Friday, August 21, 2020

Books That Got Me Out of My Reading Slump

Books That Got Me Out of My Reading Slump Im in a reading slump. A major one. Im either too tired, too busy, or just not interested in reading lately which is practically anathema to who I am. You know its bad when you go to your local bookstore and sadly mope around all the shelves, perusing the new release table, and pick up book after book after book, and then put them all back down again. Im not sure what, exactly, is going on. So I thought Id look at my own bookshelves at home, to rekindle my love of reading. Here are some books that I read to kick-start that reading spark: Bluets  by Maggie Nelson. This book of prose-poetry was one of the first poetry books I really fell in love with. I first picked it up in grad school, a few years ago, and Nelsons cerebral musings pulled me in, and her writing washed over me. To this day, anything Maggie Nelson, but especially Bluets, reminds me how lovely the written word can be. Bad Feminist  by Roxane Gay. This collection of essays made me laugh, brought me to tears, and angered me, all at the same time. Every time I pick it up, I notice something I hadnt thought about before, or more questions arise. Thats the hallmark of a great book (for me, anyway). To Kill a Mockingbird  by Harper Lee. One of my all-time, can do no wrong favorites. Lees writing is nearly flawless, the fact that the South is practically a character in itself, and Scouts persona all remind me why I love reading and what a wonderful book can do. Lit  by Mary Karr. Really, any of Karrs memoirs (or even her latest, The Art of Memoir)  are all spectacular. Her writing is acerbic, blunt, and she pulls no punches. Having seen her talk in person, reading her is like sitting down and talking with her, and by the end of the book, you basically want her to be your best friend. Seriously. Or maybe thats just me. Howl and Other Poems, by Allen Ginsberg. Im not a poet (unless you count the angsty poetry teen me wrote). But Ginsbergs way with words just slays me, every. single. time. The language is fabulous, the imagery is like nothing else, and it always inspires me with new ideas. What are some go-to books that reignite your passion for reading when youre stuck?

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