Five ways to get out of a reading slump

We all have been through this, even if we are big booklovers. When I started book blogging, I thought it would never happen to me, but it did and it can have several reasons: no time, a lot of stress, the wrong books etc.

There are several ways though to get out of these slumps and to start loving reading again.

1.     My first tip is to get away from books for a while. Go after other hobbies, maybe read other things like blogs, newspapers etc. and go out there. Going out, discovering new things, being outdoors and enjoying the company of people can help you forget and they make you miss reading. That’s when you can go back to it.

2.     Change the genre: Reading the same genre, can get repetitive and trying something new, makes you discover other styles and other authors.

3.     Re-read books you love. It’s familiar and you enjoyed the story before. It makes it easier to get back into reading again.

4.     Try a novella or short story. They are short and still a lot of fun.

5.     Listen to books instead. Listening to audio books still gives you the possibility to „read“ the story. Listening can be really relaxing and calming.

There are obviously more ways for getting out of a reading slump, these five have helped me before though.

What helps you?

When you love the first book of an author and then the spark is gone

I think this is something that happened to every book blogger/reader. You read a debut novel or just your first book by a certain author and you just love it!

You are very excited about the book, the author and you can’t wait to read the next book by them.

Then it happens, the next book comes out and you read it immediately. Unfortunately, it was just not what you expected and you are actually disappointed. When you know the author and you call them a friend you also feel bad.

Of course this is not something that happens a lot, but it can occur.

The disappointment lasts for a while, but then you kind of get over it. I always remind myself that tastes are different and you can’t like everything. It might be the storyline, it might be the location or the characters. We relate to some things more than to other and we also have your own opinion about life. What happens in a story doesn’t always appeal to us and that’s natural.

What I think is really important not to give up on the author, give it another go, maybe read another book by them and if the spark doesn’t come back you might stop reading their books for a while.

Taking a break from the author and maybe also the genre can help. You read other things and enjoy reading this way. Book bloggers all know that we read books we don’t like, it’s part of our blogging life. Most authors are very understanding though and if you explain your thoughts they can also learn something for the readers, because in the end we buy the books.

Has this happened to you? What did you do about it?! 

Where the inspiration and ideas for my blog posts come from

In my opinion inspiration, ideas and creativity are a big part of blogging. They are also connected and the inspiration for posts comes from everywhere.

My posts “Driving and my confidence” actually started with a little accident I had. Nothing bad happened, but I had a shock and I just felt like writing about my experiences with driving.

When I got my new glasses, I was wearing them constantly. They made me feel confident, so I decided to write about my story with glasses and contacts. And now actually, remembering this I just had another idea connected to my glasses.

I write different kind of posts. For my book reviews the inspiration obviously comes from reading, talking to authors and also being a beta reader and friends with lots of authors and book bloggers. My travel posts are connected to my travels and all the experiences I make while I discover the world. My lifestyle posts have different sources of inspiration, so here they are.

Daily life: When I talk about daily life, I mean my daily routine, my day at work and things I pursue in the evening. So included here are breakfast, teaching, coffee breaks, weather, the way to work and back, food, drinks, the people I meet, rehearsals etc.

Hobbies: My hobbies are a big part of my blog. I talk about reading all the time, I talk about singing, traveling, colouring, shopping, meeting up with friends etc.

People: Talking to other people is always very interesting. Things they mention could lead to an idea. I see that a lot with the children at school. Sometimes they are really excited about something and want to tell you about it. Sometimes it’s things they mention during the lessons. Generally, it’s also just seeing them happy. This is the same with friends, family and other adults. You start thinking about things that are actually not your thing and get introduced to new things.

Little incidents: With these I mean being a car, having an accident, buying glasses, moving out, buying a house, being pregnant, getting married etc. Obviously some of these things have not happened to me (yet), but I’m sure I’ll be inspired.

Traveling: Experiences during flying, driving, a train ride etc. The experiences with the people, the language, the traditions. Then of course it’s the places you see, what you actually do, how you feel during the travels, the preparation for it, how you feel when you get home etc.

Working in a committee/team: Last year I have joined the committee of my choir and I’m gaining a lot of experience through this, I’m learning new things and all these things give me ideas. The same goes for my colleagues at work. We are a team and working together is interesting, but not always easy.

Other bloggers: This can be their blog, their Instagram or their YouTube channel.

Home: Get outside and explore the landscape and cities close to you. Sometimes the pretty places are not far away.

Fashion: Fashion is funny, diverse, colourful, stylish and much more. When I go shopping or buy new things I have new ideas and I get creative with them.

Music: Lyrics, songs, musicals, singing and more. There is something behind every word, melody, move etc.

Try new things!: This is pretty self explanatory I think.

Take time for yourself: Me-time is important and it gives you the possibility to do something nice for yourself and get inspired by it.

Take pictures: Explore nature and your surroundings and take pictures of the things you see. There are so many things hidden in photos, explore them.

Browse the net: Pinterest, quotes, news, stars. These things all give me ideas and inspiration.

I could list many more things here, but I think you can all see where I’m going with this. Inspiration can come from small things. I usually have great ideas when I’m trying to fall a sleep, in the middle of the night or when I’m in the bath. Too bad I can’t write them down immediately. Usually when I forget them, they come back to me, which is good :). 

Why I Read Chick-Lit

If you have read my blog for a while or just know me, you know that my favourite book genre is chick-lit/women’s fiction/romance.

Now, the reason I’m actually writing this post is the opinion certain people have about chick-lit. Especially in the beginning I had to listen to that constantly. People think that chick-lit is not serious, not deep and just fun. You also often hear that chick-lit destroys serious literature and that it only deals with typical clichés and stereotypes and portrays them in a overly exaggerated and dramatic way.

I can assure you that is not the case. Of course everyone is entitled to have their own opinion, but that also means to accept what the people around you think. We are all different and have different tastes, which is actually great, because otherwise life would be boring.

Well anyway, lets get back to the actual topic. Women’s fiction talks about individual women/characters and tells their story, that doesn’t always have to be in a fun way. I love a good romance or love story and I really enjoy reading them. I have discovered some wonderful authors over the years /Paige Toon, Holly Martin, Aven Ellis, Jane Costello, Rosie Blake, Lucy Robinson, Linsdey Kelk etc.) and they all give chick-lit their own special spark and also include deeper, emotional and touching elements. It’s all about women dealing with various issues like family, love, health, job, fears etc. They all have a positive as well as a negative side and I actually love the mixture. It makes the books more exciting. Some books might include more fun and romantic bits, others are deeper and include a lot of emotions. This is exactly what I look for in a book. It’s important to me to relate to the characters and in women’s fiction that’s just so easy.

Romance/Chick-Lit doesn’t mean that you don’t talk about deeper topics like family issues or illnesses, they are all included in the stories. I don’t agree with people saying that chick-lit doesn’t deal with real issues and only covers clichés in an exaggerated way. Some books can be like that, but I could list so many books, who deal with all these topics. There is family/friend/sibling rivalry, body issues, loss, mental health and much more. You can take your pick. I actually really adore this wide range, because there’s something of everything and the variety is big, that changes up my reading pile.

Chick-Lit allows me to escape into another world, forget everything around me and follow around the characters. I love being on an emotional journey with the characters, they feel so close and I would say it just makes me happy. And seriously, what’s bad about a light-hearted, romantic read?! I mean t would be the same, if you’re watching a romantic comedy and no one complains about that!

I agree that some chick-lit books can be over the top, but I just don’t read those. In the end it’s your choice and that’s different for each and everyone of us.