Getting out of a reading slump: bookseller hacks!
Jim
Reading slump? Book hangover? We’ve all been there- yes even us booksellers!
Books are such a comfort to us and it's infinitely frustrating, especially in tough times, when that escape just doesnt seem to be there anymore. So! We had a wee think about reading hacks that have worked for us, and we asked readers on instagram and here is what we came up with:
1) Going short - try a novella, poetry, short stories, pamphlets or essays. Some of our faves are listed below!
2) Going wild - take up a reading challenge or subscription that will put new & unexpected books in front of you regularly.
3) Going at it together - read along with a friend or partner, or join a bookclub (We have 5! Three of which are still going online: Other Fruit, Women In Translation & Black Unicorn)
4) Going back - return to an old favourite, even something from childhood.
5) Graphic novels - a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe you need another way to enjoy a story. Audiobooks might be an alternative too!
And once you’ve made a little headway, make it a habit, and never go anywhere without your book! We could all spend less time on what and how we should be reading, and more on what actually works for us. Reading can be many things, but it shouldn’t be a chore! Here are a few short books that might fit the bill...
Linked Books
![Image for Middle of a Sentence](https://lho-assets.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/Products/middlesentence_540x.jpg)
- title
- Middle of a Sentence
- author
- Common Breath, ed
![Image for Woman at Point Zero](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97817836/9781783605941.jpg)
- title
- Woman at Point Zero
- author
- El Saadawi, Nawal, Hetata, Sherif, Cooke, Miriam
![Image for Amphibian](https://lho-assets.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/Products/amphian2_360x.jpg)
- title
- Amphibian
- author
- Neuwirth, Christina
![Image for An Elegy for Easterly : Faber Stories](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805713/9780571351794.jpg)
- title
- An Elegy for Easterly : Faber Stories
- author
- Gappah, Petina
![Image for Wow, No Thank You. : The #1 New York Times Bestseller](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805713/9780571359264.jpg)
- title
- Wow, No Thank You. : The #1 New York Times Bestseller
- author
- Irby, Samantha
![Image for Essex Girls : For Profane and Opinionated Women Everywhere](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97817881/9781788167451.jpg)
- title
- Essex Girls : For Profane and Opinionated Women Everywhere
- author
- Perry, Sarah
![Image for In The Kitchen : Essays on food and life](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97819115/9781911547662.jpg)
- title
- In The Kitchen : Essays on food and life
- author
- Aribisala, Yemisi, Golby, Joel, Johnson, Daisy, Roddy, Rachel, Tandoh, Ruby, Sen, Mayukh
![Image for Convenience Store Woman](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97818462/9781846276842.jpg)
- title
- Convenience Store Woman
- author
- Murata, Sayaka, Tapley Takemori, Ginny, Tapley Takemori, Ginny
![Image for Men Explain Things to Me : And Other Essays](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97817837/9781783780792.jpg)
- title
- Men Explain Things to Me : And Other Essays
- author
- Solnit, Rebecca (Y)
![Image for What White People Can Do Next : From Allyship to Coalition](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97801419/9780141996738.jpg)
- title
- What White People Can Do Next : From Allyship to Coalition
- author
- Dabiri, Emma
![Image for Why Rebel](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97802419/9780241992722.jpg)
- title
- Why Rebel
- author
- Griffiths, Jay
![Image for The Vegetarian : A Novel](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97818462/9781846276033.jpg)
- title
- The Vegetarian : A Novel
- author
- Kang, Han (Y), Smith, Deborah
![Image for The Machine Stops](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97801411/9780141195988.jpg)
- title
- The Machine Stops
- author
- Forster, E M
![Image for Large Animals](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97819163/9781916355309.jpg)
- title
- Large Animals
- author
- Arndt, Jess
![Image for The Forester's Daughter : Faber Stories](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805713/9780571351855.jpg)
- title
- The Forester's Daughter : Faber Stories
- author
- Keegan, Claire
![Image for Smashing It : Working Class Artists on Life, Art and Making It Happen](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97819089/9781908906403.jpg)
- title
- Smashing It : Working Class Artists on Life, Art and Making It Happen
- author
- Mahfouz, Sabrina
![Image for Near to the Wild Heart](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97801411/9780141197340.jpg)
- title
- Near to the Wild Heart
- author
- Lispector, Clarice
![Image for Fever Dream : SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2017](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97817860/9781786072382.jpg)
- title
- Fever Dream : SHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2017
- author
- Schweblin, Samanta, McDowell, Megan
![Image for The Wallcreeper](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97800081/9780008130886.jpg)
- title
- The Wallcreeper
- author
- Zink, Nell
![Image for Artful](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97802419/9780241959572.jpg)
- title
- Artful
- author
- Smith, Ali
![Image for Such Small Hands](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97818462/9781846276750.jpg)
- title
- Such Small Hands
- author
- Barba, Andres, Dillman, Lisa
![Image for Old Wrestler : 2](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97819113/9781911343592.jpg)
- title
- Old Wrestler : 2
- author
- Sungtae, Jeon, Kim-Russell, Sora
![Image for Mostly Hero : Faber Stories](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805713/9780571355822.jpg)
- title
- Mostly Hero : Faber Stories
- author
- Burns, Anna
![Image for Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97814736/9781473613157.jpg)
- title
- Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was
- author
- Sjon, Cribb, Victoria
![Image for Milena, Milena, Ecstatic : 6](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97819113/9781911343639.jpg)
- title
- Milena, Milena, Ecstatic : 6
- author
- Suah, Bae, Smith, Deborah
![Image for Homeland : Faber Stories](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805713/9780571355983.jpg)
- title
- Homeland : Faber Stories
- author
- Kingsolver, Barbara
![Image for Ghostly Stories : Faber Stories](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805713/9780571356843.jpg)
- title
- Ghostly Stories : Faber Stories
- author
- Fremlin, Celia
![Image for Bark](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97805712/9780571273928.jpg)
- title
- Bark
- author
- Moore, Lorrie
![Image for Dept. of Speculation](https://jackets.gardners.com/media/640/97818470/9781847088741.jpg)
- title
- Dept. of Speculation
- author
- Offill, Jenny (Y)