# What do you do?



## kaotickitten (Jan 9, 2011)

What do you do when you don't feel like reading?  Do you switch books to see if it was just a slow book?  Do you put down your reading and do something else?

I'm just curious cause I am just to bored to read. Would love to here what others do during times like these.


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## JD_Richard (Feb 22, 2012)

This sort of happened to me recently.  Actually, I was trying to do something nice for a relation by reading aloud after we had an argument.  The already conflicted atmosphere did not help with finding a mutually agreeable book.  I was curious about a spooky, Evanovich novel, because I've never read one.  But, the completely unskilled, unrealistic heroine and the language were a problem for me and my relation.  We tried a political, Anonymous, spoof of the Presidency.  But, it was too cold and profane for my relation.  

We were saved by another family member's arrival, which changed the dynamic just as I was ready to give up.  After having a twenty minute, pleasant conversation with them, I was alone again with the question of what to read.  Something about the Evanovich book had left me curious.  So, I picked it up with reservations.  

I completed it!  My initial opinion of the book remains.  Yet, somehow, after leaving it I was able to resume reading it and laugh at the lunacy.  Perhaps by having a conversation, watering the plants, doing a load of laundry, or otherwise giving yourself a short, 15-20 minutes away from whatever it is that you are reading, you too may become willing to read again.


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## flipside (Dec 7, 2011)

Depends on my mood.

Sometimes I do switch to another book.

Sometimes I write.

Sometimes I read a comic. Watch a video. Listen to podcasts. Play games.


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## Stuart S. Laing (Mar 9, 2012)

i generally just listen to some music if I'm not in the mood to read, or if the sun is shining (always a long shot here in Scotland I admit) I go out on my bike. That at least has the advantage of keeping me fit but also allows me to think of where I want the next section of the book I'm writing to go. By the time I get back I'm either bursting with ideas or relaxed and in the mood to pick up the book I was reading again.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Genealogy, watch tv, listen to music or podcasts, browse the net, go for a walk if the weather is nice.


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## IowaGuy (Jan 31, 2012)

I work 2 jobs so I don't find myself having an abundance of free time.  Every moment I get to read is a treasure.  However, if I am just not in the mood I too will play a video game or go on a walk. I like to watch politics as well.  OH another favorite past time of mine is bugging and annoying me wife !


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I quilt, listening to an audio book. Or *gasp* work on optional homework. I know I'm weird.. I do sometimes do the optional stuff on top of the required stuff. Gotta listen to music when doing homework.. Easy listening or light jazz.
Heavy metal is for when I'm doing housework.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

When I don't feel like writing I hang out on Kindle Boards. 

I've always been a movie fiend so I'll probably watch a movie when I don't feel like reading. I also surf the web. I like to read FARK and sometimes comment. 

We now have Streampix and I'm hooked. Finding some pretty good horror movies including very cheesy ones several decades old.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

kaotickitten said:


> What do you do when you don't feel like reading? Do you switch books to see if it was just a slow book? Do you put down your reading and do something else?
> 
> I'm just curious cause I am just to bored to read. Would love to here what others do during times like these.


Well, the truth is..I write. Any threat of real work is likely to get me reading though! 

Now, if I'm having trouble with just every book I pick up, sometimes I'll go read a short story (I don't like short stories, but sometimes just something quick...either annoys me so much I want a real book or it fits the bill to fill in.) I DEFINITELY stop reading slow books or books that aren't working for me. These days I'm faster on the trigger than ever. I don't have a lot of reading time and I'll be danged if I'm going to waste 4 hours to get to the end of a book and find it leaves me cold (it still happens. It still annoys.)

And of course, I am happy to suggest books or short stories for you. Nancy Fulda has a cute short that is just the ticket (Hexes and something. Good short). Frank Tuttle has a set of shorts that is nice --all same world, but nothing so drawn out you feel committed. Wistril Compleat. Read one or two and wander off. It's okay. His Markhat stories are quite good and a couple are novellas so they fit the bill as well.

Oh, I could go on and on, you know me. But I'll stop there.

