Do you ever feel like you’re in a reading rut? That you don’t read enough variety? That you need to branch out, spread your literary wings and explore other genres, flavors, styles?

Most definitely.  I get on reading kicks and can't stop.  A couple of months ago, I started reading Christian historical romance and just kept reading.  Even after I stopped enjoying the genre.  I also go through different life phases.  In high school I read basically the classics of literature.  In college, I turned back to horror (Anne Rice mostly).  I tend to pick up a book and if I love it, I get more by that author and/or more just like it.  Sometimes this can be turn tiresome.  I find myself not really paying attention to what I'm reading.  Maybe because it's the same style or even the same story.  I have to break myself out of the rut.

That's why my blog and reading challenges are amazing; they are helping me branch out.  Sure I'm still reading a lot of what I already love, but I'm learning to try new genres and new authors.  Without the reading challenges, I would not have picked up The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff.  But I did, and I loved it!  It's also turned me on some great books within the genres I love such as The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (zombies).

Now I just need to fix my time rut.  I never feel like I have enough hours in a day to read.  And when I schedule time to read, sometimes I feel like it's a chore instead of a joy.  Need to work on that rut!