Thursday, July 11, 2013

DISCUSSION: Reading Slumps


So why hello there. I am currently at a lost for what to write, so I'm settling for my first discussion post. Now I decided that what I would do today is ramble and go on and on until it hurts your eyes to keep reading write about reading slumps. Keep reading if you are curious. I dare you. 


READING SLUMPS

If you are any sort of reader, or if you have spoken to or interacted with a person who loves reading, you will have most likely heard a version of this phrase once in your lifetime: 


Now don't get me wrong, I totally agree with this even if my mom doesn't. But there comes a point where you find that you also have to agree with this: 

I mean, it's kind of hard not to see where your mom is coming from when your bed looks like this: 


Personally, that'd be fine by me. You know, if I could go without sleeping. And trust me when I say that the pile has increased. Now half of me is like, "YAYYYYY THE MORE BOOOOKS THE MERRIER!" There is that other half of me though that can't help but think about all the unread books I have sitting on my bookshelves, and the bed, and the floor, and the chair, and on my cat that I don't even have every time I'm at a bookstore. Not like it stops me from buying more though. And it can be stressing trying to read a book the fastest you can so you can move on to the next. If you are a blogger who reviews ARCs, you might find it hard, if you haven't already, to keep up with all the releases dates and when your review needs to be up. All of this combined and eventually you might find yourself in a stage where you just don't want to read. Nothing you pick up will interest you, previously longed for releases will not excite you, and it'll seem like you've lost your love for reading. 

Now a Kaede without books is not a happy Kaede. If you happen to see me one day looking extremely unhappy, chances are that I haven't finished a good book lately. And so, please do not come up and ask me why I'm not smiling. 


However, feel free to just walk up to me and talk on and on about other things. I would probably talk on and on with you. 

There are a lot of ways you can fall in a reading slump, a period of time where you can't seem to finish a book, but there are also lots of ways you can get out of one. Some of the tactics I like to use most often are: 

1) Take it Slow

Locate a book that you've been dying for and bring it around with you. When you have time here and there, open the book up and read a few pages. You don't have to read half the book in one sitting, the important thing is that you aren't forcing yourself to read. Forcing things usually don't end well and in some cases extremely dangerous toys are thrown. 


If you find that the book isn't interesting, switch it. You'll come across the right book eventually, it's just a matter of time. I find that I tend to like to read easy and fun books with action and an awesome romance when I'm in a reading slump, because I feel like those are the type of books that you'll fly through and really enjoy - on a normal basis and during reading slumps. 

One series I'd recommend if you are looking for something like that is: 


Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy, #1) Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy, #2)

Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, #3)Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy, #4)

Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy, #5)




















There are definitely many other books out there that'd be great slump breaker books, but the Mythos Academy series is the one that I have memory of working the best for me. DARK FROST was the perfect book to get me out of an extremely terrible reading slump I was in last year, and the whole series in general are really fun reads. I read MIDNIGHT FROST a month ago and it definitely gave me that push to read more and more. 

2) Do Other Things

Don't just sit around staring at books and mope, find some things to do! Like being catbug. (Why not? Costume stores are very advanced nowadays.)

I want one. I want one. I want one. 

Spin around and around...on your head.

funny-gifs-norway

Learn another language! 


Random Adventure Time gifs~ - adventure-time-with-finn-and-jake Photo
It helps with avoiding punishments. 

3) Re-read a favorite book

If re-reading isn't your thing, then try a sequel in a series you already love. And if you aren't sure which book to read, you are more than welcome to tweet me (@kami178xx) and I promise I will shove books down your hands virtually choose one of the choices you give me, or recommend titles if you don't know what to read at all.  


That aside, I'm wondering how all you lovely readers out there deal with reading slumps, and what you think of them. Are they a bad thing? The bane of your reading existence? Do you not mind them, and instead use it as a reason to dedicate more time to other things or take it slow with your reading, if you've been feeling stressed out? If you want to get out of a reading slump, how do you go about trying to do it? Find a way to stab it with a knife and then stomp on it? Find it a girlfriend (or boyfriend...I do not the gender of a reading slump, I'm afraid.) so it'll stop bothering you? I want to know all the details, so please feel free to discuss in the comment sections! I'd love to hear about all the different ways you try to get rid of a reading slump!


~♥~


Contact Kaede: 
Email: kimberlyho75@yahoo.com
Goodreads: Kaede
Twitter: Kami178xx



2 comments:

  1. AHHH BOOK SLUMPS SUCK! You go into this stage where you stager around and got no idea what to do with your life but you do not want anything involving with books--ever. Then you look at books and then you wonder WHY you read? Or why this book was every your favorite book and why you have read it at least a gazillion times.

    Then you take a break, watch anime, repeat. And then you don't know what to do with your life and you say, "IMMA GOING TO DO A BOOK!" And you pick up a chick-lit light fluffy read and you get out of this slump. And you say, "Why did I ever doubt my self?! Reading is the best!" And then you read fast as a marathon can run and you begin to feel your love for books again...only with a different perspective.

    THE END.

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  2. Your writing style is so entertaining and funny. I can understand how having all those books can be overwhelming! Just having my e-books get too crazy drives me to the edge. (And I'm talking I freak out when there are over 30. Yeah.) I would probably go Kate Gosselin style and buy myself a calendar so I could keep track of all that! How do you even get so many? I can understand not wanting to read all of those!

    My Blog: Kalin Elizabeth

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