Psst. Garden. It cures many an ill. Go buy a plant. I heartily recommend a tomato plant indoors in a pot if it's not warm enough yet. Topsy turvy. OR buy bulps. Freesia. AWESOME flower. Awesome. Will bring out the color in your eyes, no matter what color they are.


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## acellis (Oct 10, 2011)

Of course, there are always plenty of other thing to do. But what I should be doing, and quite often do, is write.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

kaotickitten said:


> What do you do when you don't feel like reading?


1. Channel Surf.
2. PlayStation.
3. Zzzzz...


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## Alton Bock (Mar 13, 2012)

I usually switch to a different book. My reading time is limited to about a half hour a day and I have about five things I need to read at one time. So I divide that time up pretty evenly. This keeps me from getting bored. It also keeps me from finishing anything I read too quickly.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

Spend more time with the kids (albeit usually the only time I get to read is when they're asleep  
Write
Play PS3
Watch movies
Catch up on the shows I have DVR'd
Engage in witty online discussions.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I knit..


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## lisamlilly (Feb 12, 2012)

Sometimes I switch books.  If I never get back to the one I was reading, I know it was the book, not my mood.  Other times, I read a magazine or newspaper instead.  I don't get much reading time, so I like to try to read something whenever I get the chance.  Part of why I liked having a Kindle so much is being able to have a bunch of books with me, especially if I'm commuting.


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## Paul Jones (Jun 11, 2011)

I'll take my four dogs out for a very long walk. I've got two lab's, a Malamute, and a German Shepherd. I live near Death Valley, so for a good quarter of the year, it's just too hot to walk them (even at night it rarely gets down below 80), so we have to make the most of the weather during the remaining months.


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## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

I'd probably start crying  I don't think I've ever felt like not reading.


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## jwest (Nov 14, 2011)

I'm with LilianaHart - I cry...all I want to...just cry

Okay, so I don't actually cry  Usually I switch books or genres. I think it's a good time to try something new. If that doesn't work, I don't read for awhile. I take break and do other things. Then one day I realize I have the urge to read again and off I go!


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## kaotickitten (Jan 9, 2011)

Thank all for answering this.  I know I am just in a reading funk.  I think with me it has to do with spring fever and wanting to get rid of stuff around the house.  So I thinking I am feeling guilty everytime I read.  Since I know I have so much to do.  I really appreciate those who answered cause it just made me feel better about being in this reading mood.


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## IowaGuy (Jan 31, 2012)

kaotickitten said:


> Thank all for answering this. I know I am just in a reading funk. I think with me it has to do with spring fever and wanting to get rid of stuff around the house. So I thinking I am feeling guilty everytime I read. Since I know I have so much to do. I really appreciate those who answered cause it just made me feel better about being in this reading mood.


Kao don't even think your by yourself . Some nights I wont pick up a book at all. Albeit, 3 nights a week I am working my night job. However, I do get into funks where I wont read anything for a few days. I find that if I switch between genres it helps a lot. I never read the same genre in a row usually and always have a few books going all from different genres. I like to accomodate any mood I may be in


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

kaotickitten said:


> Thank all for answering this. I know I am just in a reading funk. I think with me it has to do with spring fever and wanting to get rid of stuff around the house. So I thinking I am feeling guilty everytime I read. Since I know I have so much to do. I really appreciate those who answered cause it just made me feel better about being in this reading mood.


I know that guilt. Oh, how I know that guilt. Have you seen the mess around here And I need to bake some bread and also some nikumans for the freezer. At some point a dessert would be nice too and laundry. Ohboy, the laundry. I meant to do that yesterday.

I think I'll go plant some more flowers.


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

If I really don't feel like reading--the book I'm into is interesting but I'm just not in the mood to sit there and read-- tend to play online. Facebook, Fark, reddit... If the weather is nice, though, I'm likely to go for a long ride on the bike. Or a short ride. Any time spent on the bike is happy time


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I have to say, this has rarely, if ever, happened to me.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Rare for me not to be in the mood to read, usually only happens if I have a headache. Supposing I wasn't wanting to read, I'd write, do a crossword or watch a movie.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

Oh, I know all about that guilt of having so much to do that you feel guilty reading, which is usually more fun.

