Book bloggers… We’re a funny bunch aren’t we? Since I started book blogging, back in March 2013 I’ve experienced so many things I would have otherwise been oblivious to. Book blogging is a whole different world and I didn’t quite realise how much there was to it until I was in it.
From review copies to publishers to authors and other bloggers alike, there’s so much to learn and experience and if you asked me what ARC stands for or what a book tour was 4 years ago, I would have looked at you completely dumbfounded. So, I’ve compiled a list of thoughts I’ve had during my time as a book blogger so far.
1. Ooh, this will be fun! A new hobby!
2. Oh my God, this is such hard work
3. How do other book bloggers read so many damn books?!
4. I am so rubbish
5. Boo… No book post today
6. Yayyyyy book post! Postman, you are my favourite person in the entire world
7. Oh no, I feel really bad because I don’t like this ARC. I hope the publishers don’t hate me
8. Just be honest. Okay, what’s a kinder way of saying, ‘steaming pile of…’
9. If I ever write a book, I hope people don’t say mean things about it
10. Hey! I’m going to write a book!
11. Damn, I really want that review copy
12. Oh my God, literally everyone in the entire world has that review copy but me
13. It’s half past 12 at night and I’m still writing this review… Why aren’t I getting paid for this?
14. Are my reviews good enough?
15. Was that really Cecelia Ahern that favourite my tweet or a fan account?
16. OH MY GOD IT REALLY WAS CECELIA AHERN. ONE OF MY FAVOURITE AUTHORS KNOW I EXIST.
17. I am literally drowning in all the books I have to read
18. Oh look, a review request, that’s nice, someone actually wants me to review their book!
19. Oh look, 5629492927 more review requests. I can’t cope with this.
20. Ooooh, NetGalley, what’s this then?
21. Oh my fucking god this website is literally taking over my life
22. Damn it, I’ve run out of book storage space
23. I am so jealous of this person’s blog I might cry…
24. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER BOOK BLOGGERS IN THE WORLD, WHERE HAVE YOU ALL BEEN HIDING?
25. Book blogging is the best decision I’ve ever made
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Excellent post and blog. I have just added book reviews onto my blog and love the interaction (and books) that they bring.
PS found you via Suzie81 and her Summer Blog Party
Thank you very much (: I’ve read so many amazing books I probably wouldn’t have had it not been for book blogging too! Suzie’s summer blog party was fab – so is Sunday Blog Share! She’s pretty awesome (:
Your post really made me smile and although I’ve only been blogging for a few months I found myself agreeing with a lot of things on your list. I was soooooo happy to have an author favourite, retweet and reply to my tweet a couple of weeks ago, so happy in fact that if that had been my last day on earth I would have died happy!
Hahaha! It’s amazing when they do, isn’t it? I love authors who take the time to interact with their readers (: xx
[…] 25 Thoughts Ive Had In My Time As A Book Blogger […]
This is the first time I’ve been here. Didn’t know you existed. I’m a book blogger and can relate to many of your thoughts. It gave me a good laugh. Happy reading!
Glad to have found another fellow book blogger!!! Glad it made you laugh and you can relate to it! xx
This… is 100% accurate. (Also: authors replying to our tweets is pretty much the loveliest feeling known to humankind. THEY KNOW WE EXIST AND IT IS WONDERFUL.) The blogging life most certainly has its highs & lows, but in the end, I wouldn’t trade it in for anything else in the world. <3
It is just the best thing ever isn’t it! I love authors who take the time to connect and interact with their readers, even when it is a simple retweet! I completely agree, I’m sure we all have our good and bad blogging days but in the end, it’s all worth it (: thank you for your lovely comment xxx
Lol! I was nodding and smiling through the whole list! It’s perfect.
Haha I’m so glad! (; xx
Hahaha I think this may be THE BEST blog post I’ve ever read. It is SO TRUE. Totally had the exact same Cecelia Ahern moment too haha. Always good to know we all think the same things!! I actually love you xxxxxxx
Hahahah thank you so much lovely! This comment made me smile LOADS! Cecelia Ahern is just wonderful isn’t she?! LOVE her books so much <3 Think this is what makes us book bloggers so close… Hehe! xxxxxxxxx
Absolutely! I isn’t she just, I love them all. I swear to God that post was just so spot on haha it made me laugh out loud xxxxxxxx
Ha ha! I love the way you’ve got the some of the same things as highs and lows.
The Cecelia Ahern thing was very cool. Margaret Attwood once retweeted something that linked to my blog and I nearly expired with happiness. (It hasn’t happened again).
Hahahaha! I know that feeling! It’s amazing isn’t it? I still remember the first time an author replied to one of my tweets! xx
What a great post and spot on!
