Book blogging is absolutely a collision of spilt sprinkles, late nights, delirious rants, and typos.
And also books. Haha, small detail there! Easy to forget.
No one’s going to deny that book blogging is hard work. And sometimes we have love/hate relationships with our little corners of the internet. And for me? After 6 years of blogging, I’ve had a ton of things I’ve screamed into the void about (including me @ plagiarising my oWN POSTS) but after the void rudely screamed back at me (how dare tho) I started thinking up all the really epic things about book blogging.
Why do we blog?! What about blogging is so enticing?? Obviously cake doesn’t pop out of my computer screen (I’m confused too ok) so what keeps us bloggers gnawing away at gifs and html and trying to format a post before it starts crying?
Because book blogging is full of EXCITING THINGS and here am I shouting about them!
Or, well, shouting politely because I was not raised in cave. I was raised amongst the forests and faerie mushroom circles with the changeling children and this is why you all still read my blog after all this time because mAGIC MIND CONTROL.
Anyway.
1. WHEN SOMEONE APPRECIATES AND SHARES THEIR WORK WITH PROPER CREDIT AND CALLS YOU QUEEN OF ALL.
Not gonna lie: if someone just happens to shower confetti in my direction while saying I am so great…well. That’s just nice. Continue!! Don’t let anyone stop you!
In all seriousness though…actually seeing your work appreciated is FRIKKIN’ AWESOME. I think it’s common for we book bloggers to feel a bit underfed. We’re not “allowed” to want money (despite other types of bloggers, like beauty and cookery bloggers, turning theirs into careers and that’s allowed) for our work and we do a LOT of unpaid work for authors / publishers. Because we do love it!! But sometimes we feel like a fork in a drawer and we just??? We just want to bE A FANTASTIC CUP OF ORANGE JUICE SOMETIMES TOO. *
The flipside of this, obviously, is having your work stolen or shared without permission. Then we burn cities and skies fall.
However:
Sharing —> crediting —> telling bloggers you love what they do —> giving them a private island —> turning them into a magical demigod —> saying “I like your stuff, mate” —> all is really exciting!
It makes it worth it x 100.
* No I don’t know where this metaphor is going either. Try not to think too much.
2. BEING GIVEN BOOKS AND / OR DRAGON EGGS TO RAISE AS OUR OWN.
Unfortunately not many publishers send me packets of dragon eggs??? But it’s still early in the year. However I do get books! I am so grateful and lucky to be on publisher mailing lists here in Australia and to get soooo many books. Because I honestly can’t afford to keep up with my appetite.
No one can look at me and say, “Getting packages of book mail is not exciting.”
It is always super exciting!!! Even if I know what’s inside!! It’s just like: look it’s Christmas and you get to open this and a whole magical world will fall out!!
I love mail. I love raising books to be my strong and independent young children.
My family doesn’t like my mail so much, however. These days they collect the mail and say in a dead voice, “Oh look Cait another book for you…[distant grumbling] I never get anything…”
3. GETTING TO TALK TO AUTHORS, OR INTERVIEW THEM, OR HAVE THEM VISIT YOUR BLOG.
I feel a bit starry-eyed when I get to talk to an author. I mean!! A real live author!! And when it’s your favourite author or a super famous one…it just makes me feel special and important.
Also by the by, I’m a total fangirl and prone to spontaneous combustion so talking to authors is also super terrifying. I love them but awKWArd tURtle here.
GENERAL INTERACTION BETWEEN ME + AN AUTHOR:
Me: I wish authors would talk to me…
Author: hi
Me:
Me:
Me: omg i have to go now
4. WHEN YOUR STATS LOOK NICE.
Usually for no reason you can divine, even though you’ve done everything to figure it out?? 9 hours analysing stats. 16 hours experimenting with failed repeats. A day talking to the clouds and asking why your stats are good one day and horrid the next. But whatever, right?! When stats are good, WE GET EXCITED.
And maaaaybe you don’t care about stats, but I’m not ashamed to admit I do. Let me be the excite! My ego and I appreciate the numerical display of our worth. *
* HAHAH I’M JOKING. Your stats are not your worth. Your worth is only, and I mean ONLY, tied up with how often perch atop a mountain and yodel.
5. WHEN YOU FIGURE OUT SOMETHING BLOGGISH THAT WAS CONFOUNDING YOU.
This could be like figuring out how to do a bit of coding! Or just getting your photos lined up! Or making some epic graphics when all your other attempts failed! Or just having a really really nice design that makes you go all starry-eyed!
POWER IN THE CONQUERING. NONE STANDS AGAINST YOU AFTER YOU JUST GOT A WIDGET TO WORK.
you @ aligning your text on your blog post without anyone bursting into tears
6. IT’S BASICALLY JUST EXCITING NOT TO FANGIRL ALONE.
I am a person who enjoys my own company due to being an introvert and a little narcissistic. * But it’s actually 100 x better to be able to shout with someone who loves the same book you do. And if they don’t, you can follow them around and keep shouting until they do.
