Book Blogger Confessions- 1

This new meme is hosted by Karen at For What It's Worth and Tiger at All Consuming Books (though I believe she's considering changing the name so this may be wrong once archived!!!)

The idea of this is to recount, perhaps even vent in order to ward off violent outbursts, about the nuances of life as a book blogger.

How has the "job" of book blogging changed your reading habits? Both pro and con.

The main thing that has changed for me is that I read much more consistently. I usually read daily and only break this when it's unavoidable to do so and my time is consumed by other things which I (sometimes) have no power over. I used to read much more sporadically in the past: I wouldn't read the entire week but then read an entire series in a weekend. I've done something similar for the blog in the past because I become painfully aware that I haven't read much in the week, but never an entire series. Good

But that's is also kind of a bad thing; surely I shouldn't feel I have to read if I don't want to? I enjoy reading, I really do, but I have to have it as a hobby. If it becomes a job and starts to take too much of my time I will stop in an instant, though it breaks my heart to say it. I am at school and I want to go to a good University so if I don't keep up with school work then I start to worry about my future. I need reading to be a way for me to have fun and relax myself- perhaps even rewards myself for working hard. I dread it becoming something I'm obliged to do. Bad

All those books...*drools*. I adore getting books in giveaways and also getting review requests. The idea that someone I don't know in real life is giving me a book makes me feel all warm and philanthropic inside. And with review requests, all I can think is how amazed I am that someone should care even teh slightest about my opinion. Wow, just wow. As with most of the social network universe, you don't realise the kind of effect and the power it has until you join it. Good

The community is also a big bonus. I have very few people in real life to talk about books to and I love that the internet is there to fill that void in my life. And better yet, these people are interesting and have all kinds of wit and intrigue in them. I hate meeting new people in reality, but I love it online. And though I would never have thought it, you can make friends and all that! I'd have said a friend is someone you enjoy doing stuff with, but now I'd say it's someone you can speak to without trying, and someone who you have mutually inclusive interest in. They like learning about you, you like learning about them, but it doesn't have any really importance. Friends are just people it's easy to be around. Also, with the internet, it's much easier to have a more spaced out friendship. You can't always be online, and internet people know that. It means they can wait longer to speak with you. Good

My final thing is that it's a place to be unique without being alone. If I was to post I'm a seventeen year-old boy who studies Classics, Physics and Maths and enjoys reading about magic, dragons and enjoy Jane Austen's romances, I wouldn't be spurned. Someone, perhaps in the South of Poland, Eastern Russia or in my own England might say ME TOO!!! Isn't just marvellous to have a place where everyone is unique in tastes, but still has a community of people like them because they're all weird together. I love that. Fantastic