Are you experiencing a book hangover, a series slump, or haven’t read in years? Then welcome back to the bookish community – we are here to help!
Book hangovers and series slumps are real. We’ve felt the emotional devastation after finishing a really good series (Lord of the Rings, Red Rising, Throne of Glass, Dungeon Crawler Carl looking at ya’ll) and then thinking now what?
Also, we frequently hear from our customers that they are in a book slump or haven’t read in years. Please know you are not alone; this happens a lot and there are strategies that can help manage future slumps.
Step 1: Don’t Let the Book be the Barrier… Just End the Slump
End the no reading slump first, then decide which reading direction to go. Pick up a book and read a few pages. Congrats, you are back to being a reader and the slump is over. Think of reading as a river, the books need to keep moving whether it is a few pages or chapters.
Step 2: Now Dear Reader, Assess
You don’t need to be a book critic, you just need to think more about what you like, dislike, want more, and want less to inform your next book pick.
Book hangovers and series slumps are real. We’ve felt the emotional devastation after finishing a really good series (Lord of the Rings, Red Rising, Throne of Glass, Dungeon Crawler Carl looking at ya’ll) and then thinking now what?
Also, we frequently hear from our customers that they are in a book slump or haven’t read in years. Please know you are not alone; this happens a lot and there are strategies that can help manage future slumps.
Step 1: Don’t Let the Book be the Barrier… Just End the Slump
End the no reading slump first, then decide which reading direction to go. Pick up a book and read a few pages. Congrats, you are back to being a reader and the slump is over. Think of reading as a river, the books need to keep moving whether it is a few pages or chapters.
Step 2: Now Dear Reader, Assess
You don’t need to be a book critic, you just need to think more about what you like, dislike, want more, and want less to inform your next book pick.
- What did you enjoy (or dislike) most about the last book you read?
- If you can’t remember the last book, what was the last show or movie you enjoyed?
- Is there a book everyone loves that did not work for you?
- How do you want your next book to make you feel?
Step 3: Identify if you want Same Same or a Palette Cleanser
Now that we understand more about your last read, let’s determine what you want your next read to include:
Now that we understand more about your last read, let’s determine what you want your next read to include:
- Do you want another series or standalone?
- Do you want to stay in a similar world or do you want a palette cleanser?
- If you want to stay in a similar world, what does that include: same genre, characters, tropes, journey, humor, etc?
If you want to stay in a similar world, we can find recommendations for that. For instance, if you enjoyed a fantasy book about dragons and a magical academy, we have more recommendations that include both. If you loved a book about a hero’s journey against epic monsters, there is another series that also includes the Same Same.
If you want a palette cleanser, think about switching from the last genre. If you read a fantasy with high political intrigue and world building, think about picking up a cozy fantasy, romance, or horror as a palette cleanser. Switching genres can help get you back into the flow by eliminating the direct comparison between your last book.
Step 4: Ask for Recommendations from Your Community
Social Media is a great place to learn about new books and can also be overwhelming to have so many options without context.
We recommend starting with your community first – ask a friend or co-worker what they read last. If that seems weird, we promise it isn't. People are generally excited to speak about things they recommend (i.e. books, music, movies, restaurants) so just start the conversation.
Next, come into Underbrush Books and ask our booksellers for recommendations – WE LOVE TO GIVE RECS. The purpose of asking others for recommendations is to start a conversation which fosters community connections. Book fandoms can be similar to sports teams. It is cool to find another die hard fan for the book you also just loved and want to talk about. So come by, talk books with us, and find your fandoms.
Step 5: Keep the Reading River Flowing
Grab your book, a beverage, and get to reading. Sometimes we pick up a book and it turns into a rock in the reading river. We give you permission to put the book down and pick up something else. You not be in the mood for a heavy topic but we promise the book will be there if you want to circle back to it.
Just keep the reading river moving and don’t let a book hangover turn into a slump!
If you want a palette cleanser, think about switching from the last genre. If you read a fantasy with high political intrigue and world building, think about picking up a cozy fantasy, romance, or horror as a palette cleanser. Switching genres can help get you back into the flow by eliminating the direct comparison between your last book.
Step 4: Ask for Recommendations from Your Community
Social Media is a great place to learn about new books and can also be overwhelming to have so many options without context.
We recommend starting with your community first – ask a friend or co-worker what they read last. If that seems weird, we promise it isn't. People are generally excited to speak about things they recommend (i.e. books, music, movies, restaurants) so just start the conversation.
Next, come into Underbrush Books and ask our booksellers for recommendations – WE LOVE TO GIVE RECS. The purpose of asking others for recommendations is to start a conversation which fosters community connections. Book fandoms can be similar to sports teams. It is cool to find another die hard fan for the book you also just loved and want to talk about. So come by, talk books with us, and find your fandoms.
Step 5: Keep the Reading River Flowing
Grab your book, a beverage, and get to reading. Sometimes we pick up a book and it turns into a rock in the reading river. We give you permission to put the book down and pick up something else. You not be in the mood for a heavy topic but we promise the book will be there if you want to circle back to it.
Just keep the reading river moving and don’t let a book hangover turn into a slump!
