Book Blogger Confessions

Book Blogger Confessions is a new meme created by Tiger at All-Consuming Media and Karen at For What It's Worth. Book Blogger Confessions gives participants the opportunity to discuss some of the frustrations that are unique to book bloggers. Check out their sites for more information.

This edition's question: Have you ever had reading/blogging slumps? How do you work through them or work around them?

Well, I had a MAJOR blogging slump... I was MIA for over a year and a half! My reasons stemmed from serious personal upheaval, but the result was the same: I checked out. Stepped away. Fell behind in posts, fell behind in reading, got overwhelmed, and then just completely fell out of the game. While I know that my experience is a little extreme, and it's unlikely that many of you fellow bloggers will fall off for as long as I did, I think many can relate to the common reasons some of us may become lackadaisical with our blogs.

Life happens. And sometimes, it happens at such a rapid rate, it's hard to find the time to devote to my blog. I have a very stressful job and in the past couple years, it's gotten more so as I have been forced to take on more responsibilities to carry the weight of some new team members who don't seem quite able to get into the swing of things. Days are long and when I get home, I have to force myself to not check out. A realization I've recently come to, hence my return to the blogosphere, is that more than ever, I NEED to carve out time for the things that bring me joy. Reading and blogging are two things that make me happy, that give me an escape, and I will not allow myself to drift so far from them again.

So for me, it's all about time management. Not everything is going to get done. That can be a hard thing to accept, as I tend to be type-A about certain things. But the reality is: I am only one person and I can only do but so much. I will find time to read, to blog, to do the things that make me happy, but there will be times where life interrupts and I have to be ok with that. Whether that means skipping a post, or not writing a review for a book that I didn't love, it's ok. And the reverse is true as well: I can put off the laundry for a night if I need some time to unwind, to blog my thoughts and to just be me. Balance. It's all about balance.

The answer to the reading slump is a whole lot simpler for me: Variety. Mix it up! Right now, for example, I'm reading Bloodrose, the third book in the Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer. And honestly? I'm ready to tear my hair out! It's another super-predictable love triangle where I know the main character is going to choose the safe character that everyone is supposed to love but who I just can't seem to form a connection to. The way I plan on solving this is to read something COMPLETELY different. I'm going to take a break from the supernatural and PRAY that my next book doesn't have a poor love triangle--meaning, there's no chance the character is going to veer in any direction but the obvious one. Reading slumps are easy to break: ask a friend for a recommendation, visit Goodreads, go browse the shelves at your local library. ANYTHING that will help you find something different, something you hadn't considered. Often, it only takes one "different" book to snap me out of my funk.

But if that fails? Go back to a tried and true: Harry Potter. Or whatever YOUR Harry Potter is. If my reading slump is severe, that has always worked for me. I go back to a beloved series full of characters and storylines that feel like home. Those type of series remind me why I LOVE to read. They recharge my batteries and make me feel content again. Seriously. Try it. Find your Harry Potter. You'll never regret it. Happy Reading! *XOXO*