This never works but I still try it because #persistent. I may also be murdered and stuffed in a barrel at some point! But not until you all read The Raven Boys!!
* JUST KIDDING. I’M NORMAL, MUM.
7. IT’S EXCITING TO BE HEARD TOO.
Look it’s easy to feel UNHEARD still in the blogosphere. There’s a lot of voices. If you have more followers, obviously you get more traction with your shouts. But at the end of the day, someone is listening if you’re blogging. And that’s pretty cool. Instead of hoarding my opinion on best types of bookish friendships, tropes I hate, and whether Snape was evil * or not — I can share them with you!
It makes me feel better anyway.
And sometimes if, by some weird reason, you have important things to say about important matters…it’s exciting to be heard for them too. I have no idea what that’s like though hahaha. Remember the time I blogged about putting dragons in The Fault In Our Stars?? Ya. I’m quality.
* HE WAS DISGUSTINGLY EVIL BY THE WAY.
8. THINGS ARE PRETTY AND WHOSE EYEBALLS DON’T WANT THAT?!
With the rise of #bookstagram, the blogosphere has really flooded with gorgeously aesthetic photos of books. People put a lot of work into this!! It’s amazing! My eyeballs feast every day on bookish photo art and I just get excited about my TBR which is, coincidentally threatening to kill me, but who cares if it’s pretty right?!
Nothing makes me quite as excited over a book as a gorgeous photo of it!
I think I just admitted I was shallow…? Don’t tell.
9. THE BOOK POSSIBILITIES SUDDENLY BECOME ENDLESS.
Do you ever walk into a bookstore or a library and just get that overwhelmed flooding feeling of HAPPINESS in your chest because so many books?!? HEART EYES. I swear, nothing makes me more excited than rows and lists of books.
10. YOU CAN RAISE AN ARMY AND THAT’S FUN.
Bonus part about this is all the things you can do with your army once you have them! For example:
- I’ve told everyone that in Australia we get our WiFi fuelled by the blood of the gumtrees and this is now a known fact across the earth.
- Ask any other Aussie you know.
- If you write a book = your army wants to read it to see what damage you can do in 300pgs. (SPOILER: Lots! Aren’t you excited about mine!!)
- You can slowly infiltrate their minds until they associate you with something. Like who doesn’t think Cait and Cake are entwined, hmm? I have done this. I have achieved mind control.
- You can make friends with these people??? I guess??? Weird tho.
- It’s fun to meet people who agree with you and helps your delicate sense. Especially if you, unlucky soul, have too many siblings who disagree with you for no reason. (No joke: my sister won’t eat apples because I told her to. This is what I live with.) Get yourself an agreeable army instead.
- You get to know people from all over the world! And complain about time zone differences together!
- You can band together and conquer Mars or eat the sun or something. IDK what you do with an army. But I want one so here we are.
I love blogging because I can give structure to my experience of books and have new ways of thinking and also FANGIRL LIKE A MANIAC of course. I think everyone should read The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett…and by that I mean SABRIEL. (Wee Free Men is great though
Read it for the lolz)
YAS SEE ALL OF THIS. It’s like we can dump our thoughts together AND be (semi) intelligent AND just be a regular fangirl enjoying shouting into the internet void. What could go wrong. :’)
Lol I like the army part the most like having an army of minions will be fun!!!
But also literally every point you listed 😍
It’s good to be heard and fangirl with others. I literally had nobody to fangirl with before I started my blog and would usually just huddle up and weep over a character’s death but now I can yell at the author with other fans and weep with them! Haha. That’s progress
PS: Cait=Cake is a mathematical equation that has been proved right numerous times
I mean who doesn’t want an army?! They’re sO USEFUL AND HANDY.😂 And exactly me too! I didn’t really have anyone to flail over books with pre-blogging and it’s very lonely not to be able to shout recommendations.
Cait=Cake is the biggest truth of the universe.
I nearly died of laughter at being a fantastic cup of orange juice XD
Talking to authors….that’s scary. I always click no on netgalley no matter how much I loved the book because terrified anxious turtle here with no idea what to say. I have had some interactions with authors and thankfully they’ve all been positive…but i’m still terrified.
Ahh widgets…and aligning text and all those ‘s lol. I feel pretty useless though, I don’t do a whole lot or maybe it just feels that way now that i’ve gotten used to it…
Ok ok! I’ll read The Raven Boys!…eventually….soon…I hope…I do have the first book but I still has not read it T.T
Yes! I hate Snape! I mean awesome at writing him and all, I don’t know how to word what I mean, but he was so evil.
