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“How can I motivate myself to read more?” We’ve all been here at some point: even the staunchest of bookworms have had a reading slump. You keep resolving to read, but whenever you open the book club book, the pages just aren’t turning. You set your goals each year, but life comes along and keeps you from getting it done. You remember a time you blazed through books—or maybe you’re a new reader, trying to get into the hobby. So what’s the problem? Why can’t you sink into the pages anymore?
Whether you’re struggling to read for pleasure after your college years or trying to get back into the hobby while shuttling two kids around town, these tips will help get you motivated again.
My Number One, Foolproof Tip
A lot of these tips will revolve around a similar theme: Let yourself read whatever the heck you want to read. The book that people say changed their lives, the book club 500-pager, the oh-so-popular bestseller that you just can’t get into, the literary behemoth you promised yourself you’d get through someday, they’re all sitting on your shelves, mocking you, right? Well, put them down.
That’s right: my number one goal is to take your current read and toss it. Put it back on your shelf. Donate it. Return it to your local library. Maybe, once your reading engine is again up and running, we can come back to them, but right now, you have only one goal: read and be excited to do it. And clearly, this book isn’t your road there.
So what is?
Go Back to a Genre You’ve Always Loved
Have you always loved romance, but are trying to get into “real books”? Did you tear through horror as a teenager, or spin through YA fantasy as a tween, but now you’re looking to change it up? Great, and like I said above, we can come back to that. First, we need fuel for your reading engine, and nothing works better to start a fire than some hyper-flammable kindling. Go pick up that best-selling YA fantasy you’re inclined to dismiss as nonsense, or visit the romance or horror shelves again. Maybe that reading love will come right back.
Read Short Stories…
I don’t know why short stories get such a bad reputation, because they are absolutely the best thing for a slump. Go pick up Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, edited by Jordan Peele, or the latest The Best American Short Stories (this year’s is edited by Lauren Groff). The great thing about these is that if you’re reading one and hate it, it’ll be over in just a few pages—or you can just skip it. Not only will you be onto something new, but it will also be a new author and new style to try.
Or Short Books!
One of the best things for getting me motivated is simply to finally finish a book. When there are five books on your nightstand, all with bookmarks inserted a few pages in, everything feels surmountable. Pick up a short book by Sayaka Murata or P. Djèlí Clark or Rebecca Solnit, and you’re done in just a few days. That feeling on its own can remind you that you do like to read, that it feels amazing to finish a book, and it can get your engine back in business.
Reread a Book You’ve Always Loved
People tend to feel that rereading doesn’t count. I strongly disagree: a book is a book. So if you pick it up and finish it, you’ve read a book today and should feel accomplished. If you’re in a slump, go pick up the last book you remember adoring, or your absolute favorite from childhood. Once, when I was in a reading slump, I went and picked up The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and I read it in less than a day. It can remind you what you love about reading, and it points you back in the direction of the books that make you happy.
Try Graphic Novels
Mix it up with some incredible visuals, accompanied by excellent stories. Dive into the new Eternal Editions of Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi, translated by Alethea and Athena Nibley; wonder at the inked art of Emil Ferris in her two-part My Favorite Thing is Monsters, featuring a queer coming-of-age in 1960s Chicago; or dive into the terrifying horror of Junji Ito. The visuals will help keep you engaged, and I find that they go by quickly, which is refreshing, without being any less narratively interesting.
Try a Change in Format
Read a webcomic on your phone! Download some audiobooks to listen to while you do work around the house, or go on your morning walk, or commute to work. Try out an ebook app and see if the ereader life might be for you. Remember: it’s not any less reading if you do it in a different format, but it might be that the weight of a physical book just isn’t working for you anymore.
