"I'll suggest that it might have a lot to do with the developing sense that what we have been reading has not really prepared us for this moment, so perhaps we are pulling back a bit to wait and see what new thought leadership emerges."
I agree. We are so clearly in a MOMENT and many of us are more directly affected by it than others. I am not sure who speaks for / to me right now.
Excellent as always my friend. I really love the manner in which you self-examine your reading life and adjust your course as needed. I think all readers will find some good advice here.
Thanks so much, Matt! Your share of this piece has brought in some awesome people into this conversation. I am trying to shorten my personal cycle between recognizing that something is not working and course-correcting. I think when I was younger I just thought that there's a point in which you figure all of your shit out and you just sit there and enjoy it for the rest of your life...
Always such a delight to have you in my inbox, Petya! I'm loving the 19th century wives under pressure, may have to join you on that one :) I, too, love indulging in a good affair.
Thank you so much, Nikki! The 19th century wives is where I am the happiest now, as well. Something about the pace of those narratives seems to be a perfect counterpoint to where we are in politics and culture right now.
Superb, thank you. I think many people could do with reading this. Past me really, really struggled when faced with dry stretches of not reading, I found it frightening and alien, even though it happened more than once. I love how you share your own experience here.
When you build an identity around being an intellectual person, someone who reads a lot... it is so terrifying when that dry spell hits. It can really feel like death.
Thanks for this essay. It hits home for me right now.
I haven’t read one word of fiction since August 17th. Some hard real-life things are going on, and I just haven’t been able to concentrate on anything. I returned a stack of library books and just haven’t read. I usually love books that illuminate the beauty and the brokenness of humanity. But, that just seems too heavy right now. I probably need something really light and fun, but I don’t enjoy romances. If anyone has suggestions for how to get my groove back . . . I’m listening.
I am sorry that life feels hard right now. Here are some ideas for books that I have found fun and lighthearted that were also super fun to read but also smart and different:
- Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe
- Brother of the more famous Jack by Barbara Trapido
- The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers (on my TBR for this month)
If there is a type of genre fiction you enjoy, that's my go-to for getting a reading groove back. I'm also not a huge romance fan but love a whodunit for getting going on reading when I've been uninspired. Or sci fi or fantasy if that's your thing! If there's a genre you loved to read as a kid I think that's a helpful place to start. It's like the anti-real-life. Literary fiction is wonderful but does not always meet the need of total escapism.
I don't have a go-to genre fiction type but this conversation today is making me really want to figure something out. I have loved reading Agatha Christie novels in the past and she has so many... that may be where I go next!
Agatha Christie is so fun! Those are the kind of books I can accidentally stay up too late reading because I have to know who did it! Sort of the opposite of having to force yourself to sit down and focus.
I read them a long time ago now but I would say chronologically within a character but otherwise it doesn't matter (ie I do think some of the Poirot novels references his previous "cases," so I'd read the Poirot or Miss Marple books chronologically but it doesn't matter for the standalones).
Genre fiction: go for it! Mystery novels have their own special place for you. We love the Father Brown ones.
I would also suggest children’s books of any kind. Make Way For Ducklings for classic picture book. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster to blow your mind. A Cricket in Times Square for an endearing middle reader. The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe—of course. But all-time best: Charlotte’s Web. Made me like spiders.
Mysteries are probably the best genre for me as well for getting out of a rut. Agatha Christie or Richard Osman are the ones I’ve been thinking about. Thank you for the suggestion!
I had a reading drought after having my boys and it was Matt Haig (the Midnight Library) and cosy crimes novels that got me back to reading - specifically the Dr Ruth Galloway stories by Ellie Griffiths and the Shetland series by Anne Cleeves (although not sure that’s really cozy crime but not too heavy either). I’d never read crime stories before but I find them the perfect pallet cleanser now! Good luck finding your reading mojo again.
What a wonderful post! Books and lists of books are my happy place. Middlemarch was my entry to Victorian literature and 19th century literature by women. I am also looking for books that gently touch on death while also being about other things.
I started Middlemarch earlier this year with Haley Larsen's group read and loved it but could not keep up with the group schedule. I really hope to finish it by end of year but even if I don't, I've read enough to know that I care to finish it ... which is half the battle, I think.
I’m in a reading phase, but it’s because of a list! I’m reading through Ted Gioia’s 52-week humanities course. It’s taught me that I like ancient histories, epic poetry, and drama, all things I had thought weren’t for me. It’s also stretched me much further intellectually than at any time since my master’s, and that was in a technical field so this is really different. I feel positively re-energized. I’m on week 40 so the end is in sight, and I’m already planning what comes next. I’m a recent empty nester, so this project really suits my phase of life. No way could I have done it with four kids in middle and high school.