Mostly I blog for myself first and foremost, a place to keep all my bookish thoughts so I can look back at them and remember because a goldfish has a better memory than I. It’s why I write reviews shortly after reading a book. But it is always nice when I see the stats go up and once in awhile even a comment 🙂
I am excited for your book, it’s on my TBR and I must know what damage you can do in 300 pages 😀
I will keep talking about The Abyss Surrounds Us and The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie. It’s a duology of bad-ass lesbian pirate girls fighting sea monsters and a very slow burn romance, turns tropes on their head and is just full of awesome! I will not shut up about it, ever. ^_^
‘s* heh lol it showed up as ‘s because I didn’t space it
Well now I feel silly, I spaced it but still didn’t show up, br’s to space lines with.
Authors are scary though?! Like I’m 99% sure they’re magical creatures who live in castles in the sky or something. I actually prefer submitting reviews to NG because at least you don’t have to interact with a person.😂 And omg widgets and just…just anything technical with blogging? I KNOW NOTHING.😂
(You shooooould read the Raven Boys. No pressure BUT YOU MUST ALSO LOVE IT.)
(Just kidding.😂 I will not come after you if you don’t.)
(Also no pressure when you read my book too.😂)
Snape was awful and the way people romanticise the “always always” thingie is gross. He was a stalker!!
yesss I love that blogging is just a place to put our thoughts out! Or get our thoughts together.😂I wouldn’t think about books much at all if I didn’t review them! Also holy heck I need to read The Abyss Surrounds us clearly!
😀 All of it, 😀
SUCH A GOOD POST.
Also not going to lie, I got to number 3, and I went – hmmm, one day that’s going to be Cait with a blogger, you’re going to cause that reaction.
(Sidenote: I cannot wait for your book!)
Omg that makes me laugh.😂😂 I mean, MAYBE?!? But I blog too much and you all know I’m just a dork that’s probably 3 dragons piled on each other in a trench coat.
It’s going to happen Cait, and those of us that DO know you’re 3 dragons piled up in a trench coat will be sitting here laughing when it does.
I have a deep love for book blogging and this community for all the reasons you listed. For me it’s just a nice feeling to know I’m not alone in my love for books and it’s fun to fangirl and flail with others instead of on your own!
Yesss exactly!! Like I know zero people IRL who are so vehemently a fan of books as I am. Plus bookworm culture?! It is the best and I love being around people to flail with me.😂
I’m sad I haven’t seen more of your stuff until now. Your writing style and words make me very happy!
Snape was so evil. Soild, sister.
I will not stop shouting until everyone has read The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto. It’s the most positive book I’ve ever read about the human condition, whilst still being about androids, space and the mundane experiences that cast long shadows. It’s beautiful and uplifting and I love it. Of course, I have many others to share, but…
What book do you always try to make others read?
AHHHH thank you Willow! That totally makes my day. 😍😍
And omg can we all just agree to toss Snape out with the potato peels, because what a problematic piece of black robes. I hate how people use the “always” thing as a famous quote when he was literally an abusive stalker?!
Ohh now I’m curious about The Stories of Ibis! I mean I mostly read YA but I get excited when other people are super passionate about a book!! (My one I force on everyone is The Raven Cycle.😂)
BRAVO, Cait, you’re the only one who makes me smile when I just wanna close my blog. I’m just not sure how to do certain things and I feel like I’ll never learn. BUT, there are a lot of things I enjoy about blogging, especially raising an army cuz whY nOT? the whole world serving you?? that is accomplishment. Also, making everyone read your fav series (I haven’t read The Raven Cycle, PLZ don’t kill me….) is the purpose of our lives. THANK U for this post, it really made my day 🙂
JEANNY YOU BLOG?!? I feel terrible that I didn’t know!! Can you link it sometimes when you comment so I can visit/comment back? Otherwise I don’t know to come over to yours.😂
But hey I totally get how tiring blogging can be because it’s so much work! But then there are all these fun parts that, for me, makes it totally worth it. Ahhhh. And it’s okay I will wait patiently until you finally read my precious Raven Boys. 😉
Hey, don’t worry! It’s my fault, I never told u… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to link it bc it’s in Spanish and also I’m scared (there’s no reason to lie here😂).
Kinda doubt Aussies get WiFi like that but OK…. And yes we need to eat the sun or something and maybe there should be some book about raising armies? I feel like that be useful. Also yay CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE and TO KILL A KINGDOM are released today and they’re up on my tbr list as some of my most anticipated books of this year 😍
NO IT’S TRUE, FRANK. ASK ANY AUSSIE YOU KNOW. Or better yet, just talk only to me as the Sole Aussie of the world because I’d never lead you astray.
Omg how many epic books released today right?! I didn’t want to actually have money anyway.😂
So, I’m really new to blogging [less than a year]. I know that I’ve just started and already, it’s HARD. Like, how do people even do this. All book bloggers are amazing.
Especially those who do bookstagram and blogging and conquering planets?? Yes, I’m indirectly describing how awesome you are.
