Tag: Book Blogger

Book Review, Books

Lessons From A Book Blogger

Openly Bookish

I’m almost at my 6 year book blogging anniversary. This year I have slacked BIG time. Having only read 11 books so far is disgraceful for me. By now I’m at least past 50 read, but this year I’ve been in a super reading funk.

This funk has taught me some things: Don’t over splurge requesting on Net Galley! I’m loosing my love of reading. I’m over my YA phase. I’ve stopped caring.

I decided to get rid of my NetGalley account. I’ve been reviewing with them over 5 years. They are wonderful. It’s not them. It’s me. I over did my requests. They do warn you to not over request. It was too easy to go on a request binge like a gambling addict. Maybe the next request will get approved. It was an addiction and compulsion. When I began to not want to read that was a major red flag to me. I want to love reading again.

Will I still review? Sure. Just not through NetGalley. Do I recommend going through them? Yes. Just don’t go down my road of binging.

I’m determined to love reading again.

Books, Personal, Self Care, TBR

Overbooked

Openly Bookish

I love to read. I have ever since I was little. It was second grade when I began to read solo, but still would enjoy my mom reading to me. The books that captured my imagination as a little kid were: The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton, The Little House series, The Moomins series, and of course Dr. Seuss books.

Discovering Booktube was life changing. The first Booktuber that caught my attention was Sasha Alsberg. Her love of reading, books and wait she gets sent books to review? I want book mail. I created a book blog, read 5 books and posted reviews, then searched out companies looking for reviewers.

Fast forward 3 years and I have over indulged. I know I review not merely for NetGalley, but a number of other PR companies. I have a challenge saying, “No,” to requests since I’m already over my head in my ARC TBR, but that one that got away haunts the back of my mind. What if the book I decline to review, is my fave book for 2020?

I do need to be more selective and whittle down my TBR. I’m thankful to be a book blogger. I just don’t want to loose my love of reading because of it.

Books, TBR

It Started With 5

Openly Bookish

For a few months I watched Sasha Alsberg’s booktube channel. She’d do unboxing videos of getting ARCs from different publishers. I was intrigued. I wanted free books to review. I started a blog and reviewed five books I’d recently read. I, then started searching for book blogger review opportunities. I was thrilled to discover NetGalley,  Blogging For Books and TLC Book Tours. All three of these companies have been gracious in giving me an opportunity to get to review for them. My TBR is quite scary thanks to all the lovely books I’ve been approved to review. If you love to write and read, then think about starting a blog today. It only took 5 book reviews to be accepted to review for the above 3 companies. I always get excited when I see book mail from HarperCollins.