Reading Slumps and The Guilt of Unread Books
It's neither you nor is it me. It's the economy.
I've always identified as a reader, if not by choice, then by reputation. To the few people who know me well, I’ve always been "the girl who reads." Back in college, before my Kindle era, my bag was heavier with novels than with textbooks or notebooks, because one book was never enough.
For as long as I can remember, I read relentlessly, regardless of how much required reading I had for class. I stayed up nights, devouring books in days, sometimes hours. The idea of a "reading slump" was completely foreign to me, until recently.
In economics, a slump is a period of declining activity, often triggered by external shocks, diminishing demand, or changing market conditions. A reading slump follows a similar trajectory,a downturn in reading habits caused by an inability to sustain interest.. Just as economies struggle to recover without the right stimulus, a reader in a slump waits for the right book to reignite their momentum.
As I emerge from yet another reading slump (definitely not my first rodeo), I can’t help but wonder: Are these lulls just personal struggles, or do they reflect something larger? Could our reading slumps be shaped by economic trends, consumer psychology, and even the way we buy books?
Should my kindle be persecuted? Let’s find out.
I’d be blatantly lying if I said I haven’t felt a little detached from my Kindle. Now, don’t get me wrong, if you asked me which gadget I refuse to leave the house without, my answer (nine times out of ten) would be my Kindle. I can survive just fine without my phone, but there are moments when the tangible experience of holding a physical book is simply unmatched. I crave that.
But here’s the catch: physical books are expensive, they take up an alarming amount of space, and let’s be honest, I am fresh out of shelf real estate. Plus, my once-reliable borrowing options? Gone. So, am I guilty of Kindle neglect? Maybe. But let’s dig deeper, shall we?
Research Seems to Echo My Feelings:
E-books are receiving acceptance, but physical books still reign supreme. According to a study by the Pew Research Center, the share of adults who have read a print book in the past 12 months still outpaces those using other formats. However, 30% now report reading an e-book in that time frame, a number that, interestingly, hasn’t changed much since 2011. (Seriously, how are people still reading so many physical books? Could it be the magic of libraries? A debate for another day.)
But here’s the real question: while Kindle adoption is growing, is it being used to its full potential? A European study suggests otherwise. Researchers found that Kindle users were "significantly" worse than paperback readers at recalling when events occurred in a mystery story. In the study, 50 participants read the same 28-page short story by Elizabeth George: half on a Kindle, half in paperback. When tested on details like objects, characters, and settings, the paperback readers outperformed their digital counterparts.
A similar study in the Middle East explored university students' reading preferences. While 74.6% appreciated e-books for their portability and 80.6% spent over an hour reading them, a strong 66.7% still preferred print for ease of studying, and 67.9% found it easier to take notes on paper. Interestingly, 54% admitted that studying from digital copies felt difficult, a reminder that convenience doesn’t always translate to effectiveness.
So, what’s the takeaway? Even research confirms that while e-books offer undeniable convenience, they might not be the best for retention. Looks like my Kindle-induced existential crisis isn’t so unfounded after all.
The Jury Is Still Out: Is the Kindle Helping or Hurting Our Reading Habits?
Can we really blame reading slumps on retention struggles or the lack of a "complete reading experience"? I think it runs deeper than that.
Time and again, I find myself overwhelmed by the sheer number of books on my Kindle. Instead of diving into a title, I suffer from decision fatigue: caught in the paradox of too many choices. The result? I abandon my Kindle entirely, open YouTube, binge BookTube recommendations, and add even more books to my ever-growing digital library. Because, after all, it’s just a click away.
The Pitfall of Unlimited Access: Are We Collecting Instead of Reading?
One of the biggest advantages of e-books is also their biggest drawback, they make acquiring books too easy. No waiting, no bookstore visits, no real friction. But does this convenience make readers more likely to collect books rather than actually read them? And could this habit be fueling reading slumps?
Since e-books don’t take up physical space, there’s no guilt in accumulating them. Discounts, subscription services, and impulse buying lead to digital hoarding, with many books left untouched. This phenomenon can be linked to the endowment effect, a behavioral heuristic in which we place greater value on things we physically own.
With print books, ownership feels real, you can hold them, display them, stack them on your bedside table as a silent reminder. The weight of an unread book carries a certain pressure to pick it up. E-books, on the other hand, exist in an intangible digital space, reducing emotional attachment and perceived value. This lack of urgency leads to more unfinished books and, ultimately, a disengaged reading habit.
Even more telling is data from Kobo:
Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch—37th on the bestseller list, was only completed by 44.4% of British readers.
Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave, a cultural landmark, was finished by just 28.2% of readers.
