I am a librarian, so it comes as no surprise I am surrounded by books. There is not a moment in my day when I am far from a book, not even in my car [it’s okay, I don’t read and drive]. Here’s something that might surprise you: I am in a reading slump. I’ve been in slumps before, and I am in one now. There, I said it. Whew.
Baseball is partly to blame. The hours I spend watching baseball during the season have to come from somewhere. Good weather is also to blame. While I enjoy reading outside, sometimes I get lost listening to the birds, and the book winds up closed on my lap.
Growing up, and for the years I worked at colleges, I read nonfiction almost exclusively. I’ve since learned to value fiction and storytelling, but nonfiction will always be my first love, and usually my slump breaker. Last time I was in a slump, reading Wait till next year by Doris Kearns Goodwin was the slump breaker. The time before that, reading Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention by Johann Hari stopped the slump.
Haven’t found my new slump breaker yet. I’m sure that, unlike my pet rock (which I misplaced somewhere), my love of reading isn’t lost forever. Like Hammerin’ Hank I’m still swinging’ — strolling through the shelves, reading bits and pieces of lots of different books, looking for the one I can’t put down.
Do you suffer reading slumps? If so, what helps you find the love of reading again? I’d love to hear your story. Drop me a note joseph@mslibrary.org