle grade books on hand to choose from. So turn to your favorite, whether it’s fantasy, mystery, or nonfiction, and get lost in a genre you already know you’ll enjoy.
- Finally, re-read a much loved book. If it feels like every book you pick up just isn’t working or you don’t have any focus, pick up something you’ve read before and loved. For me, it’s often any Sarah Dessen novel, especially in the summertime. I know that I can fall into her stories in an instant, and they often rejuvenate me: heart, soul, and reader.
So far, these little tricks are starting to pull me out of my summer reading slump, and I have a couple of great books lined up for July that I *think* I might just love. Who knows, maybe I’ll even catch up on my summer reading goals.
How about you? How’s your summer reading going? Any new favorite books yet or ones you’d recommend to pull me out of a slump?
– Ms. Lore
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