5 Tips for Getting Out of a Reading Slump + Book Recommendations

We love books and reading and that love never fades, but other things in our lives swell and overwhelm diminishing our need or ability to sit down with a book. Or affects our focus. Or shifts our mood. Or... or.... or... 😮‍💨

Here are some tips for tackling reading slumps that work for me and some book recs to get you out!

1. Don't force it. It's okay to not be reading. Your identity as a reader isn't defined by your growing # of books read count.

2. Acknowledge and respond to your mood. If your mood doesn't allow you to fall into your typical romance, then grab a thriller or fantasy adventure and see what happens. Graphic novels, novels in verse, or poetry collection are excellent genres for getting out of slumps because they can feel less overwhelming that a 400 page tome.

3. Try listening to your books instead. You can play an audiobook as you commute to work, work out, cook dinner, etc.

4. Borrow from your local library. So the added guilt of "all the money you spend on books you don't read" doesn't deepen your slump. (Also, collecting and reading are two different hobbies. I'd fight anyone who tries to tell me it ain't. 👊🏾 Except not really. I'm a lover, talker, or runner, never a fighter. 😅)

5. Change locations. Try reading on your porch/balcony, or go for a walk. Or grab a coffee and baked good at a nearby cafe and bring a book along.

Book Recs: I recommend romance, graphic novels, anthologies, and novels-in-verse for getting out of slumps.

• Romance: Yes No Maybe So, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and The Happily Ever After Playlist.
• Graphic Novel: I Was Their American Dream
• Novels-in-Verse: A Time to Dance, Punching the Air
• Anthology: Gordo
• Poetry: Don't Call Us Dead 

What do you think of these tips/recs? Do you have any others for fighting reading slumps? Please share in the comments below!

Best,
Tuma

P.S. All recommended titles (and more) are available online at Tuma's Books.