And the answer is a very big huge YES! Blogging has changed the way I read, what I'm reading, how I pick what to read.... in many ways. Some are wonderful and some not so much. Let's explore.
Positive Changes
Branching Out. I'm reading things I never would have picked up on my own. Odd Thomas just recently reviewed is a good example. The huge epic fantasy series that I've been loving so much... I don't think I would have tried. Many of the non-fiction I've enjoyed in recent years (Coop for example) I would have never found. The list goes on and on of things out of my previous realm that I now love.
Give Me More! I read much more than I used to read. At first I found this to be a strange statistic because if I'm blogging, that takes up reading time, right? But no, when I started blogging, I also started reading more. Perhaps it's because I allowed myself to. I let myself read more and faster and two or three at a time. Does this make sense? Before, I think I held back, feeling that I shouldn't read so much. Now I figure, what the heck. Who cares?
Buying Binges. I buy more books then before. Is this a positive or a negative? It's positive because I like building up my home library, which encourages my kids to use it and choose books from home to read. See negative below. It also supports the ever wobbling print book business and the authors themselves. This is always a good thing.
Bookish Buddies. I have reading buddies both in real life and online. Before blogging, I had no one to talk books with, and it was sad. Now, quite simply, it's a blast! Especially reading books together. Little mini book clubs all over the place.
Author Savvy. Pre-blogging I don't think I would have ever learned who my local authors are and would have not had this huge desire to read everything they write. Well, maybe a little, but not to the extent this fanaticism is today. And I know they would have never known I exist, but now thanks to the blog, there are a few of them that know I'm out here cheering them on!
Set for Life. What to read next is a question I will never, ever have to ask again.
Negative Changes
Remember the Library? I really miss going to the library and walking up and down the stacks and just seeing what looks good. Having nothing at all in mind, just looking and picking. This hardly ever happens anymore. Now, if I get something from the library, I go with a book in mind. Or I've put something on hold and have been waiting forever for this popular book. If I do happen to grab random things from the library, I feel guilty because there's too many things waiting at home to read!
Dickens Who? I'm reading less classics than I used to, and I think it's because I read more YA. I didn't now much about these popular YA books before, but now, I HAVE to keep up! I also think my brain function has gone down, and that I don't know what to blame on for sure. It couldn't be old age, could it?
Buying Binges II. I'm buying more books than before. It's not good because this takes money! And one shouldn't spend ALL their money on books, should they?
TBR Mountain. The TBR pile is huge, much bigger pre-blogging days. While it's nice to never wonder "what to read next" (see above,) it is also sometimes a little stressful and tends to take the fun out of it. This is a balance easily found by simply saying to oneself, "I will read what I want to read when I want to read it!" We can all do this, right?
I think I could go on and on (mostly on the positive list of course!) but I'll stop for now! So, what's on your list for how blogging has affected your reading?
I like how you outlined this post and I like that buying binges was in both lists. nice job.
ReplyDeleteMy brain capacity for classics has gone way down too. I'm hoping that I could still read them, but I just finished a huge book and it was really hard for me. Too many short YA (not that YA are all short) has spoiled me.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes the good old days at the library randomly browsing shelves. I miss those days. Now I browse book stores but they have the annoying habit of charging me for the huge stack of books I leave with. Rude!
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely ups and downs to blogging, but when I quit for a while, I missed it so much. All those positives are worth it, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI agree with all your positives and negatives, and I love how you included buying binges as a positive and a negative because it definitely is!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't really thought about it, but you're right about the library. I can't remember the last time I just browsed the shelves looking for random books. These days,I mostly go there to grab the books I've put on hold (usually ones recommended by other bloggers). Although that could have more to do with the fact that I usually have my 2-year-old along than with the fact that I'm a book blogger!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally with you on nearly all of those! I actually find myself visiting the library more often now that I'm reading a lot of recommended books I don't already own. My book binges have to come from library book sales and used book stores, as my budget allows, so if I want a specific book, I usually have to borrow from the library. And bloggers have actually gotten me to take another look at the classics, which I avoided in my post-school days!
ReplyDeleteI didn't read YA really before book blogging either... Sometimes I read too much. Part of that is the use of the library, too.
ReplyDeleteI struggle to find the time nowadays to just browse at the library and look for books. I love looking thru the shelves and try to make the time at least once a month. This was a great post!
ReplyDeleteReally got a kick out of your positive and negative lists! I've branched out to genres I probably never would have tried before, and find myself buying so many books that I'm on a self-imposed book buying ban now!
ReplyDeleteI miss the library too. Feel guilty because I used to go there twice a week, but now I can't remember the last time I stopped by.
Most of the posts I read in response to today's prompt were all about the positives. Thanks for balancing it out!
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