I am so impressed!!! Ted Gioia's reading plan is such an aspirational way to read! I am so excited for you that life has opened up the time and space for you to do this project!!! It sounds absolutely wonderful. I loved seeing that you are enjoying reading things you thought were not for you.
I think that when you are in a busy part of life (my kid is 8 and life is speeding up for sure)... more structured projects add to the pressure. I already feel like every minute of my day is spoken for, when I add a checklist on top... the rebel in me wants to break free. But I can totally see how when the demands on my time diminish, I will crave some external structure that a big reading project like this would be so genuinely helpful.
Yes! I think when you are scheduling your time to the minute, instead of by the day or week like we do now, it’s really hard to get that much head space. Grateful for that time now—we laugh about the way our young adult children keep us unexpectedly busy, but it feels like much lower stakes now. Life is full of seasons, thankfully.
Currently plodding along through Wolf Hall, which I am enjoying but which isn’t the kind of thing I can read for long stretches. I think I need to pick up some shorter reads on the side.
That's what I am doing with Anna Karenina. I am reading it a few chapters at a time and savoring it and reading other things along it. It is such a good story that I am having no trouble dipping in and out of.
Just coming out of a real reading drought - agree with so much of what you say (especially the right book!) and would add that I have to consciously avoid the dopamine addiction of social media to even settle with a book.
It's the battle we are all in. When I do my Reading Life interviews, I always ask people how they make time for more reading and I believe every single interviewee so far has said that they try to keep their phone out of reach.
Excellent essay, as always Petya! Although I have always considered myself a reader, I have to say that the past couple of years have been patchy for me in the reading stakes. I think it has been a blend of finishing an MA and needing to come back from that intense study of literature, distractions I should be better at controlling, and choosing the wrong books, often because I see other people reading them. I seemed to start well at the beginning of this year, but have dropped into a bit of a slump again recently. My only resort at those times is to return to favourite books and re-read them, but I will try some of your good suggestions here.
All of this, yes! If I've read to many "thinking" books then I have to switch to something lighter. Or if I've read too many books in a short period I need to take a break. Or sometimes I can't finish a book cuz maybe it's just not working forme or it's one I've chosen cuz I think I "should" read it.
Should is a dangerous word!!! As someone who reads a lot of "thinking" books myself, I am so jealous of people who have passionate attachments to "genre fiction"... so they can escape with it when needed.
Brilliant and helpful -- I read a lot once. Then became a college lit professor! Then left that environment... Still healing. I love your forgiving perspective.
Ps I'm a patchwork quilty reader now - bits and pieces. Scattered but still beautiful ❤️. The rare full book means something goes beyond reading in the connection.
It is just mind-boggling that so many of us choose academia because we are such passionate readers and want MORE of that... only to have that drive be compeletely squashed in grad school and beyond.
I love (as always) the way you look at reading. I am reading right now. I’m recently retired and time belongs to me. After my children were born I used to read when they were in the bathtub. A half hour of water play equaled nearly to a half hour of reading time. I remember reading Prince of Tides on the floor in the bathroom. A book linked to my geographic identity .
Sometimes it’s hard to find the right book after you read a particularly impactful book. I found myself there after reading Emperor of Gladness and James. Two modern masterpieces.
And finally at this moment in our country’s and world’s history I find I need fiction more than ever. It’s so much better to fall asleep dwelling on a fictional character.
Finally I look forward to reading your posts. Thank you.
"I'll suggest that it might have a lot to do with the developing sense that what we have been reading has not really prepared us for this moment, so perhaps we are pulling back a bit to wait and see what new thought leadership emerges."
I agree. We are so clearly in a MOMENT and many of us are more directly affected by it than others. I am not sure who speaks for / to me right now.
Excellent as always my friend. I really love the manner in which you self-examine your reading life and adjust your course as needed. I think all readers will find some good advice here.
Thanks so much, Matt! Your share of this piece has brought in some awesome people into this conversation. I am trying to shorten my personal cycle between recognizing that something is not working and course-correcting. I think when I was younger I just thought that there's a point in which you figure all of your shit out and you just sit there and enjoy it for the rest of your life...
Always such a delight to have you in my inbox, Petya! I'm loving the 19th century wives under pressure, may have to join you on that one :) I, too, love indulging in a good affair.
Thank you so much, Nikki! The 19th century wives is where I am the happiest now, as well. Something about the pace of those narratives seems to be a perfect counterpoint to where we are in politics and culture right now.
Marvelous...thank you.
