In a serious funk.

jhempel24 · 04-19-2011, 02:18 AM

Anyone else get into one of these?

I don't think I've finished a book in a month! I started reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets nest, and just kind of stopped reading! The book is great though, which is weird. I only have about 120 pages left.

I think maybe I went to hard too fast into the whole read 100 books in 2011 thing, and read 30 books in the first 2-3 months and just got burnt out.

I'm sure once I get something that I really want to read again it'll start back up....but man, I was thinking about this, and thought..wow I haven't read an entire book in a month!

crich70 · 04-19-2011, 03:36 AM

Everyone has periods where they don't do things they usually do for fun. Whether it's watching movies, listening to music, reading, etc. Sometimes for no reason the interest drops for a bit. I wouldn't worry too much as long as the disinterest doesn't spread to life in general or continue for a prolonged period of time.

Pomtroll · 04-19-2011, 11:07 AM

I go through periods of not finishing any book I start. I have a collection called "not finished"

eventually I get back to them.

jgaiser · 04-19-2011, 11:38 AM

Actually, I go through reading slumps pretty often. Not really stop reading, but nothing seems to hold my interest. Pop from one book to another trying to find something that clicks. Kind of in one now, though I did finish a short T.A. Pratt book this morning - The Bone Shop.

I don't worry too much about it. Always manage to find something to re-spark my interest.

phenomshel · 04-19-2011, 11:41 AM

Even my reading has slowed way down; and I'm one of those people who always has a book in my hand (well okay, these days it's my Sony). But between a writing intensive English class this term and us just being so danged busy, I haven't read nearly as much as I've intended to, lately.

faithbw · 04-19-2011, 11:47 AM

I go through periods too where it's hard for one book to capture my interest. Sometimes, I solve the problem by reading multiple books at the same time (like I'm current doing), sometimes I solve it by reading bits of book, putting it down and then picking it up again after some time and then sometimes I solve this issue by just realizing that some books aren't interesting or good enough to keep my interest for 300 or more pages and I consider it done. I usually try to read at least 100 pages before giving up on a book. Life's too short to stick with uninteresting books just so I can say that I read every page.

rogerVA · 04-19-2011, 11:57 AM

When I'm feeling down and depressed I can't concentrate on the page much, so I'll keep reading the same page a couple times to get it's meaning. That's when I know it's time to put off reading until later. Not saying you're suffering from depression, but that's sometimes my excuse.

Hellmark · 04-19-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhempel24

Anyone else get into one of these?

I don't think I've finished a book in a month! I started reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets nest, and just kind of stopped reading! The book is great though, which is weird. I only have about 120 pages left.

I think maybe I went to hard too fast into the whole read 100 books in 2011 thing, and read 30 books in the first 2-3 months and just got burnt out.

I'm sure once I get something that I really want to read again it'll start back up....but man, I was thinking about this, and thought..wow I haven't read an entire book in a month!

Maybe it is something with that book. I hit a wall with it too. I mean, great book and I enjoyed it, but just kinda lost my zeal to read for a bit. I finished it though, and back on the reading wagon.

Sydney's Mom · 04-19-2011, 01:01 PM

I trade off hobbies. I also do charity knitting, and I am in a serious funk over not getting that done (I did 500 hours last year, but am only doing 100 this year. I am about half done). This 100 book challenge really got me going for the year. But it also forced me to finish some books I really didn't want to. But I hurried with those, so I could get to the next book i wanted to read.

CWatkinsNash · 04-19-2011, 01:03 PM

This happened to me at the end of February, which is why I'm a little behind now. In my case, my brain was restless - I was immersing myself in the creations of others, and the answer was to do my own creating. I worked on an ongoing music project for about a month, then I was able to go back to reading with no problem.

So, maybe it's possible that your subconscious is saying, "Hey, I wanna do something else for a while!" but you haven't discovered what it is yet. Or, maybe the book was good, but not engaging enough to keep you in it. That's happened to me, and I needed a "break" after before I could get into anything else.

SeaBookGuy · 04-19-2011, 01:09 PM

Ditto!

I have 30 books on my Sony, couldn't get interested in any, so added a few more books, and even then I'd either decide I didn't care for the book at all (deleting it from Calibre entirely), or would delete it from the device, leaving it at Calibre to try again later.

Right now I'm reading an ebook that's okay, but not great.

MrsJoseph · 04-19-2011, 02:43 PM

I go those funks myself. Like others above, I either read several different books until one catches my attention or I start reading short stories. I have a ton of short stories stashed away for when my attention wanes and I can't figure out why.

Of course, there's always Angry Birds.

And Diablo.

jbcohen · 04-19-2011, 02:50 PM

Slightly off topic: Stieg Larson and Dr. Atkins prove my point that in order to be famous in our society one has to die. No one ever heard of Stieg Larson until he died then all of a sudden every one is reading his books. No one ever heard of Atkins until he died then every one is doing the diet. Thus the formula for sucess is:

Great Idea + Death = Stardom and Great idea ≠ Stardom.

jkeene · 04-19-2011, 02:56 PM

I used to have those never finishing a book stretches. But so far, my new strategy is working. I have three books going at once, one non-fiction (usually history), one short story collection, and one novel length fiction.

Quote:

Of course, there's always Angry Birds. And Diablo.

Get back, you hellspawn! Diablo 2 put some serious hurt in my wrists, back in the day. And to think I'll have to face down the temptation of Diablo 3 in the near future.