Thank you very much! 🙂 xx
Yes! When authors I love find my post especially without me tweeting it at them, I am shocked and honored. And then sometimes at signings they remember my review and I get speechless from fangirl overload 😀
Wow! I bet that’s an incredible feeling, getting recognised by an author because of your review!
Haha, yes, this is exactly what book blogging is like! Only except for Cecelia Ahern favouriting a tweet (which is MASSIVE, by the way, I love her!) I had Sophie Kinsella reply to a tweet of mine, which also resulted in major fangirling!
Also, thank you for reminding me I need to get Kirsty Greenwood’s newest book. Loved Yours Truly!
Cecelia Ahern is just fabulous isn’t she? Oooh Sophie Kinsella, that’s a big one! I had Paige Toon follow me on Twitter yesterday too, eeek! I still need to read Kirsty’s book too! Definitely soon (: xx
Hahaha I’m so glad it made you laugh, Angelica! I think everyone gets blogger envy and I know, HOW do people read so many books? I’m actually a shockingly bad reader – I’m not a slow reader but I don’t read for long enough to get through books quickly. It took me over a MONTH to read a Harry Potter! xx
Aww I’m so glad you enjoy book blogging so much and it’s made you happy! That’s the whole point 😀 You’re definitely feeling exactly how I felt when I first started! It’s a lot of hard work but as long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters 🙂 xx
I need to find a balance. I want to share my opinions on the books I read, but the blog felt like a job. It made me want to read less. Any suggestions?
Ooh really? That’s a shame 🙁 Well, I suppose blogging isn’t for everyone but you’ve just got to enjoy it and consider it a hobby. Which is what is it, for most people. Have it your way; review what you want to review, as often as you want to and post about topics you WANT to post about – don’t follow the crowd and only post something because everyone else is. Get creative and do it your way – that’s the only advice I can really think of! xx
Nice post – I completely identify with all of these! 🙂
Thank you! 😀 xx
Brilliant Jenny, I was giggling in agreement at every one of these thoughts! Fantastic!
Thank you so much, Linda! 🙂 xx
Totally feeling all of these especially 21 but I wouldn’t want it any other way! Brill post!
Hahahahah NetGalley is both a blessing and a curse…. I only started using it this year and was doing quite well but I lost myself the other day when I requested like thirteen thousand books! Thank you! xx
Have you been inside my brain Jenny? Brilliant post! Love it! Xx
Hehehehe maybe…. 😉 Thank you! 🙂 xx
This post was so amazing! It had me laughing a lot!
Hahaha I’m glad! ;D xx
Love this post, Jenny! 🙂 It’s so humorous and relatable. So many of these thoughts have ran through my mind at least once before (except for the Ahern one, lol).
Thank you very much! I’m glad you agree 🙂 xx
some really good points Jenny. I agree and associate with these: 1 3 5 6 7 8 11 12 17 18 22 24 25
You have an amazing amount of of comments per blog post, that is something i would like more of. I have to work harder on my posts to get a dedicated following like that.
Gill x
Thank you lovely Gill, I’m glad you agree! 🙂 I honestly don’t know how it happens Gill, I know people say that to try and sound modest but I really don’t. I expected maybe 3 or 4 sometimes, particularly on book reviews but on the occasion this happens I genuinely am gob smacked. But I am so so grateful to everyone who takes the time to comment. I’m definitely going to up my commenting game and start commenting more on other blogs xxx
This was so cute and funny! I love reading and want to get back into reviewing books more frequently. This was awesome! I don’t know half of the things you spoke of. Haha.
US Lifestyle Blog // rebekahkoontzsite.com
Aww thank you very much! You so should, I loved your review of Paper Towns! 🙂 xx
This is so true! Number 8 is my favorite. It’s so hard to be nice and truthful if you hated the book haha
~Saloni
http://myfantabulousbookshelf.blogspot.com/
Haha I agree – the only thing you can do is be honest really in a constructive way! But it is hard to word it right! xx
Wonderful Post! I can understand both your pain and joy.
Thank you 🙂 xx
Reblogged this on bookboodle and commented:
Agree 100% with Jenny’s comments, do check out her lovely blog! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing! <3
Oh Jenny you crack me up! Every one true though 🙂
Hahaha well, I do try Lindsay 😉 xx
Great post, and I can relate to all your thoughts. The one I get a lot is ‘How can other bookbloggers read so many books?’. But also, starting this blog was a great decision. Glad you are enjoying it so much too.
Amanda.
Omg I agree, some bloggers I know read like 4-5 books a WEEK! They’re super human I swear. Glad your enjoying blogging! 🙂 xx
So accurate haha! Great post 🙂
Thank you very much! 🙂
I’m somewhere between 3 and 4 right now. Especially seeing lots of people’s mid year reviews. My plan for the rest of the year? Read shorter books!
