I want to scream at the top of my lungs: reading slumps are the worst.
PTO in January usually means one of two things: traveling or staying in NYC and hibernating. Thankfully for my pocketbook, we chose to stay in NYC this year. With the freezing temperatures and snow, I’ve been staying inside with my cat, Frodo. As nice as it’s been to chill and alternate between rewatching GBBO and The Legend of Zhen Huan, I’m bored.
What else can I do to combat boredom? Listen to spooky podcasts? I do that on my commute to work. Be on my phone? I feel like I’m always on my phone. Play video games! Honestly, I’m tired of looking at the TV screen.
Then I thought to myself: why not read?
It seems silly, doesn’t it? A self-proclaimed book lover and reader forgetting she can pick up a book and read? The horror! And yet, that’s been the reality for the past year. Picking up a book and reading to chase away the boredom is not my first instinct anymore.
Of course, I’m not the most prolific reader. If we don’t count last year, I averaged about 40 books a year. Not bad, right? However last year was a disaster; I only read 8 books. That’s a steep decline. I’ve had reading slumps before — it’s not unusual for me to fall into the hole around spring or summer. Yes, it’s fun to read outside with a nice cup of iced coffee or matcha. But warm weather means gallivanting with my friends as we enjoy what NYC has to offer. Regardless of the reasons, I climb out of that slump by autumn and bang out a good number of reads.
That didn’t happen in 2025. Once I hit that slump, I stayed in the void, unable to get back on the saddle. After I read “Kiss of the Basilisk”? I struggled.
You know that high you get when you not only read a good book, but also finish it? Well, I chased it to no avail. I ended up trying to chase the high in another way: buying and borrowing more books. I thought, “Maybe one of these books will stick.” While having new books in my possession (even temporarily) gave me joy, that never lasted long. And thus the cycle continued. I didn’t care if I bought or borrowed physical or digital books. As long as I saw a new book on my shelf? I was happy.
But overconsumerism is a bitch.
With every book on my shelf, my TBR and my anxiety grew. Have you ever heard of decision fatigue? Well, thanks to my outrageously large TBR and this weird reading slump, I ended up with a massive case of it. I wanted to read, but couldn’t decide on which book or series to start. When I finally picked a book and I couldn’t get into it, I ended up back in square one: looking for a book to read. The cycle continued until I had 6 or 7 books on my “current reads” list on Goodreads.
The cycle exhausted me. By November, I didn’t even want to pick up a book or my Kindle.
Let me be honest with you: I’ve collected a lot of books over the years. I haven’t had the chance to do a complete count of my physical books since I moved out of my mom’s place. However, according to Amazon, I have purchased about 200 ebooks since 2016. Now, I’m not including the ebooks I borrowed through the library, Kindle Unlimited, and Everand. I don’t even want to talk about the other ebooks I saved over the years.
Am I the problem?
Listen, I’m just a girl who lives in NYC, with easy access to amazing bookstores and three public library systems. There’s a number of little free libraries around me, as well as a book swap. Don’t forget all the amazing indie bookstores I can order from thanks to the internet! And you know what else I have in my arsenal? My Kindle, of course! I only need the internet and money to instantly get a new book. Dangerous temptations all around.
But it’s time for me to admit it: my TBR has become ridiculously unmanageable.
While it’s not the primary factor in my reading slumps, I believe that the unread books on my shelves exacerbate the problem. I spend more time looking for new books to read, than actually reading. This can’t go on. So let’s put on our thinking caps and talk solutions.
Solution #1: Book Buying Ban
I tried to implement some sort of book buying ban before. To no one’s shock, I usually failed. Perhaps like many readers, I’d find excuses to buy or borrow. “Just one more,” I’d tell myself. I justified purchases for a variety of reasons: I finished a backlist book, DNF’d a book, or even donated a handful.
I want to do better this year. Rather than reward myself with more books, I’m going on a complete book buying ban for 2026. Well, starting from after this is posted, because I already bought a few books. And I’m not counting the books I had preordered.
See, I am the problem!
Ok, but seriously, no buying new books for the rest of the year. I want to take it even further. I won’t be borrowing books from the library or Kindle Unlimited, either. I’ll keep my KU subscription just to maintain access to the books I’ve already downloaded. I would get rid of it for now, but unfortunately, I want to try and read those books this year.
