HOW TO BEAT A BOOK SLUMP: READCHELLA, DAY ONE

So, I'm not going to mince words: I feel completely trapped, at the moment.

I went on two vacations recently, to Victoria, BC, and Sunriver, OR, and as someone who's dedicated entire posts on the importance of a Vacation TBR, and who packed upwards of six books for that second vacation alone, I totally disappointed myself. Out of both vacations, I only finished a grand total of two books... and one of those, I had actually already started a few weeks beforehand. These also happen to be the first books I've managed to finish since February. 

And that's not where this permeating feeling of failure ends: I am currently stuck in the middle of two other different books, one of which I've been reading since March. I'm nearly going to DNF the second, despite being more than 100 pages in. I set a Goodreads Challenge for myself this year of 60 books - totally doable, given my track record - and I am currently SIX books behind where I'm supposed to be. This blogpost will only be my third time actually having posted within the past two months.

We've all been here. I'm stuck in a big, bad reading slump. 

I've already gotten plenty of comments from others that I shouldn't be forcing myself to slave over a hobby, but to be very honest, this mental break has gone far enough. I miss reading... and this might sound slightly insane, but I can feel it physically when I haven't read in a long time. The escapist aspect of getting lost in a good read has been one of my longest-exercised means of mitigating my anxiety, and without it, I feel like my body carries a lot of tension, the relief of which I definitely don't experience when I do something like watch television or a movie (in fact, those both usually only serve to heighten these issues!).

So you can see quite plainly, I really need a good reading-specific break, rather than a break from reading itself. But I'm having a huge problem actually picking up a book!

So, I turned to the Grand Ol' Internet, and decided to check out what other people had to say about beating a reading block. I'm going to assemble the advice, get my self-care artillery in line, and take down this slump once and for all, over the course of the next three days, starting tonight. 

And, you know. It's the first weekend of Coachella. So, Savannah's #Readchella2019 it is. 

let's hear from the experts 

Here's what book bloggers, BookTubers, and other assorted writers and book lovers had to say across the web, about how to take down a reading slump:

Book Roast on YouTube: Make reading a special occasion
"Set a time, set a place, set a meal, set it up a few days before so you have something to look forward to... make it an experience!"

Julia Seales on Bustle: Pick up something familiar
"Nothing will remind you of how much you love reading like revisiting an old favorite...You already know what's going to happen in the next chapter, so all you need to do is sit back and enjoy the story." 

Hailey in Bookland on YouTube: Go for something sweet and bite-sized 
"Choose the smaller books... pick up a book that is small, super quick, and, definitely, quick contemporaries are my favorite."

Charleigh from Charleigh Writes: Stop being stubborn
"There are too many books in the world to read – that you’ll probably enjoy – to stay hung up on a book you’re not into... Don’t do it to yourself – it’s not worth it and you’ll probably miss out on great books with all the time you’ve wasted on trying to finish a book you’re not connecting with."

Book Sundays on YouTube: Switch up your reading location 
"I think it's really important to find a cozy reading nook, and maybe that's a different reading nook than you're used to... You could try a coffee shop, you could try a park, you could even just run a bath!"

Haley at Whatever Bright Things: Space it out, and set goals 
"Set yourself a reasonable goal, and divide it into manageable chunks."

Paige at Creating and Co: Find a new way of looking at things, with a format shift 
"Try a different book format... what I mean, is an audiobook, or an e-reader. The human mind is a crazy thing. Sometimes it's easier to listen, or the faint glow of your e-reader helps trick you into reading again."

Susie Rodarme on Book Riot: Get away from the screens 
"Unplug. I find that the internet (gulp) is one of my main culprits for a lack of reading. Being online presents one with endless stimuli and I find that it can dampen that itch of needing to read something. Either that, or I get caught up binge-watching shows, and I can’t do both that and read at the same time." 

alright, so here's the plan

We've got our instructions, now it's time to formulate a plan with which to carry them out. I've got the next three days to wear this thing down, and I'm bringing in some of the big guns - from old favorites, to fun snacks, to genre-switching - to help me through it.

I'm planning what is, essentially, a readathon for one, so I might as well lean into the experience by making it as fun for myself as possible. My family is busy for most of tomorrow (Saturday), and that should free up time for me to do what I need to get done... and you better expect a great Trader Joe's cheeseboard, fresh fruit, home-baked cookies, and some delicious tea is going with it.

I'm also stepping away from the big books. I've been struggling through a couple larger non-fiction reads lately, as well as plenty of reference books as I try to set up my garden this Spring, so for the weekend, I'm going to be keeping away from any and all things above 400 pages.

I'm returning to an old favorite. Pretty soon after I started looking at all this info about how to break a slump, I skipped over to my library's Overdrive database, and immediately sent Holly Black's The Darkest Part of the Forest to my Kindle. It's a Contemporary YA Fantasy that I've read a million times, and I'm about to try and read it again, in a different format than I'm used to.

I'm going to try reading somewhere new. I am absolutely guilty about pretty much holing up in either one of two places to read, both of which are conveniently placed in my bedroom. However, I'm going to try and branch out, by switching up my spots to other comfy places in the house, and if that doesn't work, I'll try my hand at one of the quieter local cafes downtown.

Of course, I'll be taking short breaks, so I don't feel like I'm losing out on my weekend. Spending time rearranging my bookshelves, and cleaning my room in general, are typically two activities that make me feel more thankful for the time I spend reading. I like cooking food for my family, and taking long walks in the sunshine, both of which will be totally doable this weekend.

Naturally, taking breaks to write blogposts is definitely going to be a factor, too... because let's be real, this blog has been really suffering at the same time my reading habits have been.

friday night plans: readchella, day one

• figure out whether I want to DNF either of the books I've been struggling with, or put them away for the weekend
• check out some fun rewards and distractions from the library - like a new cookbook, or a movie adaptation of a fictional work you enjoy - to serve as reading breaks 
• decide which blogdrafts to work on and finish over the weekend 
• finish downloading The Darkest Part of the Forest to my Kindle, and start reading

I'll check back in with you tomorrow, to see how my first day's worth of reading has gone, and let you know of what my plans for Saturday and Sunday look like. 

Welcome to my Readchella! (Tagline: Because reading on my couch is still better than sweating my butt off in the Californian desert.) 

So, wish me luck! Do you have any recommendations for helping break from a reading slump? Let me know, in the comments below!