Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: How Blogging Changed My Reading Habits



Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we’re talking about my reading and blogging life. I’ve had this blog for 6 years, so sometimes it’s hard to remember what life was like without it. What did I do with all my time? Here are 10 ways that book blogging has changed the way I read.








How Blogging Changed My Reading Habits






1. My spreadsheets are a major life achievement. Before the blog and Goodreads, I didn’t track anything about my reading life. I didn’t even write down how many books I read in a year. Now I have a Goodreads account and a stupidly complicated spreadsheet. I track when I buy books and when I finish them, how much money I spend, genre, pages read, target audience, format, star rating, publication date, author gender and birth country, translations read, publishing company, and where I get my books. I wasn’t lying when I said that my spreadsheet is stupidly complicated! I track EVERYTHING.








2. I hop on the hype train. I used to be a classics fanatic. Most of the books I read were published a century before I was born. Now, most of the books I read were published in the last decade. I blame bloggers for this. Most bloggers don’t seem to like classics, and they’re always chasing the hottest new book. The blogosphere’s hype and “most anticipated” lists have definitely altered what I choose to read.








3. Nobody’s got time for that! I used to reread often. Sometimes, I’d finish a book, flip it over, and start at the beginning again. I reread my favorites at least once a year. Now I have so many unread books sitting around that I feel guilty for rereading.








4. I have people! Before I started blogging, I didn’t have any friends who liked to read. When I made random Harry Potter references, people just gaped at me like I’d come from another planet. Now I have bookish friends! I love blogging because it introduced me to a whole community of book-obsessed weirdos. I have found my people!








5. I know everything (about books). Blogging has changed the way I shop for books. I used to walk into a bookstore and read the backs of novels until I found one that sounded interesting. I rarely need to read the back anymore. If it’s on the New Releases shelf, there’s a good chance I already know what it’s about (and what reviewers are saying about it).







6. Is there birth control for books? My To-Be-Read pile is out of control. I usually have 50-something unread books in my house. I swear they breed on the shelves when I’m not looking. My book wish list usually has around 500 books on it. Blogging has introduced me to way too many interesting books. Life isn’t long enough to read all these!








7. What is TV? I used to watch a lot of TV. Recently, I glanced at my TV and realized I hadn’t turned it on in nearly a week. My free time goes to reading and blogging. I have no idea which shows are popular. I haven’t really gotten invested in anything since Game of Thrones ended.







8. I embrace the DNF. I used to force myself to finish every book I started. Blogging has made me realize that life’s too short for that nonsense. If a book isn’t holding my attention, I chuck it in the donate box and pick up a different one.








9. I’m on the Twitters. I never thought I’d be a social media person. Even as a teenager, I stayed off it. I didn’t want the drama. Then I discovered Goodreads in 2011 and promptly signed up. Then I joined Twitter in 2014 because I wanted to follow authors and keep up with bookish chatter. Now I’m on Instagram and Pinterest because my blogger friends are on them. Somehow I’ve become a social media person. How did this happen?








10. I inflict my opinions on strangers. I never had bookish friends, so I kept my book opinions to myself. Now I have a blog that will preserve my opinions forever. You’re welcome, internet strangers. Enjoy.


















If you have a blog, how has it changed your reading habits?






30 comments:

  1. I definitely know more about books, especially new releases, and I TOTALLY don't feel guilty about DNFing anymore. My TTT: https://mwgerard.com/top-ten-tuesday-reading-life-changes/

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  2. Hahaha "I inflict my opinions on strangers" is brilliant. I rarely watch TV, too, and when I do I tend to re-watch old favourites because all my new content energy is taken up by all the books I want to read. Great list!

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  3. I love it - birth control for books. That's something that's definitely needed. I don't re-read much but occasionally. And when I do, it's usually a Stephen King book. I am trying to DNF more but it's so hard for me. I found your list very entertaining :)

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  4. LOL, there totally should be birth control for books. :D

    My TTT.

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  5. I used to not DNF either, but now I will often. There are just too many books out there that I know I'll love, so I can't waste my time with books I don't.

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  6. It's hard to recall life before book blogging when you've been at it for so long, I agree! Blogging has changed the way I read in lots of ways, too. I used to browse online to find my next read and now I know all the books and their synopsis and bloggers' opinions on it hahaha, I feel like it takes away a little bit of the... "surprise" of it all, but it's incredible, too. To know so much about all the books, haha :)
    Loved this post! :)

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  7. I love the bookish weirdos, too. I guess we must throw ourselves into that category.

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  8. OMG we must bebook twins cause almost ever item on this list is a thing I can relate too!

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  9. Oh man, that spreadsheet would stress me out! XD I'm definitely with you on number 5. I feel like half the time I know more than the employees at the shops I visit. Today I had to tell someone a book had just been released when she was confused about it.