I just peeked into your profile and saw that you are a psychoanalyst. Can I message you about book recommendations?
Superb, thank you. I think many people could do with reading this. Past me really, really struggled when faced with dry stretches of not reading, I found it frightening and alien, even though it happened more than once. I love how you share your own experience here.
When you build an identity around being an intellectual person, someone who reads a lot... it is so terrifying when that dry spell hits. It can really feel like death.
So true, and your list of what I’m into now has inspired me to figure out what’s going so well in my reading now, thanks!
Thank you so much, John! If you don't mind, please share here! It could help other people get some ideas!
Thanks for this essay. It hits home for me right now.
I haven’t read one word of fiction since August 17th. Some hard real-life things are going on, and I just haven’t been able to concentrate on anything. I returned a stack of library books and just haven’t read. I usually love books that illuminate the beauty and the brokenness of humanity. But, that just seems too heavy right now. I probably need something really light and fun, but I don’t enjoy romances. If anyone has suggestions for how to get my groove back . . . I’m listening.
Have you tried Trollope or Wodehouse? Both kind of light and funny. Wodehouse is especially good after reading something heavy…literary whipped cream.
Ahhh. Good recommendations! Thank you!
I haven’t read Trollope since college, but an old episode of the Backlisted podcast did make we want to try more.
I’ve never read Wodehouse, but my mom has been preaching the gospel of Wodehouse for as long as I can remember. Maybe it’s time to dive in.
I am sorry that life feels hard right now. Here are some ideas for books that I have found fun and lighthearted that were also super fun to read but also smart and different:
- Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe
- Brother of the more famous Jack by Barbara Trapido
- The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers (on my TBR for this month)
Thank you for those suggestions! I’ll check them out!
If there is a type of genre fiction you enjoy, that's my go-to for getting a reading groove back. I'm also not a huge romance fan but love a whodunit for getting going on reading when I've been uninspired. Or sci fi or fantasy if that's your thing! If there's a genre you loved to read as a kid I think that's a helpful place to start. It's like the anti-real-life. Literary fiction is wonderful but does not always meet the need of total escapism.
I don't have a go-to genre fiction type but this conversation today is making me really want to figure something out. I have loved reading Agatha Christie novels in the past and she has so many... that may be where I go next!
Agatha Christie is so fun! Those are the kind of books I can accidentally stay up too late reading because I have to know who did it! Sort of the opposite of having to force yourself to sit down and focus.
yes! put me on a train and let’s GO! do you have a take on whether I should read her work chronologically?
I read them a long time ago now but I would say chronologically within a character but otherwise it doesn't matter (ie I do think some of the Poirot novels references his previous "cases," so I'd read the Poirot or Miss Marple books chronologically but it doesn't matter for the standalones).
Genre fiction: go for it! Mystery novels have their own special place for you. We love the Father Brown ones.
I would also suggest children’s books of any kind. Make Way For Ducklings for classic picture book. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster to blow your mind. A Cricket in Times Square for an endearing middle reader. The Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe—of course. But all-time best: Charlotte’s Web. Made me like spiders.
@adrienneep Thank you for those suggestions. Charlotte’s Web does sound pretty great—it’s been a while since I read it. ❤️
You will make it an annual read. And of course the great EB White…
Mysteries are probably the best genre for me as well for getting out of a rut. Agatha Christie or Richard Osman are the ones I’ve been thinking about. Thank you for the suggestion!
Totally! I think a new Richard Osman just came out, so maybe that would help get your reading groove back! Good luck!
I had a reading drought after having my boys and it was Matt Haig (the Midnight Library) and cosy crimes novels that got me back to reading - specifically the Dr Ruth Galloway stories by Ellie Griffiths and the Shetland series by Anne Cleeves (although not sure that’s really cozy crime but not too heavy either). I’d never read crime stories before but I find them the perfect pallet cleanser now! Good luck finding your reading mojo again.
I’ve never read the Galloway or Shetland series. I’ll check them out! Thank you for the recommendation!
Try Robert Galbraith. I was flat on my back with a broken leg and they were so easy. But I cheated and listened instead of read.
What a wonderful post! Books and lists of books are my happy place. Middlemarch was my entry to Victorian literature and 19th century literature by women. I am also looking for books that gently touch on death while also being about other things.
I started Middlemarch earlier this year with Haley Larsen's group read and loved it but could not keep up with the group schedule. I really hope to finish it by end of year but even if I don't, I've read enough to know that I care to finish it ... which is half the battle, I think.
It sounds strange, but that book makes the last sentence of it maybe the most significant thing I've ever read. This from a lifetime reader.
