When I had Covid last fall, I congratulated myself on having a relatively easy case. I went back to work, fever-free, five days after my diagnosis. I didn't feel great, but I was on my feet. I had a sort-of relapse a week later; my doctor said it was doing that- seeming to go away and then the symptoms came back. Then, another week later, I thought it was behind me.
While I was sick, I did my usual thing and found tv shows to re-watch and books to re-read. I went through Lord of the Rings, which isn't the easiest book, but I've probably read it twenty times. But, in the first week after my bout with Covid, before the boomerang Covid, I messed up and checked out an enormous Shakespeare book from the library- Shakespeare the Thinker. And it was really good! But through the end of November and all of December, whenever I could get around to picking it up, I could only read three or four pages before needing a break.
So, I went months with only two or three new books- Shakespeare the Thinker, Spool of Blue Thread, and recently, The Candy House. It isn't the end of the world- I've never been one to count my books or obsess over the number of pages read. I've moved away from having big reading challenges. It's just that I keep adding fantastic-sounding books to my list, and it has made me aware of how many books there are out there! And, I'm spending too much time watching TV. I got into the Marvel Defenders show at some point, and then had to go back and watch the whole series in order according to a list I found online. I binge-watch when I don't feel well. So that's been very time-consuming.
I tried to read a book I'd been looking forward to for awhile. I follow the author on SM and thought I'd love it, but I thought that the main character's choices were too dumb to deal with, so I ditched that one. I feel like I'm ditching books left, right, and center lately. And I can't keep track of them all because for about six weeks after Covid, I had some serious brain fog. I didn't know how bad it was until I came out of it, which, thankfully, I believe I've done. I finished the Shakespeare book and I'm not finding notes to myself that I can't understand or appointments in my calendar that I have no memory of setting.
I also wrote a book challenge post and have no memory of what I wrote in there. I am pretty sure that I made it easy on myself? I don't know if I'm even going to go back and read it. Ugh.
So, here's what getting out of the slump looks like for me: I have checked out several books to read that I'm really excited about, and for the last few, I made myself stop and read a few pages to see if it clicks. So, shouldn't be many DNFs there. I'm finally, finally reading There There by Tommy Orange, and while I like it, it isn't a fun book for me- I'll definitely finish it and it won't take long, but I'm going to start a book that I think will be more of a fun book- The Silence in Her Eyes by Armando Lucas Correa, which I believe will be suspenseful and go by fast. I'm wanting a book that I can't put down. I like There There but I'm wanting to put it down between chapters to let it sink in. So, best of both worlds.
***Well, after writing this, I had a series of headaches, so I had a mini-slump, but I haven't totally gone off my reading. I'm about halfway through both books.