We've just been blogging about two months now and we were curious whether blogging has changed the way you read a book. Do you pay attention more? Take notes? Catch yourself stopping and thinking about what you will write about when you finish reading a particular passage or chapter? Has it made you a better reader? More critical? Do you enjoy reading more? Or less (has it ever felt like a job or chore)? How do you find the time to balance blogging and reading? Do you actually read less now that you're blogging?
I have definitely changed how I read a book since I started blogging. I am bit more picky, I tend to really focus on faults more, and have become more critical. I never take notes though. I think I read the same amount of books, maybe a bit more. It does feel like a chore sometimes, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't take notes either. Since we've been blogging such a short period of time, I think I'm just starting to read a bit differently. I'll catch myself pausing a minute when I read a particularly good line or thinking about how I would describe this character. I should probably take notes, I think my reviews would be better! ~Pam
DeleteYES! For one thing, I'm now more conscious of how my opinion will affect others: so I'm really thinking about what I like and don't like when I'm reading. It's still fun to read, but I've got a more critical eye now.
ReplyDeleteI rarely take notes, but if something comes to my brain, sometimes I'll write it down so I don't forget.
When I first starting blogging, my book numbers went down, but now that I've got a great system down, it doesn't seem to affect my reading time. If anything, I'm reading more books that I never would have had the opportunity or known about before. Being able to schedule posts makes things easier. I usually try to do several posts at one time, so that I'm not constantly breaking into my reading time. I read better when I'm not interrupted -- it goes much faster if I'm not having to start and stop again. So scheduling definitely is a plus.
Sometimes though, reading a book seems like a chore, which is a feeling I hate. I get over it once I get into the book, but it is that initial feeling that you have to get through.
And lastly, now I feel guilty when I read books that aren't on my ARC/review lists. I have a nice ratio to help, but I always feel like I should be getting those done since the publisher/author took the time to give them to me.
Since we've been blogging such a short time, we don't have to worry too much about ARC/review lists! :) Which is both good and bad, I guess. I have ARC envy sometimes, but then I just get to pick what I want to read, which means I don't feel like reading anything is a chore. I should probably be more critical (I pretty much like everything I read, but that may be because I'm picking books I really want to read), but if I spend 3-5 hours and I'm entertained, I'm happy. Scheduling posts is great. I'm trying to write reviews right after I finish the book, but sometimes I don't and then a few days pass, and I've already read a few more books, and details are starting to get fuzzy, and then the review never happens. And I do feel bad about that. ~Pam
DeleteYes, it has changed the way I read books. I don't take notes or pay extra attention or write things down at the end of a chapter (mostly because I have a good memory when it comes to those sorts of things), and I don't think it's made me more critical--that would be because blogging made me read more, and reading more made more critical.
ReplyDeleteIt has definitely made reading sometimes feel like a chore. I'm behind on some reviews because I can't get myself psyched up enough to go read those books, but as a blogger, I really should read them. And sometimes, when reading, if I'm not feeling the book, I ask myself: well, if you're reviewing this, is your reaction personal or technical? Because other people might like this.
Balancing my reading with blogging is always a struggle. And there are times when my lack of enthusiasm for one will leak into the other. They've become very intertwined.
What about for you ladies? You didn't answer your questions :).
I don't take notes, but I probably should because I have a horrible memory. Everything is still so new for me that it's not a chore and I'm just reading the books that I want to read right now.
DeleteBlogging does take more time than I thought it would take, to be honest, and sometimes I realize I didn't read as much as I wanted to read because I was writing a review, or reading other blogs and commenting on them, etc. But I have found so many great books that I don't know if I would have read if not for reading other blogs. I used to never read contemporary YA, but I've been reading more of them and really enjoying them. ~Pam
I think when I first started my blog over a year ago, I used to read books differently. I was constantly worried about what star rating I would give it. Now, I feel as though it doesn't matter as long as I enjoy reading the book that's all that matters to me. After awhile before I went on a long hiatus from my blog I considered blogging to be the chore, not reading. I didn't like that. But now, I don't feel as though it's a chore. I really enjoy it. I'm probably reading somewhat less b/c of my blog, but I don't mind so much because I love blogging so much and talking about the books that I love.
ReplyDeleteWe currently aren't rating our books and I don't know if we should be. If I see a five star rating or a one star rating, that means something, but when it's in the middle, I don't know if that really sways me. I'm pretty easy so I don't think any books would be less than 3 stars and most would be 4 or 5 that I've read.
DeleteI feel the same way as you do. I just want to enjoy the book and if that happens, it was worth reading and that's what matters to me. I just want to be entertained and lose myself for a couple of hours in a book.
And so far, blogging has been a lot of fun! ~Pam
Glad you like blogging! Yeah, when it comes to a middle it's hard to figure out if a book should be 3 stars or 4 stars. Most that I read, like you said, are 4 or 5.
DeleteI definitely read differently- I take notice of things, connections I wouldn't have made, symbolism, etc. It's made me think about the books I'm reading more critically. And I definitely catch myself thinking what I'm going to say in the review, be it positive or negative! haha
ReplyDeleteSara at The Page Sage
I'm starting to think more as I read about what I'm going to write, about characters, the world-building, etc. I've thought about taking notes, but that would probably make it feel too much like work. ~Pam
DeleteYes, blogging has absolutely changed the way I read books! I'm more critical, definitely, which can sometimes lead to me not enjoying a book quite as much as I would have if I weren't a blogger. And that's sad, indeed! But then again, without blogging, I would have never have heard of some of the best books I've read. So you take the good with the bad - and thankfully for me, blogging has been mostly a positive influence on my reading.
ReplyDeleteAnd Sheri - thanks so much for the advice on grad school!