Sunday, April 14, 2013

That's What Chey Said: Things I Never Cared About Before I Became a Blogger

This week I wanted to discuss something I've noticed over the past year...
Blogging has changed me.  Not in a bad way, but there are some days I really notice it more than others.  Before I became a blogger, I read a book every few months.  That's right, one book.  Sure, I loved them, but my range wasn't as large as it is now.  If you would have told me that I'd love Sci-fi as much as I loved Paranormal or Contemporary, I wouldn't have believed you.


Before blogging, I owned less than 100 books.  It was close, but not quite.  Now I'm up to nearly 600 and I'm obsessed with obtaining more.  Yes, I know I own more than I could possibly read, but don't most of us deal with this problem?

Before blogging, I pretty much only read books that my friends recommended.  Now I read books that some of my friends have never even heard of.  If it hadn't been for all of you guys, I wouldn't have ever read some of my favorites.  Actually, I'm not quite sure that I would have read most of the books I've discovered by blogging.  What would I be if I'd missed out on Stephanie Perkins, Lauren Oliver, Veronica Rossi or Amy Plum?

I also didn't care about things like cover changes or mismatching books in a series.  Let their outsides look different!  As long as the content is the same on the inside, who cares?  Now I throw a fit when a series I love changes a cover halfway through and I can't do a thing about it other than wait to repurchase the series in paperback.  Another thing that has started to bother me are marks, bent pages, cracked spines and torn covers.  I love my books and I want to take care of them.  Though I still frequent the used book store, I'm just extra picky about the condition of the books I choose as opposed to the somewhat ratty things I used to bring home years ago.


Finally, and most importantly...if I hadn't become a blogger, I wouldn't have come in contact with any of you!  It makes my day when I see that I got a new comment, and I can't imagine not being able to share my thoughts with other avid readers.  No one quite gets me like you guys do, and that's what keeps me blogging.  It's not only the readers, but the authors and publishers I've met along the way who continue to invest in my opinions.  The little things, such as a retweet, comment, or email saying "thank you" or "I'm adding this to my wishlist" really means a lot to me, and it makes the reading experience even better knowing that I get to share  it with all of you.  :)

Are you a blogger?  If so, how has blogging changed you?

8 comments:

  1. I hear what your saying! I've always read a lot, but I've definitely changed the way I choose my books. Seeing a bunch of good reviews on different blogs makes me go out and get the book, regardless of what I was planning to read next. And who doesn't love getting that "I'm going to read this book next!" comment on a review? Great post! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely! It's always great to get so many recommendations, but it can be a little overwhelming at times! :P Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
  2. HAHA YES! I think this happens to pretty much everyone of us once we start blogging. It is basically reading done on crack.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I honestly can't believe the amount of books I've added to my wishlist and managed to zoom through over the past few years! I absolutely love it, though. :)

      Delete
  3. I love this post! It makes me feel normal haha. (I mean as in I'm not the only one out there like this yay!) It's so funny how something so simple like blogging changes us on so many different level and I can identify with every point you made. Especially the need to buy like 50 new books before I finish 2 on my already overflowing TBR pile.

    It got to the point where, I'm currently getting ready to move from my townhouse to an actual house, and when my brother saw my overflowing bookshelf and desk and pile on the nightstand and...you get the idea, but he just shook his head and was like "Do me a favor and lay off on buying books at least until you move so I don't break my back helping." How on earth am I supposed to do that?? Non-readers! Pffft. :)

    Sheri @ Perks of Being a Bookworm

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I never feel as though I'm alone, because I look at all these book bloggers and realize that we're all the same obsessed, book-loving junkies. ;P I completely know what you mean...I'll be looking for an apartment with my boyfriend within the next year and a half or so and my main concern is whether or not all of my books will fit! Lol! Moving them is going to be such a pain, but well worth it when I see how beautiful they look when they're organized! :)

      Delete
  4. Toothless <3

    Cover changes doesn't really bother me, but I agree being a blogger is (most of the time) pretty sweet.

    You're awesome too, Chey! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, you're sweet. <3

      Also, I'm surprised! I've noticed that cover changes bother most bloggers, especially if they like collecting books. I don't go crazy over it, but it's usually a little disappointing.

      Delete