Also yes, stats are amazing. I’m sure it’s normal to obsess over them every waking hour and still have no idea why some posts do better than others and then proceed to set fire to everything. Ahem.
No one I know reads books recreationally/just because they want to. [I don’t know what they do with their lives either] So, I mainly started blogging because I wanted to yell about bookish things. And people actually reading it?? It’s like why, but also surreal and amazing. And even though I’ve already made a gazillion mistakes in my short blogging career, that feeling makes everything worth it, you know??
P.S. You being a faerie changeling explains SO MUCH.
Omg it is so. darn. hard. I think it’s frustrating when people just act like book blogging is no big deal…we literally spend hours! And we kind of function just as smaller-scale book-publicists at times and that’s an actual JOB people get paid for.😂 So more appreciation for book bloggers!! (Also: you blog like a pro, I didn’t even realise you hadn’t been going a year yet!)
I will take all accusations of awesome because I’m also #super #humble.
I still have no idea how to figure out stats. some posts explode with comments and some get like 10…and I’m just sitting here like: WHY. WHAT DID I DO.
People reading blogs is such satisfactory validation.😂And also just finding people as obsessed with a series as I am?! I totally love it.
(The secret of my faerie changeling status is OUT.)
I like blogging because I want to be able to share my love of reading with everybody… and because it means I get to have mini book rants and freakouts on the Internet AND in person and read the ones that other people write. Your blog was actually the reason that I started mine, since I had been writing reviews just for myself for a while and then saw your blog and decided that I was going to try and make one of my own!
Whenever I think of cake or dragons I think of your blog 😂 and whenever I see cake on your Instagram feed it makes me insanely hungry.
I will probably keep encouraging people to read Game of Thrones, while simultaneously making sure that I keep my copies away from the younger ones 😂
Omggg really?! I’M SO HONOURED I INSPIRED YOU TO START A BLOG! *hi fives* It obviously is the most fun thing ever. And perfect for ranting or being salty.😂 I mean who can stop us? NO ONE. It is our space.
(Also I’m pretty sure my mind controlling powers are unparalleled. Talk about forcing everyone to associate me with things.😂)
OMG I get so excited when my blog lets me put text next to photos without causing the apocalypse. It used to be so difficult! But it’s easier now. I also love it when people share my posts. That’s always nice.
It is ridiculously difficult omg. People need to appreciate how HAPPY it makes us when everything is aligned nicely and properly.😂
Thanks for the positivity, Cait! It’s easy to write posts about how book blogging is hard and stressful and why are we even here anyway? but this post reminds us all that we’re awesome and blogging is fun! (also stressful and time-consuming, but mostly fun) 🙂
Yes yes! I realise I complain about things WAY too much.😂 I mean obviously it’s fun to complain and I don’t mind those kind of posts at all, but I like to remember the fun parts about why we do this too. Because if we didn’t, why would we keep going?!😂
I (obviously) agree with so many of these!!!! All of them, actually. Yes. All. Especially when someone shares my post on Twitter/Pinterest/etc and I die of excitement because someone!! Appreciates!! My!! Hard!! Work!! And!! Attempted!! Humor!! AND YES TO FIGURING THE STUFF OUT. Coding/graphics/etc are so complicated and I die a little when I don’t get something–I watch an hour or so worth of YouTube tutorials and when I finally get something right, my ego tells me I’m a superhero. That is, if I don’t break said thing within the next hour. xD
I know right?! It’s such good validation.😂 I’m not even going to lie when I say VALIDATION IS GREAT.😂It makes the hardwork not seem invisible! I mean, ok fine the stats say 100 people read this post, but somehow 1 tweet is worth more than that haha.
Omg and like spending HOURS figuring something out and nailing it?! Such a good feeling.
I’m still new to blogging, so … kind of everything is still excited? The blog still has that new blog smell and shine and when you turn the pages, it makes that really crisp crunch sound. I mean, getting books is pretty exciting. The day I received my very first physical ARC, it was the most beautiful plain brown package I had ever seen. I now have THREE ARCs, which may not sound like a lot, but they are freaking precious, okay? I’ve started a shelf. Which my husband’s not thrilled about, and his reaction when another book comes in is much like your family’s, but you know what? He married me and there will be no take-backsies, so he’ll have to deal. xD I also really like not fangirling alone, especially since I do it so often that it might as well be considered a sport.
P.S. I’m sure there are a ton of things you could do with an army. I mean, look at all the marvels, like the pyramids, that were built by just throwing death and human suffering at them in mass numbers. Imagine what you could do if, instead, you threw cake and bacon at your army and then gave them a task. YOU WOULD BE UNSTOPPABLE.
Ahh I love that it’s all new and exciting for you!! THAT IS BEST. And omg congrats on your first ARC that’s absolutely amazing and isn’t it the best?! I still have my very first ARC too because I’m apparently very sentimental.😂 And pfft, yes our families just need to get used to the fact that they are living with a book monster. There is no other options. Just feed us books and cake and deal with it.