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  10. "I have people". Right? Who knew there were so many other bookish nerds on the internet lol? I was shocked to discover that. :) In a good way! And so much yes to #5! Oh my gosh I go into a bookstore now and like nothing is new- I've seen it all on blogs or the hype train or whatever. I probably sound like such a book snob- someone will say ooh and I'll be like eh- so and so said that sucked.

    Speaking of the hype train- yup to that one too. :)

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  11. One of my favorite things about blogging is having book friends. I read a lot and other people don't understand me the way you all do. I watch so much less TV now too, but I think I used to use it more as background noise, when I would grade work and do my lesson plans. Now that I am not about the life any longer, I have time to just sit, and I find it boring to just stare at the TV. I would rather read.

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  12. Yes to #8 - I'm a big believer in DNFing! I also keep a spreadsheet, but it's not as detailed as yours! #Goalsfor2020

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  13. I'm starting to believe in the DNF! I'm hosting a 2020 Pen Pal Sign Up on my blog. If you are interested, come check it out:

    https://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2019/11/2020-pen-pal-sign-ups-ends-122019.html

    Colletta

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  14. I'd be too scared to track my spending on books over the years though I have reduced it recently! I'm not a classics fan but I don't follow the trail of hyped new books either. I just read the stuff I want to read regardless of whether anyone else is reading and liking it! I love re-reading old favourites but haven't had time for it recently with the size of my TBR so I get that point for sure. Yes to the DNF! If I didn't I'd never get anything read! I do like a lot of TV stuff that I have to fit in around my reading which can be an issue though!

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  15. Finding so many other bookish friends is definitely one of my favourite blogging benefits too. I love discovering what everybody else is reading and highly rating, even though I don't get those books past my TBR shelf as often as I would like

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  16. These are awesome, and so many are true for me too! Though not the spreadsheets, I am just lucky Goodreads exists. I'm cackling over "birth control for books" 😂😂 I wish I was better at DNFing, I SHOULD be better, but here we are! I definitely agree about the social element though! OH and just watch The 100 come ON.

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  17. I love that you're watching less TV. I find TV to be a good mindless escape, but it's not nearly as gratifying as reading a book. In fact, since my husband and I moved into a new home in June we haven't even turned on the television. Life goal unlocked!

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  18. Yeah, I don't watch a ton of TV either. I definitely read more widely these days - in terms of age levels and genres. I do like classics though!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  19. Bwahahaha yes to all of this and add audiobooks that I never used to listen to!

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  20. Every single one of these describes me except #7 (I still watch a lot of TV) My spreadsheet isn't nearly as complex is yours haha but I have one!! Do you follow Spark Notes on twitter? They are the best, they post tons of literary memes and its the best thing (in my mind) on twitter. That and Incorrect Cruel Prince, is another great twitter account!

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  21. Your spreadsheet sounds AMAZING! I love organizing things and the one area of my life that isn't organized is my books, besides all my shelves on Goodreads. I'd love to know how many paperbacks/hardbacks I own and have read/not read and the same with all my kindle books. And that's just to start lol. You rock!! And yes for finally knowing the books on the New Release shelf at bookstores, I use to have no clue, not anymore woohoo!
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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  22. Some of your points made me smile. I use a spreadsheet too. It is not as complicated as yours but it helps me to keep track of my challenges, what I read and when I put my review online. Keeps me a bit more organized *smile*

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  23. So. Many. Of. These! I also embraced DNF and no re-reading. There are just too many books out there to really ENJOY. But I am trying to make more time for TV. It's good to have my creativity stimulated by many different mediums. TV and Movies are important for that!

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  24. I only had a couple of really bookish friends from before I started blogging so it's nice to have others to talk too about this stuff. :)

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  25. I have friends who read, but what I guess is "normal" adult reading, two or three books a year, but the the books are rarely anything I have read. Ha ha. No one reads Harry Potter though. When my ex left my whole adult Harry Potter life fell apart. 😭 That's what led me to the MyLeaky social site and then to Goodreads and blogging.📚

    I am happy you started blogging! 👍✨

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  26. I didn't put it on my list but a huge yes to number 4! Until I started blogging I never had anyone to talk to/fangirl (whatever you want to call it) about books. I love having people!

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  27. Great post! I think blogging has had a huge impact on my reading habits too... Isn't it marvellous??

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  28. I also almost never re-read anymore and I miss it!

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  29. I thought I had elaborate spreadsheets, but yours sound even more involved than mine. That's an impressive feat! I wish I'd learned to embrace the DNF, but I still can't manage to do it most the time. I've embraced the "skim to the end" method of reading when I'm not enjoying a book, though---it's the closest I can get.

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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