Reading slumps are less than ideal, and it can be hard to motivate yourself out of one. Whether you’re just super busy and out all the time, or you just can’t bear the thought of picking up the heavy hardback, we’ve all been there, and it’s okay. It doesn’t make you any less of a reader if you’re not speeding through the works of your favourite author.
But when reading is such a big part of your life (yes, I have read 122 books so far in 2025), accepting you’re in a slump can be rough, so I have fought my way through many in the past. ‘But how?’ I hear you ask, and that’s what I’m here to tell you. Here are my tried and tested methods to power through a slump.
Mix it up between physical and e-reader
In my opinion, there’s nothing that quite matches up to the feeling of a physical book in your hands. There are few joys in life that please me quite as much as going to a store and choosing a book I want to read, feeling it in my hands, turning the pages, enjoying the story. It’s a spiritual experience.
But if the thought of holding a physical book isn’t doing it for you, switch to an E-reader. Whether you’re a Kindle or a Kobo person, it doesn’t matter.
Having a device at your fingertips that has books upon books is so handy. Whatever you fancy can be yours at the drop of a hat.
It weighs basically nothing, and can be held with one hand (you can even get cases with a back strap for holding it securely) – what’s not to love? Plus, some people even claim they read faster on an e-reader, including me.
If you feel a slump coming on, ditch your current read
Feeling a slump coming on that has nothing to do with external factors going on in your life? The best thing to do is ditch your current read.
You can come back to it if you feel compelled to in the future, but it’s not mandatory. We’re not in school anymore (unless, of course, you’re reading this and you are, in which case, read the books you have to!).
I did this with the book Butter. Yes, it was hailed as a literary masterpiece, but when I read it, I read 80 pages, and it put me in a physical book slump for a month because I struggled with it so much.
My Kindle was my best friend from that point on. I came back to it at a later date via audiobook and quite enjoyed it, but the point is, if you’re not loving what you’re reading, just pick something else up instead. Life is too short.
Read a mix of genres
While it may be tempting to just read fluffy romance after fluffy romance, soon those books start to blend into one another, and you can’t differentiate plots and characters, and you’ll just get sick of it.
This is why I think it’s so important to mix it up when it comes to genres. I’ll read a horror, followed by a romance, followed by literary fiction, and then sci-fi.
You’re obviously allowed your favourite tried and tested genres that you can’t get enough of, but variety is truly the spice of life, and if you stick to one thing, I think you’re missing out.
Just a few weeks ago, I was adamant that I’d never be a sci-fi reader, but after reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s ‘Atmosphere’ and absolutely adoring it, I had to buy myself ‘Project Hail Mary’ by Andy Weir because, who’d have thought it, this science-illiterate woman is kind of into science fiction books.
I mean, I love The Rocky Horror Show so much, so I should’ve known, really.
The best type of books for getting out of a slump
So, picture this. You’re in a slump, and you want to get out of it because all your mates are reading and boasting about how much they’re loving their latest read.
The best thing to do is pick fast-paced books with short chapters that you’ll be able to race through without really thinking about it.
This way, you’ll be so addicted to reading again, but the reading you’ve done won’t feel like a slog. I’d recommend short (under 350 pages) thriller books.
For example, I recently raced through The Tenant by Freida McFadden, and could always rely on her books to get me out of a slump if I was in one.
Always carry a book (or Kindle) with you
No, not just for the aesthetic Instagram pictures your mates can take of you to make you look interesting and intellectual, but so you can pick it up at every opportunity.
If you’re on public transport, read rather than scrolling. If you’re waiting for a friend who ends up running 20 minutes late, you can sit and read with a side of people watching. This way, rather than sitting there and wishing you could read a chapter of your epic romantasy novel, you can actually just…do it. You know it makes sense.