How I broke a 10-year long reading slump The last time I…
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How I broke a 10-year long reading slump
The last time I really read consistently was in 2015 when I was traveling around South America. Over 4–5 months I read around 7 books.
Fast forward to 2025, and I hadn’t read more than maybe one book a year since then. I’m pretty convinced my iPhone is one the main reasons. Reading got replaced with doomscrolling, or being on the computer or watching TV.
Every time I tried to get back into reading, I made the same mistake. I’d go for something way too ambitious like ‘War and Peace” by Tolstoy or “The Idiot” by Dostoevsky, and then I just couldn’t stick with it. I’d read a bit, drop it, pick it up again later, and had forgotten what it was about.
But I think I finally cracked what works (for me at least). Since December 2025 I’ve read 6 books.
The “secret” is honestly pretty simple: start easy!
Not something super dense or heavy. I started with Normal People by Sally Rooney. Easy to read and to get into, but still interesting enough to keep going.
I also made a few small changes:
\* Replaced doomscrolling before bed with reading (even if it was just 3 pages)
\* Rewarding myself with buying a new book every time I finished one
Back in the day I wouldn’t have been intimidated by a 900-page book, but now I just needed to get into the story quickly and feel like I was making progress. In the beginning I was very aware of how many pages I read, but now I just get pulled into the story and naturally pick up my book instead of my phone or the TV.
It’s honestly such a nice change (but it definitely depends on finding a good book)!
Just wanted to share in case anyone else is stuck in a reading slump.
Books I’ve read recently if anyone needs inspiration:
\* Normal People by Sally Rooney
\* Blue Sister by Coco Mellors
\* Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
\* The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
\* The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Euginedes
\* Good Material by Dolly Alderton
#entertainment
source
The last time I really read consistently was in 2015 when I was traveling around South America. Over 4–5 months I read around 7 books.
Fast forward to 2025, and I hadn’t read more than maybe one book a year since then. I’m pretty convinced my iPhone is one the main reasons. Reading got replaced with doomscrolling, or being on the computer or watching TV.
Every time I tried to get back into reading, I made the same mistake. I’d go for something way too ambitious like ‘War and Peace” by Tolstoy or “The Idiot” by Dostoevsky, and then I just couldn’t stick with it. I’d read a bit, drop it, pick it up again later, and had forgotten what it was about.
But I think I finally cracked what works (for me at least). Since December 2025 I’ve read 6 books.
The “secret” is honestly pretty simple: start easy!
Not something super dense or heavy. I started with Normal People by Sally Rooney. Easy to read and to get into, but still interesting enough to keep going.
I also made a few small changes:
\* Replaced doomscrolling before bed with reading (even if it was just 3 pages)
\* Rewarding myself with buying a new book every time I finished one
Back in the day I wouldn’t have been intimidated by a 900-page book, but now I just needed to get into the story quickly and feel like I was making progress. In the beginning I was very aware of how many pages I read, but now I just get pulled into the story and naturally pick up my book instead of my phone or the TV.
It’s honestly such a nice change (but it definitely depends on finding a good book)!
Just wanted to share in case anyone else is stuck in a reading slump.
Books I’ve read recently if anyone needs inspiration:
\* Normal People by Sally Rooney
\* Blue Sister by Coco Mellors
\* Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
\* The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
\* The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Euginedes
\* Good Material by Dolly Alderton
#entertainment
source
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