Some Call it a Slump

We've all been there before. You've just finished the absolute best book that you've read since you can't even remember when. Or maybe you just read a book that made you cry as you read it and you can't help but to tear up when you look at it even now. Maybe you even read a book that you just couldn't seem to get into. Whatever happened, now you're stuck. You've hit rock bottom of the reading pit and you don't want to open the next book to dig yourself out. It has finally overtaken you: the dreaded reading slump. Here are 15 different things you can do to try and get out of a reading slump if one hits you.

1: Reread an Old Favorite

We all have a favorite book or series that we love to reread. Sometimes it's not even one of our favorites, but it's just our go-to reread. When I get in a reading slump, sometimes I'll pull out The Lost Books series by Ted Dekker and reread at least one of the books if not the whole series. For some reason, it's the series that reminds me how much I love to read—even if it isn't specifically one of my top favorite books.

2: Read in a Different Genre

Sometimes all it takes is getting out of the genre you were reading in. After I finished reading The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare I needed to take a hard left turn away from the fantasy genre because I'd gotten so thoroughly lost in the Shadowhunter world. I needed to read something completely different before I returned for The Infernal Devices, and so I read The Testing Trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau, which really helped me get into the dystopian genre.

3: Read in a New Genre

Now on top of getting out of the genre that got you into a reading slump, I want you to try a genre that is completely new to you or out of your usual reading genres. Whenever I get stuck on a sci-fi, fantasy, or dystopian novel(my usual genres), I always turn to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are my favorites, so I either reread one of those 12 short stories or read a random short story from one of Doyle's other collections.

4: Same Genre, Different Author

So maybe you've tried the whole "different genre" thing and it didn't work. Well, I've got another genre solution for you: try the same genre. You heard me. Go look up books in the same genre you just read. But this time, I want you to ignore all of the authors you've read from before. Find someone new. Judge a book by it's cover. Find something in the genre that you love and pick it solely because you think you would enjoy it. Can I say The Gentleman's Guide to vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee? Because that's how I chose that series.

5: Stick to the Author

Okay, so if you did like the book you just finished and the author's writing style was something you liked, try one of their other books if they have any. Once I'd finished the books in the Love, Simon universe by Becky Albertalli, I read What If It's Us, a co-write between Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Reading something else by Albertalli that had a slightly different feel from her other books due to Silvera's style helped me move on from the original series.

6: Reorganization

You remember those shelves with perfectly good books on them? Maybe you have a TBR(to be read) pile somewhere that needs to find a home other than the corner of your desk or the middle of the floor of your room. Whatever it is, reorganize the mess. Re-shelve your books and organize them just the way you like it. While you're at it, you might just find your next book calling to you. I do this every Christmas because I always ask for new books, and I find that a great book or series always stands out to me when I do.

7: What Friends are For

Maybe you have that one friend that always seems to be trying to get you to "just read this one book", or maybe they keep posting about this book that they loved, or maybe you see them reading a book that looks interesting one day. However you come across it, a recommendation from a friend, whether it is intentional or not, can be a great way to find a new (or even old!) book to read. I recently purchased the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson. When I sent a picture of the series to a friend who had been in a reading slump for months, she remembered that she had read the first book and loved it but she never did finish the series. I kept pestering her about it for about a week before she caved and bought them. She's already finished the first two books...and it's been two days since she started them.

8: Try a Different Format

I don't usually like anything other than physical copies of books, but sometimes you just need to try something different in order to get out of a slump. So when I find myself unable to keep reading, I try to find an eBook or audio-book that catches my attention. Although I haven't listened to it yet, I recently purchased the audio-book Benedict Cumberbatch reads Sherlock Holmes' Rediscovered Railway Mysteries & Other Stories by John Taylor for when I get stuck in a slump again.

9: Join a Book Club

Book clubs may be a bit old fashioned(they date back to the 1970's), they are still in style today. Nowadays, book-lovers have turned to a more convenient form of meeting for a book club—via an online messaging service. This can include video chatting, phone conversations, or just texting. These forms of book clubs have become very popular and are a great way to find recommendations or encouragement to start reading again.

10: Make a Reading Schedule

Sometimes it can be hard to keep on top of reading. Other things get in the way, and you get distracted with TV shows or movies or whatever else might be streaming on Netflix that catches your attention. One way to help you make time to read is by setting a reading schedule. I typically like to read at night before bed or, if I have a day off, throughout the day in my special reading spot. By recognizing times when you can read, you can set a reminder to read during those times so that you can find the time to get back into reading.

11: Reward Yourself

Take it back to the basics. Remember when you were a kid and you would get a sticker or some other prize when you finished a certain amount of pages or books? Do the same thing for yourself. Whenever you finish a book, reward yourself. It can be as big or small as you want, but it should be tempting enough to make you want to finish just one more chapter to get closer to your goal. Hopefully, once you finish one or two books to get rewarded you'll find the swing in your reading step again and be out of that slump.

12: Read Something Short

Sometimes all it takes is a quick little short story or novella to make you feel like reading again. That swell of pride and accomplishment you feel when you finish a book comes much faster when reading something that's shorter. Use that adrenaline to start a new book or series, and maybe you'll find that you want to finish it that much faster to get back to that happy feeling.

13: Fanfiction

Sometimes you really just need to return to the fandom that got you into this mess in the first place. Maybe it was the ending that put you off, or maybe you just didn't like how that one character did that thing and they weren't "supposed to" in your mind. Fanfiction might just be the best way to clear your head so that you can move on to a new story. You can either read fanfiction or write some of your own—whatever works for you. But sometimes those loose ends just aren't going to tie themselves, and unless you find some way to knot off a satisfying ending, you might just stay stuck in that slump.

14: Write

Just write. This can mean something different to every reader. Maybe you read this as a "write about the book I just read as a review". That's great! If you really loved the story, go and give the author a glowing review. Maybe you thought I meant "write about my feelings or thoughts in a personal journal". Perfect! If talking about the book isn't an option(spoilers!), then maybe writing about it will help you move on to something new. Or maybe you heard a voice calling you to "write your own story". Writing the story that you want to read might just be the best way for you to get out of this slump. Whatever the phrase "just write" means to you, maybe writing will help you move on.

15: Take Some Time

Finally, sometimes the best way to get out of a reading slump is to just wait it out. You might have just finished that book that made you feel way too many things at once, or it might've left you feeling empty because you miss it so much. Either way, take some time off of reading to figure out what's best for your reading journey. Take a while to decide which of the options above might work best for you. Take some time to just be you, and to revel in the aftermath that a great book left behind.

There you go—15 ways that I use to deal with a reading slump. Let me know if you have any other ideas about how to deal with a reading slump and the things you do to get out of one!