Have you ever experienced a reading slump? I have and it turns out it’s an actual thing. When you’re reading the same genres, the same writing styles, the same kind of stories—you might get bored and fall into a reading slump.

There are actually many reasons you might fall into a reading slump. Perhaps you’re depressed, experiencing grief, or stressed with life’s chaotic craziness. There are many outside and inside forces that could cause you to want to stop reading. Sometimes there is no particular reason and you just need a spark of motivation.

And that’s exactly why I created this list—to give you inspiration and motivation! I follow many different bookish accounts on social media and I’ve collected a short list of fun things you can do to switch up your reading routine and get you excited to start reading again.

1. Book Bingo

Book Bingo is a really fun way to challenge yourself to read specific books, or books that fall under a general category. You can play these bingos any way you like, you make the rules!

You can access a copy of this printable sheet on my Ko-Fi shop.

2. Blind Book Dates

Surprise yourself with a blind date with a book! If you’ve never heard of a blind book date, it’s basically when you buy a book based only on a short summary, genre, or specific trope without knowing the cover art, title or author of the book. Sellers today include fun ‘blind date with a book’ bundles that include stickers, bookmarks, a review card, sticky tabs, and highlighters.

Blind book dates are not only great gift ideas for bookish friends, they are also a fun way to surprise yourself with something you may or may not have chosen for yourself.

3. Monthly Reading Challenges

Monthly reading challenges are a great way to test your ability to stick to a goal. Reading challenges can vary from reading a number of books, listening to a number of books, reading a specific genre, or reading for a certain amount of time each day/week.

How: Next month, try setting a goal or a challenge for yourself. Maybe it’s reading 1 non-fiction book on your bookshelf, or annotating a long book, or reading for 1 hour/day. Reward yourself at each milestone and at the end of your challenge because YOU DID THAT! 👏

4. Join a Book Club

Silent book club, anyone? Maybe you’re a yapper and prefer to sip and chat. Or maybe you really want to dive into deep and philosophical conversations with authors about their books.

There is a book club for everyone! Some of your favorite podcasters (like Diosa Femme of Locatora Radio) are hosting their own book clubs. Even your local bookstore or community hub knows someone who hosts a book club.

Book clubs are a great way to meet like-minded people, make new friends, and make lasting memories around one’s love for literature.

5. Join A Community Forum

I recently joined PageBound and it’s been so fun to track my books digitally, engage with other users who read the same books, and participate in reading challenges to earn points.

Run and built exclusively by two women, this anti-AI, people-first platform is exactly what I needed to share my thoughts on my current reads and read unfiltered thoughts from others. So real and so fun!

6. Start a Reading Journal

If you’re a planner type, don’t worry, you’re not alone. I also enjoy tracking everything I read in a notebook!

The beauty of reading journals is that there are so many different ones to choose from. You can search online for digital reading journals or hit up your local bookstore for a physical journal. Some come pre-built so you can easily fill in the pages. You can also make your own reading journal tailored and customized specifically to your own wants and needs.

I’ve created a digital reading journal that suits my needs as someone who loves to dissect and deep-dive into texts. You can purchase a copy of A Conscious Reader’s Reading Journal on my Ko-Fi shop here!

7. Buddy Read

If you love to read, chances are your friends do, too. Maybe even your family members, your classmates, your neighbors, or your coworkers. Buddy reading is kind of like a book club, but with a single person only.

How: Ask someone if they’d like to read a book alongside you IRL or in separate spaces. You might give yourself a week or a month to read the book, and then you two should get together and definitely dish about the book!

8. Reading Games

No, this is not like The Hunger Games. No one starves or has to volunteer as tribute for The Reading Games, but you do have to step out of your comfort zone.

How: Set a reading goal, like reading 10 nonfiction books written by BIPOC authors. Next, you’ll set up 3-4 boxes or jars you can pull from randomly. No cheating!

Jar/Box 1 should be full of books to choose, Jar/Box 2 should be a location where you read, and Jar/Box 3 should be how many pages you read.

IMO, this is a really fun way to engage yourself in reading new books in different locations.

This suggestion was inspired by Victoria Villanueva, @torixvillanueva on Instagram. I loved her Reading Games content!

Reading Should be Pleasurable

Don’t forget that reading should be fun, not a chore! Chores can be fun, too, I suppose. Point being, don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to do. If you don’t want to read a book and you don’t have to, don’t do read it. Life is too short to put arbitrary rules on your reading habits. Do what makes you happy!

Don’t Let BookTok and Bookstagram Bring You Down

NGL, those digital spaces can be daunting and full of mean-girl types. But don’t fret, my friend, do not let yourself get washed up in that madness! Reading is personal (and political) so you shouldn’t let how others read books dictate how you should read books. For example, you shouldn’t feel “left out” if you’re not reading what’s trending on BookTok or Booksta. You shouldn’t feel like “you’re behind” because you haven’t read all the popular books others have read. You shouldn’t feel like “less of a reader” for not meeting your reading goals or reading less books than others.

TLDR; don’t compare your reading with others in a negative way.

Choose books that inspire you and make you happy!