Recently I was in a reading funk. It sometimes happens after I go from reading a "wow" book to an "okay" one. So I picked up the second book from an author I read previously and loved her first book. It did the trick. I started reading it and didn't want to put it down. Now I'm happy to read what I was reading before that funk.


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## Phyllis Lily Jules (Dec 5, 2011)

I usually pair books and movies to give me a nice balance. With gardening and dogs thrown in. 

Mostly I watch Netflix for a particular kind of series that seems to satisfy my need for a good story: a battle between good and evil, character-driven heroes and redeemable villains. My favorites are: Merlin, Kyle XY, Eureka, Jericho, Buffy, Dead Like Me, Jekyll, and my current all-time favorite: Supernatural (with 100 episodes, sigh, I'm in heaven).

I think if I get the right stories, I'm pretty well fed.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

I'm retired, so I can't take a work break.  

As a last resort, I'll turn on the TV, usually History or Military Channel, or maybe play some apps on my Kindle Fire.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Movies, TV, Sports and Video Games are my main hobbies--reading generally comes after those as I read and write a lot for work and need to mix it up.


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

When I'm not in a reading mood, I usually do one or more of the following depending on how much time I have. Make jewelry, play Wii games, play PC games, internet surf, go golfing, watch a movie, go for a walk, go for a drive, plan a vacation (even if I'm not going on one), etc. 
I don't really ever stop reading, I just don't read as much.


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## Chad Wilde Author (Mar 16, 2012)

JimC1946 said:


> I'm retired, so I can't take a work break.
> 
> As a last resort, I'll turn on the TV, usually History or Military Channel, or maybe play some apps on my Kindle Fire.


Stop working so hard already.


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

Singing,dancing,watching TV and learning the Chinese KongFu.


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## Meb Bryant (Jun 27, 2011)

When reading doesn't satisfy my soul (which rarely lasts long), I play tennis (for hours), plant something (which rarely lives long), call a friend/relative or watch the boob tube. Reading is vital to my existence.


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## Shelia A. Huggins (Jan 20, 2011)

Even when I'm about to fall asleep, my eyes half closed and my brain mostly dead, I try to keep reading. But when the reading is not the it thing for me...I'm walking or running, practicing piano, writing, working on documentary projects, and more. I just pick whatever feels right at the moment and go for it.


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## nathanieltimothy (Mar 9, 2012)

it depends on the mood which type of books you want to read


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## 4eyesbooks (Jan 9, 2012)

I watch t.v., play with my kids or work on a project around the house.  After doing some of that I'm usually ready to curl up with a book again.


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## Beatriz (Feb 22, 2011)

kaotickitten said:


> What do you do when you don't feel like reading? Do you switch books to see if it was just a slow book? Do you put down your reading and do something else?
> 
> I'm just curious cause I am just to bored to read. Would love to here what others do during times like these.


When I don't feel like reading, I watch movies. I simply adore my movies and I have a huge collection so I entertain myself royally, then when I go back to reading, I enjoy it immensely.


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## patrickt (Aug 28, 2010)

kaotickitten said:


> What do you do when you don't feel like reading? Do you switch books to see if it was just a slow book? Do you put down your reading and do something else?
> 
> I'm just curious cause I am just to bored to read. Would love to here what others do during times like these.


I have come to the conclusion that the only people who get bored are boring people. Their own company drives them up the wall. If I'm not reading I can bake bread, go take photographs, edit photos I've taken, watch a movie, visit with friends, go to a museum or a gallery, visit the botanical garden, and do about 27,427 other activities. And, not that it matters, but I don't own a television so watching reality television isn't even on that list. There were times in my life when go for a bicycle ride and go fishing were on the list, too, but not now.

I have one acquaintance who if you went through the entire list of activities you would get a, "I don't wanna do that." Another acquaintance can't imagine doing anything that can't be done in a bar. As a last resort, you can go on a forum and hope someone takes pity and entertains you.


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