Recently I’ve thought a lot about why I started my blog. Originally I just wanted to talk about the books I was reading and maybe connect with someone who has read that same book and have a conversation. I was amazed that anyone even answered a question I asked or followed my blog. It was so much fun! My husband and family were probably thrilled because I stopped asking them if they’d read “that” book yet. But, at some point over the last two and a half years I have gotten away from my original reason for blogging. The magic of talking about it with other people who have read the same book!
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Why have I gotten away from it? Well, besides having a full time job, trying to spend quality time with my husband and family, I guess the real reason is greed. LOL Really, it is so easy to get seduced by the books on NetGalley or Edelweiss. I can go on NetGalley and get lost for hours and before I know it I’ve requested 20 books that all have the same release date. Aarghhh!!! That’s the worst. Recently, I’ve tried really hard to cut back on requesting books and when I do, it’s usually to request from authors I really like or to read and possibly finish a book in a series I’ve started. Although I will say that when two or three authors books release in the same month or on the same day it can still get tricky. At times my brain goes into book overload, kind of like the whirlpool of books below.
I also have a HUGE stack of physical books sitting in my shelves that are going unread. Some of which I don’t want to review, I just want to enjoy, you know? Lately though I feel like I need to review every book just so that I am putting out a post. It would be so easy to just let it slide and I really don’t want to! The connections I’ve made with my fellow bloggers are fun, interesting, and keep my brain invested in something I really want to do. Have a conversation about books. How do I find that happy medium?
Here is my vow to, well, myself really, because I can’t imagine you all care about these musings… My vow is to read what I want to read, when I want to read it. Blog hop and join in on discussions with you guys, because, well, that’s part of the fun isn’t it? Write reviews because that’s what I really love to do, and hopefully inspire you all to interject with some comments. I feel better already! Sometimes you just need to lay down the law with yourself. LOL.
Anyway, this is what was in my head this morning as I sat down to write. What’s going on in your own?
How do you all keep yourselves going?
I am always amazed at the hard work most of you put into putting out great content and discussions almost daily. How do you do think of all of these topics? Find the time to put in pretty graphics and pictures? That’s probably a topic for another day… 🙂
Until next Sunday,
Deb
The Reading Chick 
I’ve struggled too with over requesting on Netgalley and then I get stressed when I want to read something else. Just like you, I set down some rules to request less so I can read the MANY unread books on my Kindle. 😄
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I think if all book bloggers got in a room together 90% would feel that way! Lol. I’m trying to be better.
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Oh my goodness, I totally understand where you are coming from! I struggle with the overcommitment of the ARC’s as well and get so excited when I sign up and get them. It usually ends up in me having a panic attack at trying to get the review done, take care of my family, and my TBR is a chaotic mess of everything I’ve been wanting to read and will probably never get to. I’ll admit, I’m also kind of jealous at all the awesome bloggers that get posts out every day! I’m no expert and am curious to know the responses you get. I have sticky notes everywhere reminding myself ‘NO more ARC’s’ and have made a reading list of my want to read next books on my TBR and focus on sticking to it. I have a list of fun topics that I want to add in on the blog and have dates set to post them. I also try to pat myself on the back for only getting out 3 posts a week – it works for me and where I’m at in my life and would rather focus on fun content. I’ve actually cleared my calendar and managed not to make any requests for any releases for the rest of this month to give myself a break – we’ll see if it works! I’m tired of the guilt and stress – I started this for fun and to connect like you – fingers crossed! =D
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It’s crazy, isn’t it, how “wanting to talk about books” just turns into this massive, endless quest of having to get all the books somehow?! NetGalley and Edelweiss might be the worst and best things ever invented for book bloggers 😂 I tend not to request too many books at once, because otherwise I know I’d looooose my mind and feel well too pressured to read all the books 😂
Reading what you want to read is such a great vow to yourself, one I’m always trying to have, even if it’s hard with all the hype going around and all the books, it’s hard to know what we actually want to read ourselves and the ones we are… well, influenced by others to read, somehow.
Loved this post! ❤ ❤
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It’s fun to read a book that you saw a great review about knowing that you wouldn’t have picked it up because it wasn’t on your radar. So the good goes hand in hand with the bad doesn’t it? Thanks for joining in the discussion!
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Definitely! It’s amazing to think of how many books I wouldn’t have read, if I hadn’t heard from them on book blogs 🙂
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