I have a confession to make: I’ve been in a serious book slump for the past month. Dozens of books that I’ve been thrilled to read trickle into my Libby account, and one after another, I defer the hold, requesting a later delivery. Or I borrow the audiobooks, and they accumulate on my loans shelf, completely untouched, until my hold expires. Or I can’t seem to get past the first ten pages of any book I pick up. Nothing piques my interest, and I begin to question whether I actually enjoy reading. Hard copies pile up on my nightstand just waiting to be read, and night after night, the stack remains untouched and neglected like it carries the very plague itself.
What is a book slump? Put simply, it’s any period of time when a reader has lost interest in reading. Book slumps can last anywhere from a few days to a few years. In my experience, they last a few weeks or even a few months.
Sometimes, a book slump is predictable—I usually have one right after I finish an amazing book or series that’s so incredible, I swear I’ll never read anything quite like it again. Alternatively, a book slump can sneak up and strike when we least expect it, dealing us a hand of back-to-back books characterized by unbearable prose, flat characters, and a lifeless plot. In certain cases, reading slumps are dictated by our busy schedules, sickness, or stress. No matter how they arrive, book slumps are one of the most dreadful experiences a reader encounters.
In truth, I’m an old friend of book slumps. I experience them frequently. I’ve always tended to read in spurts—binging books in one season and boycotting them the next. And while there seems to be a stigma surrounding book slumps, for fear of falling out of love with reading or forgoing the good habit of reading, I know that with time, I always return to the page. Every book slump inevitably ends.
A few years back, I shared a conversation about book slumps with Library Director, Michelle Duclos. I was in the midst of my own moratorium on books when Michelle admitted that her reading style also mimicked a roller coaster—full of highs and lows. I was surprised to hear that she, too, tends to read in spurts—devouring books one minute and disregarding them the next. This was refreshing to hear as I am often under the false impression that everyone is chipping away at their reading goals on a nightly basis except me.
Just last week, a co-worker of mine expressed the same worry about her 12-year-old son’s reading slump, noting how he sped through the first four books of Dune and was sloughing through the fifth.
All of life unfolds in seasons. The moon waxes and wanes, the tide rises and recedes, and the body ebbs and flows through various cycles of productivity and rest. All cycles, just like the book slump, come and go.
The book slump will inevitably pass, and while it’s here, we shouldn’t rush its departure. Reading should be enjoyable, and forcing ourselves to read when we just don’t want to is a surefire way to strain our relationship with reading.
So, the next time you experience the dreaded book slump, don’t sweat it! Don’t force yourself to read if you don’t want to, and don’t stress out if you’re not smashing last year’s reading stats. Eventually, you’ll pick up an old friend and find yourself flipping through its pages once again.
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