In January, I purchased eight books. I told myself not to buy unnecessary books….but are all books genuinely unnecessary to a book hoarder? The answer is no. All books are essential to a book hoarder.
I visited my family in California this month and picked up three books. I got Lessons in Chemistry from Bonnie Games. I found this gem at the Book Off store, used in hardcover. This is one of my book club’s picks for the summer, so I was super excited to grab this one. Next, I picked up The Deal by Elle Kennedy and A Twisted Tale Anthology from Barnes and Noble.
When I returned home, I attended the Sarah J Mass midnight release party for House of Flames and Shadow at a local Barn and Noble. I also picked up the Heartstopper special edition by Alice Oseman and Sons of Darkness Barns and Noble exclusive edition by Gourav Mohanty. Of course, I also go House of Flames and Shadow by Sarah J Mass, the Barnes and Noble exclusive.
I also received a pre-order of The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake this month. Finally, I received Of Ruin and Wrath Bookish Box Edition by Jennifer L Armentrout.
Annnnd the first week of August is over. I swear we are going to blink and it will be Christmas Day. This year has blown by so fast. I say that every year around this time but really…that’s the way the world works.
This past week I haven’t finished anything. So my reading has started out slumpy for this month. But I am determined to change that. Every August/September I feel like a broken record. These are the months I really start to get slumpy, right before the Holidays. And then during the Holidays I usually want to read all the things but am too busy to do so.
So how do we beat the end of summer slumps? Things I like to do is book shop. It sounds funny but the idea of reading something new can really pull you out of a reading slump. Browsing books in a shop and finding something that you are excited to read can help.
Re-arrange your shelves. Sometimes it’s easier to forget books that you want to read on your TBR. It can also feel good to get rid of some books that are no longer interesting and make more space for new books. Fall clean and get ready for those cozy reads coming out.
Another thing I like to try to do is read something fun, light, comedic, and short. This can be a re-read of sorts or something new. Usually it works best if it something new because then it makes me want to read more books I have never read before, which is all of my TBR.
If that doesn’t feel right then a comfort read may be the right path. Something that you like to read over and over again. For me, this is usually The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
What if none of this works? Then maybe you need a book break completely. I can get this way where I hyper-focus on Animal Crossing or a new craft project, or maybe a new TV show where I would rather be doing anything but reading. If you are burnt out then don’t force it. Take a reading vacation and do something else with your free time. You will read it again. But if you force it then sometimes you make things worse and end up hating books that you might actually enjoy.
Let me know what you like to do during a reading slump. I am always open to trying something new to pull me out of them.
What was the first book that truly got you into reading?
A lot of people who are similar to my age might answer this question with Harry Potter. And I do agree that Harry Potter was one series that did get me into reading. However there were books before Harry Potter. For me Judy Blume was one of the first authors I had read that I truly connected to.
I was introduced to Judy Blume’s books in elementary school. I was in he 5th grade when we read as a class Superfudge by Judge Blume.
From that book I started to try to read all her books. To this day I have not read all her books but still want too.
Going into high school I read all of her young adult books. Unlike some of the books that had come out such as Twilight, Judy Blume books always seemed to be able to talk about hard issues. Issues that as a preteen and teen I had no idea what where like. One of my favorite books by Judy Blume is Deenie.
I don’t know why this book has been attached to me so much. I read it Freshmen year of high school around the same time I read Twilight and was finishing the Harry Potter series. But Deenie was one book that I feel in love with.
I also remember this being the first book i ever had with a publishing error in it. Towards the end of the book there were pages missing. Back then email was still a new thing. We still had dial up and the flip phone wasn’t out yet. I remember being so upset that I couldn’t finish the book that my mom actually wrote to Judy Blume. And Judy Blume responded and sent me a new book. Today that doesn’t happen. If you have an error in a book you are basically SOL.
I grew up with Brittney Spear dreams and a disability. This was one of the first books that I could relate to from wanting these dreams of being famous, though not in the same way as Deenie. But I could relate to Deene from the idea of never letting something physical bring my dreams down.
Blubber was another Judy Blume book that I read that I truly could relate to back in high school. It was the first book that I read that talk about bullying in school and being different.
Of course Suberfudge is a classic and will always be close to my heart.
Judy Blume is turning 83 today. I hopeJudy Blume has a wonderful birthday while staying safe because COVID 19 is still a thing. Judy Blume has touched many readers lives and I hope that her birthday is filled with inspiration and love.
5280 BOOKS 