Book BFF Melissa

5 Tips on How To Get Out of a Reading Rut

Sometimes we get into reading slumps. It happens and it's normal. I've developed some techniques that help me trudge through these ruts. Especially with the end of the year sneaking up on us. Gotta get our Goodreads goals accomplished!

1. Ask your friend to pick a book for you to read.

Every month the Book BFFs do a feature where we randomly assign each other a BFF and then pick a book for them to read that month based on what we know about their reading tastes. Sometimes your friends know you better than yourself and will pick a book that'll get you out of your slump.
2. Reread a favorite @CelineNYX suggested this one to me recently and it's great advice. Sometimes we just need to remember why we love reading so much. And the best way to do that is to go on an adventure we already know we will enjoy. Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah Dessen, and JK Rowling are my go to authors. 3. Try a really hyped up book CAUTION: this may backfire. I did this once and was lucky. I picked up Shadow and Bone when I was not in the mood to read. I had heard such great things and decided what the heck. Luckily it was an amazing read. But I think most of the time hype is true so if you pick something that bloggers you trust loved chances are you'll love it too.
4. Watch BookTubers I'm once again advocating for BookTube. Whenever I'm in a slump if I watch some people gush about how much they love books it makes me want to read. Sometimes our love for reading is contagious.
5. Take a break

This sounds counter productive, but really sometimes we just need a break. Book bloggers are not robots and I think we forget that because we feel like there's such little time and so many books to read. But sometimes recharging your battery so to speak will do you some good. After a big readathon I tend to take a week to just catch up on tv and relax. It really works!

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What are your tips for getting out of a slump?

12:00 AM
4 Comments

Pages: 310
Publication date: August 23, 2011

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

How I got the copy: ARCycling for review

Rating: 4 Stars

From Goodreads:

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone -- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

I've never read Hansel and Gretel, but I knew the base of the story. Two kids are lost in the forest leaving a trail of breadcrumbs and find the candy house with the witch inside that wants to eat them. I wasn't sure how Jackson was going to be able to make this into a YA friendly retelling. somehow she took this really disturbing story and made it fun and entertaining. And yet she captured that dark and creepy tone that made it feel true to the original tale.

Gretchen's character really grew during the story. I'm such a fan of character development so I was very happy to see this progress over time. What I did find odd was her strange trust in Sophia, the chocolatier. As someone who was so scared of the witch, why would she trust a complete stranger especially when things started getting weird?

But with that said, I found myself trusting Sophia too. I wanted to like her even when things started making her seem shady. I wish I had read Sisters Red first because I feel like I wasn't understanding everything that was going on. Also, for anyone who has read this. Is the chocolate supposed to have magical powers? I was really confused by the confidence inducing chocolate oranges. This was definitely a page turner and probably my favorite retelling so far.

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