I've fallen out of love with reading

A fair representation of the size of my To Be Read pile!
I have been a bookworm all my life, but over the last few months, I've barely even wanted to pick up a book, and when I have, I've struggled to finish it. I have a heap of books on my Kindle, abandoned at about 35% read. I just don't care enough about the characters or the story to finish them.

Now, this might be because the books aren't very good, but there are now about ten of them that I've just given up on, and more days than not, I'm not reading anything (other than my stuff in editing!). I can't believe that all ten are that rubbish. And anyway, I've soldiered on through many a terrible book in my past, my completer-finisher streak too wide to abandon them.

It could be just because I've been editing for so long. When I'm editing, my brain stays in edit-mode even when reading something else and is constantly being picky (which, I admit, does make reading anything a bit of a chore). But on "A Good Read" on Friday night (a programme on BBC radio 4), Sarah Perry said that she thought all authors fell out of love with reading at various points, so perhaps it isn't solely to do with editing.

I have a To Be Read pile that I don't think I will ever get through, because, despite my lack of love for reading, I still appear to be buying more books! I check the Kindle Daily Deal most days and there's a book exchange scheme at the knitting group I go to, where you borrow a book for 50p (which goes to charity) and I'm constantly scanning the shelves there! It seems as if either habit is still driving me, or, deep down, I know I'll come back to books.

Have any of you fallen out of love with reading? How long did it last? What book brought you back? I'm looking for recommendations! Drop me the names of your favourite books in the comments?



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