How to Recover from a Book Hangover

Have you ever read a book or book series that was so amazing that you just couldn't bring yourself to read anything after you finished it? Or even worse have you ever read a book that was so terrible that it completely destroyed your reading motivation? Then you have experienced what I like to refer to as a book hangover. And while some reading hangovers only last a couple of days some can bring on week-long if not month-long reading slums. And for those of us with ever-growing TBRs, this is unacceptable. So without further ado here are some of the tips and tricks that I have for recovering from a book hangover.

1. Try reading a completely different genre.
While I read a number of different genres if I had that my worst book hangovers usually occur after I finish a fantasy book. And because I missed the world and the characters I just can't bring myself to start another fantasy right away. So instead I pick up something late like a humorous Chick Lit or an Urban Fiction soap opera. This trick also works if you just finished a book that you absolutely couldn't stand. I know when this happens to me I can't even look at the genre that the book is wrong even if I love it.

2. Try reading a short story or a novella.
Whether I've had a good or bad reading experience I find that my book hangovers usually tend to make me not want to devote time and energy to another story. So one of the best ways to combat this feeling is to delve into a short story or novella. This is a great way to get your reading mojo back without having to devote a significant amount of time to another novel.

3. Never Underestimate the Power of a Good Audiobook
When I'm in a reading slump, I have the tendency to do busy work or sprinkling so it's easy to just pop on an audiobook for small intervals here and there and this will gradually snap me out of my no reading funk.

4. Try reading a Controversial Book

By controversial I mean a book that the reading Community is divided over where there is an equal amount of people that love it to death and others that can't stand it. For me, the best time to experiment with one of these books is after I've had a horrible reading experience because my thoughts are that there is nowhere to go but up after reading a book that I found to be genuinely terrible.

So those are my four most effective ways to recover from a book hangover. If you have any additional tips and tricks to add, please be sure to share them in the comments.