Thoughts and Daydreams #3: Changing Reading Tastes

Thoughts and Daydreams is a monthly feature hosted by yours truly and Jessica from Thoughts at One in the Morning. Every month, we'll discuss a reading- or writing-related topic.

~Check out the previous two Thoughts and Daydreams posts.~

Have you noticed your reading tastes changing over the years? It wasn't something I really thought about until a couple years ago, and then I looked back on my reading habits over the past decade or so and realized how much they'd evolved.

Before blogging, I read mostly contemporary and historical romance, light mysteries, and some adult paranormal. My go-to authors were Nora Roberts, Maddy Hunter, Heather Graham, Cecelia Ahern, and Janet Evanovich. I read some Young Adult here and there, but the selection at my library was seriously limited (since then my library has expanded and has an incredible YA selection). Plus I was kind of embarrassed to read much YA since a classmate basically shamed me for 'still reading books for kids' during an English class in high school. Later, of course, I realized that was bullshit and he was an asshole, but I digress.

After high school, I was active in some graphic design groups online, and a lot of the girls there were in their thirties, forties, and beyond, and were obsessed with different Young Adult series. I thought 'well if they're reading it, why shouldn't I?' I started with Harry Potter. Then Twilight. Then Hunger Games. My love for YA was rekindled, but it was a whole different world from the books I grew up with, like the Babysitter's Club and Sweet Valley High. 

When I started blogging in 2010, I was still reading mostly adult books with the occasional YA thrown in. As I became part of the book blogging community and learned about new authors and books, my tastes veered more toward contemporary YA. I traded wizards, vampires, and dystopian worlds for everyday characters navigating high school, life, and first love.

My tastes continued to change. A couple years ago when New Adult was becoming popular, I started worrying I was outgrowing YA. I only wanted to read about people in their twenties instead of their teens, people figuring out life after high school, finding jobs, going to college, having serious relationships and discovering their sexuality. I missed YA, but I couldn't seem to get back into it. Luckily that feeling of outgrowing YA passed, and now I've found a balance between YA and NA, even though lately it's been mostly YA - contemporary, historical, mysteries, paranormal, you name it. Before Hunger Games, I never thought I'd enjoy dystopian or post apocalyptic because they're outside my comfort zone, but one of my favourite series is the Under the Never Sky trilogy. I never thought I'd like thrillers or horror, but I've read and enjoyed plenty. Seeing the variety out there and seeing what other people are reading and loving has opened my eyes to all kinds of possibilities, and now I'm willing to give pretty much anything a try, even if it's not my typical genre. 

Lately I've been wanting to read more women's fiction/chick lit and paranormal, but I can't seem to pull myself away from YA. I guess part of me is afraid I'll go through that feeling of outgrowing it again, but I just love YA so much I tend to choose those over anything else.

How about you? Have your reading tastes changed over the years? Have you read books you never thought you would? Are you open to trying new genres?

{Instagram || Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Pinterest}

Thoughts and Daydreams #2: Blogging & Reading Slumps

Thoughts and Daydreams is a monthly feature hosted by yours truly and Jessica from Thoughts at One in the Morning. Every month, we'll discuss a reading- or writing-related topic. 

~Check out January's post about getting back to reading and blogging basics.~

Welcome to the second Thoughts and Daydreams discussion post! This month, Jess and I are talking about blogging and reading slumps. I think we've probably all experienced one or both at some point, and let's face it: they suck.  There are several reasons they happen, but there are also ways to beat them.

Why do slumps happen?

• Being busy or stressed in real life. Sometimes you're just so busy you don't have time to read or blog and it slides down your list of priorities.

• Similarly, other interests might take over. You might get invested (read: obsessed) in a new TV show, or interested in a new hobby, or the weather might be so nice you'd rather be outside enjoying it. 

• Reading hangover. Sometimes you read a book that's so amazing, everything else seems like crap in comparison and it's hard to get interested in other books.

• On the flip side of that, sometimes reading a crappy book can cause a slump. If I've read a particularly meh book or a few meh books in a row, I find my reading slowing down and maybe even going into a full-blown slump.

• Feeling overwhelmed. A lot of us take on way too much - too many review books, too many blitzes and blog tours and events and challenges. It can get to a point where it feels daunting and affects your blogging or reading.

How can you beat a slump?

• Do something else you enjoy. If you don't feel like reading, try rewatching a few favourite movies or TV shows. Colour. Grab your camera and take some pictures. Write something non-blog-related. Talk to other members of the community and rekindle your love of reading or blogging, or talk about your other interests, fandoms, etc.

• Read a book simply for pleasure. If you're overwhelmed with review books, pick a book off your shelf that you've been wanting to read for ages. And if you really want to take the stress off, maybe you decide not to review that particular book. It can be just for you.

