Reading Stumps

  Reading stumps, or dry spell, it's a real thing no matter what you call it. Writers get writers block and readers get reading stumps (maybe I'm making this term up? I'm not really sure, it's what i call it in my head). Anyway, I recently had one.

This is how reading stumps make me feel.

You all know what I'm talking about too (at least I hope you do, maybe you just think I'm crazy). It's those days, weeks, months or even YEARS where you just don't want to pick up a book. You can't make yourself start a new one, no matter how many great novels are sitting on your shelves. 

Why do we gets these reading stumps? Well I think there's two different ways for a reader to get this horrible disease. 1. Reading to many bad books in a row. This I think happens the most with bloggers who read review books, sometimes you don't know anything about a novel before you pick it up. Or you can feel obligated to read a book a publisher mailed to you without asking. Either way, I think this is something that happens to us an awful lot. High schoolers too, since they're really forced to read some bad novels. 

2. Another way, that at least has happened to me a few times, is reading the most amazing novel you've ever read. One of those stories that you just can't get out of your head. You don't think any books will ever compare to it. This has only happened to me once, after I read City of Bones. 

Well anyway. I recently got into a reading stump through the first way. After reading just so many so-so novels, I couldn't make myself sit down and read a new one. That's why my blog has been kind of bare this summer. 

I also recently (and by recently, I mean 1 am this morning) got out of my reading dry spell. How did I do it? I read Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. So many people had told me how good this novel was, and I've been wanting to read it for the longest time. Well last night I couldn't fall asleep (that's another story all together) and Pushing the Limits was on the top of my TBR pile next to my bed. So I picked it up. Then I didn't stop reading. I just kept going and going. I didn't put it down until I was finished (literally). It almost made me late to work. 

Sometimes you just need that push to get out of those stumps. Well, Pushing the Limits was my 'push'. It was also one of the greatest contemporary novels I've ever read. (review will be up a.s.a.p.) 

Now, if you got through this post, I applaud you. It was very long and ramble-y. 

Now I want to know what books have gotten you out of your reading stumps! I want to keep a list so I know which ones to pick up when if this happens again.