So I know a lot of bloggers are making posts like this, and maybe you’re tired of reading them, but maybe not. If even one person reads this post, it will have been worth writing. Mainly this is in response to a post I read on Kristi’s blog (I left a semi-short comment here, but I wanted to post something more), as well as many posts I’ve recently seen maliciously attacking the blogging community.
I’ve been an avid reader since I was in the third or fourth grade, and my love of books hasn’t diminished since. In middle school/high school, I was the type of person who would buy loads of books on Amazon because I simply could NOT wait for my turn on the hold list at the library, then when I was finished with them, I’d donate bags full of books to my library in hopes that other readers would have access to stories that I found so much enjoyment from. (I later found out from a friend who worked at the library that they threw out most of the donated books they received, which made me very sad and angry…. But that’s beside the point) During my freshman year of college, I was so swamped with schoolwork that I stopped reading until over the summer when my mom bought me a Nook (♥!!), and now my rekindled “reading fire” -so to speak- is back in full blaze.
Unfortunately, my excitement waned as my college friends constantly teased me about my book choices.
FRIENDS: “Oh what are you reading?”
ME: “[insert title here]. It’s a book about [insert fantastic creature here]”
Cue slightly repressed giggles & eye rolling from friends, followed by the timeless inquiry: “Why don’t you read more ‘mature’ books?”
It’s extremely frustrating to be continually criticized about something you love and to not have anyone to share your passion with. Luckily, I discovered Shelfari while browsing sites for new books to read from the genres I liked, and soon after that I stumbled upon the world of book-blogging. I was amazed at the vast community of bloggers who enjoyed fantasy & YA books as much as I did... and that’s when I decided to start my own blog.
I’ve only been blogging for a month and a half, but in that time I’ve met so many amazing people that are bookworms like me, and added countless books to my TBR pile!! I love reading everyone’s reviews, teaser Tuesdays, and Mailbox posts…but you wanna know what I love even more than that? The fact that people actually seem to care about what I say & think! It’s such a great feeling to post my excitement about getting lots of books during a library-binge and have people be legitimately happy for me.
So that’s my confession. Did I start this blog in hopes of getting lots of free ARCs? Absolutely not – I didn’t really even know what an ARC was until after I started blogging! I honestly doubted that I’d have many followers (if any); I just wanted an outlet to express the feelings that I couldn’t voice to my real-life friends. I’ve never in my life considered myself a writer (heck, I’ll be the first to admit that English is NOT my strong point!) and I definitely don’t consider myself a “professional book reviewer”. I’m just a 19 year old bookaholic who enjoys reading, has opinions, and loves to talk (or I guess, to type, haha) – isn’t that all that matters?
From my short experience as part of the limitless blogosphere, I’ve come to the conclusion that many book-bloggers do what they do for reasons similar to mine – just simply because they love books! Sure, I’ve definitely run across a few blogs that are brand-spanking-new, look like the layout was hastily whipped up, and they’re already hunting for ARCS, but that doesn’t justify anyone bashing us all as a whole. It makes me sad when I see other bloggers voicing their concerns about how book-blogging has tainted their love of reading, and I sincerely hope it never comes to that point for me. Furthermore, I want to tell all the other bloggers out there: keep doing what you do! I definitely appreciate all the time and effort you guys put in to make fun and helpful posts for readers like me, and if this is something you love, don’t let any naysayers bring you down.
Also, if you read this entire post, I thank & applaud you.
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