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

We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2: Every Reveal About the Console, New Games, Price, Release Date

The $450 console launches June 5, with Mario Kart World the highlight of its launch day game lineup.

The Nintendo Switch 2 console’s biggest reveal yet arrived Wednesday as part of the company’s latest Nintendo Direct event. This teed up a day of Switch 2 reveals that include its June 5 release date, a $450 price, its specs and its initial game lineup that extends from launch into 2026.

The console will be further buoyed by having Mario Kart World as a launch title, which will go on sale in either a $500 bundle with the Switch 2 or on its own for $80 — making the open-world racing game one of Nintendo’s most expensive yet. Other games announced, such as Donkey Kong Bananza, are being priced around $70, which matches the cost of 2023’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. That Zelda game and Breath of the Wild are among the original Switch titles that will get enhanced Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrades, a premium upgrade allowing players to get new features, modes and graphical enhancements that take advantage of the newer system’s capabilities.

Here are the top highlights from Nintendo’s console event, all of the games we’ve heard about so far (including new titles, Nintendo Switch 2 Editions and GameCube games coming to Nintendo Switch Online) and all of our coverage so far. You can also check out our Nintendo Switch 2 live blog for even more updates about the Switch 2 as we learn them.

Nintendo Switch 2 console

The Nintendo Switch 2’s specs saw a noticeable technical bump over the Switch. The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 7.9-inch, 1080p resolution LCD that supports a 120Hz refresh rate — matching what we now see on most Android phones. When the Switch 2 is docked, compatible games can run in 4K resolution. The new dock also includes a cooling fan.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, and the new Switch 2 Game Cards will load games faster. For digital libraries, however, the Switch 2 will only work with microSD Express cards, which are different from the microSD cards that are compatible with the prior Nintendo Switch. Nintendo will have a Software Transfer feature available to help move games and data from the original Switch to the Switch 2.

The new Joy-Con for the controllers will support mouse controls, and a new C button will be part of a new GameChat communication feature that allows both voice and video chat. There’s also a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing players to see each other.

The Switch 2 also adds a second USB-C port to the top of the system, which Nintendo says can help connect its new camera accessory or charge the console when playing in tabletop mode. Nintendo also revealed a new Switch 2 Pro Controller with the C button and customizable GL and GR buttons on the back.

Following the presentation, Nintendo unveiled the system’s price of $450 in the US. It will also sell the Switch 2 bundled with a digital version of Mario Kart World for $500.

Mario Kart World

Mario Kart World removes its traditional boundaries and lets drivers roam freely across an entire world of race courses. The game will get its own Nintendo Direct later this month, where we’ll see additional details, but we already know it’ll include traditional races and a Free Roam mode, much like in the Forza Horizon series.

Getting the game bundled for an extra $50 on the cost of the Switch 2 might be the move if you are interested in the game, because Nintendo announced on its website that standalone copies of Mario Kart World will cost $80.

Joy-Con 2 C button and GameChat

Nintendo’s rolling out its new C button across several new Switch 2 controllers. The button will be used for the new GameChat communication features without a headset. The button will be used alongside a microphone on the console itself, which Nintendo says can be used whether it’s docked to a TV or in handheld mode.

In its teaser video, Nintendo promises the microphone will be able to cancel out loud background noises. GameChat will also work with a Nintendo Switch 2 Camera, allowing video chat and various camera-based game modes in supported titles. GameChat will be free at launch through March 31, 2026.

Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games upgrade titles

The Nintendo Switch 2 will play three types of games: original Switch games, Switch 2 games and Switch 2 Edition games that will receive substantial enhancements. For many of these Switch 2 Edition games, you’ll need to buy an upgrade pack if you own the original for Switch. Many of them will get more than just enhanced graphics in the upgrade; for example, Super Mario Party Jamboree will get new games that support the new Joy-Cons’ mouse controls, audio recognition and video camera gameplay options through the Switch 2 Camera.

Other Nintendo Switch games that are getting Switch 2 Edition options include The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A. Enhancements vary: The Zelda games will start working with a companion phone app for maps and sending schematics to friends, while Kirby will get a new story that’s exclusive to the Switch 2 Edition. On the third-party side, Civilization 7 will get mouse controls.

Nintendo did not announce what upgrade packs will cost. However, some Switch games will get free updates that will improve performance or enhance features when playing them on the Switch 2. The Switch games getting these updates include:

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is a new game set in the world of Zelda that tells the story that leads into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. This appears to be similar to how Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity told the story of a war that led to the events of Breath of the Wild. The teaser shows Zelda discovering that she’s arrived in the past of Hyrule, and the game will expand on how she gets involved in the corresponding Imprisonment War.

Nintendo Switch 2 games

Several other first- and third-party games were spotlighted during the Switch 2 Direct. These include Donkey Bananza, one of the first 3D platforming games featuring DK since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64. Kirby will also return to the racing genre in Kirby Air Riders, which comes more than 20 years after the GameCube racer Kirby’s Air Ride. DragXDrive will use mouse controls to control a futuristic wheelchair basketball game in which players will simulate push and pull motions to control their character.

An onslaught of Switch 2 third-party games were quickly shuffled through during the Direct, which I list below. An unnamed James Bond game is in development at Hitman studio IO Interactive, as is a darker title from Elden Ring creator FromSoftware called The Duskbloods, which will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

The full list of announced Nintendo Switch 2 games includes:

Borderlands 4
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion
Deltarune
Donkey Kong Bananza
Drag x Drive
EA Sports FC
EA Sports Madden NFL
Elden Ring Tarnished Edition
Enter the Gungeon 2
Fast Fusion
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade
Fortnite
Hades 2
Hitman World of Assassination — Signature Edition
Hogwarts Legacy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Kirby Air Riders
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Star-Crossed World
Kunitsu-Gai: Path of the Goddess
Mario Kart World
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
NBA 2K
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Nobunaga’s Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
Pokemon Legends: Z-A — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Project 007
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S
Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Sid Meier’s Civilization 7 — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Split Fiction
Star Wars Outlaws
Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions
Street Fighter 6
Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Jamboree TV
Survival Kids
The Duskbloods
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4
WWE 2K
Yakuza 0 Definitive Edition

Among these titles, you can see the full list of June 5 Switch 2 launch day games here.

Nintendo GameCube library coming to Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch Online game library will add GameCube games to the Switch 2. On launch day, these games will initially include The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, SoulCalibur 2 and F-Zero GX, with each game getting enhanced graphics. Online multiplayer will also be added to certain titles. Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Strikers and Luigi’s Mansion are among the games set to arrive later. At launch, Nintendo will also sell a GameCube controller, which will be wireless and include a C button for GameChat.