I have been in the worst reading slump. I've been blaming it on anxiety (I'm coming to terms with the fact that my job will only continue to get worse and not better). I've been stuck in this slump for so long now that I'm just not sure.
My slump has been affecting everything so thank you so much for still being here! At some point I'll snap out of it, and I'll be around more. I have such a huge TBR pile that I'm dying to read - I'm just not doing it.
It's been helping to listen to audio while working on this puzzle. This puzzle has turned out to be really hard so I'll be working on this one for a while.
Posted Last Week
Book Review | What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Finished Reading
The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn ⭐⭐⭐⭐★ - I loved this more than I expected to! Full review soon.
Currently Reading
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune - This was the October pick for my local book club. I attended book club even though I hadn't finished it and got spoiled to everything, but I'm enjoying this one (much more than my book club enjoyed it! lol).
Babel by R.F. Kuang and Fairy Tale by Stephen King are on hold until I finish Under the Whispering Door. I really, really hope I finish both of these by the end of October so I can refresh and start anew in November. (I promise I'm enjoying both of these - especially Fairy Tale.)
Added to the TBR
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca - I actually said yes to a review copy. This is a rare occurrence for me, but I've been interested in Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. This edition bundles it with two other novellas.
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste - The Jumbies has been on my wishlist forever, and I found a copy on clearance at a used bookstore recently. WIN!
Currently Watching
I had to get a TV subscription in order to watch post-season baseball so I'm catching up on Shark Tank and watching shows like Master Chef. I miss having cable! We pay for a month here and there for sports when we have to, but it rarely feels worth it to pay for it year round.
Halloween Ends - I hate to complain too much because any Halloween is better than no Halloween, but this isn't one that I will want to watch again.
Noel Next Door - Countdown to Christmas has begun on Hallmark. Do you guys watch the Hallmark Christmas movies?
I’m sorry work is so stressful, I hope you find an alternative soon.
ReplyDeleteI was underwhelmed by Fairy Tale. I really want to read Babel though.
Wishing you a great reading week
Thank you. I've been at this job forever so it's a matter of trying to adjust. Constantly.
DeleteSorry work sucks. :( I've been there and I know how much it affects your mental health and everyday life. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI love MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. I hope you have fun watching!
My Post
Thanks! I love Master Chef Junior. I'm not so sure about the adults. :)
DeleteStressful job + reading slump is a sucky situation! Hope things get better soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteI'm kind of the same way with a slump. My reading has picked up a little but I'm not reading nearly as much as I used to. Hopefully it's temporary for us both! Job anxiety doesn't help, for sure.
ReplyDeleteSame here with cable too. I don't miss the bill but I do kind of miss just being able to flip channels. I have a few streaming servies and now have to remember which ones carry which shows lol!
Hope you have a great week! :)
I hope so! I hope we can both get that spark back soon. Have a great week, Greg!
DeleteIt's horrible to have a stressful job and to be going through a reading slump at the same time. This does not seem fair.
ReplyDeleteI've heard lots of good things about the new Stephen King book. I hope you get a chance to read more on it soon.
Glad audiobooks are helping!
You're right. Reading is how I relax when I'm away from work so it's doubly unfair.
DeleteEveryone posting these amazing puzzle pictures has me itching to do one. I know we are not our jobs, but we spend a lot of time there. It's tough when things are not going well at work. ((HUGS))
ReplyDeleteWe do spend a lot of time at work - and I'm absolutely terrible at not caring deeply about what I do. ((hugs))
DeleteI'm sorry about the reading slump! I guess it's good to know the cause, but it doesn't sound like something that's going to change anytime soon. I hope things improve. I love doing puzzles but we are in the middle of packing for a move, so they have been set aside for a while. have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's definitely not changing for the better. Good luck with your move!
DeleteI’m sorry to hear you’re in a reading slump! I’m a big Christmas fan so the Hallmark Christmas movies are a must for me every year!
ReplyDeleteI only just started watching them the last couple of years, but I'm hooked now.
DeleteOh no. I am sorry you are going through a time!
