My reading journey has been a little bit of a rollercoaster. Up until I was about 14 years old, I refused to read for fun. I read when school made me but that was it.

I had a friend who loved reading. She would read what I referred to as ‘adult books’. And no, I don’t mean anything sexual as you’re probably thinking. I meant that she would read books that we targeted towards adults. None of the YA fiction or middle grade stories. I was amazed by her reading skills. She read out loud with so much speed but could still understand what was happening in the book. It shocked me and I was a little jealous. I wanted to love books like she did but I just couldn’t make myself.

One day, another friend of mine asked if I wanted to borrow one of her books. She liked reading but she read more young adult fiction than my other friend. The book she offered to lend me was Airhead by Meg Cabot. I reluctantly took it from her and started to read. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did and after reading it, I had caught the reading bug.

Since then, I have been in and out of reading slumps. Sometimes I’m only in a slump for a few weeks but other times, it can be months. I thought that the months that I wasn’t reading were terrible. I knew that I had great books sitting on my shelf that I wanted to read but I couldn’t force myself. If only I knew that I would end up in the worst reading slump ever and those months were nothing in comparison.

I ended up in a two year reading slump!

No matter how much I wanted to read, I couldn’t make myself. That is why I started to come up with a plan. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life without my love of reading so I set the goal of breaking free from my slump.

Since I managed to rekindle my love of reading, here’s some of my tips so you can break free from your slump too..

Read something easy

Sometimes reading can seem more like a task than something enjoyable. It’s not as mindless as watching tv so it can feel like a challenge. If this is the case for you, then choose a book which is an easy read. You could try reading some middle grade fiction or choose a book with less than 100 pages. If the book isn’t too big of a task to finish then you will feel accomplished once you’ve completed it which will hopefully make you want to pick up the next book.

Keep track of your reading

I love using Goodreads for this. I add the book(s) that I’m currently reading and then update it most evenings with how far I am through the book. It’s great because it allows me to see how far along I’m getting. Sometimes I notice that I’m nearly at a certain percent through the book and I’ll push myself to read a bit extra just so I can see the progress bar move along on Goodreads. This might not be something that works for everyone but it works for me so I figured it’s worth mentioning.

Walk around a book shop

Book shops are always so cosy and lovely. They make me want to find a comfy spot at home and wrap myself in a blanket, drink a cup of tea and read a good book. They are also great places to find book recommendations. You can look through all the books and maybe even find something that looks interesting to you. Walking around book shops if often how I find my next read. The great thing is that you can do this digitally too. You can scroll through the books on Amazon or any book selling website. You never know which book might spark your interest.

Choose a book with short chapters

Some people prefer long chapters, others prefer shorter chapters. For me, short chapters are the easiest way for a book to hold my attention. Short chapters are great for coming out of a slump as you can challenge yourself to read at least one chapter a day and you’ll know that it won’t take up too much time. When I’ve done this in the past, I’ve found myself reading multiple chapters because I just got hooked on the story.

Try a new format

For such a long time, I only wanted to read physical books. The idea of an e-book or audiobook sounded like cheating. But forget that! Now I’m all about reading in different formats. I find that changing it up is a fun way to keep yourself interested in reading. I’ve mostly been reading on my Kindle recently as it’s great for when I’m out and about, which actually leads to my next point..

Change your reading location

Reading in the same place every day can get boring. I started reading in bed every night but it just became tedious and I no longer wanted to do it. Now I have a new favourite place to read… on the bus. I know it sounds weird but reading while on public transport is such a great way to pass the time but also get some reading done. If you think about it, the only other thing that you would be doing would be scrolling through social media. So, why not try reading instead? Throw your book or e-reader in your bag on the way out of the house and you might be able to find some extra reading time in the day. If you’re not into the idea of reading on public transport, then maybe try a coffee shop, a park bench or just sit outside in your garden.

Re-read your favourite book

If none of these other tips motivate you to read, then why not try to re-read your favourite book or the book that got you out of a slump previously. There’s nothing wrong with re-reading books. As long as you’re enjoying reading then that’s all that matters.

I hope that these tips can help you get out of your slump. If you have any tips, feel free to share them with us so we can all have fun reading!

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