I’m participating in the Book Blogger Appreciation Week. There are Book Blog nominations, giveaways and blog posts as part of the BBAW celebrations.
The blog post for today is about : Reading and Blogging
BBAW says: “Book bloggers blog because we love reading. Has book blogging changed the way you read? Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging? How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits? Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging? Choose any one of these topics and share your thoughts today!”
Go to the BBAW hosting site to find links to other blogs taking part in the BBAW. These will also discuss the same topic today!
There are four questions in the BBAW topic description and my answer is a quadruple YES (as is the answer of most book bloggers, I expect).
I am more conscious of what I read while I am reading: I tell myself to remember this or that for my review (sometimes I write it down). I start to make up a review in my head before I even finish the book. I definitely read with in the back of my mind that I’m going to write a review about it.
I have discovered lots of books that I wouldn’t have without book blogging. For some part this is due directly to other bloggers: for instance, I’ve started to read Steampunk because I was curious about it after reading about it on several blogs. It’s not going to be my favorite genre but it’s fun to read a Steampunk book every now and then.
On the other hand, I’ve started to receive review copies from publishers and they are often books I would not have picked up myself: because they are not readily available in the Netherlands or because they would not have been brought to my attention. So I read State of Wonder by Ann Pratchett, Echoes from the Dead and The Quarry by Johann Theorin.
My book aquisition habits have changed a lot. I still go to the library, but less often and I usually allow myself only one book at a time. Buying books doesn’t happen very often at all now. The reason for all this is that my to-read pile has grown out of proportion. This is a side-effect of book blogging: there are some ARCs to be read (but I try to keep up to date with those), I have discovered bookmooch.com through other bloggers so I’ve been swapping books with people far away and nearby.
And let’s not forget the giveaways! I seem to be quite lucky, I win often (I’ve won over 40 books since June last year). I try to compensate by running giveaways myself and at local book swaps, I bring in a lot of books so other people can benefit. ** Current giveaway: Tolstoy and the Purple Chair **
Finally, I’ve met lots of new people through book blogging. Some have an almost identical taste to me, so their recommendations go on my wishlist.
My reading life has become larger, with more variety in the books I read. I’m better informed about new books. But I also feel stressed sometimes about finishing ARCs on time, about finally reading those books that I won in a giveaway (I like to show to the giver that I’ve actually read the book that I won, rather than putting it on the shelf for the next ten years). And as I’m on a “Post A Day” schedule (self-imposed, of course), I sometimes feel stressed about getting a blog post out on time.
Overall book blogging has been great fun. I just have to find the time to read… 
shelleyrae@ Book'd Out
September 15, 2011 at 11:12
My librarian actually asked if i had been away since it had been a month since they had seen me LOl. I had to explain I was just swamped by books.
Fourty books? Wow – I have won about five I think!
Shelleyrae
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 11:52
I do enter a lot of giveaways, although most are by people that I follow anyway. I also win them from publishers and websites here in the Netherlands.
Cindy
September 15, 2011 at 11:12
I perfectly understand the stress
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 11:52
I’m sure you suffer in the same way, Cindy!
mari (Bookworm with a View)
September 15, 2011 at 13:45
Great post Judith! I remember the first year I started blogging…. I accepted 6/7 books to review on deadlines. I felt so much stress/pressure to read that I decided I would no longer accept books. When I first started blogging I thought I had to read everything anyone asked me to read, even if I wouldn’t read it on my own. Once I dealt with this…. blogging has been a wonderful experience for me.
I might have to post on this topic….
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 16:09
Mari, I also thought I better accept anything that comes my way for review, at first. Now I reject most as I read for pleasure.
Lena Sledge's Blog
September 15, 2011 at 14:47
Great post. My answer is yes to all four as well. I also started reading steampunk due to blogging. I saw several reviews of different books and I was so intrigued. So that’s one genre that has broaden my reading taste.
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 16:10
Lena, funny you also “got into” Steampunk because of blogging. I don’t think it’s very well known.
lomaurice
September 15, 2011 at 15:03
Love your post. Follow your blog. You are so right. My pile has grown to an overwhelming status. I have become more discerning of late. Have to. An only one person. Can not loose perspective.
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 16:11
Lomaurice, indeed. We’ve only got so much time to read books and we want to spend that time reading the best possible books, not any junk that comes our way. Discerning is definitely very important.
Shan
September 15, 2011 at 15:50
I have to keep a list of my to read books on the computer so I know what order to read them in. Whenever I accept a book from publisher or author, even if there is no timeline on it, I want to get it read first. But there are also times like this when I’m trying to read through the Giller Prize list before it is announced so I’m getting quite a few books at the library at a time that I need to read quickly. There are a ton of books at the bottom of my reading schedule that I fear will be there for months to come!
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 16:14
Shan, I know how you feel. I have so many books I want to read *now* that I won’t be reading for a while anyway! I also have a spreadsheet to keep track of review books, books I won, books I ordered online, books from bookmooch. That way, I always know what to read first, or what still to expect to land on my doormat.
