Ten Reasons I Love...Blogging!!!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.
Every once in a while I participate in this one when I either
1) Like the theme, and/or 2) Have the time!

This week's topic:

10 Reasons I Love X
(could be a certain book, character, author, your indie bookstore, a fandom, a tv show, reading, a hobby, a genre. Honestly anything you want to gush about.)

I really like the idea of this week's feature!

It makes a fun feature all on its own. Ten Reasons You Love X...every week! Maybe I should try it again, what do you think???

I love how this week's topic gives a little insight into the minds of bloggers everywhere, no matter their topic!

I chose reasons I enjoy blogging, since the topic has been on my mind a lot lately!

1)  I LOVE RECOMMENDING BOOKS!!!

My blog started because I LOVE recommending books. IF I DIDN'T LOVE IT, I COULDN'T KEEP DOING IT. I'm a "Book Pusher." I'm constantly recommending books based on other books people like, or recommending books just because *I* love them so much or am super excited about a book! If you know me in real life, you've been recommended a book at some point!!!

When multiple friends asked my thoughts on the current books I was reading, I'd start saying the same thing over and over. I decided to write it down in blog form so that there was one place for all of my thoughts that I could refer my friends to. And now it's grown and I have a great outlet where I can shout about books to people all over the world!!!

 
2) I HAVE MET SO MANY AMAZING PEOPLE!

Let's face it: Blogging wouldn't be the same without YOU GUYS. You read my blog and give me motivation to keep going when I'm having a bad day. I've met so many amazing friends (online, yes, but it doesn't make the friendship any less valid!) through blogging. Some of us became close through constantly commenting on one another's blogs. Some of us began interacting on Twitter (I never wanted to get involved with Twitter or thought I'd like it, but it has changed my life in so many fantastic ways and given me the opportunity to "meet" so many fantastic people!!!). I've met some of you in person at blogging events. I've also had great conversations with several authors and publicists that I may not have had the nerve to talk to if I wasn't a blogger.

BLOGGING IS ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE. 

Ummm, and shameless promotion here, but if you want to meet ME and chat about books, come on out to a blogger panel I'm sitting on this coming Sunday--along with four other amazing bloggers!!! 

Official Event Info Here!!!Time/Location/Etc.&
My post chock full of information here!

3) READING BOOKS I NEVER WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED ON MY OWN.

There are some books I just wouldn't have discovered on my own. Or if I'd seen them, I'd have turned my nose up. Books such as TRACKED by Jenny Martin, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, RADIATE by Marley Gibson, KILL ME SOFTLY by Sarah Cross, and so many more! Maybe I heard about it because everyone was buzzing about it on Twitter. Maybe I heard about it because a publisher slipped it into a package along with something I'd requested. Maybe I heard about it because I saw the book featured on another blogger's Top 10 list or on their blog in some other way. Maybe a publisher talked about it at BEA or through email and got me excited. Either way, I WOULDN'T HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT WITHOUT BLOGGING!

4) HEARING ABOUT BOOKS SUPER EARLY!

Let's face it: My TBR list is scarier than it would be if I wasn't a blogger. I hear about SO MANY books--sometimes a year or two!!--before they're out. As of this moment, Goodreads says I have 1,181 Books on my TBR List. That's daunting!!!

I follow so many authors and agents on Twitter, I often see publishing deals as they're annouched to the public--and those books often aren't out for a couple of years! It's thrilling to say that I wanted to read highly-buzzed-about books such as INTO THE DIM by Janet Taylor or THE CROWN'S GAME by Evelyn Skye before they had covers and before the world started buzzing when they saw the fancy cover. I admit it!!! It IS thrilling, lol! 

I also hear about books early when publishers send me their upcoming catalogs or tuck books into a package for me. And one reason I really love attending BEA is to hear about new titles!

Before I began blogging, I only knew a few other blogging sites with titles that matched my interest, and very few people talked about upcoming books more than a few months out, so I didn't hear about them! I think the only three books I heard about really early before blogging were DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver, DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth, and THE SELECTION by Kiera Cass...and maybe one or two other dystopian novels. I'd really loved THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins and was looking at a blogger's list of titles for the upcoming year (I want to say it was Lenore Appelhans of Presenting Lenore, who is now a published author herself, but I could be wrong about that!)

TRACKED by Jenny Martin was one of my biggest surprises of 2015. I really enjoyed it and started stalking Jenny on Twitter for news about a sequel. I'm so excited for MARKED!!!!!!
Sci-fi+Nascar+Princes? YES, PLEASE!!!

5) BLOGGING EVENTS!!!!

I may complain about how much time they consume, but I love running events such as Fairy Tale Fortnight and Splash into Summer. I also love doing an annual fairy tale-themed event to celebrate Marissa Meyer every year, as well as other random events such as A Week of Shooting Stars.

I also love taking part in other events around the blogosphere. I'm going to be taking part in Nori from ReadWriteLove28's BBCP's event this summer, so look forward to that! I can't tell you more yet, because it's still a secret! ^.~

6) ATTENDING REAL-LIFE EVENTS!

I love getting the opportunity to attend events such as The Book Expo of America (BEA), being invited onto blogger panels, hearing about writing workshops, and traveling to author signings!  I doubt I'd do half as much if I wasn't a blogger!

7) BEING ABLE TO PLAY IN PHOTOSHOP.

Granted, I'm sure I'd still play, but it would just be for fun. Designing banners for events, etc. on my blog means more people will see it and I'm not just "wasting my time tinkering around," but doing something productive! It also helps to keep me from getting rusty!!!

8) THIS COMMUNITY

Bloggers almost always have one another's back. When something horrible happens, there's an outbreak of support. Even if we don't know one another, we have each other's back. Granted, sometimes this leads to drama in the community, too, but mostly, it's all about the love and support. For living in a digital world, we have a lot of trust and support!

9) SECRET KNOWLEDGE!

Things I actually can't tell you about! Blogging had led to times ever I've become a secret keeper. That level of trust is super awesome!

10) ANYONE WHO DOESN'T TELL YOU ARCS ARE NICE IS LYING.

Blogging isn't just about reading books early. The people who are in it for that reason don't stick around long, or have a very low - quality blog. You can tell! It takes a lot of work just to get that first ARC to begin with! Once you start GETTING those ARCs?

It can be like looking a gift horse in the mouth, tbh. Yeah, it's awesome to have that book you've been Highly Anticipating.....but what if you get it at the same time as a couple other Highly Anticipated Books?  What if you have reading obligations for blog tours first?  What if people at work (if you're in the industry) or local blogger friends start begging for a turn before YOU'VE had a chance to read it? Or you're asked to review it on tour?  You can't take your time and savor and enjoy it. You have to rush. You may not be in the right "reading mood" to properly enjoy it. It becomes a chore. Do you even remember why you wanted to read the book in the first place? 

"With great power comes great responsibility."

 ARCs are great, yes, but br careful what you wish for! !!


What are YOUR favorite things about blogging...
or why do you love reading blogs???
 ^_^