Hellmark · 04-19-2011, 02:59 PM

Actually, Atkins diet was popular before he died. The no carb diet started taking off in 2002, picking up with the 2002 edition of his book New Diet Revolution. I remember when he died in '03, it hurt the popularity of the diet, because people suspected that his health issues, weight issues, and death were related to the diet.

04-19-2011, 02:18 AM	#1
jhempel24 Wizard Posts: 2,157 Karma: 7068605 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, B&N Nook Colro	In a serious funk. Anyone else get into one of these? I don't think I've finished a book in a month! I started reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets nest, and just kind of stopped reading! The book is great though, which is weird. I only have about 120 pages left. I think maybe I went to hard too fast into the whole read 100 books in 2011 thing, and read 30 books in the first 2-3 months and just got burnt out. I'm sure once I get something that I really want to read again it'll start back up....but man, I was thinking about this, and thought..wow I haven't read an entire book in a month!

04-19-2011, 03:36 AM	#2
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Everyone has periods where they don't do things they usually do for fun. Whether it's watching movies, listening to music, reading, etc. Sometimes for no reason the interest drops for a bit. I wouldn't worry too much as long as the disinterest doesn't spread to life in general or continue for a prolonged period of time.

04-19-2011, 11:07 AM	#3
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	I go through periods of not finishing any book I start. I have a collection called "not finished" eventually I get back to them.

04-19-2011, 11:38 AM	#4
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Actually, I go through reading slumps pretty often. Not really stop reading, but nothing seems to hold my interest. Pop from one book to another trying to find something that clicks. Kind of in one now, though I did finish a short T.A. Pratt book this morning - The Bone Shop. I don't worry too much about it. Always manage to find something to re-spark my interest.

04-19-2011, 11:41 AM	#5
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Even my reading has slowed way down; and I'm one of those people who always has a book in my hand (well okay, these days it's my Sony). But between a writing intensive English class this term and us just being so danged busy, I haven't read nearly as much as I've intended to, lately.

04-19-2011, 11:47 AM	#6
faithbw Guru Posts: 618 Karma: 1526148 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: A place where the sun always shines Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Mini 2	I go through periods too where it's hard for one book to capture my interest. Sometimes, I solve the problem by reading multiple books at the same time (like I'm current doing), sometimes I solve it by reading bits of book, putting it down and then picking it up again after some time and then sometimes I solve this issue by just realizing that some books aren't interesting or good enough to keep my interest for 300 or more pages and I consider it done. I usually try to read at least 100 pages before giving up on a book. Life's too short to stick with uninteresting books just so I can say that I read every page.

04-19-2011, 11:57 AM	#7
rogerVA Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 68114 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite & Kindle 3	When I'm feeling down and depressed I can't concentrate on the page much, so I'll keep reading the same page a couple times to get it's meaning. That's when I know it's time to put off reading until later. Not saying you're suffering from depression, but that's sometimes my excuse.

04-19-2011, 01:01 PM	#9
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,895 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	I trade off hobbies. I also do charity knitting, and I am in a serious funk over not getting that done (I did 500 hours last year, but am only doing 100 this year. I am about half done). This 100 book challenge really got me going for the year. But it also forced me to finish some books I really didn't want to. But I hurried with those, so I could get to the next book i wanted to read.

04-19-2011, 01:03 PM	#10
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	This happened to me at the end of February, which is why I'm a little behind now. In my case, my brain was restless - I was immersing myself in the creations of others, and the answer was to do my own creating. I worked on an ongoing music project for about a month, then I was able to go back to reading with no problem. So, maybe it's possible that your subconscious is saying, "Hey, I wanna do something else for a while!" but you haven't discovered what it is yet. Or, maybe the book was good, but not engaging enough to keep you in it. That's happened to me, and I needed a "break" after before I could get into anything else.

04-19-2011, 01:09 PM	#11
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	Ditto! I have 30 books on my Sony, couldn't get interested in any, so added a few more books, and even then I'd either decide I didn't care for the book at all (deleting it from Calibre entirely), or would delete it from the device, leaving it at Calibre to try again later. Right now I'm reading an ebook that's okay, but not great.

04-19-2011, 02:43 PM	#12
MrsJoseph Loves Ellipsis... Posts: 1,554 Karma: 7899232 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Washington, DC Device: Kobo Wifi (broken), nook STR (returned), Kobo Touch, Sony T1	I go those funks myself. Like others above, I either read several different books until one catches my attention or I start reading short stories. I have a ton of short stories stashed away for when my attention wanes and I can't figure out why. Of course, there's always Angry Birds. And Diablo.

04-19-2011, 02:50 PM	#13
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	Slightly off topic: Stieg Larson and Dr. Atkins prove my point that in order to be famous in our society one has to die. No one ever heard of Stieg Larson until he died then all of a sudden every one is reading his books. No one ever heard of Atkins until he died then every one is doing the diet. Thus the formula for sucess is: Great Idea + Death = Stardom and Great idea ≠ Stardom.

04-19-2011, 02:59 PM	#15
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	Actually, Atkins diet was popular before he died. The no carb diet started taking off in 2002, picking up with the 2002 edition of his book New Diet Revolution. I remember when he died in '03, it hurt the popularity of the diet, because people suspected that his health issues, weight issues, and death were related to the diet.