Reading as a blogger

A little while ago, I started a series about reading (what with this being a book blog and all!) and I talked about whether reading was gender based or personality based. It was a fun post. Today, I'm going to tackle a topic close to my heart. Reading as a blogger. As you may know, having a book blog is all about the love of books, and reading and reviewing books. I've asked my bud who also has a book blog called Bambi Unbridled  to answer a few questions about being a book blogger. She reads a heap more than I do, probably because (1) she has more time than I do to read and (2) she reads a lot faster than I do. While I read a respectable 160 to 170+ books a year, Bambi easily reads double that amount. In fact, one year she read as many as 591 books for the year. That seems like such an impossible number to me.

Without further ado, here's Bambi ...

How long have you been a blogger?

19 months

How many books do you read each week / month for your blog? 

I read 5-7 books per week on average.

Do you have a reading schedule? 

Yes, I have a very detailed and color-coded reading calendar.

How do you pick your books to read?

For the most part, I am a cover whore. If the cover grabs me, I will either buy the book or read the blurb to see if I want to request it from the publisher/author. Other times I am looking for my favorite authors new releases.

Is there a particular type of book you read for your blog reviews or do they vary? What are they? 

I read mostly within the romance genre, but stray outside of it occasionally when I need a palate cleanser.

Do you ever think you'd like to not read what is scheduled, like read off schedule?

Yes, there are times that I do not want to read the next book on my schedule. Usually its because I am just not in the mood for that particular sub-genre of the book, not because of anything the book or author has done. It happens. Sometimes I just have to power forward and go with it... but every once in a while I will go off schedule if I am really feeling that I just can't read whats on the calendar.

Light blue, dark blue, teal blue and red are all books to be read for the day. Phew!

Does your mood affect the way you read and how you approach the books on your schedule? 

I would say that my mood affected my reading more before I was a blogger.  I would get on a kick and read one type of book for as long as the kick lasted.  Like a month of romantic suspense or fantasy romance... then when I got tired of it, I would move on to the next trope/genre. Blogging doesn't really allow for that because you are scheduling your reads months ahead of time.

Is every book you read for the blog or do you read for fun too? 

I put everything on the blog whether I am reading it for myself or whether I'm reading a review copy.

Do you review every book you read for the blog? Anything you don't review? 

I review pretty much everything for the blog. There have been a few times when I just really didn't like a book and I didn't feel like I had anything constructive to say, or I didn't want to waste time writing a review for a book I didn't like, that I have elected not to post a review.

Have your reading habits changed since becoming a blogger? 

Yes. I can no longer go off on my reading kicks/tangents, and I can no longer just scroll through my library to see what looks interesting and pick it up. Once its on my calendar, I try to stay in that order.

Do you read differently as a blogger now compared to when you were reading without blogging? 

Yes, now I take notes and make comments as I read so I can remember things to incorporate into the review.  I never did that when I was just plain ol' reading.

How has thinking about writing a review for your blog changed the way you perceive a book as you read? Do you think differently while reading? 

Yes, I am always noting or highlighting things that I want to mention in my review. I also make playlists if the book happens to mention different songs/music.  Basically, I am trying to note anything that would make my review more interesting.

Photo credit: e_walk via Visual hunt / CC BY-NC-SA

How long do you think you will keep blogging for? 

I haven't the foggiest idea.

Do you ever think "I'd like to read without thinking about the blog"? 

Yes.  Sometimes it does start to feel like a job.  It hits me a little harder when I get behind in my reviewing and I have to sit down and write 5 reviews and 5 blog posts.  The whole process takes much longer than I ever thought it would.

Would you continue reading even if you didn't have a blog? 

Of course!

How many books in your "to be read" pile?

We should just call my TBR pile the Neverending Story.  A serious reader will have an endless pile.

Is there a difference between your "to be read" pile and the list of books you need to review for the blog? 

No. I really try to only accept or request books for review that I would be interested in reading.

ebook / paper book? Why? 

Ebooks and Audiobooks are the way to go for me simply for convenience. Paper books are more work. You have to hold them, you can't read in bed without a light, you gotta remember your page, and they are less travel-friendly IMO. Whereas if I read an ebook or audiobook, I can read it on my phone or tablet, which I always have with me. The device remembers my page/place for me, I can highlight and make notes and bookmarks easily, and I don't need a light to read in bed (or anywhere else).  I still buy paper books, but they are usually keepsake copies which are signed by the author.

Photo via VisualHunt

So there you have it. What it means to read as a blogger. Was it what you thought it would be? How are your reading habits different from this?


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