Sunday, February 19, 2012

Stress, Sickness, Slumps, and other Stuff

Okay, so for the past couple of weeks Read Love has been virtually inactive. I've been dealing with the stress of working a new job with a shorthanded crew while battling sickness and taking antibiotics. While I managed to show up every morning with a smile on my face, I would come home drained and exhausted. I continued my reading, albeit very slowly at times.  All oft this meant I had little energy to give thought to writing and blogging.

I've got four titles still awaiting review, and I'm at a loss trying decide whether I will post reviews for them. Honestly, I feel like the time I would spend writing the reviews is time that I could instead spend turning the pages of a new book. The time I have to read is valuable, and while I enjoy writing and blogging at times, it has begun to feel like a chore. Blogging has become something I have had neither the inspiration nor the motivation to do. 

I feel like the book blogosphere is vast. While I respect those who dedicate much of their time to maintaining their blogs and making regular posts, I also feel that the majority of bloggers are looking only to their own self-interests and are concerned primarily with their own popularity. I have never felt any community. Maybe I've shot myself in the foot by choosing not to do things like "Follow Friday" or "In My Mailbox," and I'll not get into why. But I chose to try to do my blog in my own way. And I've tried to reach out to others to bring some community to my blog, but it has been to no avail.

Another thing I'd like to get back to doing is listening to music more often. I have numerous unopened CDs that have been waiting to be enjoyed. I'm not one who can read a book with music playing in the background. I prefer quiet reading time. Or if I'm going to play music, it has to be something I know so well that it can fade into the background. New music just demands my attention too much to be played while reading. I want to catch up with all the music I've bought. It sits wrapped and waiting, just like all the books sitting on the shelf clamoring to be read. Who knows what happiness might be waiting for me inside those shrink wrapped plastic boxes?!

I've discovered that Owl City is my current music of choice when I need to be cheered up. It's impossible to play Owl City and not walk away happier than I was coming into it. So, thank you, Mr. Adam Young. You are a dear!


I understand this is all completely random, and I am fully aware that no one may ever read this. And that's okay. I just had to say it. And I'll have to take some time to decide if blogging is an appropriate way to explore my love for reading. In the end, all I really want is to enjoy reading and try to read consistently and regularly. If blogging can help me, maybe I will continue. If blogging hinders my reading, perhaps I'll stop. Time will tell. For now I think I'll take a walk...


3 comments:

  1. When I jumped into blogging, I had NO idea how to go about it. I'd been at LiveJournal for years, but this time I made a conscious decision to be a "book blogger." I started doing Follow Friday, TGIF, Waiting On Wednesday, etc. Then that all started to feel like a chore. I got caught in the "follow for a follow" trap (which I'm going to devote a post to soon on my blog) and that did NOT work for me. I ended up getting caught in, like you say, a popularity contest, following WAY too many blogs, and it took me awhile to really find my place.

    I still struggle with jealousy over other, bigger blogs than mine. I don't have the time I'd like to blog so I make the most of what time I DO have. But what I've finally seen is just...to be me.

    Now I only do one weekly meme, and one twice a month. I only do IMM once a month, and that works for me. I did a follower survey and people wanted more reviews and less memes, so I've focused on that. I'm finding my footing and enjoying blogging more than ever.

    You have to do what YOU have to do, Dawn. If it's blogging, or just reading your books and re-discovering reading just for the joy of reading. I'll support you either way. : )

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  2. It's a shame you didn't get the community feel, because that was the biggest pull to stay for me. Maybe it was because you didn't do memes, but I guess we won't know :-/

    Reading and reviewing really does become a chore, and for me I hated that I was reading on a schedule - it just put me off. Since quitting though I have only read 3 books and that's really bad. I went from reading at least one a week to 3 in about 4 months. Ooops.

    Just decide to do whatever makes you happy :D

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  3. Hey there. I am happy to share my story. I started blogging when I was 10 and in fifth grade. Now I'm 12 and in seventh grade. In that time, book blogging has changed so much. There are so many more bloggers and so much more pressure than when I first started. Brand new bloggers must feel very overwhelmed.

    The only meme that I've ever taken part in is IMM. I have always done my own thing and focused on my reviews. Author interviews, guest posts, and giveaways coming second to the reviews.

    My favorite thing about blogging has always been meeting people (on line and in person) and making new friends. I love that, no matter our ages, we all had books in common!

    I gave up my blog a few weeks ago because of the time commitment. I wanted more time for just being me - a twelve year old girl. What I found is that I have more time to read and I can read the books I want in any order I want. No pressure to read them based on release date or tour date. I also have more time for family, friends, and school work.

    To feed my need for keeping those friendships I formed while blogging, I am still on twitter talking books, but not as much as before. I think I've found a happy balance. I hope you do too.

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