When Reading Feels Overwhelming

by Donna Huber

Am I headed towards a reading slump? My reading pile feels out of control. I'm 2 books behind on my Goodreads Reading Challenge this year (after being several books ahead). It seems to be taking forever to finish a book. What is a reviewer to do when reading feels so overwhelming?

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I think every avid reader has gone through a reading slump a time or two. I know I have. This doesn't feel like a slump as I still want to read - I would love it if I did nothing but read all day. And maybe that is the problem - I don't feel like I have enough time to read.

That is another problem I know avid readers are familiar with - too many books and not enough time.

This time of year is always such a time crunch for me. With the start of a new school year, my work really ramps up and it feels overwhelming at times too. (I went from having 0 stories to write to having 4 to write and 2 to oversee in the span of 1 week). Plus the weather is finally starting to cool and I want to get outside. It didn't help that I recently had a tree to fall so I've had that clean up to do.

Audiobooks help some as I'm usually listening to one while I pick up limbs and pull down the damaged fence. 

But even the audiobooks on my list have me feeling stressed. I've listened to 4 audiobooks for review (one was for a book that I didn't get around to reviewing when it came out several months ago). In addition, I usually listen to the book for my book clubs. I didn't get the one finished for last night's mystery book club - thankfully I had read the book before but I had forgotten a lot of it so I was trying to refresh my memory. I had to get it on CDs because my library didn't offer a digital version. It drastically limits when I can listen to the CDs. My daily commute is only about 40 minutes round trip and my DVD player (the only way I have to play CDs in the house) doesn't have a working remote so I can't fast-forward to the track I left off when I got home. It is very frustrating. At least I got it in time to listen to the whole thing but because it took longer to listen to the Writers of the Future anthology (read my review) I didn't start Saving Meghan by DJ. Palmer until Sunday. And then the digital audiobook came in for next week's post-apocalyptic book club came in. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville is 24 hours long!

Then there are the ebooks that I have on my list for review. Sometime last year I decided to start reading my review copies each month from shortest to longest instead of in publication order. I had 9 books on the list for August (not counting the audiobooks). I've reviewed 3 so far and I'm currently reading The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister. I didn't think it would take that long for me to read 320 pages. I started it on August 22 and I'm halfway through it. Partly it is because it is outside my comfort zone and partly it is because I've been trying to fit in the audiobooks. But I'm usually listening to audiobooks when I'm doing something that I can't be reading a book at the same time (for example, yard work).

Not helping anything is that I might have gone a little review-accepting crazing as I have 14 books (no audiobooks) on my review list for September. UGH! 

Reading is supposed to be fun. But I'm finding it incredibly stressful at the moment. I find myself trying to read as fast as I can to get through as many books as possible. Audiobooks used to be how I would fit in an extra book or two each month, but even with those I'm trying to squeeze in listening every minute I can. Thankfully Fall TV season hasn't begun so I can use my "TV time" to listen to or read a book. It is far from relaxing.

When I "waste time" (by scrolling through social media or playing a silly game on my phone) I feel guilty.

What am I to do?

I have a few tricks that I use when I'm in a reading slump, but I'm not sure what to do about feeling like there's not enough time to read. I have a 3-day weekend coming up and I would love to spend the whole time reading, but I also have yardwork to do, housework to do, etc. Also, I would like to catch up on some sleep. 

I took the evening (after book club) and vented with this post while an Australian TV show plays in the background (instead of listening to the book for next week's book club). I probably should have listened to my book but I struggle with listening to a book while writing blog posts.

Today was my day to post a review, but I could have easily slipped in a review from MK or Susan and used this time for reading, but I think I needed a little break from reading.

I need to remember that reading is not the job that supports me, that I do it because it's fun, and that it is okay if I don't read everything. The world isn't going to end if I don't review a book I said I would - I have books on my Netgalley shelf from 2021 and I have physical books on a shelf from as far back as 2012 or 2013 (I started Girl Who Reads in 2011). I still get plenty (way too many) requests to review and am rarely denied at Netgalley.

I guess the only thing that I can do is keep chugging away at the books I'm reading/listening to. 

Why did I write this?

Part of me hopes that by venting my frustration, I will relieve some of the stress around books I'm feeling. 

I started Girl Who Reads because I was drawn to the community. So I'm hoping that by sharing I won't feel so alone but also in hopes that it will encourage others who might feel overwhelmed by their never-ending to-read pile. 

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed with your TBR pile?

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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