BookBlogWriMo | How I Deal with Book Hangovers

Welcome to Day 25 of BookBlogWriMo!

Today's topic is...

How to Deal With Book Hangovers

Tessa

I am very familiar with today's topic and I have dealt with it many times after the end of beloved series. Most recently, I suffered a major reading slump after finishing City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. I invested five years of my life in that series, and I had (still have) a hard time coping with the loss. I could not read another book for weeks afterward, because everything paled in comparison. I was afraid that nothing would ever be so good. Some series hold such a special place in my bookish heart that I am reluctant to read other books.

For those of you who have never experienced this tragedy, it is called a book hangover. It happens after you finish a really good book/series and you just cannot bring yourself to read anything else. The symptoms can vary, from anger and sadness, to extreme hunger for chocolate. This slump can be devastating to your reading life if you do not take serious steps to stop it.

1. Get your emotions out. Having all of this pent-up anger and sadness is not going to help you get back into reading. Let your emotions flow. Some ways to do this are writing a book review/rant, making a video about it, or finding a friend/victim to rant to.

2. Search your book prospects. Sometimes, the best way to get out of a reading slump is to find another great book to read. Go through your Goodreads TBR or visit your favorite blogs to see what they are loving.

3. Re-read one of your favorites. This could help you realize why you love to read and that there are other amazing books out there.

4. Browse your local bookstore/library. My library is like my second home. I love the feeling of being surrounded by books. Also, I am really good friends with my librarian, so she can hook me up with some book recommendations.

5. Watch some BookTube. When I say BookTube, I mean the part of YouTube that is solely about books. I have spent a lot of my time during reading slumps on BookTube, and it always seems to cheer me up. If you do not know where to start looking, go to polandbananasbooks, Katytastic, or Elizziebooks. These are my personal favorites. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Here is a video from polandbananasbooks that explains my feelings toward book hangovers.