Tag: To Be Read

Categories
Book Lists

August Hopefuls TBR List

Booksta || Twitter || Goodreads || StoryGraph || 25+ Book Discord

Hi readers! It has been a while since we’ve had a monthly TBR list, but I’m almost done working through my ARC book list and if I can finish these books this month, I can start requesting again!! The first two are book club reads so that are must reads for me. The last three are the advanced reader books I still need to read. 🙂

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

One of my book club reads for the month. I haven’t read very much nonfiction this year so I’m looking forward to this one. In fact, I started listening to the audiobook last night and the author’s narration is superb so far!

Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler

Second book club read of the month! My library hold on this also came through overnight so yay for witchy things. This book is older and I’m hoping it has held up well through the years, but expecting to need to show some leniency there.

We Spread by Iain Reid

This is my second book by Reid, the first being “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” which I quite enjoyed. The book is about an elderly painter who slowly starts losing grip on time and becomes suspicious of long-term care residence where she’s staying. Not sure what to expect, but excited to find out!

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee

Another ARC that has been sitting on my to read list for a while now, I really only requested this one for that amazing title. The book is a therapy memoir which from my understanding is also part self-help book. I don’t have a great track record with that genre, but I’m ready to give it another shot because I do love it when it’s done well.

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

The last of my outstanding ARC books, if I can finish this one and the above two this month, I can go back to requesting! This young adult novel-in-verse that deals with depression and trauma sounds right up my alley. I have big expectations for this one!

Reader Question: What is on your book list of August hopefuls?

Categories
General Book Posts

Escaping a Reading Slump

Today’s entry is going to be about a challenge I deal with from time to time as a bookworm – reading slumps. During a reading slump, readers aren’t able to actually read and finish a book. It manifests in various ways. Maybe every book is just hitting wrong. Maybe you’re really interested in a book, but you simply can’t process the information you’re reading or focus at all. You might start and stop five different books in a week because nothing is drawing you in. You might lose interest in reading altogether.

For me, reading slumps are tied closely to mental health. When I’m feeling depressed or out of sorts, all of the activities I enjoy doing just don’t appetize me – and that includes reading. I can easily go from reading a book every few days to not reading a book for a few months during particularly difficult slumps.

I know so many can relate so the question becomes… how do you get out of a reading slump? Well, if I had a definitive answer for that, my yearly reading tally would be much higher. But, I do know some of the things that have worked for me in the past. Maybe they’ll help someone else too (or future me)…

Read something nostalgic.

One of my most reliable ways to escape a reading slump is to read something from my childhood that I loved a lot. For me, that’s Fear Street books which I was obsessed with as a kid. For you it might be Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, A Series of Unfortunate Events, or a standalone favorite.

You’re definitely not too old to revisit those cozy comfort books that you were obsessed with in middle school and they can be just what you need to finally get the sense of accomplishment that comes along with actually finishing a book during a reading slump.

Read something fun.

We all have different definitions of what’s fun to read, but for me something smutty and easy is a quick way to get back into reading. The worst thing I can do when trying to escape a slump is try to read something arduous and challenging.

Your “fun” read might be a lighthearted romcom, a cozy mystery, a fast-paced thriller with chapters that are 3 pages long, or something else entirely. Either way, a fun read should be something that takes little effort to read on your part. Something you can get through quickly without having to think or focus too much is the perfect choice.

Read something short.

When all else fails and I just need to finish something, I turn to something short. Short stories are ideal for boosting confidence in your ability to just comprehend and finish something. If you can do that, you can ease your way into something longer, like a novella.

Make sure to choose a genre you’re interested in because short stories tend to be a little hit or miss for me. Book Riot has a great list of 100 must-read short story collections to help you get started: https://bookriot.com/100-top-notch-short-story-collections/

Change your reading format.

Sometimes it can be as simple as changing the format in which you typically read books. If I’m in a really bad slump, I’ll often check out both the audiobook and physical book/ebook version of a title from the library. Instead of reading myself, I’ll put the audiobook on 1.25x speed and follow along in the physical book.

It’s basically like being read to, but it avoids the issue of losing focus that a lot of people have if they’re just listening to an audiobook. Listening to a narrator also prevents your mind from wandering onto something else which happens to me a lot when I’m trying to read a physical book during a reading slump. I might read 5 pages and realize I haven’t actually absorbed anything. The audiobook + physical book combination helps with that.

Find the source.

If all else fails and you’re still struggling, it might be time to look at the source of your struggle. Why are you in a reading slump? Are you depressed? Too busy with school/work to have the motivation to read? Burned out from reading too much in the first place? Too resistant to DNFing and now you’re in a slog?

If you’re able to pinpoint the source of your reading woes, you can work to fix them. Sometimes the reading slump is a symptom of something else, not the actual problem.

Set a small goal.

Once you’re prepared to start coming out of your reading slump, it might be a good idea to set a very small, manageable goal. I usually start with something like, “I’m going to read for 10 minutes before bed.” Or, “I’m going to listen to one chapter of this audiobook.”

