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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Guest Post - Blogging, Books, & Me

Written by Bella @ Beguile Thy Sorrow

I had always been a voracious reader but after college that changed. I went from bookworm to bookless even though I’d begun working in a public library as a library assistant. I’m not sure if I was burned out from all the dull textbooks or if the so-called real world just overwhelmed me after having been a student, but either way it took finding the world of book blogs to remedy my literary drought.

In early 2008, I stumbled upon a book blog and began reading a review because the site just looked so pretty! Well, it didn’t take long for me to get hooked and after following a bunch for about a year, I started wanting a place of my own to express and explore my thoughts on books.

Now blogging has become this sort of foundation for my reading life and Beguile Thy Sorrow is like a home base for all my book-related things, thoughts, widgets, etc. The experience has been like nothing else I’ve done before. It has not only changed how I choose which books to buy, but also how I think about them, talk about them, and recommend them. I used to just kind of wonder blindly through bookstores and libraries when looking for my next read, and often I was disappointed with what I ended up with or I just walked out without a book in hand if I didn’t know what I’d like. Since blogs and tweets have come into my life, I’ve done a complete180 on that account.

I no longer depend on just the back-of-the book summaries or on well-known book reviewers (most writing with lofty words and tastes that never came close to mine) from newspapers and magazines. Instead I take heed of my favorite bloggers’ opinions and decide how much I’m likely to agree with them. Not only that, but I can comment and even begin a discussion about said book. And then sometimes the author themselves will join in! As a book geek there is nothing more exciting than also having the creator of a story I love join in the discussion and even answer burning questions.

Blogging has also made me realize how much work goes into books themselves. I mean, I kind of always knew but not in a way that really got me to appreciate it all. After participating in blog chats with authors, publishers, and agents, I have a much deeper understanding of how long the process actually is and how many people it takes to get that one book into my hands. I talk about books I love and am honest about the ones I don’t, but I strive to keep it fair. After all there is bound to be others who will ardently disagree with my review; I realize all of it is subjective.

And that is what I love about it all: the sharing and communicating. There are others just as moved by books as I am (maybe even more!), and just as excited about things like Katniss, Gale, and Peeta, or the next book signing in town. The community of readers & book bloggers is full of people passionate about books and willing to welcome others into the countless discussions. I haven’t even been blogging a year yet but already it has influenced my personal book world and habits more than I ever could have possibly imagined. Though I didn’t know exactly what to expect, I’ve been happily surprised at how much fun I’m having and look forward to it only getting better.

Don't you just love her? I totally agree, we have a great community here online and I just love looking for new books to read. :) Thank you Bella for sharing this awesome guest post!

15 comments:

  1. I would have to agree with Bella that blogging is a life altering experience, and the community is amazing. Great post.

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  2. Kristen:
    An award is waiting for you to pick up here on my blog.
    CMash

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  3. I agreed when you said blogging is kind foundation of our reading life.I found myself cant live w/out blogging.

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  4. What a great guest post. I agree totally with what she said - it is all about the experience and community, and I've learned so much from blogs and blogging!

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  5. This is a great post! I completely agree - I love this community and I have learned so much from everyone in it.

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  6. I agree blogging is a great way to learn things not just from reviews but from interviews and guest blogs. Great job!

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  7. "Beguile Thy Sorrow" is an awesome name for a blog. Great guest post!

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  8. Bella did a great post and will check out 'beguile thy sorrow'.

    Seahn

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  9. Thanks for the great guest post. And I agree it is a great community.

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  10. This is a great post. I agree with everything she said.

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  11. Definitely blogging is so much fun!

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  12. I'll echo everyone elses thoughts and say I agree! I also agree about not relying on just the jacket/cover synopsis - they can be misleading, actually! :D

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  13. I don't like reading the back of books -- it tells more about the story and plot than I want to know. I like discovering events as they unfold in the book.

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  14. Hi everyone!
    Thanks for all the kind comments :)
    sorry I haven't had the chance to stop by sooner; just started my first ever semester of grad school & it's kicking my butt to balance it with work and the blog, lol

    @Kristen- thanks for having me!
    -Bella

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