Books on BookTok: the dreaded reading slump

While the Publishers Association campaigns for a national decade of reading to combat the decline in reading for pleasure, BookTok creators spoke about their experience of reading slumps and shared their advice for rediscovering a love of books.

Both Silvia (@ashleejn; 19.2k followers) and Heather (@_reading_is_my_cardio; 3,479 followers) stopped reading after they finished school. "I enjoyed what we read at school," Heather said. "But without the guidance of a teacher I felt like I didn’t understand the books I thought I was ‘supposed’ to be reading." Silvia, too, was an "avid reader during [her] teenage years", but went into a 15-year slump after starting her degree. "I was reading so many textbooks for university that it made me not want to reach to books in my spare time."

Hannah (@hannah.s.books; 12.6k followers), meanwhile, stopped reading for a period after having children – "a combination of exhaustion and just having other priorities". Suraka (@surakajanebooks; 18.2k followers) agreed that the demands of parenthood had a real impact on her reading habits. "Reading almost completely disappeared from my life. It wasn’t a conscious decision and I certainly didn’t fall out of love with reading, it was a case of me simply navigating motherhood, sleepless nights, and the incredible physical and emotional demand of raising two tiny humans.

"When you are suddenly thrust into looking after everybody else’s needs, finding the time and mental capacity to sink into someone else’s story feels impossible… Reading requires a certain amount of mental space and we all have periods in our lives where that space just isn’t available."

India (@indiareadsalot; 3,929 followers) agreed that the pressures of a busy life could make reading difficult. "After I quit my job earlier this year I really struggled to get into anything. I was balancing learning a new role, a new commute and the general tiredness that comes with change. It just meant that every book I tried to read would not capture my attention."

Others cited books content creation itself. "The issue is, BookTok is competitive," explained Nate (@nateblackbooks; 3,004 followers), who admitted that he was currently in a reading slump. "Readers are racing to read as many books as they can in a year, and when you find yourself in a slump, you fall behind. It’s hard to dig yourself out of a slump when you have to face the daunting task of catching up with your reading goal."

Silvia concurred that "reading and content creating for the bookish space can feel a bit overwhelming at times". She added: "I find that if I’m reading for content, to film reviews, meet ARC and publication deadlines, or reading on someone else’s schedule [read-alongs], it drives me to going towards a slump."

At the same time, several of the creators said that online communities could serve as a remedy for a reading slump. "Booktok has reignited the reading spark in so many people, because it’s such a fun and accessible way to find recommendations. It makes what can be a pretty solitary experience so much more dynamic," said Hannah.

Nate added: "BookTok is full of videos about books that will rip you out of a reading slumps. As a community, we’re very open about the fact that sometimes it’s hard to read in a world so hectic."

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