It might not feel like you’re accomplishing much at first, but you’re taking baby steps to get back into reading. If you’re the type who likes to make lists or if you keep a bullet journal/reading journal, this is a great time to exercise some creativity with your reading and be able to get the satisfaction of crossing things off your reading to-do list.

Don’t overload yourself.

When you start coming out of your reading slump and you’re back into reading full on novels, it can be difficult to tame yourself. There might be book releases you missed during your reading slump or your TBR list might be staring you in the face. You might be tempted to start 8 different books at once or read well into the night instead of sleeping.

Those things are all great fun, but they’re also things that can personally push me right back into a reading slump. Instead, try to take things somewhat slow. It’s perfectly fine to read voraciously after a reading slump, but make sure your reading appetite isn’t bigger than what you actually have the capacity to do. I try to limit myself to two books at a time and I keep only a couple in queue for when I finish my currently reading list. Happy reading!

What are your best tips for overcoming a reading slump?

Categories
Book Lists

5 books I can’t wait to read in 2022

The last few weeks of the year are here and it’s time to start filling out those 2022 TBR lists. What new releases are you most looking forward to in 2022?

1. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

A contemporary romance with bookish characters? Count me all the way in!

In Book Lovers, workaholic literary agent, Nora, takes a sisters vacation only to repeatedly bump into Charlie, a cutthroat book editor from back in the city. So much for relaxation!

Expected publication date: May 3, 2022

2. This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian

I’m really looking forward to Tian’s debut book about an older sister who is shocked by her family’s reaction to a racist incident inflicted upon them.

Promises of hidden secrets and family fallout have me fully intrigued.

Expected publication date: June 7, 2022

3. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

I loved McQuiston’s Red, White, & Royal Blue so I’m more than ready for a sapphic rom com with mystery elements.

“Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes” a month before graduation and, along with Shara’s friends, Chloe is on a mission to find answers.

Expected publication date: May 3, 2022

4. Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality by Julia Shaw

If something has bi representation, it automatically goes into my TBR list. I have high hopes for a nonfiction book about bisexuality.

Bi erasure is a real thing and I can’t wait to read Shaw’s take through a scientific, well-informed approach.

Expected publication date: June 28, 2022

5. Catch Her When She Falls by Allison Buccola

My list wouldn’t be complete without a thriller and this debut sounds promising.

Ten years ago, Micah’s boyfriend killed her best friend. Yep, I’m already hooked!

Now reminders of that fateful night are turning up everywhere and Micah’s starting to question everything.

Expected publication date: February 1, 2022

Categories
Book Lists

5 Popular Holiday Reads for 2021

Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!

Hamilton Wright Mabie

Cold weather is upon us and with that comes fuzzy socks, hot cocoa, and mummifying ourselves in the warmest blankets we can find. The only thing missing? The perfect seasonal read to really get us in the mood for the holidays! Check out these popular holiday reads that are turning heads in 2021.

1. The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

In The Holiday Swap, the old identical twin switch trope gets a seasonal face lift. When reality baking show judge, Charlie, is involved in an accident that causes her to lose both her sense of taste and smell at the most inopportune moment, she calls in a favor from her twin sister, Cass, who has some reality to escape herself.

Perfect for readers who enjoy lighthearted chaos and tantalizing cake descriptions.

2. The Holiday Switch by Tif Marcelo

For a different kind of swap, The Holiday Switch is a young adult romance featuring bookworm Lila in a holiday-themed enemies to lovers novel. When Lila’s boss hires his pompous nephew, Teddy, onto the staff of his cozy inn shop, Lila finds herself struggling to work alongside him. But when they accidentally switch phones one afternoon, they find out that they’ve both been hiding secrets from each other.

Perfect for readers who love fast-paced, clean, and cute YA romance with diverse representation.

3. The Naughty, The Nice and The Nanny by Willa Nash

In this novella, strong-willed nanny, Natalie, gets a run for her money when she takes on a short-term nanny gig for single father (and wildly successful billionaire), Maddox. Maddox’s alleged angelic 7 year old, Violet, turns out to be something of an (adorable) terror. Is Natalie up for the challenge?

Perfect for readers who love a bit of snark and sizzle, wrapped up neatly in under 175 pages.

4. The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

For readers who don’t shy away from heavy emotions, The Secret of Snow might be the perfect winter read. Having been made redundant at work by new AI technology, 50-year-old Californian meteorologist, Sonny, gets a second chance in her snowy, dark Midwest hometown. This isn’t a clean start for Sonny though as she becomes entangled in the grief and haunting memories that lie in wait in the town she fled so long before.

Perfect for readers who love a good redemption arc, but don’t mind shedding some tears along the way.

5. Flora’s Travelling Christmas Shop by Rebecca Raisin

With a job termination, a breakup, and a best friend separation on her heels, Christmas-obsessed Flora seizes the opportunity to follow her dreams by starting a travelling Christmas shop in her camper van. During her new adventure in Finland, she meets Connor, the Norse man of her dreams. Only one tiny problem- Connor hates Christmas.

Perfect for readers who enjoy a good sunshine/grump trope. This charming, Hallmark-like story is sure to get you in the holiday cheer.