“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads only lives once.” George R.R. Martin. As a reader in the 21st century, do you struggle with having so many distractions that reading doesn’t ever come to mind? I sure do. If you do too, you’re not alone. There are so many people around the world who struggle with adding reading to their schedules, and that’s why this article is here to help! In this article, we’re going to be talking about tips to help you start reading more in general, tips to get you out of a reading slump, and interviews with people who also have had these struggles!
All my life I have always loved to read, but there was a period of time where I thought reading was “boring,” or thought it was “uncool.” In September of 2025, I finished reading The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, which instantly got me back into reading, but it also wasn’t easy to get through the book initially. One of the most helpful things I did was delete all of my social media. Yes, you’re probably thinking, “Skyler, absolutely not, I need my Tiktok and Instagram.” However, having social media can distract you in so many ways, with one of them being the fact that it takes you away from valuable time outside of your phone. Start off slowly; take away one app at a time. It may not seem like it now, but in time, you’ll see that it’s easier to live without it than it is to live with it. The next helpful tip I can give you is talk to some people around you that love to read. Hearing someone else hype something up gives you the dopamine your brain needs to kickstart the want and desire to read. The last helpful tip for you is to try. You’re never going to know if you like something unless you try it out. For the couple years that I didn’t read, it was because I thought I would get bored, or would rather scroll on social media. I’m here to tell you that one of the best things I did was start to read more again, because it allows you to grow your imagination, and escape into the world of your book!
Reading slumps are the pain of a true reader’s existence, but I have some helpful tips to help you get right out of a reading slump. The first one, and personally my favorite, is to give yourself something to be excited about. What I mean by that is maybe buy yourself a new book, start a new series, or find inspiration by following those who also love to read and see what they recommend. One of my favorite book content creators, Haley Pham, posted a YouTube video a couple years ago about how to get out of a reading slump, and just watching the video alone helped my reading slump so much. A couple tips that she gave her audience were to read what you know you love, and to continue a series that you enjoy! Another helpful tip is determining what mood you’re in. This can sometimes even be connected to the seasons or holidays throughout the year. I personally am a mood reader, so you’ll find me drinking a warm mug of something pumpkin-flavored and enjoying a story set in fall landscapes full of people wearing warm and cozy outfits throughout the fall months. You are in charge of what you read, so listen to what you want, and read it! The last tip I can give you is read what makes you most comfortable, whether that be a book by your favorite author, a reread of your favorite book, or your favorite genre. When dealing with a slump, you have to feed that satisfaction!
Interviews interviews!! Read these carefully, because you may just find the tip that unlocks your reading potential again! First up, iUP senior Harlow Stovall who loves to read, a couple questions about her experience with reading over the years, and this is how it went. “What specific moment do you remember where you fell in love with reading?” She said, “I think when I was maybe four years old I had a lot of those books that had texture pages, the ones where one page is fluffy or the next is scaly (something like that), anyway it was the first time I felt immersed in an experience. I think from there when I started reading picture books, like junie b jones or magic school bus, I fell in love with it because I could picture what it felt like to be in the story.” The next question for her was, “What usually motivates you to get out of a reading slump?” She responded with, “I think when I’m in a slump, which I so frequently am, the best motivation is to set up a space. What I mean is, dim the lights, make a cup of tea, get cozy in my room, etc. It helps if I recently bought a new book, and bonus if it’s a rainy day. I just need that warm atmosphere and alone time so I can get into a book, and when I do start reading again it’s like I never want to put the book down.” Next up, I was curious to know “What books usually help you get out of a reading slump, or have helped you in the past?” She said, “The two books that helped me get out of a slump recently are Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins because I love the hunger games series and that excitement pushed me into late nights of reading. The second book would be Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka because it’s a shorter read and it contributes to my goal of having read a lot of classic books.” Last but definitely not least, “What author can you always count on to get you out of a reading slump?” She then said, “If I’m being honest I don’t tend to focus on authors so much as individual books but I will say George Orwell has a wonderful perspective and writing style. I’ve only read Animal Farm but I do want to read 1984 and explore his other works.”
Then, I interviewed Mrs. Jenna Williams, English II and Reading teacher, and here are her responses. “What specific moment do you remember where you fell in love with reading?” She replied with, “ I don’t know if I can pinpoint it exactly, but I feel like it was in elementary school while reading The Box Car Children series and then again while reading the Hank the Cowdog series” The next question I asked was, “ What usually motivates you to get out of a reading slump?” She then said, “Typically, I find that it helps to switch genres. Sometimes after I’ve finished a fantasy series, I’m exhausted from the world building and find that it helps to hop over to a realistic fiction novel where I easily understand the world and setting. I’ll also reach out to friends for book recommendations.” The next question asked was, “What books have helped you get out of your reading slump?” She said, “Books that have hooked me into a new world have helped! I really loved reading The Hunger Games and Divergent. Fantasy and dystopian books can help because you don’t know what’s going to happen, because really anything can happen.” Curiosity getting the better of me, I asked, “What author can you always count on to get you out of a reading slump?” She replied with, “I don’t know that I have a favorite author that I always rely on honestly.” The last question I feel is the most important one from this interview, especially from an adult and teacher perspective! I asked, “Is there advice you would give to students who want to read more, but need the motivation to do so?” She answered with, “ I would encourage students to reach out to their English teachers! We love to pair students with novels that they can fall in love with! It typically just comes down to finding the right book to reignite a love of reading.”
With the information given above, have you found at least one helpful tip? Before I leave, let’s review the tips! For reading more in general: delete social media one at a time, talk to people around you that love to read, and push yourself to try reading! For getting out of a reading slump: Give yourself something to be excited about, determine what mood you’re in, and read what makes you comfortable! Remember, reading is supposed to be fun, not a burden. There are kids all around the world who either love it, or don’t, and the best thing to do is try. Now ask yourself, “What should I do to get started?” If you immediately think, “I’m going to pick up a book!,” then you’re in the right place!
Resources:
Pham, Haley. Getting Out of a Reading Slump…(It Worked). Youtube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_KspPaXwmA. Accessed 28 Sept. 2026.
