Every reader has gone through this. They’re reading a lot, enjoying all of the books they read, nothing can stop them! … Until they hit a slump. UGH! THE WORST!

What is a slump? Well, I classify it as the sudden loss of interest in reading. And that’s exactly what happened to me recently.

Now, a lot of people don’t understand what brings on a slump or how to get out of them, but I have had enough instances of slumps to kind of categorize them:

1. The Book Hangover

2. The Disappointment

3. Over-excited

4. Life Induced

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The Book Hangover

This slump is caused when you read a book that is just so good, nothing else compares. I have had a few of these slumps before, the most recent one being Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler. That book was so good, so perfect, that when I tried to pick up another contemporary right afterwards, I had to put it down. Usually, these slumps can be reversed by reading outside the genre. For example, reading a contemporary instead of your usual fantasy. Or science fiction. Or a thriller. Whatever genre or topic is different enough from the previous book that you read, that you can’t really compare it.

These slumps usually don’t last too long, but I find it’s easier to keep moving forward with a good genre change.

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The Disappointment

On the opposite end of the excitement spectrum, we have The Disappointment. A complete change from the Book Hangover, The Disappointment is well … a disappointment. It’s a book you were so excited to read and it just flops. Hard. This hasn’t happened to me too often, but The Disappointment is sometimes worse than the Hangover, simply because all that excitement just dies and now there’s nothing left for the next book you want to read.

Sometimes, I end up re-reading a favorite of mine. Or moving entirely to a show or podcast to switch things up. Change the format, listen/read/watch a favorite, and you’re good to go!

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Over-excited

Kind of in-line with The Disappointment – Over-excited is when a book has been hyped up sooo much that when you go to read it you’re like “huh??” It’s not the same book everyone is raving about and you’re sitting there confused why its getting so much attention. Your only focus is the utter confusion of “wtf did I just read?” swimming through your head and wondering how so many people love this book. It completely throws you off your rhythm and now you’re stuck, because what if the next book you read is the same way? And on and on it goes.

I feel like these are the worst ones. Because not only have you been let down by this book and the over-excitement about it, but now you’re unable to read anything else because you don’t want to be let down again. It’s a cruel cycle.

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Life Induced

This one has absolutely nothing to do with reading and everything to do with what is going on in your life. Moving? New school? New job? New relationship? Mental health isn’t great? Anything going on in your life?

Slump. All the slumps! And this one is the absolute HARDEST to get out of, because it’s not because of a book and the solution won’t be a book. This is pure life getting in the way.

And this is also currently the slump I’m in. I have been trying to read this book for over two weeks now with no luck because I moved. Yay for moving, boo for reading slumps. And it feels impossible to get out of because I need free time to just sit down and relax, which I currently don’t have. This one is entirely dependent on what is going on around you and the slump will end when the slump ends.

Good luck.

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What’s the worst reading slump you’ve ever been in? The worst was when I was in a slump for over four months during college. I didn’t read a single book that entire semester.