All Booked | Getting Back into Reading

How to Embrace Your Book Slump

This edition of All Booked was originally emailed to subscribers on October 25, 2022. To receive our literary newsletter in your inbox, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

Hello, book lovelies!

I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately. It always seems to happen right around this time of year. I have a couple tricks for getting out of a reading slump. I’ve written about these before, but it never hurts to share them again in case your brain is also refusing to read.

1. Embrace the slump! Sometimes a slump is your mind’s way of telling you that it needs a break from reading. And that’s okay. We don’t always need to be reading something. I embraced the slump for about two to three weeks, and then I decided that it was time to pick up another book. I mean, I can’t have all of these newsletters be about books I’d like to read one day. I need to actually read them!

2. Pick up something that you think will be an easy, entertaining, comfort read — usually in a favorite genre. My go-to is thrillers.

3. Try a nonfiction audiobook where the author narrates it themselves. This almost always gets me back in the reading mindset. It feels more like a chat with a friend, which can feel less intimidating than picking up a book.

4. And finally, try reading a genre that is completely different from your go-to. Sometimes just mixing up the content you’re reading provides enough of a mental break. And its always nice to diversify your reading.

So, believe it or not, I followed my own advice this week. And I actually read two books and I’m almost done with my third! It feels so nice to be back in the swing of things. Below I included the books I picked up with some of my thoughts. Enjoy!

I am a big believer in going into a book knowing as little as possible. I try not to read too much of the synopses or reviews, since most of them over-share. My pitches below are short and sweet just for that reason.

I picked up You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa not only because it was a thriller (my go-to genre) but also because it was the October selection for an online book club that I belong to. While this wasn’t a new favorite, this book was entertaining, surprising, and kept me hooked.

We follow Amaya, who returns to her hometown of Colombo, Sri Lanka, to attend the wedding between her ex-best friend and her ex-boyfriend. This story jumps timelines and is told in narrative and interview formats — both are things I very much enjoy in books.

Now that I drop my daughter off at daycare, I spend about 30 minutes in the car on most weekday mornings. Sometimes we listen to music, sometimes I sing “The Wheels on the Bus,” and sometimes we listen to a podcast. But last week, we were all about Stanley Tucci. I swear, there is something about his voice that is very calming for my 7-month-old, because she quietly listens to him talk for the entire car ride.

Aside from his lovely narration, Taste: My Life Through Food was a beautiful combination of recipes, tradition, family, and love. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book. I loved this book with my whole heart. And I think you will too.

This week, I picked up The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna and I am absolutely loving it! Loving it so much, in fact, that I think I may have unlocked a new favorite sub-genre: magical found-family with a dash of grumpy-sunshine romance. (I like to be specific!)

This book reminds me so much of The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, but it’s still very much its own book. It just came out in August, but I really think you should stop everything else you’re reading and pick this up. It’s the perfect time to read it.

I would love to hear any of your tips for getting out of a reading slump. Also I’m on the hunt for more books narrated by Stanley Tucci. And if you happen to run into him, please politely ask him to narrate more books! I will be forever thankful. Finally, if you have read any books that fit the “magical found-family with a dash of grumpy-sunshine romance” description, send them my way at emily@independent.com!

Your smitten bookworm, Emily

Support the Santa Barbara Independent through a long-term or a single contribution.