Even the #1 bestselling e-book in the UK, One Cold Night by Katia Lief, had a completion rate of just 69%.
E-books are undeniably convenient. They offer accessibility, affordability, and a limitless library at our fingertips. But they also foster a culture of excess, where books become more about accumulation than consumption. The lack of tangibility, the overabundance of choice, and the reduced sense of commitment all contribute to a pattern of unfinished books and, ultimately, reading slumps.
So, is the Kindle to blame? Not entirely.
I also have a stack of physical books that have been on my TBR for quite some time. But when I’m not reading, even that gorgeous, overflowing stack can’t always snap me out of a slump. The anticipation of picking up a new book is thrilling, yet when the slump hits, neither the sight of my unread books nor the endless options on my Kindle can break the cycle.
Anticipation Vs Acquisition Effect: Why Buying Books Feels Better Than Reading Them
The act of accumulating books, whether physical or digital, is often more satisfying than actually reading them. This can be explained through two behavioral psychology concepts: the anticipation effect and the acquisition effect, both of which influence consumer habits, especially among book lovers.
1. The Anticipation Effect: The Thrill of the Potential Read
The anticipation effect suggests that people derive more pleasure from looking forward to an experience than from the experience itself. Studies have shown that humans feel heightened excitement when they anticipate something enjoyable, whether it's a vacation, a concert, or, in this case, the act of reading a book.
A study found that the excitement of anticipating a purchase can be more pleasurable than actually owning or using the item. For readers, this means:
Discovering a new book, imagining how much we’ll enjoy it, and picturing ourselves immersed in its world provide a dopamine boost.
The excitement peaks before the purchase, once the book is bought, reality sets in, and the urgency to read it diminishes.
This explains why book lovers often have long To-Be-Read (TBR) lists: the idea of reading is as gratifying; if not more so than actually doing it.
The Acquisition Effect: The Illusion of Progress
The acquisition effect plays a slightly different role. It refers to the tendency to feel a sense of accomplishment just by owning something, even if we never use it. This is particularly relevant to book buying.
The moment we acquire a book, we feel we’ve taken a step toward reading it, even if we don’t actually start.
Buying books creates an illusion of productivity and self-improvement, making us feel intellectually enriched without doing the work of reading.
This explains why Kindle deals and bookstore sales are so tempting: Each purchase feels like a small victory, even though it adds to an ever-growing pile of unread books.
The result? A never-ending TBR pile that grows faster than we can read.
Buying books makes us feel more productive and intellectual, which translates into reading to be rooted in intellect and even culture, it is viewed more as a discretionary activity or leisure, it is not a necessity, which translates that reading habits and even slumps and even book sales can mirror economic activities and larger trends and even shifts in consumer behaviour.
Reading Slumps and the Economy is there a connection:
When the economy is thriving: Book sales go up because people have more disposable income. Hardcover sales flourish, indie bookstores thrive, and collector’s editions suddenly seem like reasonable investments.
When the economy takes a hit: Books can become a "luxury cut." Expensive hardcovers are skipped in favor of paperbacks, second-hand books, and e-books (which are often cheaper).
There’s also a shift in what people read during tough times. According to Nielsen BookScan, sales of self-help and financial literacy books spiked during economic downturns (because suddenly, everyone wants to learn how to budget and get their life together). Meanwhile, fiction sales tend to dip, unless it’s something comforting or escapist (more on that in a bit).
Are Reading Slumps More Common During Economic Uncertainty?
Short answer? Yes.
Longer answer? It depends on a mix of stress, money, and how people cope with uncertainty.
Stress and Mental Fatigue – Financial worries take up mental space. When people are stressed, they’re less likely to engage in deep-focus activities like reading.
Spending Priorities Shift – When budgets tighten, non-essential purchases (like books) are often the first to go.
Increased Screen Consumption – Let’s be honest, when life gets stressful, scrolling through social media or binging TV feels a lot easier than picking up a book.
Buying books and reading books are two entirely different hobbies, any book lover will tell you that (and is equally guilty of it). There’s an undeniable satisfaction in stacking up fresh, unread books, even when, especially when you know you won’t get to them anytime soon. It’s a shared indulgence, a quiet comfort we all partake in.
But reading slumps? They’re not just personal struggles. They’re shaped by a mix of economics, psychology, and society. The paradox of book ownership, the impact of discretionary spending, and broader financial trends all influence whether books become luxuries, coping mechanisms, or just another item on our ever-growing to-do list.
So, the next time you feel guilty about your unread TBR pile, remember: it’s not just you, it’s a phenomenon backed by both psychology and economics. (Though, let’s be honest, you should probably read those books anyway.)