I know! I see people on Twitter say how many books they’ve read this year so far, like 4638394738 and I’m like HOW DO YOU DO THIS xx
I love this post – it’s a great reflection of the hard work involved in writing any blog. We must all be crazy, good job we love it 🙂
Thank you so much 🙂 We are definitely a crazy bunch but that’s what makes it great, right? 😉 xx
hahah, this is SO spot on. book blogging is very hard work and i’m always so impressed with how many books you manage to get through! also, CECELIA AHERN AMAGAD x
http://the-dress-diaries.blogspot.co.uk
It is very very very hard work, I think a lot of people (especially those who aren’t bloggers) don’t realise that! And I KNOW RIGHT! I totally fangirled <3 xx
Oh my gosh! I loved this so much! It was so relatable and made me smile, the whole way through.
I can relate to every single thought you mentioned, but over everything, blogging is the bes decision I ever made! 😆
Haha thank you so much Josie, I’m glad you liked it! 😀 xx
Great list.
I can relate to all of these items. (except Cecilia Ahern, I haven’t reviewed her books; thankfully there are other very grateful authors out there)
Thank you so much for this refreshing blog post! 🙂
It is definitely a nice community. 🙂
Hahahaha! This mad me chuckle ;D NetGalley is an absolute soul destroyer! There’s no way in HELL i’ll ever get my % up to 100% if they just keep adding new, amazing books all the time, jeeeez! WordPress can be tricky, I struggled so much with it at first. You’ll get used to it (: Thanks for your comment! xx
Love this post, and love your blogging Jenny, please keep up your fab work, even if it does sound a crazy life 🙂 XXX
Thank you so much Jane! I’m glad you liked it (: Am planning on keeping up blogging, for as long as I can! It can be a little crazy sometimes – I’m sure I speak for a lot of book bloggers when I say that! xx
I’m so glad, thank you! You’re absolutely right, it is so important to not give up if you’re passionate about something. I’ve definitely had thoughts of giving up but I’m so glad I didn’t! xx
I’ve been blogging for almost 3 months now, and had almost all those thoughts, apart from writing a book. That will definitely never happen! And I am definitely drowning in review books and non review books, although thankfully most of mine are e-copies so noone else can see them!
Haha good plan, Rachel, having them mostly on Kindle so people can’t see how ridiculous your TBR pile is haha! Mine are both on Kindle and on the bookshelf in my room – which is completely full!
Ah, loved this and related to this so much. Great post Jenny, made me smile. Have a lovely weekend. 🙂
Thank you so much, I’m glad! Have a lovely weekend too! (: xx
I loved it you definitely made my night and made me giggle! I definitely agree with the having too many books, the hard work, and feeling bad about giving a book a bad review. I did that tonight actually =/ This was a great post by the way! =D
Hahaha I’m so glad! Eeesh, it’s rubbish having to give a book a bad review, eh? But you know, as they say, everyone likes different things! Thank you! (: xx
16. Made me LOL. I had a similar reaction when an author I think is fab favourited one of my tweets.
8. Is so true. I always want to be fair and constructive when I review, because even if I don’t like a book, someone else will and the author has spent ages working on it. But sometimes you just want to say, “RUN!” haha!
I LOVE those author moments! I actually had another one today! (Carole Matthews followed me on twitter, I was temporarily stunned!) That’s good that you’re always fair in your reviews, I try to be the same, it’s a shame that you don’t like a book but you know, not everyone is going to love it and as long as you’re honest, that’s all that matters right? (: xx
I love your weekend posts, it’s always like you’ve taken thoughts out of my head & written them up for me! I’m feeling 5, 17 and 23 right now!
Thank you so much, that’s go great to hear! I’m glad you like them (: xx
LOL. Keep it going!!
Your blog posts continue to amuse – and how can that be bad?
John
It’s not bad John! I’m thrilled! (;
I’m only just really getting going with books but loving it so far! You’re really talented at what you do, it’s no surprise that so many want you to review their books! Looking forward to seeing what ones you have in store for us next!
You’ll have review requests streaming in in no time! Thank you so much – so glad you’re enjoying book blogging so far! (:
Did it take you long to really get the hang of it?
What, blogging? God yes! I’m still getting the hang of it now! There’s always something new to learn with blogging. Your thoughts and mindset will always change as well so I just find blogs are constantly evolving. I’m always umming and ahhing about what to review, how to review, my layout and theme, what I want to post – EVERYTHING! xx
Thanks 🙂 I’ve just massively changed the way I review stuff so hopefully they are stronger now. Six months in but was at uni for most of it so didn’t pay the blog that much attention and now I’m desperately trying to get it going and feel like stumbling in the dark a touch!