Hey, everyone – this is Becca, with a new post we are doing here on Adventures in YA Publishing. It’s similar to the Question of the Week, but geared toward the bloggers of the book blogging world. What do they like? Don’t like? Consider this the reader's side of the publishing coin and the writer’s inside guide to what bloggers look for in the books they end up loving and shouting about into the interwebz. Twice a month, I’ll be sending out a question to bloggers, and I’ll be posting their answers right here! Stick around for the epic giveaway at the bottom too! Want to be a part of our book blogger panel? Leave your blog name and contact details in the comments below! We’d love to have you!
Question of the Month:
"Do you think there's a difference in the way book bloggers read after they've been blogging for awhile versus how they read when they're just starting out?"

- Andye, Reading Teen, Twitter: @ReadingTeen
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As a blogger, I have to work through what did and didn't work in a story every time I write a review. I'm pickier about what I read, and I can often tell if a book won't work for me within the first few chapters. Even when I read for fun, I can't switch off that part of my brain now. Being a blogger makes me reading less carefree, but I think the critical skills I've gained will help my experience in the long run."
- Shae, Shae Has Left the Room, Twitter: @ShaelynCerie
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I have to organize my TBR by blog tour or release dates so sometimes it have to read priority books first. I'm learning that this sometimes can be slightly annoying so, I'm making sure to leave enough time for a pleasure read in between a bunch of required reads. Weird... Required read sounds like high school, only waaaayy better! I used to read about a book a week and thought that was fast. (Psshaw right?!) Now I can bang out 2-3 books depending on length and what life throw at me that week. I have tried the speed reading thing some bloggers do and that just isn't for me. I miss too much and feel like I can't enjoy the story. I'm at a comfortable pace now."
-Britt @ Please Feed the Bookworm, Twitter:@kalebsmome
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Absolutely! In both good and bad ways. :-)
For me, when I first started to review books, I sometimes took days to read my book. Then as if I were
chatting to a friend, I posted a few rambling reactions and that was it.
As I had my husband critique my reviews, I started to become more organized about the process. I never picked up a book without a pencil in hand. I also never spilled any of my thoughts to paper without first thinking about what I most liked and disliked about the book.
This has trained me to to become more professional about my reviews. It has also made me more aware for my own writing of will and will not work in a story. So, there have been positives.
However, reading has also become more of a chore. For a time, I stopped being able to pick up a book without thinking of it in terms of plot, character, setting, and other literary elements.
Somewhere along the line, I decided that this isn't how I wanted my reading experience to be. The notebook disappeared. I began to allow myself to have tangents about how a book personally effected me, a controversy surrounding a book, or some other focus. This helped me to stop having this constant itch to analyze everything I read. Still, it's been a slow process, retraining myself to simply get lost in a book.
From what I read of other long-time bloggers, many of us seem to experience go through similar phases. I imagine it happens any time that one tries to turn a hobby into a commitment. Which is what book bloggers do!
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Sound off below! Do you think there's a difference in the way bloggers read after blogging for a while versus when they started out?
I'd love to be a part of the bookblogger panel!
ReplyDeletemy blog is: Natural Bri Pursuits of Life
www.naturalbri-pursuitsoflife.blogspot.co.uk
email: briwig86@ gmail.com (remove space)
I meant to get an answer off to you on this one, but was so busy reading and writing, I didn't get to it. I definitely read differently now than I did a few years ago. I always have on my mind what I need to highlight for my reviews, what exactly sets this book apart from others in the genre, what makes this special. Questions are always lurking while I read. When I read something that is just for me, for pleasure (which is seldom), I try to relax and push the questions away. Thanks for this series. It's nice to hear what others have to say about your questions.
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