Today I wanted to talk to you all about a problem I have with many books, and actually a problem I’m having right now…

Does a book ever sit on your shelf for months? Do you ever put it off for ages because it’s so long? Or the subject matter is so daunting? Or other books jump out at you first?

I do this all the time, and I’m not ashamed to say it! We all have a TBR pile, right? So we all have books we’ve been meaning to read, but just haven’t. This, in itself, is very frustrating.

However, what’s more frustrating is when you finally do pick that book up, and you start reading it, and you’re enjoying it, but you just don’t seem to be making any progress.

I’m currently reading The Trees by Ali Shaw, which I started reading on 7th January. It’s been exactly 1 week, and I still haven’t made it past halfway. Personally, the halfway mark is a real accomplishment and milestone for me. I never turn back once I’ve reached halfway. So why am I not there yet?

This book is definitely a slow-burner. The point-of-view changes a lot, and it is set over a long period of time, which I really like about it. There’s actually a lot I like about this book, including the characters and the plot and the array subject matters dealt with. It is definitely a lot better than I was expecting, which is bringing about even more questions:

Why am I not reading this book quicker?

Why am I not awake in the early hours of the morning, devouring this novel?

Why am I not engrossed when it’s so good?

The short answer is this: I’m busy, I have a lot on my mind, I’m too stressed to enjoy my reading for pleasure, especially when I have a lot of reading to do for school.

The more difficult answer to face is this: I’m entering a reading slump.

Obviously, this is a pretty devastating way to start 2017, and though I could let it discourage my reading, I’m going to do the opposite: I’m going to power through!

I know, a lot easier said than done.

I’ve actually been through moments like this before whilst reading, and I was wondering whether any of my readers had, too.

Have you ever loved a book, but just not been able to get through it as quickly as you would like?

Let’s start a discussion in the comments!

Olivia x