Monday, May 30, 2011

Musing Mondays- Reading Slumps

This week’s musing asks…
Describe the last time you were stumped for something to read, and you took measures to remedy that — either by going to the bookstore, the library, or shopping elsewhere. What book did you choose? Did it get you out of your slump?

It's hard for me to remember the last time I hit a real slump- not being able to find anything to read- but it used to happen occasionally and I'd just go browse my local bookstores. I'm very lucky to live in an area with many great new and used bookstores, in all kinds of categories- within walking distance, I have four great used bookstores (at least), two general-interest independent bookstores, one amazing chain bookstore, and independent and small-chain bookstores that specialize in poetry, travel, science fiction and leftist political books. And I have enough interests that I can walk into any of them and find something to read. I also keep a Moleskine book journal with lists of books by categories in case I forget something that's on my TBR pile that might fit my mood in any given instance.

More Musing Monday answers at ShouldbeReading.wordpress.com.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

I only had one slump that I can remember, sometimes those independent bookstores are just the answer.
Here's mine:
http://carabosseslibrary.blogspot.com/2011/05/musing-mondays_30.html

Anonymous said...

The last time I had one was a few weeks ago! Omg, how I hate them!

Enjoy your monday!

Nat @ Reading Romances
Small Blogs, Big Giveaways

Zibilee said...

I had a horrible reading slump back in the months of February and March, and even though I had tons of good stuff on my shelf to read, I couldn't get up the energy or interest to read anything. It was horrible, and I felt like I was totally not myself. I also get especially bad tempered when I can't read, so it wasn't fun for anyone else in the house either. I eventually just pushed through with some of the books that I had been wanting to read for ages, and the slump subsided, but it was really terrible while it lasted!

bermudaonion said...

I can't really remember hitting a slump, either. There were times in the past when I ran out of things to read, but like you said, that was easily remedied with shopping therapy.

Marce said...

Last year I found the perfect thing, Verse Novels, they are my new simple pleasure and have worked with the reading slumps every time.

If you ever try one, definitely choose a Lisa Schroeder Verse Novel.

There is a street in Boston that is amazing for book stores, I can picture it but can't remember the name.

bibliophiliac said...

When that happens to me, I try to find something I have NEVER heard of before. That is more of a challenge now that I follow so many blogs. But in a slump, I want something quirky, something off of my own beaten track, to jolt me out of it. I go to bookstores and libraries (used bookstores are good for this) and pick up unfamiliar books, reading just the first paragraph of each.

Mystica said...

Four used book stores! if I had one within walking distance I would have thought myself extremely lucky!!!
No reading slump right now with the library within 500 metres from the house in Melbourne! thats real luck for me.

gautami tripathy said...

Just being around books works but then it doesn't. Contradiction???

Here is my Monday: Mailbox/What Are You Reading?/Musings post!

Kristyn said...

This post made me want to go check out the small local used bookstore here in my town. It's got an adorable name, but I've never been in. Might have to do that when I'm running errands on Wednesday!

Stopping in to say hello for Musing Monday and am a new follower. Have a lovely week!

Kathleen said...

Sounds like you have a great solution in place for those "slump" times. When I find myself in a true reading slump I usually read magazines or watch a few movies and then I'm back to books again!

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

Last time I was in a slump I searched goodreads and then went to the library and looked at their lists of books to check out.. and picked some up!

Carin Siegfried said...

I think of a slump like Zibilee - not not being able to find a good book, but not wanting to read - it's horrible! Happened to me last year after a book with bad juju came into my world, and I not only had to quit reading the book, and accept that was okay, but I had to get the book physically out of my house. Then I totally indulged my favorite genres.