(Dude YES. I forgot about pyramids. I’m totally getting a pyramid.)
Bok blogging is so fun and exciting!
Though as great as all the comments and interacting with people is, I love the bizarre spam comments that make no sense, like: “Love what you did with this information, but did you know that you can buy pants at *location*?
Like, wow! What a marvelous piece of knowledge that I will pass down to future generations. Thank you! XD
Well clearly I’m not passing down the knowledge of spelling. “Bok blogging”. lol
BOOK. The word is BOOK (get your life together, Evangeline). XD
I too look BOK BLOGGING. It is fun. So many less Os to work with.😂 (I’m just being horrible and teasing you ah hahaah. Typos don’t matter here, I UNDERSTAND BOOKS AND BOKS.)
Omg spam comments are wonderful like that. Or when they come on and insult you? Like “I think your blog sucks and your traffic is horrible but I can help you BUY A USED CAR HERE”…mate. It’s such a wild ride.
My family grumble about my bookmail too haha. And I’m sure I don’t get nearly as much as you!
And I’m a total fangirl when authors talk to me too! *hides behind bookshelves when email notification says Cait has replied* 🙈
PS. I tried to post this comment 3 times so apologies if they all show up!
Pfft what is wrong with our families!? They don’t appreciate our love of packages.😂
(I’m so sorry you’re having trouble commenting!! I’ve been having issues with the blog and trying to fix it and I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. *weeps*)
Omg but I’m not scary, Alex, come now.😂 I’m just a fangirling dork. LOOK AT ME GO.
Fangirling dorks unite! You are a constant inspiration for me in building my empire and plotting to take over the world 😈
YES YES YES to all of this post, I love it <3 <3 Book blogging makes me so happy, even if sometimes it's a bit hard, there are so many incredible things happening every day thanks to it as well and THAT MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM with joy <3 I LOVE it whenever someone shares my post, mentions me somewhere or just say something nice about me and my blog, that just makes me so happy and feel like I did something… interesting, good, noticeable, I don't know, but I love that appreciation I can get sometimes, it's the most rewarding thing ever <3 AND INTERACTION WITH AUTHORS, though that doesn't happen all the time, when it does, it is so amazing and I want to hide and cry but also I want to scream and I don't know what to say?? It's crazy hahaha I don't know what to do, but it makes me SOOOOOOO happy. Oh, book blogging is wonderful haha 🙂 x
Exactly right?! I mean, it is hard and there are a lot of downsides, but ultimately it’s SUPER great fun and I love it so much. And just people saying nice things…ahh, it’s so lovely and can make such a difference to the day. (Honestly authors are amazing and kind of like our superheroes.😂)
It’s so much fun to fangirl with others! 🙂
And make friends from all over the world!
Yesss, makes the bookworm life the BEST.
I think the best thing about book blogging is when someone says they’re thinking of picking up a book after a review I’ve wrote, and I’m just so happy that I can support authors I like and that I managed to express my enthusiasm for a book well enough that someone else understood it.
Ahh agreed!! I love it when people read what I recommend, or better yet, when they come back and say it’s their new favourite?! I had that happen on GR this week! Someone just binge-read a trilogy I recommended and is now as obsessed as me. WIN.
I looked at your Bookstagram and now I want to write and self-publish a book in a month just to have a shiny book. Except that’s way too fast. Maybe if I design a really pretty cover I’ll be able to do a crazy challenge like that…(HOW?!)
Regarding mind control, I always associate rainbow bookcases with you.
I like blogging because it allows me to interact with other people who are way more consistently creative so maybe it’ll help me become consistent.
That does sound like an exhausting challenge! I can’t even imagine working that much/fast.😂It’s taken me 3 years to get a book ready to publish so it’s perfect haha. Anyway. I’m VERY glad I have the rainbow bookshelves + me = as another midn control. MY EVIL PLANS ARE WORKING.
…I like it when people tell me I’m funny. I mean, getting a comment? Great. Getting a comment that says I’m funny? My day has been made! XD
I am slowly succeeding in pushing Six of Crows onto EVERYONE I know. :’)
I agree!! 😂 So long as I don’t feel this instant fear that I’ll NEVER BE FUNNY AGAIN if someone tells me so.😂 (And also pushing SoC onto everyone is a great life plan, I approve.)
Not fangirling alone yessss! When I start squealing about my love for something and someone actually squeals back and I’m like YESS LETS CONQUER THE WORLD TOGETHER 😀
IT’S SO MUCH FUN. OUR ARMIES RISE AND THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS TO FLAIL OVER.
