Monday, September 20, 2010

Book Slump?

I've been in a bit of a book slump ever since I read the amazing Mockingjay followed by the equally amazing (maybe even more so) The Way of Kings. I don't think I've finished a book since then, although I've started and gave up on a handful.

So, with my mind maybe not so focused on reading, it might not be the best time to be trying to read Gardens of the Moon. I'm trying to catch up so I can do the readalong over at TOR. But I'm constantly finding my mind wandering, and realize I haven't been paying attention for a paragraph or two. And then I read the first two posts there, and I feel as lost as I ever was. It sounds like this is a book that you have to pay attention to every word, and still not really have any idea what's going on. I keep reading "pay attention to this", or "this part here is important", and I don't remember reading those things in the first place.

And then I begin to wonder, has my brain turned to mush? I used to be able to read more difficult books. I'd read a lot of classics, and other books where the language (or just the reading in general) might be a little more difficult. Have I ruined my mind with all those YA books? I don't know the answer to that. All I know is that I'm having a hard time reading anything harder than something a fifth grader could easily read and process. That doesn't say good things about me.

So I don't know if I should push on with Gardens of the Moon. Maybe see if I can whip my brain back into shape. Or should I count myself a lost cause, and merrily read my way into a brain coma, where the only thing I can happily read is a picture book?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gardens of the Moon, while an amazing start to my favorite series ever is not a book I'd recommend to end a slump. It's a good book, don't get me wrong, but the first two books in that series you don't know what the &$&% is going on, which can make it difficult.

I don't think your brain has turned to mush. Maybe it's just not the right book for right now. Maybe you just need to figure out what you are in the mood for at the moment....?

Book slumps suck. I hope you find your way out of it soon.

Felicia H. said...

I know I get in moods for certain kinds of books like YA and then I get sick of them and switch to something else. I would just read whatever you enjoy, that is the point of reading after all.