Reading slumps are not a personal failing

A reading slump has a particular way of messing with your self-image. It is not just that you are not reading. It is that you feel like you are no longer the kind of person who reads.

Which is dramatic, yes. But also understandable, because reading is not just a hobby. For many of us it is a coping mechanism, a joy, an identity, a private home we carry around.

So when the door won’t open, it can feel like something has gone wrong with you.