I browse through a lot of blogs each week, and I often see a recurring topic that saddens me greatly. It’s the notion of book burnout, or book blues, or a book slump, or whatever you want to call it, but the individual has hit a period where they can’t find excellent reads. Everything is blah, or boring, or disappointing, and the reader doesn’t know how to pull her ass out of a depressing tailspin of bad books.
Now, everybody goes through bad spells here or there. That’s to be expected. I particularly remember one awful week last spring that had me crying for release, because every book I read seemed worse than the last. Anybody can read two, three, or even four disappointments in a row, but what these bloggers are talking about is different. They’re talking about weeks, if not months, of slowly having their love of books ground down to nothing because they can’t find the kinds of stories that fuel their passion. This is a trap that any reader can fall into, it’s just that bloggers make their private pursuits public, so they’re an easy example to cite.
I’ve found a solution to book burnout that works for me, but before I can share the cure, I need to explain the ‘disease.’
Back when I started this blog (coming up on a year in February), it had a slightly different slant, and the original name might clue you in – I called it Rebecca’s Romance Reads. I know, *gag*, it fucking sucked, but please give me credit for rethinking my crap-factory model and turning it around. Anyway, prior to starting this blog, I went through a period where I stuck to nothing but romances for a whole year. I devoured them and gorged myself until I was sick of seeing the same plotlines and the same character-types reenacted over and over again.
The funny thing is, this is a mistake I’ve made before. I go through these spells where I want to read a single genre and nothing else. I went through a nautical craze for several years, where all I read was stuff like Patrick O’Brien’s Aubrey Maturin Series, or C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower Saga. I’ve had similar afflictions for Asian historical fiction (Pearl S. Buck’s work, Shogun) medieval historical fiction (Ben Hur, Ivanhoe) and an unhealthy obsession with Gone With The Wind that had me rereading it over and over in my youth. I’d read all I could within a genre to the point that I’d literally make myself sick of it.
After roughly twenty years of dysfunctional, and often self-destructive reading habits, I’ve finally hit on the method that keeps me sane and in love with reading. It’s simple really. I just switch genres, nearly every single day. Instead of allowing myself to read the same style back to back, I try to mix it up. When I build my weekly reading list, I strive for variety above all else (well that, and avoiding duds). For example, this week I’ve got a YA Fantasy, a Crime Thriller, two Steampunks, a Contemporary Romance, a Dark Comedy, and an Anthology to read.
I know, it’s devilishly tempting to read ALL the books in an exciting series, or stick with what you know and love, but I’ve found that reading is much more enjoyable when I prolong the wait between installments, and skip around between different styles. The result is that whatever I’m reading feels fresh and interesting because I haven’t visited in awhile, and I escape the burnout trap.
In the past, I’d only make the leap when I was thoroughly sick and tired of my current favorite, and luck would lead me to a story that would inspire a whole new obsession. If you want to make a reader’s resolution for 2010, I recommend branching out. This is the year to add some new genres to your personal list, and thereby avoid falling out of love with reading.
It’s easy to say, try new stuff, but it’s not always easy to find a quality example within a genre you know nothing about. Since making a blind leap is tough, here are some recommendations to get you started. Stop by your local library and pick up something out of character. You might find a new genre to explore, and when you do go back to your favorite style, it’ll feel like a treat again.
Contemporary Women’s Fiction – Drawing in the Dust
Contemporary Thriller – The Millennium Series
Crime Fiction – Vanilla Ride
Fantasy – Kushiel’s Legacy Series, The Study Series
Fantasy (Romantic) – Lord of the Fading Lands
Historical Fiction – Rainwater, The Lacuna
Historical Romance – Lord of Scoundrels
Mystery (Light) – The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
Mystery (Paranormal) – Harper Connelly Mysteries
Paranormal Romance – On The Edge
Paranormal Comedies – Casa Dracula Series, Road Trip of the Living Dead
Pulp Noir – Joe Pitt Casebooks
Science Fantasy – The Quantum Gravity Series
Science Fiction – In the Garden of Iden (The Company Series)
Science Fiction Romance – Unmasked
Steampunk – Leviathan, Boneshaker
Urban Fantasy – Rosemary and Rue, Skinwalker, The Negotiator Trilogy
Urban Fantasy (Dark) – The Maker’s Song Series, The Tristopolis Series
Western Romance – Never Love a Lawman
Young Adult Fiction – The Hunger Games
