Technologies

Reading Slump? 6 Tips to Help You Get Through Your ‘To Be Read’ List

Bibliophiles: This one’s for you.

My one New Year’s resolution for 2023 was to read more books. As a new mom with a full-time job, I thought I might as well have been planning a trip to the moon. I’ve always loved reading, but the days of devouring books like I did in school are few and far between. For many of us, the responsibilities of everyday life have taken the place of reading an entire book in a day, as we did as kids.

A constant list of to-dos doesn’t stop me from adding book after book to my To Be Read list. But as I watch the list grow, I often feel a pang of worry that I won’t get through it. Just like being too busy, a reading slump can take the wind out of your literary sails.

TikTok trending video — BookTok is a portion of TikTok dedicated to books.

James Martin/CNET

But you can get back into reading, and the journey is entirely your own. Whether you need to organize your books, make a reading plan or find better book recommendations, there are online tools to help meet your needs. Here are a few tips to get you turning pages once again.

Check out BookTok

If you’re looking to climb out of a reading slump or get more recommendations, the internet is always a great place to start. BookTok, the corner of TikTok that’s about reading and books, will introduce you to other avid readers. Search «BookTok» in TikTok and you’ll be flooded with recommendations and reviews, and roundups by genre or plot trope. You’ll also encounter content creators just sharing the joy of reading.

If you need somewhere to start, check out creators @bumblebeezus, @mynameismarines and @zai_rambles.

No desire to join TikTok? No worries. You can also find the same type of content on YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest. I’ve gotten dozens of recommendations from social media sites, and I have more than a dozen tabs open in my mobile browser from sites like Book Riot or Buzzfeed Books.

Start a reading journal

I can easily lose an hour scrolling through posts on Tumblr, Pinterest and TikTok about reading journals. The journals serve as a creative space loaded with stickers, doodles and tiny printed book covers, and they also provide a method of tracking and keeping to your reading goals.

The #BookTok Journal

$20 at Amazon

If you want to start from scratch, just find a notebook and a pen. Or you can go the extra creative mile and invest in some stickers, markers, washi tape and colorful pens. Your journal can be as detailed or basic as you want. I have a pretty simple book journal that I found at Barnes and Noble. I use it to track the basics — how many books I’ve read, how long it took me to read a given title, the book’s format, my rating and general thoughts. And, of course, I spice things up with stickers and doodles. I’ve also used a digital reading journal purchased for about $20 on Etsy. You can also snag a BookTok themed journal with premade pages on Amazon.

Use a book-tracking app

Goodreads app — Here’s what a list can look like on Goodreads.

Shelby Brown/CNET

If you aren’t keen to keep up with a physical journal, there are plenty of book-tracking apps that can live on your phone, tablet or computer. I’ve been a dedicated Goodreads user for several years. The app lets you organize your books into lists, or shelves — like Want to Read, Currently Reading, Read — but you can also make your own shelf or tag to track whatever you want. You can leave reviews, take a reading challenge, get book recommendations and talk to other readers. Some authors are active on Goodreads, so you might even get a response from your favorite writer.

Goodreads is by no means the only book-tracking app. Other options include apps like StoryGraph and Bookly.

Download or make a book-tracking spreadsheet

If you want something in between a journal and an app, you can download or build your own book-tracker in Excel or Google Sheets. Both programs have dozens of features to track your reading down to the finest detail.

I’ve created my own basic spreadsheet, which was a lot of work. If you’re not familiar with spreadsheets — or you’re a fan of instant gratification like me — you can purchase a premade spreadsheet and download it to your device.

I purchased a book-tracking spreadsheet on Etsy for about $2.50, and it’s become one of my favorite tracking methods. The creator, ToadstoolsTerrariums, has space for wish lists, genres, ratings, notes and general thoughts. ToadstoolTerrariums’ pie graph feature — which shows a colorful breakdown of your genres and ratings — is what really sets it apart from others.

Downloadable premade book tracker spreadsheet

$2 at Etsy

Try a reading challenge

Reading challenges require no notebooks, apps or spreadsheets (unless you want them to). Like book journals and spreadsheets, however, your reading challenge can be as detailed or simple as you want. Google «reading challenges» and dive into a plethora of creative options. I’ve challenged myself to read 30 books this year, and I’m tracking my progress via the Goodreads app.

You can also attempt the PopSugar reading challenge, read 100 classics, read only award-winners, authors of color or female authors — or you could simply decide to read one book per month.

Fable book club app — Want to talk to other readers about your favorite books? The Fable app is a great place to go.

Shelby Brown/CNET

Join a book club (IRL or online)

Tracking books is one thing. But for me, talking about them with other readers is the real joy. For a long time, book clubs conjured images of living rooms and finger-sandwiches in the suburbs (and the older I get, the more attractive that sounds). But a book club can be anything you want: a gathering of all your friends, a quick text, or sending a meme, or just reading a book in tandem with someone else. You can even create and join book clubs through apps like Fable, forums on Reddit and Discord, and websites like Reedsy and Bookclubs.com.

For more, check out 10 ways to download and read books online for free, how to get library books with an app, and the best free books to read on Kindle and Apple Books.

Technologies

Anti-Prime Deal: Get a PS5 Slim and One of My Favorite Games for $106 Off With This Walmart Discount

Astro Bot is easily one of the best showcases of the PS5 Slim’s features and performance. Score both the game and the console together for just $453 today at Walmart.