LOVED this post!!! I can relate to so many things!! As we all know blogging is a lot of work and as much as we’d like to believe stats didn’t matter… we all know they secretly do. Plus I love it when people comment and agree with what your discussing or have something to add! It just feels so good to be heard! Great post 🙂
Omg stats they totally matter.😂 I think it’s okay that they matter though, because like what’s the point of blogging if no one ever read it, right?!
This post is incredibly relatable! 😂Especially recognition/people liking your posts! Every time someone links to one of my posts for something I literally screech and flail around. And just comments make me so incredibly happy!! AND having a community to scream with about books is pretty amazing too.❤️
I AGREE. Snape is creepy. I understand that he (technically?) was on the ‘good side’ so that excuses parts of his behavior but the part where he is scarily obsessed with Lily and goes to her dead body and ignores Harry in the crib?? Not okay.
I’m so glad you liked it!! Honestly it’s really nice to get comments too, that should’ve gone on the list.😂 But like when people just affirm us and our hard work?! GO THE PEOPLE THEY ARE NICE. IT MAKES IT WORTH IT.
(Snape is gross and I hate how everyone loves him. Plus he abuses her SON because she wouldn’t marry Snape?!? Grossssss.)
I have been thinking about starting a book blog for a really long time now, (My poor friends and family can’t take too much more of unmitigated fangirling😁) but I can’t decide if it’s something I can really commit to. Or for that matter, whether I would enjoy it. Do you (or anyone else) have any advice?
I think the most exciting thing as a reader is to hear about an opinion that you share and to realize that at least one other person in the world understands, and I think the most exciting thing as a writer would be to be able to express my opinion about what I read across continents.☺
I think it’s nearly impossible to say what book people must read, especially since it changes like, once a week. However, currently, Scythe by Neal Shusterman has absolutely boggles my mind, and I think is a necessary addition to everyone’s bookshelf (or a must read from the local library😊)!
This post has saved me from math, which I very much appreciate, and has also made me want a glass of Orange juice?????
Yessss you should totally try it!! It is a LOT of fun and your family will thank you because you’ll have more people to hit with recs and they’ll get a break.😂😂 My sister is very very relieved I blog and will shut up about the Raven Cycle to her.
And omg yes to the opinion thing! And just knowing people take your recs too is amazing. And OMG GUESS WHAT I’M READING RIGHT NOW!! I’m only about 30% in but Scythe is so good. Eeeeep.
(I hope you get some orange juice.😂)
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST! I LOVE it when I see that my stats are up, it makes me feel very accomplished, and overall improves my mood. Another thing that I also love is getting ARC’s from publishers. Recently, I decided NOT to continue to request books from publishers. It’s made me sad, but I have TOO many books that I’ve wanted to read, but I haven’t gotten around to yet. I’m hoping that I can finish the last few books I want to read,l but until then I’m banning myself. (Mainly because I go crazy for books) Good post as usual Cait!
I’M SO GLAD, JARED. HUZZAH FOR BOOK BLOGGING. `And honestly you’re really controlled to be quitting reviewer lists, but also really admirable.😂 I should do that more ah ahha. *drowns in books instead*
Went and read your reason why dragons should be in books post, and I agree completely. This needs to be a thing. My friend and I were discussing the other day how convenient it would be to have cat-sized dragons that would help the kids with homework, cook, clean, warm your feet at night, make your bath ready, maybe even do yardwork with you. Plus all the other amazing reasons you would have a dragon like world domination and a small-ish army to use to conquer your foolish enemies. It would work.
In regards to blogging, I don’t know why I enjoy it, but I do. I guess because I can say things that bother me about somethings or make me happy about something else, and every time I look at my blog I have a lovely fire photo, and it makes me happy to see something burning.
Excellent. I mean that is such an old post but I made some solid points right?! MORE DRAGONS. EVERYWHERE NEEDS DRAGONS. And like a toaster dragon!! And one so small it can live in your pocket and you can warm your cold hands. <3 It's so perfect, someone make this happen.
One of my favorite book series of all time, Dragon Keeper by Donita K Paul, has Minor dragons that, depending on their color, do different things. Blue dragon can predict the weather, white dragons are rare and glow in the dark, red breathe fire, pink or purple sings, and so on.
I’m 98% extrovert and I live with 7 introverts. The community was definitely one of the reasons I dived into book blogging, and I think it’s one of the reasons I love blogging. I love talking about books with authors, readers, random cats. I also love seeing pretty book pictures and honestly nearly everything about book blogging is exciting for me!
I think I will ramble on and on and on about HOW TO DISAPPEAR by Sharon Huss Roat because that book was so, so beautiful. It made me cry(but it’s not super sad), and it’s so important and wonderful and it shows the positive effect of the internet and it’s just so good. so, so good.
Ahhh that would be tough.😂😂 My family has 8 people and we’re ALL introverted (although not all living in the same house now) so that’s pretty lucky of us.😂 Eeep and I’m so glad you have so much to love about blogging too! It’s literally the best thing and I’m glad someone invented it. Eep.
