Monday, March 17, 2014

Help! I've fallen in a book slump and can't get up ...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Are you celebrating? I'm not that into St. Paddy's Day. I am not Irish, nor am I a big drinker these days, so I'm kind of a St Paddy's Day scrooge this year! Haha. Bill is celebrating by bartending at his friends Irish restaurant up in Ames, so I'll be left to my own devices tonight (which probably means, in bed by 9pm).

Well, I'm writing this post because I am in the WORST book slump. I cannot seem to drag myself out of it. I feel like I have not read anything good since late last year. By no means do I think this is any author's fault. I think it is completely MY fault. Every time I sit down to read, I just cannot focus. I begin thinking about the million things I could be doing that would be more productive than reading. Which makes me so sad. I know I need to take some time for myself.

So, friends, what should I pick up that would capture my attention and make me want to sit down, relax and get some serious reading done? I really think it would only take a couple of really good books to pull me out of this.


14 comments:

Unknown said...

I just read a good book called "Story of Beautiful Girl". It is about 2 people who escape from an institution because the girl is pregnant. She has the baby, leaves it with an elderly woman at a farmhouse and is captured and returned to the institution. The man escapes. The story follows the lives of the man, woman, elderly woman and child ... very interesting!

A couple others to check out are "The Thirteenth Tale" and "The Forgotten Garden".

Kelly (She Wears a Red Sox Cap) said...

Try The Rosie Project, that sucked me in the second or third week of newborn fog so that should suck anyone in ha ha :)

DeniseF said...

Anything Kate Morton. I was in a slump recently and reading 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn really pulled me out!

Marissa and Seth said...

If you enjoy a good mystery, read The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. Every one of her books are incredible and she is a master of suspense!

Leigh said...

Have you read Reconstructing Amelia? That was sad, but good.

Lesli said...

Not realy a fan of St. Patrick's Day either--unless it falls on a perfect Saturday with perfect weather with perfect friends and that hardly ever happens! But it did in 2012. I never expect to top that day--it was in the 80s and beautiful.

Lisa from Lisa's Yarns said...

I am not a fan of St. Patrick's Day either. I have never been a big drinker and I think it's sort of an over-hyped and immature holiday (apologies to anyone who is Irish and offended by that).

This is something I have struggled with lately as well. I feel like it's my fault, too, because I have so much stress in my life right now. I am reading The Perfume Collector right now and am really enjoying that so maybe check that out? And I also echo Kelly's suggestion of The Rosie Project as that is a super cute, endearing read.

Megan W said...

It's probably because I just finished rereading the whole series, but I highly recommended A Game of Thrones. Amazing book series and show!

Becky said...

It's crazy that you said this, and then Lisa said it too because this is how I feel as well. I feel like there's so much going on in my life right now books aren't distracting me the way they normally are.

I would say think about what you want out of a book - suspense, romance, something totally mindless but fun? Once you narrow that down you can choose - I've been reading a lot of romances for the past few months because they're a fun distraction (and pretty much have nothing to do with babies), but I think I'm burnt out on them now. I've now realized I want real, raw, stories to read, which is why I've been drawn to powerful memoirs (like Carry On Warrior which I think I want to re-read soon).

Hope that helped!

Unknown said...

I'm currently reading The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult and am LOVING it. I also finished The Husband's Secret not too long ago and The Rosie Project, and really enjoyed both of those. The Birth House by Ami McKay was really good too!

Amber said...

I'm in a huge book slump too so I'm now trolling your comments for ideas :)

Stephany said...

I just finished Eleanor and Park which I loved, so maybe something by Rainbow Rowell, if you've already read that? Other than that, I think all my reads lately are books you've already read (judging by Goodreads!). So I can't help you there. :) Book slumps are not fun!

The Many Thoughts of a Reader said...

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews just sucked me in. Or Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank or The Almond Tree..

Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...

Have you read any Stuart Woods books? He's great!