Books and Burnout: How I Fell Back in Love With Reading (Discussion)

Books and Burnout: How I Fell Back in Love With Reading

There’s a certain irony to feeling overwhelmed by books when you love them so much.

Reading is my safe space. My escape. My favourite form of connection, discovery, and challenge. But over time, that joy started to feel like a checklist. A deadline. A pressure. And I know I’m not alone in that.

This post is about what it’s like to hit reading burnout, especially as a book reviewer, and how I slowly, gently found my way back to loving reading again.

When Reading Stops Feeling Fun

As a book blogger, I’ve been lucky to receive advance copies, work with publishers, and have a platform to share what I love. But with that comes a constant pull to keep up. There’s always a new release to highlight. A review to write. A post to draft.

There was a point (and maybe you're in it now) where I realized:

• I hadn’t picked a book just because I wanted to in weeks
• I was reading books I wasn’t excited about, just to check a box
• I felt guilty when I wasn’t reading
• I was dreading writing reviews, even for books I enjoyed
• I was overwhelmed with choice and deadlines, feeling like I had no agency over my reading life.

Reading had become a chore, and even though I was surrounded by incredible stories, I felt… disconnected. That was my reading burnout.

How I Started Rebuilding My Reading Life

Coming out of burnout wasn’t about reading more. It was about reading differently. Here are some of the small but powerful changes I made.

1. I Gave Myself Permission to Read Whatever

I stopped reaching for ARCs or buzzy titles and picked up books I’d owned for years or comfort rereads. No pressure, no deadline—just something that felt easy.

This year, that book was Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega.

I picked it up on a whim after weeks of feeling stuck—half-reading books I wasn’t connecting with, abandoning ARCs that felt like work, and staring at my shelves feeling nothing. But the moment I started Witchlings, I remembered what it felt like to be swept away.

The world was whimsical but grounded, full of warmth and danger in equal measure. Seven Salazar’s journey as a Spare trying to prove her worth in a system that underestimated her echoed something I didn’t know I needed. There’s something profoundly comforting about reading a story where friendship, bravery, and magic are enough to fight back against unfair systems.

It wasn’t just a book I enjoyed. It was a reminder: that reading can still feel like wonder. That stories still have the power to reach through the fog of burnout and say, “Hey. You’re still a reader. And you still love this.”

 

2. I Let Myself Read Slowly (or Not at All)

Some weeks, I read one chapter. Some, none. I removed the expectation that I had to read daily. When I did pick up a book, it felt like a choice again, not a job.

3. I Switched Up Formats

Audiobooks, novellas, graphic novels. Really anything that changed the pace helped. It reminded me that “reading” doesn’t have to mean a 500-page epic fantasy every time.

Palette cleansers were also really good for this! I found books that were comforting to me that I knew would make me happy every time I read that genre.

4. I Stopped Forcing Reviews

Not every book needs a full blog post. Sometimes I’d just share a quick sentence or rating. Sometimes… I didn’t say anything at all. And that was okay. Of course, I still reviewed my ARCs, but some of the other books? I just said nothing about them at all.

Book Reviewing and Burnout

Reviewing books adds a whole other layer. If you’re like me, it’s not just about reading for fun—it’s also about content. That can start to shape how you experience books.

You might start asking:

• “Is this quote review-worthy?”
• “How can I talk about this on Instagram?”
• “Will this appeal to my audience?”

And while all of that is part of the gig, it can also take you out of the story. That’s when I knew I had to recalibrate. Not every book needed to be “content.” Some just needed to be mine.

I used to think I had to review everything I read, especially if it was an ARC or a “big” title getting a lot of buzz. I felt pressure to stay ahead, to be useful, to be relevant. But trying to keep that pace meant I was always behind, and instead of feeling inspired, I felt drained.

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What helped me shift was narrowing my focus. I started prioritizing reviews for books that aligned with what I actually care about: inclusive, diverse stories, especially from Canadian and  marginalized authors in the science fiction and fantasy space. That focus became an anchor. I wasn’t trying to review everything, just the stories that added something meaningful to the conversation.

I still take on ARCs, but now I ask myself: Does this book reflect the kind of reading life I want to have? Will this review help someone find a book they feel seen by? And sometimes the answer is no and that’s okay. I don’t owe anyone a reading pace that burns me out.

Letting go of that expectation helped me reconnect with why I review in the first place. And now, when I do sit down to write, it’s with purpose, not pressure.

 

How I Prioritize Reading Now

Reading still matters to me. Deeply. But I approach it differently.
Here’s what I do now to keep the joy intact:

• I build reading time into my routine. Not as a to-do list, but as a transition moment from work to personal life.
• I plan less in advance. My TBR is more vibes-based than a strict schedule.
• I read based on mood, not pressure. If a book doesn’t grab me, I set it aside with no guilt.
• I remind myself that it’s okay to take breaks. From books. From posting. From “keeping up.”

This slower, more intuitive rhythm has brought back the spark I was missing. And it’s made reviewing feel enriching again instead of exhausting.

Let’s Talk About It

Have you experienced reading or reviewing burnout?

What helped you come back to reading? What are you still struggling with?

Whether you're a casual reader or a content creator, your reading experience matters. And it’s okay to need a break from something you love.

💌 I’d love to hear your story in the comments or link me to a book that helped you fall back in love with reading.