Stuck in a Reading Slump: How My Kindle and BookTok Are Conspiring Against Me

Alright, let’s talk about something that’s currently haunting me: my reading slump. I’ve been in this weird, endless loop where my Kindle feels like a never-ending abyss of unread books, and my BookTok feed has become a dark comedy where I’m still seeing the same tropes pop up over and over again. I’m officially stuck, and I need a way out.

So, what do I do when I need inspiration? I turn to BookTok, obviously. Because if there’s one thing BookTok is good at, it’s making me think I’m missing out on some amazing read. I mean, one minute I’m just trying to find something new to read, and the next minute I’m watching someone sob over a book that I swear I’ve already read, but with a different title and cover. The BookTok algorithm knows me too well, and it always sends me down the same route: small town romance, cowboy romance, enemies to lovers... rinse, repeat. And you know what? I’m bored. So bored. I don’t want to hear another story about the grumpy, brooding cowboy falling for the sweet, feisty city girl. I get it. The tension is great, but my heart can’t handle any more of it.

So, I do what I do best when I need book inspiration: I scroll. And scroll. And scroll. I spend what feels like hours looking at more videos of the same plotlines, over and over again, and it’s like I’m stuck in some kind of romance purgatory. I’ve read every book in the “enemies to lovers” genre that exists. I have. I’m practically on a first-name basis with every small-town bookstore owner. I know exactly how each fake dating plot is going to unfold, and yet—here I am—watching yet another BookTok video that tells me it’s going to be “the one that changes my life.”

But... here's the problem. It doesn’t. I’m done. I’m in this weird place where I’m craving something fresh. Like, really fresh. Something that will shake me out of this never-ending cycle of romance tropes. Maybe a thriller, a true crime podcast-style novel, or—gasp—maybe even a historical fiction book that isn’t about a brooding duke falling in love with a wayward, strong-willed woman (do we see the trend yet?).

And let’s not even talk about my Kindle. I swear my Kindle is trolling me. You know those “Stuff Your Kindle” days? Yeah, I’ve made the mistake of getting a little too excited about every “freebie” or “99p special,” and now, my Kindle is jam-packed with every book under the sun. It’s like a digital bookshelf exploded, and now it’s just... there. Staring at me. Reminding me of every unread book I’ve collected like I’m some kind of e-book hoarder. I open it up, and it’s like looking into a disorganized mess of titles, none of which are speaking to me. I feel like I’m trapped in the library of forgotten dreams.

I know, I know, I’m being dramatic. But I desperately want something new, something that’ll make me feel that initial excitement again—the “oh my god, I need to finish this book right now” feeling. But every time I scroll through my Kindle or flip through BookTok, I end up closing the app and doing absolutely nothing instead. It’s an endless cycle of indecision.

Here’s the kicker though: I’m not alone in this. There are a ton of us out there scrolling through our e-readers or BookTok for the perfect book, only to find that the book we need doesn’t exist in the algorithm we’ve trained. We’re stuck in the “romance loop,” and I know there are many of you nodding along right now, laughing in solidarity.

So, I’ve decided to take a stand. No more falling for the same plotlines. I’m going off the beaten path, switching things up—maybe even picking up a fantasy novel or a literary fiction masterpiece I’ve been avoiding. If my Kindle doesn’t want me to find something new, I’m going to make it happen myself. Time to face the reality that maybe, just maybe, I need to step away from BookTok for a minute and pick up something that’s not trying to tell me what I should be reading. Who knows, I might find my new favorite book in a genre I didn’t even know existed.

In the meantime, though, if you’re feeling the same way—stuck in a loop of small-town love and cowboy drama—don’t worry. You’re not alone. Together, we’ll break free. Maybe we’ll even start a BookTok trend that’s not about cowboys or fake dating. (Can you imagine?) And who knows, maybe that next perfect book is just one scroll away... or, you know, maybe it’s just sitting on your Kindle, waiting for you to finally pick it up.