Is It High Time to Move on From "Book-Block"?
Book-block is not another name of writer's block. It's more like reader's block, and a survey, no less than from Reader's Agency, would reveal that 54% of the reading public are suffering from it. The poll is a collation of responses from Britons, and the figure could be higher in America due to reality TV, YouTube, and social media. (And these three don't come in ascending or descending order.) You might wonder if book-block is a new disorder. It depends on where you're coming from.
There's only one cure for book-block, which is giving up. You may not like what you're reading, which can lead to headache and anxiety. It only happens when you're forced to read a book that you don't fancy at all, and it's the usual case in colleges. If you're a freshman student, then you can't bypass Modern literature. You may be quite familiar with the works of Charles Dickens, even seen a small-tube adaptation of "A Christmas Carol", but you won't say the same thing with Virginia Woolf. (A coursemate might have seen "The Hours", making a note on Nicole Kidman's nose. She would play the English author, but most would recall her Emmy-winning performance in "Big Little Lies".) Cinema may (or may not) be another cure for book-block, as CGi can prompt teenage readers to find a hardbound (or paperback) copy.
Let's cite Philip Reeve's "Mortal Engines" quartet, a steampunk series that is another twist on the "Romeo and Juliet" premise. You may be unfamiliar with London's "town-eat-town" mantra, but you would be intrigued at Municipal Darwinism. Reeve based it from the so-called phenomenon that is taking place in Great Britain for decades, which would take a horrific turn during the post-apocalyptic period. History major students can finish Reeve's novels in a couple of weeks or less, but it may be a tall order for students from the other departments. You may be inclined to finish the first book in a few days, as the London of the Traction era would follow Victorian customs. Katherine Valentine might be Reeve's imagining of a Jane Austen heroine, which could spice up your essay paper on a Jane Austen book. Some students might take more time reading the novel, which is not more than three hundred pages long. The Maze Runner comes to mind. (It would be a huge mistake to assume that majority of American readers are high-brow types like their counterparts at the other side of the Atlantic.) If this kind of reading material is making you anxious, there you must find a way immediately. Time is not on your side.
3 Ways to Treat Book-Block
Don't procrastinate on a book (or a genre) that you don't like at all. Writing an essay about it is a requirement that you can't pass it up, so you have no other choice but to read it. You don't have to wait for your professor to announce the assignment on it, as you have been given a syllabus prior to the start of the semester. You should allot all of your free time to reading, so you only have to look back (and browse) at certain pages when you compose the draft (of your essay). Try to read a few chapters each day, if not a chapter every few hours. Details would matter especially if you're a B.A. English student.
Forget about the looming deadline. It can cause you a sharp headache if you keep on thinking about it. And you must not worry about not knowing all the main themes. Try a casual approach to reading unless you have learned to handle the pressure resulting from limited time and a deadline (that you can't afford to miss at all). If this doesn't help at all, then the next tip might do the trick.
Lie down (and take a nap). You may balk at this suggestion, as you would have noticed the other students who are more energetic than you. You even wonder at some, who find the time to attend parties. Keep in mind that you're in the same ground as far as time management is concerned. If you're studying literature, then you should know that a few hours sleep won't give you a clear head the following day. And it's a must. You might have second thoughts about it during this time of the year. (And it would be impossible to do it during the spring semester.) Use an alarm clock. If your roommate doesn't have any plans, then you can ask a favor. (You can return the favor, if not treat your roommate for a box of pizza).
Reading on Phone (or iPad) Can Cause More Complications
Don’t count yourself as lucky if the assigned text has an e-Book version. You can get a headache sooner than you suspect, even bloodshot eyes. You don’t strain your eyes when you’re holding a paperback (or hardbound), as long as you choose the hours when your eyes won’t get heavy (from reading). If you do, then put the book down and stand up. Go out (if you must). You can get back to it later