Ohh I want to read How To Disappear!
***drops everything to look for a mountain to yodel on top of***
Honestly, the blogging community is the NICEST thing in the whole world. I love publishing posts & chanting with friends in the comments. And blog hopping & commenting is so fun! Of course, it takes ALOT of time. But I totally think it’s worth it.
All the pictures!!! I can’t keep up with bookstagram with my life right now but the pictures are the best. And there’s always book recommendations and I always have another book I can read, which is happiness.
Apparently I’m not a certified member of Cait’s Army? My life is already so much more exciting
I totally meant I’m NOW a certified member. Apparently my keyboard doesn’t want me joining any armies?
IT IS FUN! AND KIND! AND SUPPORTIVE! And I think we all do so so much work, so it’s nice that we at least all know what each other goes through to get these posts up.😂Aajfdkslad I love taking photos though. If I could only do one thing, I’d probably pick book photos because aHHHH. (But I’m glad I can do multiple things.😂)
Omg GOOD THOUGH. I’m glad that was a typo because I’m like…how dare you not join my army. I’ll cry in the rain if you don’t.
😂😂
Loved this post! Do you even live in another country if you don’t make up outrageous stories to other people? I know I always love to tell people about all the wild animals roaming in the streets of South Africa/
I know right?! It’s like…are we expected to tell the truth about our countries? PFFFT.
Fantasy, as usual, is way better than reality!
I am generally most excited about not fangirling alone. This is one of the main reasons that I started blogging TO FIND MY PEOPLE!
Great post, thanks for sharing!
~Brittany @ Brittany’s Book Rambles
Exactly!! It’s nice to have people who speak the bookworm language.😂
I honestly think every blogger needs to read this post because IT MAKES YOU LOVE BLOGGING SO MUCH. Yeah, sure it comes with its disadvantages like not being able to send food to friends through the computer screen BUT THERE ARE ALSO SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT IT. <333
You rock.
xx Kenzie
AHHH THAT MAKES ME HAPPY. I’m so glad you liked it!! And agh yes, the not-being-able-to-share-food is always a downer (or just share books, becuase sometimes that’d be super helpful😂) but there is just way way too much to love. *flails*
I think my family were very happy when I started blogging because it meant I could start throwing my book stuff at people other than them! It’s nice finally having more than just a couple of people who understand why books mean so much to me (I have a few IRL friends who get it). It also gives me an outlet for all my fangirly thoughts rather than just screaming them internally. The book I constantly recommend changes quite often, but at the moment I am throwing my love at all things Schwab!
Omg that’s hilarious.😂 My sister was definitely relieved, because now I have OTHER people to yell at about the Raven Cycle and she doesn’t catch it 24/7.😂 And it is just such a good outlet for discussion and creativity!
Yup!! Agree with all of these, I LOVE seeing reviews and different opinions for the books I have read or want to read. I love that the internet has so many awesome people talking about books that get them excited, because most people I know don’t read the same books I do and it makes me sad. Like…okay friends who DO read what I read.. WHY AREN’T YOU READING THE BOOK I TOLD YOU ABOUT I HAVE THOUGHTS I NEED TO TALK ABOUT!!?? And that’s literally how I roll…all of the time.
It is the actual best thing just to find people who love the same books we do. THE WORLD IS SO GOOD WHEN IT COMES TO BOOKS AH. AH.
The community for sure! I still don’t get that almost 190 people are following me, silently or not.
And we can chat of everything. From cakes, to pens (the many usuage of a stabby pen was my last discussion) and books, for sure.
So true right?! I love how blogging isn’t JUST about books, although it is what brings us all together.😂 (And honestly I don’t know why anyone follows me ah ahha.)
My blog is so new that I have yet to rejoice in the splendour of author interviews and free books but boy oh boy do they sound amazing!!!
What I can DEFINITELY relate to is the overwhelming joy of FINALLYYY figuring out a weird html thing! And further to that the deep loathing that comes with coding fails (Entire posts disappearing, photos magically eating up blocks of text, spontaneous bolding and spacing – WHY).
Ahhh congrats on starting your blog than, Rachael!!! I can’t wait to go check it out. 😀 And honestly the html parts are the most mind stuffing.😂 I know some people are super good at it, but I’m pretty sure coding = a wizard. And I am not.😂
Such a great post! I’m so, so happy I decided to start book blogging last summer. My favorite thing by far has been connecting with other readers and fangirling about our favorite books together and getting a million new recommendations (though can publishers just take a break for six months or so so I can catch up on all of the books I need to read?!). My experience with books has been enriched an infinite amount by talking about them with a community, and I don’t have words to describe how much that means to me.
OMg I know right?! It’s impossible to catch up when like 938948 good books come out all at once.😂 Blogging is the absolute BEST though.
