Hi everyone! Today, we’re here with another new-ish book blogger! If you don’t know, WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD is a feature on my blog in which I introduce new bloggers through interviews and guest posts as well as a few giveaways! You can find more information here.
Today, we’re here with Esther from Chapter Adventures, and she wrote a guest post, which I loved!
How Blogging Changed the Way I Read
Before I started blogging my reading style was very simple: I was a mood reader. Did I feel like getting a bit creeped out? I went for a horror novel. Was I feeling a bit sad? A fantasy book was the perfect choice for me. It was very liberating to pick up any book I wanted after being told what to read in school and university. Then, almost 4 months ago, I started blogging. Everything was pretty much the same, but then, on the first week, I received my first review request from an author. This book was something I wanted to read and I picked it up when I felt like giving it a go, but I also felt a responsibility to read it quickly, write the review and publish it. Things had started to change.
A few weeks later, the next logical step for me was going into NetGalley and Edelweiss to request ARCs. In the following months I got approved for ARCs from those sites and some authors sent others to me. I had to keep track of the dates, so I wouldn’t miss their release. I had to start scheduling my reading. I would say to myself, “I can read whatever I want this week, but the next one I have to read the ARC or I’ll miss the date”. And that was just the beginning of the changes!
Now that I had to plan, design graphics, and write posts for the blog, my reading time was reduced. On my daily to-do list, blogging would come first and then reading, or else I would start reading and get nothing else done in the day! Then something else happened: I started seeing awesome reviews for interesting books in all the blogs I was following and I added them to my TBR. I got recommendations from other bloggers. I became more aware of the new releases, of books gaining hype, of series that were trending, and all of these things that I didn’t quite follow when I wasn’t a blogger.
Combine all of these things and clearly my reading style was bound to change. I wanted to keep up with the book community, read whatever I felt like, but also be careful with the release dates of the ARCs. With all of these in mind, this is how blogging change the way I read:
- I organize my reading. My TBR on Goodreads is no longer the only way I keep track. I also have a “TBR soon” list that prioritizes some books.
- ARCs always come first. This means reading the book even if I’m not exactly in the perfect mood for it. Missing the publishing date would suck and maybe the book would get archived without me reading it.
- I pay attention to the hype, but don’t always join in. I only read those that I’m very interested in and enjoy all the reviews, discussions, Twitter talks, fandom art, etc.
- I read more recommendations. None of my friends or family members read much, so I never get to discuss books with any of them, much less get recommendations. Since I joined the blogging community, I receive so many and I love that! By reading my blog and reviews, people start to notice my preferences and always recommend great reads to me. Sometimes they are out of my comfort zone, but if you check my Genre Exploration series, you’ll know I don’t have a problem with that.
- I don’t marathon series as I used to. Before blogging, I would always read every single book in a series one after the other. Now, that doesn’t happen very often. I alternate between ARCs, recommended books, and my personal choices so I don’t fall behind on my schedule.
- I pick books more carefully. As I said, I don’t have the same amount of time as before, so if I choose a book, I seriously consider if I’m going to like it or not. For example, I read more reviews and ask other bloggers what they thought of it.
Blogging has been a wonderful experience, but it’s definitely harder that I thought. Not only did it change the way I read, but also the way I organize my day. That doesn’t mean the change was bad. Not at all! I actually get more reading done and I know more about the publishing industry, the authors and the new releases. So, blogging has changed the way I read, but it was definitely a nice change.
MEET THE BLOGGER
I’m Esther! I’m 23 and from Venezuela. I love musicals, animals, baking, TV, and reading. If you join me in the Chapter Adventures, you’ll find recommendations, discussions, reviews, genre explorations and many more book related things!
As part of the tour, I’m giving away one YA preorder of your choice (under $17), international as long as TBD ships. Full rules here.
Everything you said made perfect sense to me! I’m still relatively new to this whole book blogging thing, but I can already feel the changes coming on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you can already relate. I say, welcome the changes and enjoy the experience of blogging with all that it brings 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can totally relate to you! I’m also a mood reader, and still is until now, but I know I have to put aside my whims to read books that I HAVE to read 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha exactly! We have to make a few sacrifices for some books, which aren’t really sacrifices because we love reading anyway! 😛
LikeLike
Totally agree with all of this! I’m very scheduled with my reading now that I’m
blogging and I used to read whatever I wanted whenever I wanted to. I don’t mind though, excellent post!
LikeLike
Thank you! ❤ I'm glad you can relate. It's strange to schedule our reading, but I also find it comforting. Like I know what I'm doing 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved this post, Esther! I totally agree and understand everything you’re saying. I kind of got back into reading and started blogging simultaneously, but I noticed how different it is to when I used to read back before I stopped. It’s the main reason why I closed review requests on my blog because I was starting to feel like I couldn’t read the books I /actually/ wanted to. I’m definitely trying to manage my time better though haha.