ReplyDeleteI have soooo many of your books on my TBR! Especially the T.J. Klune, The Jumbies, and What Moves the Dead. I hope this week is better for you.
Thank you so much, Erin.
DeleteIt's so rough when work is stressful, I hope it gets better soon. The Doll in the Garden looks good, enjoy your books this week! I need to watch Halloween Ends.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I really enjoyed The Doll in the Garden.
DeleteI'm sorry you are feeling so much stress. Audiobooks are a good thing to read because you can be doing something else at the same time. I'm usually playing computer games while I listen. The World Series should be interesting. I wouldn't have picked the Phillies to get there. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI'm very excited about the Phillies. They seem like a good team with good fans.
DeleteI am eyeing The Doll in the Garden. Enjoy your week, and here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
ReplyDeleteThe Doll in the Garden was really good.
DeleteI always get into a reading slump this time of year. I'm down to reading one book a week.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I really need to see if that's the case for me, too. That's very possible now that you mention it.
DeleteEnjoy that baseball. And a jigsaw. I find that great when I am feeling anxious, it makes me concentrate, the fish one does look challenging.
ReplyDeleteThanks - I do enjoy having something like a puzzle to focus on.
DeleteI sometimes watch Hallmark movies...but I can't watch too many of them in a row; they're too much alike. And reading slumps are the worst! At least you have a really cool puzzle to work on. :D
ReplyDeleteThey are all the same. lol. But they are so mindless which feels nice - especially in the middle of the night when I'm not sleeping. It's almost like I'm still asleep. Haha.
DeleteI hope something changes regarding work. It took me 4 years to realize I needed to leave a toxic work environment. The new job was still stressful, but a good kind of stress. I loved Under the Whispering Door! People told me it wasn't as good as The House in the Cerulean Sea, but I just ended up loving that one too.
ReplyDeleteYeah - it's tough because I have been at this job for a very long time. Hopefully I can last, but we'll see. I really want to read The House in the Cerulean Sea.
DeleteI read and enjoyed Under the Whispering Door, and I've heard great things about Babel and Fairy Tale, so hopefully that will help vanquish your reading slump! - Melinda @ A Web of Stories
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying them all! I just can't focus. I'll get through them eventually. :)
DeleteI've been a reading slump since Covid hit. I'm not sure why but I'm hoping '23 will be better. I've loved every Hallmark show or movie that I've ever watched! A friend sent me a puzzle that I plan on starting soon.
ReplyDeleteYes! The brain fog is so horrible post-covid.
DeleteForgot to sign in to my account :(
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you commented again - I was wondering! :)
DeleteI really do hope that you'll come to term with your job and will be less anxious. That's so hard sometimes! Hugs
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Sophie. I think that's the best solution for me, but every time I think things can't get worse, they definitely do. Hugs!
DeleteI feel fortunate that I never seem to have a reading slump perhaps because I read such a large variety of genres and do audio and ebooks. We will be here whenever you are ready.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Aw, thank you so much, Anne. I think that's what saves me to be honest - a variety of genres and formats. That's so great that you never find yourself in a slump.
DeleteSorry to hear you're having a hard time at work. I don't feel like reading when I'm worrying about things either. I suffer from anxiety too and the mental exhaustion is so frustrating. But try not to beat yourself up about it. Give yourself the rest you need and you will naturally start to read again when you're ready.
ReplyDeleteThe doll in the garden looks terrifying! Dolls, dummies and waxwork figures creep me out so I would avoid that one because of the cover alone. But I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you. That's the truth of it, really. I come home, and I just don't feel like reading. :(
DeleteI'm sorry you have so much stress with work, it's so hard when it takes such a big chunk of your life and you don't like it. And ugh, reading slumps! They are no fun but at least they're temporary. Hang in there, hopefully November will be a "reset" month😁
ReplyDeleteThankfully I like what I do - but it's a lot and there's absolutely no down time which would help me process all of the changes and the things that are stressful and beyond my control. It helps to talk about it, though, so thanks, Tammy. Hang in there is kind of the motto right now. :)
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