• Get organized. If part of the reason for a blogging slump is because you're stressed, find ways to de-stress. Make a monthly blogging calendar. Schedule posts ahead. Cut back on memes or blitzes. Don't request or accept as many ARCs. Basically, cut yourself some slack. You don't need to blog seven days a week or even every weekday. Find a schedule that works for you.

• Take a hiatus. If you're in a blogging or reading slump and nothing is working, take a hiatus. You can simply disappear for awhile, but I'd suggest writing a post for your blog saying you need a break and will  back in a week, two weeks, a month, or however long it takes. I've seen a lot of bloggers take blog breaks, but mention that they'll still be around on Twitter, Instagram, etc., so if you don't want to lose touch with people, be sure to share your links so people can find you elsewhere. Most of all: don't feel guilty. Everyone needs a break from time to time.

 

What usually causes a reading or blogging slump for you? How long was your longest slump? What are your best suggestions for breaking out of slumps?

 {Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Instagram || Pinterest || Author blog}

Thoughts and Daydreams #1: Getting Back to Basics

I've been friends with Jessica from Thoughts at One in the Morning for about five years now, and we've done a bunch of different projects together. We planned to create a Facebook group a few months ago called Thoughts and Daydreams, but after a lot of discussion and talking to online friends, we realized there are already so many FB groups and not enough time for everyone to post regularly in multiple groups. From there, the idea of a blog series was born. Each month we'll pick a reading- or writing-related topic and discuss it on our blogs. We also have a few other things up our sleeves, including giveaways and a couple events. We're thinking of eventually opening this up to other bloggers if there's any interest, so if you'd like to participate in the discussions, be sure to let us know in the comments and we'll work out topics and a link-up.

I've been blogging for 5 years now, and my blog (and I) have gone through a lot of changes in that time. The blogging world has grown so much, and while it's a wonderful thing, it also makes it feel sometimes like you're yelling into a void. There's no way everyone could ever visit and read and comment on all the blogs, so it can be easy to pick your favourites and stick with those, which means a lot of great new (and older) blogs go unnoticed, which can lead to bloggers quitting. I know I've had my fair share of moments where I've wondered if there's any point in going on with the blog, but I love it too much to give up. I've made some incredible friends, discovered new authors, and found a place online that feels like home.

There's also the pressure that comes with blogging. I feel incredibly blessed to get the ARCs I do, but it can really start to weigh you down. Over the last couple years, most of the books I've read are ARCs. I keep saying I'm going to read more 'me' books, but then a new batch of Harper titles becomes available on Edelweiss (auto-approval is a blessing and a curse!), or a book I'm excited about becomes available on NetGalley, or Simon & Schuster Canada, who I've had the good fortune to work with the last couple years, will send me a book or two, and I'm back to reading only ARCs. 

That's going to change this year, though. If I want to continue blogging and keep my passion for reading, I know I need to make some changes. So I'm getting back to basics.

My plan for getting back to basics

• Visit and comment on more blogs. Favourite blogs, brand new blogs, blogs friends like, blogs I find on Twitter. I've been horrible about commenting the past year, mostly because my computer is ridiculously slow and it takes forever, but it's something I need to make a priority.

• Make more connections. Followers and page views are great, and as much as I say the numbers don’t matter, I do like seeing them rise. BUT having readers and making friends is so much more important. I fell out of that last year and I really want to make an effort to meet new people, get to know acquaintances better, and make real connections. I miss feeling like a real part of the community.

• Read more 'me' books. I still have a ton of review books - I have ARCs left from 2015 and I have a ton of 2016 ARCs already. But I'm going to make an effort to read more of the books that have been sitting on my shelves and Kindle for weeks, months, or even years. I'm hoping the Backlist Books Reading Challenge will help with that.

• Create new content. In 2015, most of my content was book reviews, plus I started my Wanderlust Wednesday feature, which I plan to keep up this year. I want more, though. More discussion posts, more fun stuff, more personal posts. I'll still post lots of reviews, but I want to mix things up. I'd love to be known as a place where people can come to read honest reviews, but also find fun, original content.

• Cut back on review books. This is going to be tough, but I'll try my best. I'm only going to accept requests for books that really interest me, and I'll limit how many books I download from Edelweiss and request there and on NetGalley. I'm also going to worry less about publication dates unless an author or publisher has a specific timeline. Reviews help authors any time, so having a book read and reviewed by publication date isn't always a necessity. I think this'll reduce a lot of my stress when it comes to ARCs.

So, that's my plan for getting back to the basics when it comes to reading and blogging. Be sure to stop by Jessica's blog to read her thoughts on getting back to basics!

 

Do you have plans for blogging and reading this year? Are you making any changes? Adding new features to your blog? Reading more or less review books? How do you limit your stress when it comes to blogging? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

 {Facebook || Twitter || GoodReads || Instagram || Pinterest || Author blog}