Dear Reading Slump

Please free me from your shackles; the evil you've done is enough!

I'm gradually coming to terms with the fact that I tend to go through an annual reading slump. This year, I've managed to finish only three books, and I'm not particularly happy about that. To give some background, I started reading consistently in 2022 when a friend suggested "Dear Ijeawele" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Before this, I found reading challenging and assumed it wasn't for me, but eventually realised that the books I was choosing were what made it hard to develop a reading habit. So, how am I spending my time during this period? I've been reading articles and newsletters instead, so I'm still sort of reading. Side note, I've been trying to "read" a book titled "Georgie, All Along" by Kate Clayborn, but I've only managed to read three chapters over the past three months. Someone, please liberate me from the chains of this reading slump! It seems to be a good book, but I'm essentially struggling. I'm well aware that the busy pace of life has contributed to my current state. Additionally, I recognise that my short commute to work, divided into three brief rides, disrupts my reading flow as much as I'd like. While I'd love to finish this book ASAP, I'm also dedicating time to read shorter pieces. Exploring articles on various subjects has brought me great joy during this period and reduced my "guilt". So, let's dive into some of the intriguing articles I've read lately:

• The Desperation of the Instagram Photo Dump by Kyle Chayka: If you know me online, you know I love a dump. This entirely comes from honestly dumping all my favourite pictures so far and creating a camera roll mixtape of some sort for my digital scrapbook. This article, however, reveals how dumps are becoming a collection of curated highlights embodying an aesthetic of nonchalance that is, in fact, quite deliberate. It was an interesting read.

• I read numerous articles on the stages of grief by searching on Google. This year, I finished reading "Untangling Emotions" by J. Alasdair Groves and Winston Smith, a book gifted to me about two years ago. I read it during a phone break weekend, which led me to delve deeply into reading about the stages of grief, one of the emotions the book identifies as challenging to process.

• The Crane Wife by CJ Hauser: This is my current short read. I would likely categorise it as an essay rather than an article, as it delves into the story of a woman who recently ended her engagement. It alternates between her immediate decision to study cranes in Texas after her break-up and her experiences in the relationship with her former partner.

How do you overcome seasons like this? Do you revisit your favourite books, join book clubs, wait for your motivation to return on its own, or are you, like me, managing with shorter reads until you find your rhythm again?