LikeLike
😀 I’m happy you liked it! I haven’t closed my review requests because I don’t receive too many and those that I’m not really interested in, I say no to. It’s a tough thing to do because you feel guilty rejecting authors, but it’s for the sake of my sanity and reading 😛
LikeLike
Hi Esther, lovely to meet you! I’m definitely a mood reader as well which is why I doubt book blogging will ever be for me – it seems like I’d have to change my entire reading habits which I’m not prepared to do. I’m rather happy following book blogs and getting introduce to new books that I’d otherwise never have heard of.
LikeLike
❤ Nice to meet you too Alecia. Blogging definitely affects your reading habits, but only if you choose to do it this way. I actually enjoy it, so I don't mind this new "schedule".. But you can do it your own way if you ever feel like opening up a blog! 🙂
LikeLike
This is a really interesting post! I’ve tried not to get into those arc sites, because I’m a big mood reader too. I do get into hype though, and read books I usually would have never considered, so my reading definitely changed too 🙂
LikeLike
I only request books that really sound like my style or like I can enjoy, but it doesn’t always work so maybe it’s smart to stay away from those sites from time to time haha. I love that blogging makes people read out of their comfort zone! I think thats pretty cool 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohh, yeah, I can totally agree with planning reading. I am still behind with my reviews but I’m getting there!
Before, I was also a mood reader. Now, I thought myself to read a book when it has to be read.
But blogging is really wonderful so I don’t mind. 🙂
LikeLike
Exactly, it’s different but not bad at all 🙂 As for reviews… I’m also behind 🙈 We’ll get there, someday haha
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m still a mood reader! I definitely went through a phase of getting books for review, etc. – but then I absolutely hated forcing myself to read books…I’m just too disorganised for it! But it’s so great that blogging has changed your reading habits – I wish blogging encouraged me to take more reading recommendations! Instead, for me, I usually get overwhelmed by ALL THE RECS XD
LikeLike
Haha I understand! I leave behind many recommendations, because there’s no time for all of them 🙈
LikeLike
I kind of always “scheduled” my reading because I would take out so many books from the library (and those have due dates) even though I consider myself to be a mood reader. And then I started to accept requests/ARCs and that added another pressure to my mood reading habits.
Over the last year, I’ve really worked on finding that balance because I am a mood reader. I limit the amount of ARCs I request in a month, limit how many books I have out from the library and learning to say “no”. And I have to say, I’ve had a much more enjoyable year of reading (and blogging) because of it. Having that schedule that is more flexible has been great!
LikeLike
Yes!! Learning to say no is really really important when book blogging. Where I live, libraries don’t really work, so I never could enjoy them. I can see how that adds a lot pressures :O I would take a book and be scared to return it immediately haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Chapter Adventures and commented:
Thank you Alice for the opportunity of having this guest post on your amazing blog and feature ❤
LikeLike
When I first started blogging, signing up to NetGalley was one of the things I was most excited for, but being such a mood reader too I always fall behind! So I rarely request them anymore. You seemed to get the scheduling part down first, whereas that was last for me. I wish I’d read this post months ago 😛
LikeLike
Haha I think that’s because I’m very methodical with everything I do, so it was natural for me to think of organization and scheduling 😛 I don’t request many ARCs either because I want to make sure to read those I do, and that they are completely my taste. At first it wasn’t like that, of course. New shiny ARCs for readers are irresistible 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you use an app/website to schedule? Or just do it all mentally?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mentally at the moment, but just this week I was looking for an app. I think I’ll try Evernote or something like that.
LikeLike
Evernote looks good! I use a to do list app and Google Docs Spreadsheets. I love colour-coding it. 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tried the spreadsheets, but I don’t know why I’m not getting used to them. I’m not the best getting it organized, even though I’ve added colors and such 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is why reading would feel like a chore to me if I ever decided to book blog and I’d feel I’d lose the joy I get out of reading which is why I don’t think I’ll ever blog but to see how much dedication and time is spent doing this really gives me a new sense of admiration for the bloggers out there!
LikeLike
Haha I understand. I guess you really have to love blogging to make that “sacrifice” (for lack of a better word). I love it, so I don’t mind those changes and time spent on it 🙂
LikeLike
This is a great post! I can totally relate too. It gets kind of overwhelming at times, having to make sure I stay on top of review copies, but I love it anyway. Of course, once I figured out it’s a lot easier to stay on top of things if I actually have review copies and release dates written down somewhere, it got a lot easier. 😉 Newbie blogger me didn’t know what was going on hahaha
LikeLike
Thank you!
Well… that’s me right now! haha. I’m trying to get it sorted out with apps, because I know I have to review a book in October, but I keep forgetting the exact date!
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s one book that an author sent me that I just keep forgetting I have haha Even after I’ve learned to keep track of the review copies I have, I still forget sometimes 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha oh well, we are human after all 😛
LikeLike
I’m new to blogging I haven’t been asked to review anything so I read what I want then write about it. As a middle age man I don’t find that my friends have the same Reading interest as me so I have no one to talk to after reading a good book. I’m hoping to get into the blogging community and have people want to read a book cause of my review and just have general discussions with people who have similar interests.
LikeLike
That’s very true. It does feel like the blogging community’s majority is a certain age range, but I hope you become more comfortable soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person