Anyone experienced this?

Or something written in diary form, so you can just read easy chunks.
My favourites are Diary of a Nobody, Diary of a Provincial Lady, Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Nella Last (made into Housewife 49 by Victoria Wood or Away with the Windsors.

Like others, I would recommend dedicating an amount of timed time to a book, maybe 15 minutes. Maybe a book of short stories might do the trick, The British Library Women Writer series has a book of summer stories out or maybe some Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier short stories. Elly Griffiths has a new collection called, The Man in Black.

Never feel you have to finish a book.

Use the library, so that you can have a steady supply and not feel guilty about potentially wasting money.

I hope you get your mojo back!

I can second the recommendation for The Drink Shrink! A really easy read, but well written so it engages you.

I have the same concentration problems and I blame my addiction to my phone. I find that some of the stuff recommended as “gripping” or “easy to read” just isn’t well
written enough to engage my interest sufficiently. It’s a fine balance between not having to worry too hard when reading versus feeling bored/unsatisfied by a book.

Yes this is me. Also perimenopausal and been through quite alot of stress. I think the time I would have spent reading before, I now spent reading mumsnet active and by the time I have done that I'm bored with reading things and want to do something else.

Also in the last year (I'm early fifties) I have become less interested in fictional stuff and more interested in real things so documentaries rather than tv series and factual books rather than fictional books. This is quite a change for me.

I'm hoping to get back to my books in the winter with the dark nights but we'll see!

I can relate to this and had put it down to a combination of undiagnosed ADHD and chronic stress!

I know you said you feel like recommendations would be wasted on you at the minute, but I just finished The Drink Shrink by Zoe McCann and I really enjoyed it. It’s told through texts and I ended up reading it in a couple of sittings because it was so low-demand in concentration terms.

Lots of novels out there using more innovative stylistic devices now to appeal to our social media/stress-addled brains. It’ll be interesting to see how storytelling methods evolve to keep pace with modern life. I think they’ll have to as more people struggle with this stuff.

I'm training myself as felt similar.
I choose books with good reviews and check first pages for style of writing.
I read a chapter at a time, I can stop after one chapter or continue which I often do but 'allow myself' to stop after one. Otherwise it can be too much and I loose concentration.

I’m a big reader and a stressful few years including a major bereavement and job changes not of my volition have upset the mental equilibrium I seem to need to be able to concentrate. But I’m also guilty of excess phone/tablet scrolling (with MN addiction not helping 🫣)

HRT and an eye test sound like they might both help OP

I'd say perimenopause has a lot to do with it. Used you be a really avid reader with a touch of hyperfocus?

Have you considered the possibility that the problem isn't your choice of genres but your choice of authors?

Yes, I've noticed this over the last few months! I'm 48 and perimenopausal so wonder if it's this. I'm always having to re-read the last couple of pages when I pick my book up.

I'm the same, it's because I'm addicted to my phone.

Yes I know the feeling. Do you have Amazon prime? If so there are quite a few books free with prime. Some pretty good for example Girl A is free at the moment. If you go to Kindle ebooks there's a whole section on Prime Reading, tonnes of books. (This is different to the paid for kindle unlimited).

I sometimes turn to thrillers when this happens to me.

It's not just you, a lot of people have taken a real hit to their attention span. I think constant scrolling on phones is one cause and is the reason a lot of younger people are going back to non-smart phones.

I am happy (but not proud) to say that I am a bit addicted to mindless internet scrolling and it has been quite an effort to do a digital detox, as is proved by the fact that I'm posting here instead of reading my book!

I have read a lot more this year, and I do find it much easier to really get into books now I've gone back to reading more actual books, and am reading less on the Kindle.

I would try and find some books that are short and real page turners, perhaps go back to old favourites rather than new novels. I find quite a few are very overhyped and don't really make good reading. I'm reading a Barbara Vine that I hadn't come across before and it's doing the trick nicely.

I can't concentrate on reading if I'm full of worries so I agree with the suggestion of choosing more lighter books that don't have loads of characters and complicated stories

Yes I’ve had this since having my daughter, who is now 2! I blame phones too though, spend too much time scrolling. I’ve found that sometimes re-reading an old favourite helps, or something like an exciting thriller?

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t like a book and decide not to finish it.

I read in bed. Sometimes I manage ten minutes, other times a lot longer.

Perhaps read a few trashy chick flicks, rather than a more noble book.

I switch between audible and paper books it helps as often I walk and listen

Reread some favourites and see if the effect is the same?

I go in phases, there are times when I seem to 'go off' reading and not enjoy books and others when I can't get enough. I put it down to good and bad reads, but maybe it's a state of mind?

Yes, I was always an avid reader but have given up on numerous books part way through in recent years. Then I read a couple of really gripping, well written books. I think my problem was lack of personal recommendation (my mum always recommended such great books to me). I discovered Kate Morton recently and am really enjoying her books.

I find it hard to concentrate on a book nowadays, except on (rare) train journeys.

Do you go online a lot? I find it difficult to concentrate now and I know it's because I'll be checking my phone all the time. Maybe put your phone in another room for half an hour and focus on reading for that half hour. If you panic at the thought of that, then you can see your problem.

Have you tried re-reading old favourites so less to concentrate on? I always revisit Agatha Christie books at times like this.

I had this when I was stressed. The only way round it was to read less & less 'demanding' books. I read some fairly meaningless chic-lit for a while. Hopefully, I'm reading slightly more interesting books now!