This also means cancelling my one book subscription service. Well, cancelling it after March because January-March looks stunning. Look, what can I say? I love special editions.
Anyway yeah! Goal #1 of 2026: No purchasing or borrowing books. Anything I itch to buy goes on a wishlist for 2027.
Solution #2: Shop My Shelves With Monthly TBRs
I’m not trying to make reading a chore, which is why I’m not setting a numeric reading goal. However, I need to have an achievable goal and structure. Simply saying, “I’m going to read the books I own this year” is not enough.
By creating monthly TBRs using only the books I currently own or have from KU and Everand, I hope to ease my decision fatigue.
However, I admit that this will be a little challenging because I’m a mood reader. At least, that’s how it’s been for the last few years. Maybe 2026 is the year I finally find balance.
The key is baby steps and giving myself grace.
I plan on picking at least 4 books per month to read. If I finish them? Great! I’ll throw a dart or let Frodo pick the next one. If I don’t? They move to the next month.
Solution #3: Alternate Genres
As you may or may not know, I adore fantasy. It’s my preferred genre followed by science fiction, historical fiction, mystery/thriller, and then a sprinkle of horror. Occasionally, I will read romance and contemporary novels, but they’re not something I gravitate towards.
Whenever I make my monthly TBRs, I should endeavor to have a variety of genres on the list. Keep things fresh, you know?
Solution #4: Avoid Reading Authors/Series Back-to-Back
Now this can be a challenge. I own a lot of series that I either started reading and didn’t finish or never started in the first place. If the series has been out for several years, it’s very likely I own the complete set.
I know, it’s pretty bad. There’s a number of reasons and excuses for this: sales, opportunity, not wanting to wait to read the next book in a series, and because I wanted my bookshelves to look pretty. Regardless of the reasons, they belong to me.
One big reason I choose to do this? I want to teach myself that it’s ok to wait a bit before reading the next book. It’s a lesson. Just because I can get what I want instantaneously, doesn’t mean I should. I hope that by enforcing this rule, I’ll be more likely to wait until I’ve actually read the previous book(s) before buying the next.
Another reason why I need to do this? I’ve realized over the years how important it is to take a breather. I need to create space between myself, the author’s world, and their words to enjoy the journey.
Solution #5: Be More Aggressive With Donating
Although I already donate/give away books often, I think I need to be more aggressive.
If the books earn lower than a B- (4 stars), it goes into the donation pile. If I DNF it? Donation pile. Now, if the book is awesome but I have no plans of rereading it? Donation pile, of course.
I want to see the number of books I have on my shelves decrease. Crazy, right? But the reality is? The books take up space and would simply collect dust.
It’s 2026: we only have the time and space for books that bring us joy (and the Scholastic book fair high).
Solution #6: DNF With More Conviction
Does anyone else make excuses for books they bought but couldn’t get into? I’m quick to say to myself, “Oh, I’m just not in the mood for this right now. I’ll pick it up again later.”
“Damn, I really should try again to read this book. But oh, I’m just not in the mood! I guess I’ll try again later.”
And the cycle continues on and on until I finally give up years later and donate the book. I’ve come to realize that this “Drop for now, pick up later” phenomenon has exacerbated my reading slumps. Are there books I picked up years later and enjoyed? Sure! However, the truth is that this is also rare. More often than not? I tend to DNF these books when I try to finish reading them years later.
If it’s not hitting, it’s leaving (my shelves).
Solution #7: Write Reviews
Writing book reviews is a fantastic way to decompress. I give myself an empty slate when I let out my thoughts. Whether this will be with long-form blog reviews, flash reviews, or left on my Freewrite, I need to do what I do best: write.
What are my goals for 2026?
Aside from actually reading more than 10 books, I want to fall in love with reading again.
As someone who is triage trained, I deal with enough decision making at work. Triage is mentally exhausting! Put me in the critical care/resuscitation area of the ED every day, and I’ll be fine. But assign me to triage three shifts in a row? God, my brain hurts just thinking about it.
I need ways to reduce the amount of decisions to make. Giving myself structure and rules to follow hopefully helps. If placing myself on a book buying/borrowing ban and creating monthly TBRs only from my current collection is the way? So be it.
Does anyone else (especially healthcare workers) feel this way? What tips and tricks do you have to escape a bad reading slump? Let’s chat!
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