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I think everyone goes through dry spells, so you're definitely not alone OP.
The last novel I read was King's 11/22/63 and I loved it, but before that I had only read a handful of books this year. Since we're moving and won't have internet at our house for a while this will be the perfect opportunity to catch up on some books and videogames that I've been meaning to play for quite some time now (Ni no Kuni for PS3 comes to mind ).
Yes I have that too. This is why I keep track of my stuff on goodreads so I can experience the *thrill* of clicking "done!" when I've finished something. I also have that widget on my homepage that tells me whether I'm meeting my goal of 50 books / year. I'm 2 books behind, so it doesn't work miracles.
In terms of books, I can go months, even a year or more, and not read one from cover to cover.
Then something will strike my fancy (I'll see someone on TV or hear about a topic or book) and I might buy 1,2, even three or more -- and tear through one a week.
I only read non-fiction. Haven't read fiction in over 30 years....since my Harold Robbins, Irwin Shaw, Erica Jong, Jackie Collins, Sidney Sheldon, Judith Krantz days.
I'm just so curious about REAL things -- just have no interest in made up stories.
I go through "dry spells" as well. There are times when I can be in a library full of books and just not find anything.
I used to love spy novels, true crime, smutty romance novels, crazy Steven King novels. Now I only read non fiction -- mostly biographies unless a "true story" on something comes out that interests me.
Yep, happens to me sometimes too - and I'm a librarian!! The hardest thing is that I actually HAVE to read for work, whether I feel like it or not... usually just one adult book per month for my book club (which I run at the branch), and a new teen novel every few months for our "YA Pick of the Month." The last time I was in charge of picking the YA book, I started 3-4 before finding one that grabbed my attention. For anyone who is curious, the one I finally devoured was In the After by Demitria Lunetta. Awesome book.
If you find this slump lasting too long, just take a breather from reading... it's like me and playing music (viola), where I get burnt out every so often and need a break. Once I took a whole year off of playing, and by the following year I was raring to go again! Let the inspiration come to you, don't force it.
Do you just play music for yourself, or are you still playing with an orchestra or group? I'm just curious because my daughter started playing viola a couple of years ago and loves it, but so many adults I know who played in junior high and high school don't play anymore. I'd be sad if she ever gave it up. It's a beautiful instrument.
The only dry spells I have is when I can't find a book that interests me. Then I go into my collection and start re-reading. John Grisham has a new book coming out in October. Sycamore Row that takes place in Ford County with the Jake Brigance character from A Time To Kill.
I do exactly the same thing. Only I listen to them on audio. I love "A Painted house" Also The Rainmaker
All my favorites have been his books. I love his simple phrasing. Very little in the way of long boring descriptions. (how the blue skys reflected on the still waters Blah, blah blah)
I am waiting for Sycamore Row from my library, but it might be a long wait. I am bored with most everything in comparison. Just like the way he writes, and his humor.
I grew up with my nose stuck in a book. As a teenager I would read stephen king novels hidden under my text books during class. I think around college, and after, I stopped reading for quite some time. I then started up again, and I find I go through these 'dry spells' where no books interest me, and I end up with all of these books that I just couldn't get into or finish. I haven't picked up a book in months. I miss finding that awesome read that I just can't put down. I find that it's worse when I have a lot going on & I just can't seem to find the attention span to read. Like right now...I bought a house 2 months ago & I am getting married a month from today. There is no way I could concentrate enough to read right now, but I miss it.
Does this happen to anyone else?
It happens to me once or twice a year, either from having too much going on in life or from burning myself out with marathon reading spells. I tend to read series of books in order, and when it's an author like Robert Jordan, Tom Clancy, or Terry Brooks, all of whom are prolific writers, I'll go from one book to the next as fast as I can turn the pages. After finishing a series of a dozen or more books I find that I need a month or so to "reset" before I start reading again.
I go through periods myself. I can go for 6 weeks without doing non-essential reading (I am a grad student doing research). Then I will enjoy a period such as now, where in the last 27 days, I've gone through 10.5 books, with a couple of them being 700 page "monsters."
I've been in one now for a couple of weeks. In Dec I kind of went crazy and downloaded lots of books to my kindle, the majority of them freebies but also a dozen or so that really interested me and yet I can't seem to get in to any of them.
I know it won't last but it is still rather depressing. I'd like to get a bunch of reading done now while there is nothing but deep snow in my yard, not have the urge to read come roaring back just when spring rolls around and I need to be outside trying to get gardening stuff done. Last autumn when I should have been doing garden clean up I was in the midst of a reading frenzy and so there is a backlog of work that should have been done before winter set in.
I'm thinking that perhaps one downside of ebooks over paper ones is that without the blurb on the back covers to help me choose which book appeals to me next I'm having a hard time picking one. Since all the free ones are from authors that I don't know there isn't a "hook" to get me started.
If something does change soon I my find myself tackling some big project around the inside of the house - like painting the bedroom for heavens sake.
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