I am a pretty steady reader, but sometimes I go through phases where I can’t seem to finish anything because I don’t really feel like reading. It happens when I’m very busy in several areas of my life, so when I get home all I want to do is decompress in front of the television, preferably with a show or a movie I’ve already seen several times so that I don’t have to think about it at all. Or, less frequently, during a month when most of my book club selections are things I normally wouldn’t have chosen to read myself, so reading all of them one right after another seems more like homework than pleasure.
Whatever the reason for the rut, I don’t quite feel like myself again until I’m out of it. There are a few tactics I use to jostle my enthusiasm back to life.
Read Short Stories
We were just talking about this on Tuesday in book club. When I’m super tired at the end of a busy day, the idea of reading a novel seems overwhelming. But a short story doesn’t seem so bad. Depending on how short it is, I may be able to finish the whole thing in 10-15 minutes. If it’s good, I may even read the next story. The next night, I read for more than half an hour. Before I know it, I’m back to my regular reading habit.
Choose Comfort Books
I have several comfort genres. Foodie fiction or memoir. Cozy mysteries, the next book in a series I like, or books about books (or in the case of ACF Bookens’s St. Marin’s series, all three in one). I grab a warm beverage and tuck into one of these, and it’s like visiting with a good friend.
Take it on the Road
One of the things I love about audiobooks is that they give me something to listen to when I’m driving without being plagued by commercials or having to skip a song that I’m not in the mood for. They also help me get out of ruts. I go for a drive in the country (or what passes for country near me) every once in a while, and even if I only get 30 minutes into an audiobook, I’m usually hooked enough to want to finish it.
Don’t Worry About It
Sometimes, you’re just not in the mood to read, and that’s ok. There’s no need to force it. I used to actually feel bad when I got into a reading rut, but when I stopped to ask myself why, I didn’t have a good answer. I’m not sure there is one. As much as I love reading, sometimes I just need a break, and it’s ok to take one. The books are always there when I get back.
Do you get in reading ruts? What do you do (if anything) to pull yourself out of it?
M. Suzanne Terry 
This makes me feel seen, Suzanne! And of course I love your strategies for reigniting your drive to read. I’ve certainly had times when I can’t seem to read much, and they’ve also been when I’m too busy in too many areas of my life. Sometimes during these cycles, I find that I *miss* reading, but I can’t focus on it. Other times, I’m almost glad to have stuff to do because I already don’t feel like reading right then. While I didn’t judge myself for it, the latter felt like an unusual observation at first, but reading this post normalized it completely, and that’s both a relief and encouraging. Thank you!
So glad it was helpful. Thanks for the sweet words, friend!