I’m in a reading phase, but it’s because of a list! I’m reading through Ted Gioia’s 52-week humanities course. It’s taught me that I like ancient histories, epic poetry, and drama, all things I had thought weren’t for me. It’s also stretched me much further intellectually than at any time since my master’s, and that was in a technical field so this is really different. I feel positively re-energized. I’m on week 40 so the end is in sight, and I’m already planning what comes next. I’m a recent empty nester, so this project really suits my phase of life. No way could I have done it with four kids in middle and high school.
I am so impressed!!! Ted Gioia's reading plan is such an aspirational way to read! I am so excited for you that life has opened up the time and space for you to do this project!!! It sounds absolutely wonderful. I loved seeing that you are enjoying reading things you thought were not for you.
I think that when you are in a busy part of life (my kid is 8 and life is speeding up for sure)... more structured projects add to the pressure. I already feel like every minute of my day is spoken for, when I add a checklist on top... the rebel in me wants to break free. But I can totally see how when the demands on my time diminish, I will crave some external structure that a big reading project like this would be so genuinely helpful.
Yes! I think when you are scheduling your time to the minute, instead of by the day or week like we do now, it’s really hard to get that much head space. Grateful for that time now—we laugh about the way our young adult children keep us unexpectedly busy, but it feels like much lower stakes now. Life is full of seasons, thankfully.
Currently plodding along through Wolf Hall, which I am enjoying but which isn’t the kind of thing I can read for long stretches. I think I need to pick up some shorter reads on the side.
That's what I am doing with Anna Karenina. I am reading it a few chapters at a time and savoring it and reading other things along it. It is such a good story that I am having no trouble dipping in and out of.
Thank you For this!
You are very welcome. Whatever season in life you are in, it is ok!!!
Just coming out of a real reading drought - agree with so much of what you say (especially the right book!) and would add that I have to consciously avoid the dopamine addiction of social media to even settle with a book.
I picked up trying to read more instead of picking up the phone to endlessly scroll. I've had 'some' success. Definitely a work in progress
It really hit home for me recently when I read a book cover to cover on a flight with terrible connectivity.
Agreed. I was recently away for a weekend where the only place you had internet connection was in the dining hall. I got alot of reading done :)
It's the battle we are all in. When I do my Reading Life interviews, I always ask people how they make time for more reading and I believe every single interviewee so far has said that they try to keep their phone out of reach.
Excellent essay, as always Petya! Although I have always considered myself a reader, I have to say that the past couple of years have been patchy for me in the reading stakes. I think it has been a blend of finishing an MA and needing to come back from that intense study of literature, distractions I should be better at controlling, and choosing the wrong books, often because I see other people reading them. I seemed to start well at the beginning of this year, but have dropped into a bit of a slump again recently. My only resort at those times is to return to favourite books and re-read them, but I will try some of your good suggestions here.
I really feel like the best advice really is.... tea, naps, walks, yoga. And then the reading comes. Sending so much love your way.
💕
All of this, yes! If I've read to many "thinking" books then I have to switch to something lighter. Or if I've read too many books in a short period I need to take a break. Or sometimes I can't finish a book cuz maybe it's just not working forme or it's one I've chosen cuz I think I "should" read it.
Should is a dangerous word!!! As someone who reads a lot of "thinking" books myself, I am so jealous of people who have passionate attachments to "genre fiction"... so they can escape with it when needed.
Yes. I'm getting better at looking at a book and going is it something I truly want to read and putting it aside if I don't
Brilliant and helpful -- I read a lot once. Then became a college lit professor! Then left that environment... Still healing. I love your forgiving perspective.
Ps I'm a patchwork quilty reader now - bits and pieces. Scattered but still beautiful ❤️. The rare full book means something goes beyond reading in the connection.
It is just mind-boggling that so many of us choose academia because we are such passionate readers and want MORE of that... only to have that drive be compeletely squashed in grad school and beyond.
I love that way of thinking of it! Let's offload some of the guilt, shall we?! Maybe authors need to work a little harder to impress us. 😈
I love (as always) the way you look at reading. I am reading right now. I’m recently retired and time belongs to me. After my children were born I used to read when they were in the bathtub. A half hour of water play equaled nearly to a half hour of reading time. I remember reading Prince of Tides on the floor in the bathroom. A book linked to my geographic identity .
Sometimes it’s hard to find the right book after you read a particularly impactful book. I found myself there after reading Emperor of Gladness and James. Two modern masterpieces.
And finally at this moment in our country’s and world’s history I find I need fiction more than ever. It’s so much better to fall asleep dwelling on a fictional character.
Finally I look forward to reading your posts. Thank you.