November was sci-fi month and one of the topics for top ten tuesday was to talk about the changes to your reading life. Now I choose to stick to more sci-fi topics that month but thought that using the freebie in December was a good place to still talk about it. It is interesting to see how blogging and the blogging community has influenced my reading and how I approach it.
Being More Aware of New Releases
Becoming a blogger and being apart of the blogging community has really upped my game on what books are coming out. Before that I was incredibly clueless. I just bought what was at the book store or what a lot of people were talking about (Harry Potter, LOTR when the movies came out).
Now I help other people see what are the new upcoming releases. It is weird. I know too many. I don’t know what to do with myself haha. I was so blissfully unaware before.
Buying More Books
A unfortunate side effect of being more aware of new releases and also older ones, is that I have a tendency to buy more books. Overbuy one could say. I just love the sight of a good stack and knowing they are mine.
Valueing Book Aesthetic
When I first saw bookstagram photos, I did not understand it. Who would want to take photos of books? Well apparently I do because I really came to see the beauty of being able to take gorgeous photos of books.
Read More Diverse
More than anything blogging has given me the opportunity to see why it is so important to read and talk about diverse books. How difficult it is for minorities to get published and how much people still look down on them when they ask for rep. I’m still learning to be a better ally.
Read Ebooks
I rarely read ebooks before reading and for a while I only read e arcs on my ereader. But slowly I buy books here and there as ebooks as well that I don’t nessecarily want to own (or want to read before my matching edition comes out).
Keeping Track of Reading Statistics
Numbers were never my thing in high school or college. I sucked at statistics. Funny how I wrap up my year with reading statistics every year. I guess it just shows that when it can touch on your interests you can still end up being good at something (and just how boring and far removed those classes are from the students to be honest).
Being Aware of the Importance of Trigger Warnings
And lastly blogging has made me learn how important trigger warnings are. I am much more aware of my own triggers and what could potentially trigger someone else. I even shared a post listing some of the more basic trigger warnings.
How did blogging change your reading life?
What a great list! I’m so happy there has been so much more diversity in books recently. It’s amazing and so cool to see how the book world has changed. 🙂
My TTT
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Yes I’m glad they are getting more the attention they deserve these days. ❤
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Great list! Blogging has definitely changed my reading life in a lot of these ways, too – particularly in terms of keeping on top of what I read, new releases and reading more diversely. 🙂
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Yes blogging has certainly broadened my horizon.
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I’d agree with all of these for me as well! I think I’ve also become better at analysing texts, and I appreciate book covers a lot more now.
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Yes especially when talking with fellow bookworms about it and all, helps a lot in that.
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I relate to ALL of these changes. I made a post of changes in my reading a while back, and it looks quite similar to yours haha. The book community affects our reading so much.
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It does and that often is a good thing.
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We have a lot in common on this topic! I’ve seen all of these changes in my own life as well.
My TTT.
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And all of them are good (though I am sure that my husband would dissagree on the whole more buying books haha)
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This is a great list. It’s always fun and a little eye opening to see how you’ve changed, even over a short period of time.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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For sure!
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I’m definitely more aware of new releases. Before I decided to devote my blog to books, every once in a while I’d check in to Amazon and think “Hmmm… is there a new book out by Veronica Roth coming out? Marie Lu?” and then I’d be delighted when one was. Now I’m like “Oooh, Veronica Roth has a book coming out in May 2020 and Marie Lu has a book out in October 2020… pre-order!”
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I really had no clue before I seriously started blogging. Whatever was at the book store haha. I had no idea what pre ordering even was.
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Amen to all of these. They really are things that happen once you start blogging. I didn’t pay attention to upcoming releases at all before.
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It is like this big world all of a sudden opens up.
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I buy more books for sure! I never had a TBR shelf until I started blogging. I used to buy a book, read it, and then buy a new book. Not anymore!
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Same to be honest. I might have had a little stack but no more than 5 or so. Now it is a whole shelf.
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I am definitely more aware of new releases!
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Once you are in this world it sucks you up with all those releases.
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I would probably be confused about book photos if I wasn’t a book blogger, but they are just so lovely to look at, but I don’t think too many non readers understand that. I definitely read more diversely as the years go by.
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That is very true!
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The buying new books is the one that gets me every time. xD I can’t resist. I also had the reading more diverse and reading e-books, both of which are changes that I’m sooo glad for! It’s sad, but in order to read diverse in this area, it takes some real effort, and I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity now. I also NEVER knew about new releases until I saw them in the library, pretty much, so it’s so weird to now be on the end where I see a patron pick up a book and I’m like, “Oh, that one’s getting a sequel soon!” xD
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New and shiney.
That is true about reading diversely. And I think that once you are in the blogging atmosphere you also realize more how hard it is for diverse authors to get published and get their books shoved to the foreground.
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Being aware of new releases is such a significant one. Before blogging, I only paid attention to new releases from a favourite familiar author. Now I’m keeping an eye out for titles that may not be released for another year or two.
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Same. Whatever sounds good we already drool over for a few years first haha.
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Ik had het er onlangs nog over met mijn man. Niet zo zeer de invloed van het bloggen op zich maar internet in het algemeen. Ik leer echt zoveel meer leuke boeken kennen en kom superveel HP gerelateerde items tegen en enerzijds is dat natuurlijk heerlijk maar anderzijds zou ik veel minder geld spenderen en ondertussen niet eens het idee hebben dat ik niet mis vermits ik niet zou weten dat al die leuke items bestaan.
Qua boeken schilt het vooral in het feit dat ik veel meer in het Engels ben gaan lezen en daardoor ook meer en meer boeken ben gaan kopen vermits de meeste van die Engelstalige boeken niet in de bibliotheek terug te vinden zijn. Plus dat ik natuurlijk ook een aantal super lieve boekvriendinnen heb leren kennen via het bloggen en dat zou ik echt niet willen inruilen .
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Ja dat is ook wel zo. Ik probeer ook niet meer zoveel geld uit te geven aan fandom dingen naast boeken. Af en toe eens iets maar anders dan word het wel heel veel geld dat er doorheen gaat voor iets waar je dan ook weer niet zoveel mee doet. Dan stop ik het liever in een boek.
Ja ook dat is zeker zo. Het is lastig om mee te gaan met de internationale blog wereld als je in nederland/belgie alleen afhankelijk zou zijn van de bieb.
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I think ky biggest change has been reading audiobooks. My suster bugged me for years and I said no. Ha ha. I am glad I figured out that listening on 2X speed doesn’t change the quality of the audio because regular speed is too slow and my mind starts to wander. Ha ha. 🎧
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It is great that audiobooks work so well for you. It makes so many people be able to read more books ❤
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