BBAW: Readorama And Blogorama

I do not live inside a vacuum and thus, my reading habits have totally changed because of book blogging.

Today’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week Prompt:

Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today!

Prior to book blogging I was definitely a wander the shelves and read based upon mood type of girl. I read way more Stephen King because I lurve his creepy face. I read classics because I thought they made me seem cool, and I still think that. Also because they rock.

But now that I’m a book blogger:

1. I read a hell of a lot more new releases.

This is because I get a ton of ARCs and yes, I feel obligated to read and review them, because A) they are shiny and I mean that literally, just go flash Shatter Me around. and B) the twitter machine. Once peeps get talking about the latest cool book, I am such a total lemming and think to myself, I need to be cool and read that book as well.

2. I read books I would never have touched with a ten foot pole.

Again, I blame the twitter machine and tweets about two books – One Night With A Duke and Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake. That’s completely and totally twitter’s fault. Also, a certain Book Smuggler named Ana who does reviews of historical romance novels and was so kind as to send me a list of her recommendations. Yep, I totally read historical romance now. And also contemporary romance, which I should totally blame Allison at The Allure of Books for.

3. I listen to books.

Before I was all like, listening to books is cheating and lame and the voices are probably more monotone than the ones in my head. Drrr, I was so wrong. It took a few well placed reviews, and I started getting audiobooks from my local library, eventually getting an audible account. And now I listen while driving, when I make my once a month gym appearance, when I clean, and now that I have my own office, when I do brainless work, like filing or folding letters. It’s like a whole new world of reading while doing other shit has opened up to me. And it’s awesome.

4. I read YA much more heavily.

I’ve been reading YA since high school, since that’s when Sarah Dessen started to become big and my school library was baller for YA releases. However, I also read way more literary fiction and chunksters. Now though, because I feel arbitrarily pressed for time, I read way more YA. And because I follow and interact with so many YA bloggers, that’s kind of my age group of choice these days. I’m not quite the eclectic reader I once was.

5. I no longer use the library.

EEEP. Please don’t shoot me librarian friends. I own >1800 books and the review books come in the mail. And I buy on-sale books for my kindle and have an audible account. SO, I just feel like I’m not allowed to go to the library because I have a billion books that are sitting on my shelves ignored and so I need to read those down before I can indulge at the library. Also, it’s kind of cool not having due dates for my books.

6. I buy a lot more new books.

I used to almost exclusively buy used books. Better World Books and the Amazon Marketplace were totally my BFFs as well as used library book sales. Now, my shelves are stocked with brand new hard backs because I get caught up in the frenzy of must buy books to support publishing. I mean, I’m not anti-purchasing books, but I do miss saving money, ha ha.

7. Book Signing buddies.

Y’all I never went to book signings before blogging. Mainly because A) I didn’t have my own car. B) the car that I did have for the 8 months pre-blogging was a piece of shit and not the kind you should take on a long journey to an awesome author and C) I didn’t know anyone who was all like, bro let’s go to a book signing instead of this kegger. However, because I got into blogging, I made some awesome book signing buddies who rock and have awesome taste in books.

How has blogging changed your life?

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April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.
About April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

Comments

  1. I no longer use the library either… but my kids do 😀

  2. I’ve still never been to a book signing! That’s one of my goals…

    But everything else? Is dead on for my life before and after book blogging!! We do still use the library (for my 3 year old, because I’m not buying a zillion books for her! Also, for movies…)

  3. I still use the library constantly for audiobooks, but not print copies. I do find myself reading WAY more new releases. I used to just wait a year or two and pick hyped books up at book sales, but now I want to be part of the conversation. It’s a slippery slope.

  4. I read tons of new releases now too, whereas before blogging I rarely ever read them.

  5. You know…even if you don’t check books out from the library, you can always submit purchase requests for the best books you read! Libraries always want to carry what their patrons are interested in, and it’s another way to maybe introduce a great book to a whole new audience!

  6. One Night with a Duke is wonderful! Blogger buddies aren’t responsible for getting me into romance novels, but I’m always happy to see them discover it themselves. 🙂

  7. LMAO “Let’s go to this book signing instead of this kegger”. How true!

  8. I read books now that I wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole before, too.

  9. So funny! I totally am drawn in by the new and shiny too! ARCs I have so many ARCs and they are at the top of my piles, of which I have many.

  10. Sad to say that I don’t go to the library any more either, as I have too many books on my TBR shelves. 🙁

  11. I’m so glad audiobooks are getting popular! I love the things. As for using the library, I find I use it more, since I’ll see bloggers posting about a book I haven’t seen yet and will immediately order it at the library. I can’t afford to buy them all, and they don’t always find me in ARC form!

  12. 1800 books? 1800 BOOKS?! Girl, you are a library.

  13. “and C) I didn’t know anyone who was all like, bro let’s go to a book signing instead of this kegger.”

    This had me cracking up. I am enjoying reading your posts. You definitely have a strong and unique voice. I also think you are hella funny.