In a move to get somewhat caught up, we're doing a double post day. It's time for a Top 5 Wednesday.
Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly book meme created by Lainey of GingerReadsLainey and hosted via Goodreads group by Samantha from Thoughts on Tomes. Each week brings a new twist on a literary topic and a whole host of book bloggers and booktubers take to the internet with their representations of what that means.
This Week's Topic:
Books You've Read Because of Booktube/Blogging/etc. Discuss the books you've picked up because you've heard of them in the online book community or platform you use.
I've been blogging for over a decade now (it really makes me feel old when I say that), so I've managed to make a few blog connections. There are certainly perks to learning your way around the blogosphere. As a result, I've been exposed to books and genres I would never have ventured to try before.
This is the most common way blogging has led me to new reads...word of mouth. There was a TON of buzz about Red Queen before it came out. I hadn't heard about it prior to the blog buzz, but I sought it out and I LOVED it.
Being a book blogger opens the doors to new book opportunities. There are so many networks for accessing good reads. I managed to get lucky enough to get this one via a prerelease on NetGalley. It was well worth the read and was in the Final Four for my 2015 Book of the Year.
Like Everything, Everything, I got The Library at Mount Char via NetGalley. However, in this case, there was no external blogger influence. What led me to find this gem? The cover. I was perusing the monthly newsletter from Goodreads and was totally drawn to this one. Luckily, it also appeared in the available books on NetGalley and I managed to get selected for a read. And once again, NetGalley came through. This one also pulled out a fantastic showing, taking my 2015 Book of the Year.
When you're starting a blog, you have to learn from others. There are so many great bloggers out there. I was lucky enough to happen upon The Bloggess back in the early days...her Beyonce, the metal chicken days. The woman is hilarious. However, she's also incredibly real. She struggles with anxiety and depression. And she shares these struggles to her audience. Reading her work inspired me to open up a bit more in my writing...to stop feeling so stiff and to share a bit more of myself in my blog. As a result of reading, I came to find out that she was releasing her memoir, Let's Pretend This Never Happened. It is an amazingly fantastic read. And it's freaking hilarious. The result? It won my 2012 Book of the Year.
This is the really fun part of blogging. You meet amazing people. You form real friendships with people you've never met in person. A long time ago, I began following a very funny lady who operated a blog called Reading...and Chickens. The blog no longer exists, but when she dissolved her blog, we still remained in contact via social media. When I heard that she had written a book, I was floored. So much talent out there! She was kind enough to send me a copy of Nothing Like Looking...and it. was. awesome. Seriously. It was a finalist in the 2015 Book of the Year Challenge. (2015 was a good year for reading.)
Blogging about books broadens your reading horizons, whether you pursue that result actively or passively. It's the beauty of being part of the blogosphere. It's what makes the book blogging, booktube, and bookstagram communities such a great thing. Wonderful people, wonderful books. I'm grateful for all of the fantastic reads it's sent my way.
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