Greetings, my bookish friends! Today’s post is a bit more personal and a little less literary, so bear with me. I’ve officially been a book blogger for over a year, and I wanted to share with you my reflections.
First off, this blog has helped me rediscover my passion for reading. Sure, at the beginning of Covid, I was reading (and buying) books to try to soothe my anxieties, but it was a bit rote. I leaned in to books I loved in search of comfort during a time of grief in my life, and then books about sickness to find a sense of community while existing in this new, scary world that was unfolding around me. But it wasn’t passion that kept me reading. It was familiarity. I’m a bookworm. Reading is what I do. And so I kept doing it. While the world burned, I sat alone in my apartment reading.
And then I started this blog and began interacting with other book lovers and other bookish accounts. I started thinking about books in a way that I hadn’t for a while - thinking of them again as works of art to be revered as well as vehicles for building new relationships and opening myself up to new opportunities (hello NetGalley and Edelwiss, my two new best friends).
I also got to sit back and learn from marginalized voices about the ways that, although reading is a morally neutral activity, the way we consume books is not. I was introduced to books I might never have heard of before, and fell in love with new places, new worlds, new authors. I learned. Because even if reading is morally neutral, books can be the pathway to education, to advocacy, and to change.
So, passion rediscovered. Check. And if that were all, it would be enough for me. But it’s not.
This next point is one that’s a bit more isolated from reading itself, but I promise, in the labyrinth of my brain, the pieces are connected. I hope to connect them for you here, too.
Running this book blog has helped me develop the one thing about myself that I’ve struggled with for years: my confidence. The most direct example of this is, of course, the reviews I’ve had the opportunity to write. Years ago, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to share my thoughts on anything on the internet for anyone to read. I didn’t think anyone would care. And I cared that no one would care. Now, I know that my reviews aren’t groundbreaking. They’re not read widely. But that’s okay with me, now. I love reflecting on books that I’ve read. And I share that for anyone who wants to read. Anyone who doesn’t, that’s okay too.
But it’s just not sharing my thoughts on books. I’ve gotten more confident with the parts of me I share on the internet as well. I take photos in outfits I never had the confidence to wear now - some fancy, others a bit more spicy. And I feel good about my body in a way I’ve never experienced before. (And just in time too - since Covid started, I’ve gained more weight than I’m used to and started having negative feelings about my body that I’ve never experienced before.)
And, finally, this blog that is ostensibly just about books and reading, has also encouraged me to explore the other activities that I find interesting. Taking photos for this blog and for the ‘gram (insert shameless self plug) encouraged me to develop my interest in photography. I’ve also gotten back into playing music and writing and all sorts of crafting, all because I found, with this blog, that pursuing my interests and creativity were things that could bring me joy, peace, and comfort in a time of sadness, fear, and instability.
So, to everyone who has been a part of my journey so far, thank you! I look forward to a future of book blogging and bookstagramming with all of you!
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