Help a fellow TBSLer out of a reading slump

I am just not in the mood to reading anything I can lay my hands on, even books I would normally enjoy. I am hoping for some recommendations to get me out of my reading slump.

I read Marjorie's New Friend over the weekend and enjoyed that. It inspired me to get 35 of Carolyn Wells' books on the Kindle. It turns out that MNF is the 3rd in the series, so I started on the first in the series. And stalled out. Marjorie and Molly are about to get into to trouble again. And I just did not feel like reading about it. Hadn't really read anything at all the week before reading MNF, very unusual for me.

These are books I've started recently, just can't get into them:
After a Famous Victory
The Unseen Guest - the latest Incorribles of Ashton Place.
Quiet
The War That Ended Peace
Marjorie's Vacation
The Time of the Hunter's Moon
Second Term at Trebizon Got annoyed at Tish (well, we are supposed to, but couldn't go on)
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
Pat of Silver Bush
The Secrets of Lost Cats - this wasn't me, it is a "meh" book, I think.
The Good Funeral - perhaps there is never a good time for this? But... I'm planning one.
I read Hickory because it was short, but it didn't do much for me and it is a charming book.

This list represents my usual categories of reading and are books that I am very likely to read in the future (except the cat one), it is just that none of them are working for me right now.

The most recent book I really enjoyed (other than Marjorie's New Friend) is The Lark On the Wing.

I have so many wonderful new-to-me books on the Kindle on on my shelves, I can't even talk myself into a re-read. Anyway, I re-read a lot of favorites over the last year or so, I am not ready to re-read them again.

I have no interest in mysteries right now, for some reason, haven't for months. Usually cozy mysteries are one of my categories. SF and fantasy are not my usual reads, although I have some recommended ones on deck for when I am in the right mood. I am a VERY moody reader. What is weird is not being in the the mood to read at all. Well, I still read, I am catching up on my weekly news magazine, but that is just because it is there. I suppose I'll catch up on my weekly science news magazine next.

I am going away soon for a week and will be able to take time for reading if I want to. I am hoping you fine folks can recommend something to take with me that will pull me out of this slump.

Sometimes I clear my reading palate with short stories. One of my favorite collections is One Basket by Edna Ferber. Another favorite is The Home Front by Margaret Craven. The first largely features middle-class Americana in the '20s and 30's; the second is WWII-era pieces.

I'm going to suggest some old favorites that are a bit out of the ordinary. The Secret Language by Ursula Nordstrom is my favorite school story of all, and Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker is a lovely coming of age story about a young woman growing up in Montana farm country in the 1940's. If you liked Hickory, I highly recommend Beyond the PawPaw trees by the same author.

Why don't you take a reading break? Do some crossword puzzles or online games or something. Or cross stitch or knitting. Put the books you started aside, and don't even look at them until the slump is over--some of them are too good to waste if you heart isn't in it. When you go on your trip, take your Kindle so you'll have something if the urge hits, but don't force yourself to read. Even I've been known to take the occasional reading break ;-) It can be sort of a brain refresher.

Pick up a couple of magazines. Somehow reading a magazine seems less serious than reading a book, even when the magazine is more serious than the book. Also, magazines often break down into much shorter bits even than short stories.

Handwork, like >4 SylviaC: suggests is also a good suggestion. If you don't do needlework, try getting a good colouring book and some nice coloured pencils. Dover has some quite good ones, and I also like mandalas. (my favourite alternative to reading is spinning with a spindle, but that isn't everyone's cup of tea.)

I see that Greenwillow is in your To Read collection.

That'd be my recommendation.

Is there anything outside of what you usually like but that you have wished that you had read?

>4 SylviaC: "Even I've been known to take the occasional reading break ;-) "

* falls down in a faint *

This has never happened to me before when I had what I think of as "A" and "B" list books on the deck. It is all the fault of you fine folks with your recommendations that I discovered that apparently I DO have reading slumps. Probably did before, I just blamed it on the lack of appealing reading material.

>6 2wonderY: Greenwillow was added to Amazon wish list - I have a birthday coming up
>5 MarthaJeanne: I'll bring my Science News magazines along with me. I do have some mosaic coloring books somewhere. A book that came after I posted was Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain. I've been reading little bits of it. I'll probably bring it on vacation with me - it will exercise a different part of my brain. No handwork for me.
>4 SylviaC: I've been doing lots of logic puzzles and started playing Ascension against the AI on my iPad. Except for the one, they are all books I fully expect to get back to. It really bothered me that NONE of them appealed right now, but I am getting over it.
>3 aviddiva: The Secret Language and Winter Wheat are on their way from Alibris, although they may sit for a bit. I think @SylviaC and @MarthaJeanne are right and I may just need a break. I couldn't finish the previous sentence. Guess I'm still a bit freaked out...
>2 gmathis: One Basket is on my Kindle - it was free! I initially confused The Home Front with another book I wasn't crazy about, but have duly recorded it on my TBR list. Couldn't find a Kindle version.
>7 BonnieJune54: As I said earlier, I think maybe I jut need a break from ... uh... reading?!? Still rocking my world a bit to say that.

Thank you kindly for coming to my aid. I treasure recommendations from this group, I know that they have a very high probability of appealing to me.

Meanwhile, tomorrow I go away for the weekend with 150-200 folks that I mostly know (at least by sight, if not by name as well). I have not seen the vast majority of them for months. I'll be able to catch up with folks and play lots of board games. Probably exactly what I need right now. Then, a week later we go away to a house on the beach with a few of the same folks and some others for a whole week of board games. Usually I do some reading, too, but perhaps not this year. *shudder*

>1 MDGentleReader: "... 35 of Carolyn Wells' books on the Kindle. ... I have so many wonderful new-to-me books on the Kindle ..."

>8 MDGentleReader: " ... playing Ascension against the AI on my iPad."

Could the format be part of the problem? How about leaving the gadgets at home, and taking a few books?

>9 Cynfelyn: Most of them were actually books. I do find electronic format less compelling, though, I admit.

>8 MDGentleReader: Do you suppose if I just showed up I would blend anonymously into the group for the beach week? I would take up very little space, not bother anyone with inane chatter, and just luxuriate in a quiet week to read. I would bring lots of good tea. :)

My Sweetie's Mom offers to "chaperone" regularly :-).

There is a comfy sofa that you will often find a congenial reader (or maybe a knitter) to share with and a couple of wing back chairs that have foot rests that come out. I don't think the sofa in the loft or the one in the second floor lounge are taken this year for sleeping space. Not sure, we haven't chosen rooms yet. "Only" 12 bedrooms, you see.

We have a few tea drinkers would would appreciate the tea and share their favorites with you. We have a nice teapot with a beautiful hand knitted cozy that shows up every year.

You might need to be willing to learn a game or two, though. That's part of the deal. Great group to learn from and we wouldn't expect more than a game or pltwo out of you, if we really needed someone to make up the numbers. Or you know indoctrinate into introduce to our world.

We have folks being picked up from the Norfolk and the Richmond airport if you need to fly in.

>3 aviddiva: I loved The Secret Language! I used to steal borrow it from my sister's bookshelves when we were kids.

>12 MDGentleReader: If only! Sounds lovely! You have yourself a lovely and luxurious time.

So far we have only committed to bringing 216 games this year. A couple of folks haven't posted their games to the list, though. I've done basically no reading at all this last week. Very strange. Probably good, though, I have way too many things to do.

Pretty soon you'll be keen to read anything! Have fun on your board game holiday.