How to get out of a reading rut, according to one of Seattle's most decorated readers

August 28, 2025 / 2:23 pm

caption: Meet Me Here co-host Katie Campbell recently interviewed Stesha Brandon from the Seattle Public Library about getting out of a reading rut. This image is a classic meme from the 1997 movie "Titanic," in which an elderly Rose laments, "It's been 84 years." In this version of the meme, Rose says, "It's been 84 years since I read a book."

Online reading companions like The StoryGraph and the Libby app have made tracking how many books you read easier than ever.

And that might cause some anxiety among the most avid bookworms.

If your literary friends have read dozens of books this year but you've barely cracked one, you may be in a reading rut. Rest assured: It happens to everyone, even in a literal literary city like Seattle.

Stesha Brandon's been there — and her work is all about books. She's the literature and humanities program manager at the Seattle Public Library, and she serves on the Seattle City of Literature Board. She reads. A lot. But she's not immune to the occasional reading slump.

So, we brought her to the studio to share her tips for getting out of the rut and back into your reading groove.

1. Interrogate the rut.

Brandon recommended starting to crawl out of the rut by asking yourself how you got there in the first place.

Are you trying to read something you're not that into, or are you bummed that you're no longer reading the last book you finished?

"If it's the latter, maybe just take a moment," she said.

You can take time to sit with a book you loved before moving on. And when you're ready, Brandon suggested finding similar books. They could be by the same author, exist in the same universe, or tackle the same themes.

The rut could also be about the time you spend reading — or don't.

"Think about when you might read in your spare time, when normally you'd be looking at your phone," she said. "If I'm waiting for an elevator, I might read a page or two, or if I'm waiting to get my oil changed, you know, that kind of thing. Then you're kind of always reading."

2. Create momentum.

Once you open up your next book, find ways to create momentum and keep the read exciting.

To do that, Brandon borrowed a tip from a writer: "This writer told me that he stopped writing in the middle of a sentence, because then the next day, when he would come back to writing, he was sort of already in the middle of the momentum," she said.

She accomplished the same thing as a reader by stopping in the middle of a chapter rather than finishing it. So the next time she picks that book up, she's already in the middle of the action.

3. Ask a bookworm.

Get recommendations from a bookworm, someone who will ask thoughtful questions about what you like and who has the knowledge to suggest something you might enjoy.

If you're the person giving recommendations, that means listening to what another reader is looking for and not just suggesting something out of left field just because you liked it.

"First, I would ask folks what they have been reading and what they enjoyed most in the recent past, and get that vibe," Brandon said of her approach. "Then, I might ask them a little bit more deeply about what it was about the book that they liked. Was it the world it was in, the world-building? Are you a plotty reader? Was it the characters? That will help [me] direct [you] to books that might vibe with you more."

And if you don't have a bookish friend like Brandon to turn to, visit one of the many independent shops in the city to get recommendations for our local booksellers.

4. Don't force it.

Remember, you're reading for yourself. This is about what you like, what you want to spend your valuable time on. Don't force yourself to keep reading something you're not into.

Brandon said punishing yourself by reading something you don't like may lead to avoidant behavior. You might start finding other things to do instead, digging yourself deeper into that reading rut because you can't stand to even look at the offending book.

(Side note: I did this with Salman Rushdie's 1993 novel "Midnight's Children." I'm ashamed to say it was not for me. But because the book was so widely celebrated — and I felt like I had to read it — I tried for weeks to get through it. Long story short, my subconscious intervened; I lost it on vacation. My slog ended unceremoniously, and I do not intend to try again.)

If you find yourself struggling to read something, let yourself put it down, Brandon said. Walk away. Come back to it later, but only if you want to.

5. Go to the library!

The most sure-fire solution is to go to your local library! Whether you go in person or use services online, the Seattle Public Library can help.

Brandon especially recommended the library's "Your Next Five Books" service.

Readers write in with a few books they've loved or hated, and librarians write back with five suggestions curated just for you.

"They're happy to help you kind of get back into that reading groove," Brandon said.

(Whatever you do, though, don't take a library book into the bath. We've been warned.)

You can also join the KUOW Book Club for monthly Pacific Northwest reads and even more recommendations in the newsletter I put out three times a month.

You can get even more recommendations and hear more from Stesha Brandon on KUOW's "Meet Me Here," or by playing the interview embedded above.

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Katie Campbell
Online Editor/Reporter

Katie joined KUOW's online team as an editor and reporter in 2024, after serving three years as senior producer of the local Morning Edition program. She has covered a variety of local topics, including the Seattle City Council, elections, and breaking news. She also brings readers some levity with a weekly news quiz.
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