How Has Blogging Affected My Reading?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books & Dani @ Literary Lion, where we discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each others’ posts.

This is something I think about every once in awhile! I started blogging in 2017, which sometimes feels like a lifetime ago. It is interesting to reflect on my reading before Kristin Kraves Books was even an idea and to see how much it has changed in that time, in large part because of this blog.

Has blogging affected your reading in a positive or negative way? If so, how?

I think that blogging has affected my reading in an overwhelmingly positive way, though I can’t ignore that there are negatives as well.

The Good

My reading is much more consistent now than it has ever been. I joined Goodreads in 2010, and I look back and there are some years where I read six books and others where I read 70. I think that committing to this blog has made me better able to fully intergrade reading into my life, which has been amazing!

Audiobooks! I don’t think I would have ever embraced audiobooks if it were not for this blog, and they have been a game changer for me. I love that I can now read while I am doing mindless activities like cooking or folding laundry. There is something special about listening to a really fantastic audiobook.

Over these last few years I have really come to understand my reading taste. It is much rarer these days for me to pick up a book that I hate! I am exposed to so many books and read so many reviews, that I can get a feel for what book will work for me and what one won’t.

I have also been pushed out of my comfort zone. I have always tried to read widely, but there were some genres I never read before blogging that I absolutely love now. Thrillers, horror, and fantasy instantly come to mind!

The Bad

There will always be that pressure to read hyped books, even when I know they won’t be for me. I have gotten better about not giving in to this, but even now with the release of A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas, I do feel like I am missing out on the conversation. I have read one of her books and didn’t love it and just know I wouldn’t like the series, but it can feel like you are on the outside looking in and are missing out on all the excitement. The FOMO is real!

I think there can be a pressure to read and reading can feel like a competition because of blogging. I think it is important for me to acknowledge this and to fight against it. I never want reading to feel like a chore. It is the reason that I am really picky about the ARCs I accept because as soon as I am forced to read something, the experience isn’t enjoyable for me. That is not fair to me as the reader or to the book!

Do you think the pressures to produce content can result in a bad relationship with books? 

I think it definitely can and I have seen a lot of friends stop blogging for this reason! I think as soon as this isn’t fun or the pressure to keep up and write posts negatively affects your views on books and readings, it is time to reevaluate whether blogging is the healthiest thing for you at this moment. I always say that I will continue blogging for as long as I love it and as long as it doesn’t affect my relationship with books.

How do you balance blogging and reading?

It can definitely be tricky, especially since I also have a bookstagram and a booktube channel. Another benefit of starting this blog is that it forced me to get more organized. I now plan out my blog posts ahead of time and always have a list of ideas. Writing posts doesn’t take me too long because I don’t think about it too much- it is more like a stream of consciousness for me. I also don’t like to plan my reading too much- again I don’t want it to feel like a chore. I simply read whenever I am in the mood or whenever I can squeeze it in. Also- audiobooks!

Do you think you would have started blogging if it weren’t for books?

I don’t think so! I am not sure what else I would blog about, especially for this many years. When I started this blog, I was worried that I would run out of content ideas, but there are new books coming out every week and there are so many things to talk about. I am always inspired by the books that I read and by this community!

I really love this week’s topic! It was interesting to reflect on my time blogging? Do you feel like being part of the book community has affected your reading in any way?

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