The reading slump
As you may have realised by now I'm addicted to books. Some people chain-smoke, I chain-read, moving swiftly from one volume to the next. Often when I'm getting towards the end of one book, I'm already thinking what's going to be the next read. Quite some habit, eh?
And of course reading like this, as I have always done, I get through a lot of books - usually around 3-4 per week. Of course there are some times when the reading average is down - if I'm particularly busy, for example, or am reading a very long book, but generally it's fairly consistent. And this seems to go on quite happily irrespective of whatever else is generally going on in my life - I have read, if not happily at least consistently through deaths, taxes, sickness, cross-Channel ferries and snowstorms around Paddington Station. But sometimes, for no apparent reason, I hit a reading slump, and I hate it!
This is what's currently happening - I started Past Imperfect, hated it and gave up on it. Re-read Master & Margarita (great choice as a recovery read, it's a wonderful book), then started Barnaby Rudge. Now it's a great book, I'm really enjoying it, but my reading rate has slumped, and I'm finding it a real struggle to keep going, even though I like the book and want to know what happens next. And although there are loads of lovely books out there, I haven't a clue what I want to read next.
The worst thing I find about a reading slump is that I find it so frustrating, at the back of my mind I've got this strange "fear" that if I stop reading, I'll never start again. It's daft, I know. Would it matter if I never read a novel again? Well, yes, the way I currently feel about reading of course it would. But presumably if I didn't read, I'd find something else to do like learning a new language, or lion taming, or some other interesting hobby.
Perhaps sometimes your brain just needs a chance to reboot and recover from all the fiction you've poured into it. I hope so....Anyway the Bookhound is away next week on holiday, to return hopefully with a fully rebooted mind and oodles of reviews. And may your reading, dear reader, never grow less...
And of course reading like this, as I have always done, I get through a lot of books - usually around 3-4 per week. Of course there are some times when the reading average is down - if I'm particularly busy, for example, or am reading a very long book, but generally it's fairly consistent. And this seems to go on quite happily irrespective of whatever else is generally going on in my life - I have read, if not happily at least consistently through deaths, taxes, sickness, cross-Channel ferries and snowstorms around Paddington Station. But sometimes, for no apparent reason, I hit a reading slump, and I hate it!
This is what's currently happening - I started Past Imperfect, hated it and gave up on it. Re-read Master & Margarita (great choice as a recovery read, it's a wonderful book), then started Barnaby Rudge. Now it's a great book, I'm really enjoying it, but my reading rate has slumped, and I'm finding it a real struggle to keep going, even though I like the book and want to know what happens next. And although there are loads of lovely books out there, I haven't a clue what I want to read next.
The worst thing I find about a reading slump is that I find it so frustrating, at the back of my mind I've got this strange "fear" that if I stop reading, I'll never start again. It's daft, I know. Would it matter if I never read a novel again? Well, yes, the way I currently feel about reading of course it would. But presumably if I didn't read, I'd find something else to do like learning a new language, or lion taming, or some other interesting hobby.
Perhaps sometimes your brain just needs a chance to reboot and recover from all the fiction you've poured into it. I hope so....Anyway the Bookhound is away next week on holiday, to return hopefully with a fully rebooted mind and oodles of reviews. And may your reading, dear reader, never grow less...
Comments
Enjoy your holiday!