If you’ve been on the fence about jumping into the current generation of 4K console gaming (or have been waiting for a good time to add a Sony PlayStation 5 to your gaming arsenal), today is a good day to make your move. As part of its anti-Prime Day counteroffensive, Walmart has the PS5 Slim console with Astro Bot bundle (packing in one of my favorite games on the platform) for $453, a massive $106 discount.

The PS5 boasts impressive graphic horsepower, and the slim variant on offer packs that power into a smaller, more shelf-friendly package. This is also the version that retains its optical disc drive, so you’ll still be able to borrow physical games from friends or save money by picking up pre-owned copies of older favorites.

However, the features that most capture my attention are packed into the console’s included DualSense wireless controller. The controller features haptic triggers, an evolution of the familiar rumble feedback that adds variable resistance and feel to the left and right trigger buttons. It’s the sort of thing you have to feel to truly understand. Fortunately, the adorable Astro Bot — one of the showcases of everything the console and controller’s haptics can do — is included in the bundle.

Looking for more Prime Day deals? CNET’s text deals are an easy way to keep up with the latest sales. And hey, it’s free!

Astro Bot is the sequel to the pack-in Astro’s Playroom, building out the world of PlayStation’s cutesy robotic mascot with platforming stages that showcase the PS5’s motion controls, haptic feedback, touchpad and more. If the PS5 supports a feature, Astro Bot puts it through its paces. The gameplay is easy enough for novices or younger gamers to enjoy, while the visuals, clever mechanics and challenge modes kept me, a well-seasoned gamer, delighted for hours on end. Not just a glorified tech demo, this game is also a love letter to PlayStation’s storied 30-plus year history with cameo appearances by dozens of characters from beloved first- and third-party titles.

Why this deal matters

Walmart’s PS5 Slim and Astro Bot bundle offers a significant discount, saving you approximately $106 compared to purchasing the console and game separately at their regular prices. This substantial saving means you’ll have enough extra cash to grab two additional games from Sony’s extensive PlayStation catalog, immediately expanding your gaming library and your fun. Check out the best of Walmart’s anti-Prime Day deals for even more ways to save.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, July 10

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 10.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Why was today’s Mini Crossword so tough? I had a lot of wrong answers that I had to go back and delete. Were you stumped too? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: 5×5 crossword
Answer: MINI

5A clue: Breakfast sandwich option
Answer: BACON

6A clue: From way back when
Answer: OFOLD

7A clue: Like much toothpaste
Answer: MINTY

8A clue: First, second or third, but not fourth
Answer: BASE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Party game with accusations from «villagers»
Answer: MAFIA

2D clue: Total legends
Answer: ICONS

3D clue: Actor Nick on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Answer: NOLTE

4D clue: The N.B.A.’s Pacers, familiarly
Answer: INDY

5D clue: Fail at stand-up
Answer: BOMB

Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Get Chromed Out in Cyberpunk 2077 Now

Subscribers — and their kids — can also play other games on PlayStation Plus, like the Bluey game, soon.

When CD Projekt Red launched Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, the game was plagued by bugs and glitches. Since then, the company has provided free updates and patches to the game to make it a fun, engaging and award-winning experience. And some PlayStation Plus subscribers can now play this dystopian, sci-fi game.

PlayStation Plus is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, and it offers subscribers a large and constantly expanding library of games. There are three PlayStation Plus tiers — Essential ($10 a month), Extra ($15 a month) and Premium ($18 a month) — and each gives subscribers access to games. However, only Extra and Premium tier subscribers can access the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog.

Here are all the games Extra and Premium subscribers can play soon. You can also check out the games all PS Plus subscribers can play in July, including Diablo 4. Note, Sony will add these games to the PS Plus Game Catalog on July 15 unless otherwise noted.

Cyberpunk 2077

Welcome to Night City, where corporations control everything, crime is around every corner, and almost everyone has cybernetic implants called chrome. You play as a local mercenary named V, and after a heist goes bad, you have to figure out a way to survive with everyone gunning for you. And if that wasn’t enough, Keanu Reeves is in this game as a terrorist named Johnny Silverhand, because, well, he has a silver cybernetic hand.

PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game now.

Bluey: The Videogame

The game, based on the popular animated series, is coming to the PS Plus Game Catalog on Tuesday. You can play as Bandit, Chili, Bingo or Bluey as you explore areas from the show, like the Heeler house, the playground and the creek. You can also play games from the show, like Keepy Uppy and Chattermax Chase. And who knows, maybe you’ll see some gray nomads while you’re playing.

Abiotic Factor

Science meets violence in this 1990s-inspired sci-fi survival game. You and up to five other players can choose your areas of expertise, build your scientist and explore a massive, top-secret underground complex filled with artifacts and supernatural horrors that could tear you limb from limb. And remember, safety, security and secrecy are of the utmost importance… usually.

PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play this game on July 22.

Other games coming to PS Plus soon

PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium subscribers can play all of the games listed above, as well as the ones listed here, soon.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
New World: Aeternum
Planet Zoo
Risk of Rain 2
Tropico 6
Twisted Metal 3*
Twisted Metal 4*

*Premium subscribers only.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service and a rundown of PS Plus Extra and Premium games added in June. You can also check out the latest and upcoming games on Xbox Game Pass and Apple Arcade.