Book blogging has changed in its meaning over the years for me. I’ve been doing this for five years now, and I think these past couple of years have been the most difficult. Blogging when I was a student was easy. I am very good at time management, so even though I worked hard, I had plenty of time to spend reading and reviewing. I had a lot of creativity just waiting to be unleashed, and the time and the opportunity to explore it. I made friends and felt like I was a real part of the community, and I think I was, for a while. It was a much needed outlet and I felt that my blog was valuable. While this was never the aim, it got me my first job, and played a part in my second. I’ve met and spent time with some of you, and every minute of that time has been delightful.
Lately, though, I’ve had genuine difficulty keeping up with my blog. I struggle to squeeze in the time to write reviews. I already barely have the time and the will to reply to emails, let alone actually write. I find myself busy on evenings and weekends, generally with things I enjoy, but I’m struggling to find a place for my blog. I find my day job incredibly draining, which means I normally want to spend my weekends away from the PC, or playing a game, or going for walks, or doing something that doesn’t involve staring at a screen. My creativity gets sapped out at work and I tend to find myself instead longing to read, rather than write one of the many reviews I have piled up. I worry that blogging is going to start feeling like a chore. If I’m honest, writing reviews, unless I’m passionate about the book, sometimes does. I still love reading others’ blogs and learning about new books, but sometimes, it’s hard with my own, and I’m not sure how to change things around to capture the pure enjoyment of it.
That said, I have no plans to stop blogging, and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon. Because when it’s good, it’s really good. I still cherish the people that I know through blogging. I still dream of attending BEA. I still need to practice writing, because I no longer do it for a living, and I like that I’m good at my language. And, when it comes down to it, I still absolutely love talking about books. I still don’t get that from any other aspect of my life, and in truth, it’s one thing I don’t want to give up. So, I hope that while I’m here chattering away, there are still a few of you out there who will be interested in my opinion, and who will be happy to talk books with me. As long as you’re reading, I’ll still be writing, and I appreciate every last one of you.
What keeps you blogging?
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