I was discussing my post with fellow Melt-Ink Pot-er, Andrea, and how I couldn't think of something to write about this week (scandalous, I know). She suggested that since to be good writers, we need to also be readers, that I should blog about what I'm reading right now.
Unfortunately, I find myself in somewhat of a reading slump lately. Oh, don't get me wrong, I am reading. In fact, I believe I have four books that I'm working my way through at this time. The problem is that none of them are reaching out and grabbing me. I pick up one and read it for a few pages, even a chapter or two. Then I put it down and wander aimless through my living room for something else to read. I stare at my bookshelves, pick up books and look at them, put them back, and do this over and over again. Finally my husband will ask me what I'm doing. When I tell him I'm trying to find something to read, he looks at me like I'm crazy.
There is no lack of reading material on my shelves. I have shelves of books that haven't been read, as well as Sony Reader that has about 20 digital books waiting to be attacked (and I won't even count the books I have on my iPod).
One of the books I'm reading is by an author I adore. This is the 6th book in a series she's writing and while I still like what I've read so far, it doesn't grab me the way books one, two, or even four did.
I know that some readers when they get in a slump will go back and reread an old favorite. I'm not a rereader. I've rarely reread a book in my life. My question is how do you overcome reading slumps? Reread an old favorite? Completely switch genres from what you have been reading? Lose your mind in a video game for a couple hours (if you haven't done Wii Archery on the Sport Resort, you don't know what you're missing)?
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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2 comments:
I'm just the opposite -- I reread almost everything. It's a rare book that I *won't* reread, though I have a few of those on my shelf right now.
Especially if it's a good book, I like to re-read it because I want to study it, see if I can figure out why it works for me. Sometimes, I'll re-read even a bad book for the same reasons.
I'm a major rereader. There are books I've read countless times, some that I have to pick up once every year or two. If I'm not reading the whole book, I'll just pick a section to reread.
As for breaking out of a slump, if picking up an old favorite doesn't cure it, I will go to some of my favorite book sites and browse through recent reviews and recommendations to see if anything jumps out at me. Switching to nonfiction helps too sometimes because it forces me to read in a different way.
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