Book Blog Beginnings - My Reflections on Books
I decided about a year ago to start a book blog, and this is the first concrete step I’ve taken to finally make this happen. And I’m nervous.
Why did I decide to write a blog, and what will my blog be about?
In short — books.
But I want to add a personal touch and compose my reflections from each book I read. I’m a prolific reader, and I’ve contemplated writing a blog before with the goals of becoming a better writing but hadn’t found a subject that I was truly excited about. A co-worker recommended I write a blog about books, and in retrospect I couldn’t believe I hadn’t come up with the idea myself! Now that I’m taking this project one step closer to reality, I want to make this my space to practice writing on a subject matter I enjoy, engage in daily — reading books—and my platform to stretch out my creative wings.
Background — Why and how I read:
I owe my love for books and reading to my dad. When I was a kid, he read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series to me before my mother introduced us to a new series one day in the fourth grade— Harry Potter. It was downhill from there!
I did take a hiatus from reading when I allowed life get in the way—college, grad school, work. Funny enough, the catalyst that pushed me back into reading was my commute to work. I was telling my roommate how I was bored by the radio, and she introduced me to the library’s best-kept secret — free audiobooks through their digital services. I got a library card, downloaded OverDrive, and I’ve been hooked ever since. (Seriously, the library is a real treasure — so much available material that our taxes are already paying for. Take advantage of your local library!) So I have been able to turn my commutes into productive reading time and my commutes have changed for the better.
I’m also the owner of an e-reader. I was initially against e-readers, but my brother bought one and… I got jealous. Traveling is opportune reading time, it is so nice to be able to bring as many books as I want on just one tablet instead of carrying extra “bricks” with the expectation that you’ll be delayed somewhere. Again, the library’s digital services include free e-books, and I can check them out from anywhere in the world as long as I have an internet connection which includes checking books out from the comfort of my bed as I lay under my warm duvet. True bliss!
Books are also a way for me to connect with my friends and family. I love book recommendations and track them on my Goodreads account. Reading a book is an individual’s man’s journey but it can also become a shared experience.
Interests — How I choose books:
I read a hodgepodge of fiction and nonfiction, and the order is pretty much dictated by what and when a book is available at the library. (It’s almost like Christmas whenever I get a notification when a book becomes available after having been on the waitlist for six months and totally forgetting about it!) As a kid, reading for me was primarily a means of entertainment, which meant getting lost in fictional worlds or situations. I still enjoy reading fiction (not so much sci-fi but I am open to giving it a try). I’ve also started reading more non-fiction books; memoirs, self-help books, personal finance, professional development books, etc. I’m a woman early in my career and books have proven to be a great way for me to develop professionally. Reading is a great tool to learn about new subjects. For example, I wanted to learn more about personal finance and turned to books to learn more about the subject. I also like to sprinkle in an occasional book in French since I speak French and reading is a good way to continue practicing the language.
I’m particularly fond of personal recommendations from friends and family. I especially love when I get multiple recommendations for the same book, which typically pushes it to the top of my list. But my list is also dictated by the availability at the library, which mixes things up and the impending gratification compensates for the delay! (Shameless plug for the library!)
I will include the reasons why I chose to read a specific book that I include on my blog since in some cases I think it’s provides helpful context for my reflections.
Purpose — What I want to get out of this blog:
I studied engineering in college, which means I spent much more time working on problem sets than writing essays. I want to make up the lost time and take the opportunity to practice my writing by writing concisely and quickly. I know I will make a lot of mistakes but practicing is the only way to improve; I can’t just will becoming a better writer and this is my way to practice. This is also an activity to practice letting go of perfection and moving forward with the goal of learning as I go.
This is also a creative outlet for me and it’s an opportunity for me to share what I enjoy and spend a lot of time doing — reading books! I’m going to challenge myself to keep my posts short. I want to keep this fun and not make it a chore.
Each book and story has a little piece of wisdom to share and a few lessons to teach us. My blog is unique because I’m going to share my key takeaways from what I read. We each have a unique perspective of what we takeaway from a book because we start the book equipped with different experiences going into it. I want to pause and think about what I read and acknowledge the emotions and thoughts the book pushed me to experience.
My goal is not to summarize books. Even though the words on the pages and the story will be a shared experience with all readers, the emotions, lessons, how we are personally impacted, and how it alters our outlook on life after reading a book is unique. Even re-reading a book at a different point in time in our life can impact us differently. We can still walk away with new insights as we change and evolve as individuals over time. The lessons and takeaways that I share will reflect my personal story and be shaped by my life experiences, motivations, and current situation. And sometimes the lessons learned from reading one book may only become apparent weeks, months, even years later after you read another book or experience a new life event. It all builds off of each other!
This is only the book blog beginnings! I invite you to join me on my literary and writing adventures!
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