How to Deal with a Reading Slump?

*First off, I want to apologize for my lack of comments the past several days. I've been in and out of town and super busy, so I haven't commented back to many people. If you've commented on any of my posts the past week or so, I'll try to get back to you soon.

For those of us who love reading (and if you don't love reading, I'm not sure why you're looking at a book blog), there are few things more discouraging than a reading slump. These nasty little bugs sneak up when you're least expecting them. They like to attach themselves to books that you're really excited about and then get their claws underneath your skin. Once the slump parasite arrives, it seems like only the strongest medicine can eradicate it.

I fell into a reading slump in January and February. I was disappointed by Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, The Rivals by Daisy Whitney, Insatiable by Meg Cabot, Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, and a few others. It's amazing how this slump affected multiple areas of my life. The blog was the most negatively impacted. I posted a few weeks ago about a blogger slump. I think the reading slump was a major factor that prompted my blogger laziness. When books let me down, all my book related activities feel dull and plodding.

Have you had any memorable reading slumps? How long did they last? What prompted them?

Moving Past a Reading Slump

There's no right or wrong answers here. A few things I've done:

1) Keep Going: Eventually you'll find a book that clicks with you. For me it was Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Once I finished that, I had a slew of exciting, thrilling, high rated books. A single good book reignited my passion for reading. This is, of course, easier said than done. When you're in a reading slump, books you'd otherwise enjoy don't seem as good. Or it's impossible to pick up another book knowing that you're probably going to be disappointed. But you can get lucky!

2) Re-Read: When things in my life don't feel right - whether that's because of disappointing books, stress at work, or personal difficulties - I often pick up an old favorite. One of those books I've read a million times that never disappoint me. For me, these books are Twilight, Harry Potter, and Pride & Prejudice. Or, on a completely different front, an adult biography or book about history. I may not have read these book before, but I know the genres are sure things. Catherine the Great by Robert Massie and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson have set my mind afire and made me excited about reading again.

3) Stop Reading: Watch a movie, exercise, bake cookies, go on vacation. Do something non-book related. Books will still be there and some distance will hopefully cut off air supply to the slump parasite. This is generally my last option, one I rarely take. Especially because I have a lot of books I have to read now for review. It's hard to take time off. This certainly does make slumps harder for me to get through, because there's a sense of obligation that takes some fun away.


What do you do to get past reading slumps?