These are quite true! I get so scared to talk to authors though! Idk why, but I feel like such a nerd- maybe because they are obviously better with words than I am? Who actually knows. But an author told me she loved a thing I made for her book’s blog tour and I was so HAPPY because YAY she liked it! It’s the small things! And you are so right, just saying so can make our days- nay, our months!
It does make me happy when people trust me with their books. It’s kind of the best. Better than a dragon egg tbh because I don’t want to have to feed it and such, who has the time? OH and to answer your question, I feel like lately I yell at people to read Scythe the most? But it depends on the situation, this is a very precise science. And by precise, I mean, “whatever book comes to mind that I shout at someone as a recommendation”.
Agh SAME THOUGH. And I feel like I should somehow magically be better at talking to authors now that I half am one, but like…no.😂Leave me with the fangirls and bloggers I’m just a flailing dork over here WHAT ARE WORDS. (I mean, my book has a few words in it, I promise.)
Hey guess what I’m currently reading. 😉 Your yelling definitely pays off!
I keep talking about all the books I love all the time. I actually got a friend interested in The Cruel Prince, so I’m letting her borrow my copy for the second time (she didn’t have time it finish the first weekend I lent it to her lol). I talk about whichever book I’m reading a whole lot, and currently I’m reading And I Darken, and one of my friends said she thought it looked interesting and would pick it up, so somehow I git two people interested in two books, and that’s never happened before? So happy though! I do like talking about Legend or The Young Elites for people I kno aren’t into books much, because those two go by pretty fast!
Oooh, you are nice (and brave) to lend books.😂 Also I hope she loves it so you can flail together! ALSO AND I DARKEN IS AMAZING *screams softly*
I literally read Cait as Cake, and I was so confused. So I guess Cake equals Cake or something? I don’t know. But it sounds about right.
Excellent, the mind control is just reaching farther and farther. 😂😂 My nephew (when he was 3) got really confused when everyone is like “we’re having candles on your cake!” because he thought they said “Cait” and that we were going to eat me.😂
Pretty lame but I just blog to ave someone to talk to about books! Because all my friends have grown out of reading and no longer read …. which make me sad
WHy is that lame?! That is a HUGE reason I blog too!!
Firstly, I’ve missed you, Cait! Been a long while since I went hopping around the blogosphere! Bookstagram, yes! I’ve been getting more creative there so it’s sooooo much fun! Especially when people appreciate the work I put into it. Like, thank you…? You like this? This??? Imma give you more of it. I’m also loving the new prospects I’ve been getting these past days! It’s a wonderful feeling when people take notice and value your opinion! Even if it’s a rant most of the time hehehe
AHHH hi Cam!!💖💖 I’m glad you’re back! (Honestly it’s tough to find the hours to do all the blogging stuff we need to do right?!) And omg it’s just nice to be validated when people like our work right?!? Haha.
I love this! My favorite part about blogging (/book blogging) is the community–in real life I don’t have many friends who read as voraciously as I do, and blogging gives me a chance to talk to other people who have a very similar life to me. Also, because of this, I get to hear about lots and lots of new books!!!! YAYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyy 😭😭😭
Yesss so so much so.💖 I would be lost without my blogger friends to flail over books with. (Why are readers IRL so hard to find?!)
I totally understand! Someone shared one of my posts on Twitter the other day and it was the best feeling ever!!!!!!!!!
AHHHH I’m so happy you had your post shared! BEST blogger reward.💖
YES TO EVERYTHING, but specially number 1.
Also, so nice to have you back from your trip!!! THE WORLD WAS CAKELESS WITHOUT YOU (well i had cake while you were gone, but shh, don’t tell anyone).
I’M SO GLAD YOU HAD CAKE WHILE I WAS GONE THOUGH AND SURVIVED.😂
Hehe this is all so true. MAN, I have been slacking off in my reading of your blog for ages (shame me, O’ glorious ruler) and I never failed to have a giggle at your stuff. Blogging is definitely rewarding when you get *something* back from it. And hooomg – book mail *starry eyes*.
I’ve recently been dabbling in BookTube, right. And all was goodly good and fun but I’ve taken a break from it to focus on blogging and I swear to god NOTHING compares to the sheer joy of smashing your keyboard and creating glorious word gloops of joy. Nothing!!
Aww thank you for laughing though! That means THE WORLD. (And seriously life is busy.😂 No need to apologise haha.) And omg booktube! That’s exciting! I have such admiration for booktubers since I seriously can’t even look at a camera ah hahaha.
Thank you, Rahoof❤
Ah yes, the gumtrees. They do have a use!
5) This point is particularly relatable. It’s kind of frustrating but provides a great sense of achievement.
8) Your book photos are really stunning, Cait. They’re always gorgeous to look at.
9) Ah yes, so many books!
I’m glad you enjoyed this!! And YES the truth of the gumtrees is out. 😂😂