Even though I find myself a pretty agreeable person, I do have a nemesis that I hate more than anything else in the world--book slumps.
For those of you who are lucky enough to never have suffered through one (please tell me your secrets), book slumps are extended periods of time when reading just isn't fun anymore. There are many causes, such as lack of time or the after-effects of a five star book, but no concrete cure.
When I am in a slump, all the books I try to read end up disappointing me. And then, if the case is severe enough, I stop reading altogether.
However, in the spirit of mercy for my mortal enemy, the book slump, I forgive its wrongdoings. Grudges apparently aren't good to hold on to, so here are some benefits to being in a book slump.
1. No more paper cuts
If you aren't reading books, then you aren't getting paper cuts. This may seem like a relatively minor benefit, but your hands will thank you whenever you use hand sanitizer. There will be no hidden cuts that you suddenly discover when the burning acidity of soap or hand sanitizer touches it. Your hands won't be covered in bandages.
2. No more stress about the fate of your beloved characters
Even if you read in a bubble bath with your favorite deliciously scented candle burning, reading is a stressful endeavor. Characters are always putting themselves in mortal danger (or at least in danger of ruining your OTP) and that kind of stress is why I have gray hair already. However, the best fix (except for hair dye) is to just stop reading. Book slumps are really a blessing in disguise so that you can stop worrying about how these fictional characters might ruin their lives next.
3. All of the free time to catch up with TV shows
With reading out of the way, you have all the free time in the world to catch up on Doctor Who, Brooklyn 99, or (insert your current show here). I find it hard to decide whether or not to spend my free time reading or watching TV, but thankfully, that decision is made for me during a book slump. If all the books I read disappoint me, then I have nowhere to turn to except Netflix.
4. Don't have to worry about writing reviews
If I am not reading, then I obviously don't have to worry about writing reviews. There isn't a backlog of books that I have to review or anything stressful like that. My blog will be as nonexistent as my passion for reading during a slump, but at least I have Netflix to fall back on (see #3).
5. Your backpack is now a thousand pounds lighter
Now that the sight of my TBR completely disgusts me, I don't have to carry a book (or five) around with me all of the time. I don't need the extra weight of 500 pages dragging me down.
6. Gain appreciation for your old favorites
There is nothing like a book slump to make me appreciate the books that I have loved in the past. I mean, in the midst of a slump it seems like nothing will ever live up to Children of Blood and Bones, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, or (insert your current favorite book here). Before a reading slump is truly over, I have to go back and re-read Harry Potter at least three times. Hating everything in the present helps you appreciate the good old times when books didn't suck.
7. Spend more time loitering on the Internet
Instead of feeling guilty that you are doodling around on the Internet when you could be reading, you can revel in the fact that you don't have any obligations to books. Scroll through Twitter, wander around Instagram and spend hours in the rabbit hole of Youtube knowing that you don't have a book to finish.
8. Book slumps remind you how much you love reading
I know that this is in direct contradiction of everything but book slumps are paradoxes; they may make you hate books but they remind you how much you love reading.
Book slumps are so terrible because they take away our ability to love stories. The fact that you hate book slumps is really a testament to your love of reading. Your valiant efforts to escape the trenches of the book slump are a sign that your passion for books is still alive and kicking.
We all know that books are worth the paper cuts, emotional stress and time, but we do have to be reminded sometimes. Plus, everyone needs a mortal enemy, right?
Have you ever been in a book slump? How did you get out of it? What are your silver linings to being in a book slump?
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