4 Types of Books for (Z)apping That Reading Slump

I find that if I’ve gone too long without having the motivation to pick up another book then it’s mostly likely because I feel overwhelmed. Usually this overwhelm is caused by too many unread books I can’t choose between or general overwhelm in my personal life that makes finding time to read hard. When this happens I pick up a book that I know I can get through rather quickly and that tends to help propel my reading forward again. Here are a few kinds of books that have helped me do this…

♥ Graphic Novels and Comics ♥

Now, hear me out. I sometimes feel that readers turn their noses up a graphic novels without really understanding what they can offer you. This adorable graphic novel helped to remind me of all the reasons that I try to make time for reading. It also induced a sense of nostalgia for books and made me want to pick up more. With minimal text, it was easy for me to pick this one up and make my way through it.

Book Love, Debbie Tung

Book Love is a gift book of comics tailor-made for tea-sipping, spine-sniffing, book-hoarding bibliophiles. Debbie Tung’s comics are humorous and instantly recognizable – making readers laugh while precisely conveying the thoughts and habits of book nerds. Book Love is the ideal gift to let a book lover know they’re understood and appreciated.

♥ Series Finishers ♥

There’s nothing like finishing up a series you’ve loved to get you over a reading slump. Sometimes I purposefully save series finals to pull out during reading slumps because I know that I’m already familiar with the characters and already excited about the plot.

The Night Masquerade – Binti #3, Nnedi Okorafor

Binti has returned to her home planet, believing that the violence of the Meduse has been left behind. Unfortunately, although her people are peaceful on the whole, the same cannot be said for the Khoush, who fan the flames of their ancient rivalry with the Meduse. Far from her village when the conflicts start, Binti hurries home, but anger and resentment has already claimed the lives of many close to her.

♥ Unusual and Intriguing ♥

I chose Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi when I needed something unusual to help me out of a reading slump. First, the cover is unusual. Second, the synopsis is intriguing. When you start reading, you realize there’s a whole other layer to the story that you didn’t expect. So when you’re in a slump, find a book that seems a little different or out of the ordinary for you and give it a try.

Pet, Akwaeke Emezi

There are no more monsters anymore, or so the children in the city of Lucille are taught. With doting parents and a best friend named Redemption, Jam has grown up with this lesson all her life. But when she meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colours and claws, who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings and a drop of Jam’s blood, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster, and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house. Jam must fight not only to protect her best friend, but also to uncover the truth, and the answer to the question — How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist?

♥ Short and Compelling ♥

When in doubt, pick up a novella or a novel that is less than 200 pages. Choose a book that is labelled as plot driven for a quick paced book. You’ll be able to read it in just a day or two. Often, getting through a book fairly quickly will be enough to push you through a reading slump. This turned out to be true with Dear Martin when I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. At only 210 pgs, I finished it pretty quickly.

Dear Martin, Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League, but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up – way up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. In the media fallout, it’s Justyce who is under attack.

What helps you get out of reading slumps?