Trisha
September 15, 2011 at 15:59
I think you describe it well when you say that your “reading life has become much larger”. That is such an apt description. I read more genres and levels of books; I talk more about them; and honestly I just read more books.
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 16:15
Trisha, it’s so nice to be reading more genres! I don’t think I could read more books, well, I could but it would not be good. As it is, I read about 170 a year – even before I started blogging – although my real reading increase was a few years before I started blogging, when I discovered Shelfari (a kind of Goodreads) and joined challenges, etc. That’s when my reading really went up a lot.
Erin
September 15, 2011 at 16:40
I used to be on a post-a-day schedule, but it was too much for me and blogging started to get un-fun. Kudos to you for keeping it up! I know that feeling of ARCs taking over. All my books now come from publishers or the library. I’d love to get back to reading the books I’ve acquired, mostly used, over the years. After all, I picked them out because they appealed to me, and most still do!
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 17:30
Erin, you must find time to read the books you’ve got over the years! Could you just read one or two every month? I’m doing an Off the Shelf challenge where I read all books that were unread on my shelves as off 1 January this year. I’m not sure I can pull off the same trick next year as I have many more books now.:-)
gautami tripathy
September 15, 2011 at 17:08
There is other side too. Blogging puts a lot of pressure too. That is one reason for my reading slump. Still I think, reading is a part of life. Any kind of reading. Be it research papers or book blogs. They always keep us going, the dear book bloggers!
Here is my post:
BBAW 2011: Readers
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 17:31
Indeed, Gautami!
carolinareads
September 15, 2011 at 18:07
Since I started blogging I also compose the book review in my head, while I’m still reading the book.
My TBR has grown a lot, and many of the books that are there are from genres that I would never tried, like some hard-core fantasy.
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 18:09
Carolina, funny how quickly we all change from normal people into book bloggers, isn’t it?
Julie
September 15, 2011 at 18:48
Interesting post. I hadn’t thought about it, but I too usually plan much of my review in my head when I’m about halfway through a book. For most books, I could probably write my review at that point since I don’t like to give away endings. Although I’d want to be able to say whether I liked the ending or not, I suppose. I also have books I’ve won that I really want to read and review but just haven’t gotten to it yet.
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 20:36
Julie, I never reveal the plot either. I usually think about how much of the story to describe in my review and where to stop.
Suzanne
September 15, 2011 at 18:50
My to-read shelves and to-read list have expanded exponentially thanks to book blogging. I love the fact that there are so many like-minded souls out there to let me know about books that escape my attention.
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 20:37
Suzanne, definitely. It’s great to find book buddies that share your taste and point you towards new books. You are quite good yourself at finding books that I haven’t heard of.
reviewsbylola
September 15, 2011 at 19:39
Holy crap, you are lucky when it comes to winning books! I think I have only read a handful but I don’t enter contests that often. I did win a copy of The Night Circus yesterday though, so I am definitely thrilled about that!!
Leeswammes
September 15, 2011 at 20:37
Lola, well, that’s a brilliant win! Congratulations.
Kailana
September 15, 2011 at 22:05
I have so many books that I don’t actually join give-aways anymore… I used to all the time, but I figured I really don’t need more books. Unless it is something I really want to read… Otherwise, I am all about the library, review books when the chance presents itself, and then there is my TBR which I could safely read from for some time without running out of books.
Leeswammes
September 16, 2011 at 07:53
Kailana, with giveaways, when I see the great books on offer, how do you resist? I don’t enter every possible giveaway but if the book looks good, I usually do. And when I win I get a nice book that I either already wanted to read or that turns out to be something new and nice for me. It’s a good way to extend my reading corner.
lomaurice
September 15, 2011 at 23:50
So many books, so little time. It gets hectic and stressful trying to read and review. And keep up with email and publishers etc. But it is knowing I’m not alone that really helps.
Leeswammes
September 16, 2011 at 07:54
Lomaurice, when we start to stress too much, something is wrong. We have to try and keep thinking it’s only a hobby. And it’s supposed to be fun!
amymckie
September 16, 2011 at 00:37
Great to read your thoughts on these!
Leeswammes
September 16, 2011 at 07:54
Thanks, Amy.
Anastasia
September 16, 2011 at 01:08
I know this doesn’t have much to do with anything but: giveaways! I really love them, since every time I win something I feel really awesome for about a day.
I’m hoping I can host more myself in the upcoming months, too.
Leeswammes
September 16, 2011 at 07:55
Anastasia, I’m the same. I love giveaways. It’s also fun to organise one yourself and see who enters. I love winning books but I also love giving them away (after reading, of course!).
Uniflame
September 17, 2011 at 14:28
I agree with you on most points. I haven got so many ARC’s as you do, but I read more and different since I started blogging. ATM I am not reading so much. I still have one review left to write and that will be it until I have found the time to read again. Bookblogging really is a world on its own.
Leeswammes
September 17, 2011 at 18:05
Uniflame, nicely said! It is a world on its own.
Athira
September 20, 2011 at 04:43
I’ve found that my reading has also changed drastically. I wish I was as dedicated about taking one book only from the library. I seem to be returning half the books unread each time!