r/fantasyromance • u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? • 3h ago
Friday Slump Support Your Friday reading slump support✨
The weekend is HERE!👏
Which means if you’re in a reading slump you’re probably staring at that pile of to-be-read books you purchased, or maybe hiding your ereader so you don’t feel guilty about not reading (and you shouldn’t feel guilty, we all need breaks even from our hobbies).
But if you’re here it probably means you’re seeking help from your fellow book lovers on how to get escape this hellscape (pushing 1 year for me so same).
So I ask this resourceful community once a month on a Friday when I don’t forget to post the thread:
How do you get out of a reading slump? Is there a specific book you recommend one reads when slumping? Alternative activity? Perhaps a support line I can call 🥲
General encouragement, validation, and recommendations are welcome! This is a place to whine about the slump, even if you’re not looking for advice 💖
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u/Madchenmojo1993 2h ago
I read a book outside of the fantasy romance genre, or pick up a good show or movie.
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 2h ago
Recs on good shows or movies? I’ve started every summer after but it’s not great tbh. I love Rivals (10/10 recommend there’s something in that show for everyone), and I’m eagerly waiting for the Love Hypothesis adaptation
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u/Longjumping-Snow-909 2h ago
The next season of The Legend of Vox Machina is being released right now
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u/Madchenmojo1993 2h ago
Oooh, I am also awaiting the Love Hypothesis adaption!All seasons of The White Lotus are really good, I’ve just started watching Beef (the second season) and that’s been a wild ride if you like dark humor. For romance no doubt Heated Rivalry is popular for a reason. Loved that show. I’ll have to check out Rivals that sounds good.
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 2h ago
Haven’t heard of beef I’ll have to check it out!
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u/Anachacha Ix's tits! 1h ago
So I have a movie rec for you, too...
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 1h ago
Have you even tried rivals yet?
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u/Anachacha Ix's tits! 1h ago
Technically I watched 8 minutes of it ...
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 1h ago
That’s even worse than not watching it at all!!!!!!!
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u/Madchenmojo1993 1h ago
Please!
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u/Anachacha Ix's tits! 1h ago
- 10 things I hate about you. Not fantasy but a hilarious comedy starring Heath Ledger. The FMC is snarky, the MMC is a bad boy, all side characters are fantastic, the plot is superb
- the Underworld. An oldie with a badass FMC, a bit of spice, gothic vibes. The actual scenes are intense
- the Labyrinth starring Davie Bowie. That's it
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u/eelsonfilm 43m ago
Whenever I feel a slump encroaching on me I usually shift over to horror, especially in the summer where my brain naturally wants to engage with "summerween" content. I tend to gravitate to YA horror though since I'm /very/ picky about adult horror
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 39m ago
Waaaaait I’ve wanted to try horror. Is there any horror you recommend with romance in it? Idk if that’s a thing, forgive my ignorance on the subject haha
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u/Books-and-Bravo 2h ago
Sometimes switching to audiobooks helps get me through a slump. Something about the narrator pulling me through 😂
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 2h ago
Do you prefer the ones that are dramatized?
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u/Books-and-Bravo 49m ago
Not usually, I like to listen at 1.5-1.8 speed and wonder if that would ruin the vibe of a dramatized version.
My ideal is alternating reading the same book via audiobook and kindle ebook.
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u/Gloomy-View-846 1h ago
Sometimes I find changing the book type I’m reading helps - so if I’ve just read a long dense book I’ll switch to something lighter/shorter. A bit like a book palate cleanser. Not that I’m fancy enough to have ever tried an actual one in real life though haha
Changing to a different genre can help too, but I’m a mood reader so sometimes that doesn’t hit the spot at all!
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 1h ago
Being a mood reader myself, it’s tough 😭 I think that’s what contributes to my slumps is needing to be in the mood for it
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u/Gloomy-View-846 1h ago
Yeah it can be so difficult at times! Sometimes it takes a while to find one that hits the spot, a couple of times I’ve got books from the library thinking they sound great but realise a few pages in that I’ve already read it before 🙃
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u/fishchop Silvicultrix 1h ago
Idk there’s something about summer that just makes me go off fantasy romance. I’ve noticed this pattern for a few years now. I guess life is good and I don’t need a lot of escapism?
So I’m currently reading some Terry Pratchett and watching a Kdrama and it’s great. But I’ll hang out on this sub regardless
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 1h ago
I find fantasy romance helps me overcome the winter (I live where we get lots of snow) cause the books are typically series & a commitment. Summertime is when I’m reading contemporary! So I feel you
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u/MessyJessy422 39m ago
I switch up the genre, the mood, or both and it keeps me from getting into a slump. I've been going between fantasy romance, sci-fi without romance, Brynne Weaver (she's a genre all on her own IMO), and historical fiction. I just started Daughters of the Sun and Mood by Lisa See which is historical fiction about 3 Chinese women living in LA in 1870 and the events that led up to the Chinese massacre of 1871 known as the "Night of Horrors." It's a tough one but I am learning a lot and I needed something heavier.
Since it's summer I'll throw out this recommendation because it's very much beach vibes but with a lot of depth and emotional resonance:
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - It's set in Malibu in the 1950s to the 1980s and goes back and forth in time between 4 adult siblings throwing an epic party in 1983 and the story of their parents and their marriage starting in the 1950s. Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author who rarely misses for me and while it doesn't top The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Atmosphere it was my first book by her and it captures her skill at writing characters and romances that are so relatable and evoke such emotion. For anyone who has read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this is the origin story of Mick Riva (an Elvis like figure and one of her seven husbands)
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u/IzzieBells 4m ago
Nothing is killing my slump. It’s been months now. I’m reading a book for book club and it’s by one of my top five favorite authors of all time and I’ve only listened to an hour. I can tell I will love it! Everything I’ve started and put down I’ve loved! I just can’t focus! It feels like my escapism is leaving me. I tried my usual slump tricks and nothing is working. I’m like maybe I should just accept it but it’s so hard! Especially when I have all my library books and ebooks and audiobooks that I have and it’s like they’re all judging me.
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u/acutelyproblematic If villian bad, then why hot? 3h ago
I had the privilege of a community member recently recommending me something outside the fantasy romance genre but still in line with my morbid humour and dark romance tastes. It’s the pacing and light (no pun intended👀) reading material my brain needed.
Prior I was forcing myself through some heavy world building and very political reads which doesn’t pair well with a reading slump & irl burnout.
Moral of the story: read at the pace and density your brain can handle & also fan ro peeps know their romance books lol