I think there are two big changes to my reading habits now: I DNF books that I am not enjoying rather than continuing to read them and I am current with new releases when previously I had just gone into stores and looked for something good to read. I think these have both had positive and negative impacts on my overall enjoyment of reading.
The positive
is that I’m no longer reading books that I am not enjoying and thus have more time to read books I actually really like! Staying current on releases means not as much time spent in a bookstore trying to FIND a book I want to read but deciding between books to take home and read. It allows me to check out books ahead of time and know which ones I want to read because they sound like ones I will enjoy rather than impulse buys.The negative
is I think DNFing has made me a bit more cynical because I feel as though I’m not really giving these books a chance (which isn’t true. I typically read them for about 25% which is a lot of the book). As for staying current, I have found some really good books based on impulse buys so it kinda saddens me that I don’t do that as much anymore. But at the same time I don’t feel guilty about wasting my money if I don’t enjoy a book.I don’t think blogging has really done much to increase the amount of books I read a year. I was always hitting between 100-200 books a year, even in university. I still read books I really like and enjoy but also sprinkle in more “unknown” and indie authors than I would have if I hadn’t started blogging. Both of these are great and really help to expand my reading beyond what I would have done had I not started blogging.
I think I'm the opposite when it comes to DNFing books. I feel this compulsion to finish a book I've signed up to review because I said I would review it. I'm learning to overcome that mindset now.
ReplyDeleteThat's one thing I credit blogging with: being more aware of my reading habits. Because I keep track of everything I read for blogging purposes, it has made it really easy to see my habits. Over the last year, I've really changed my library and buying habits in a more positive way I think. Made me more conscious of what I read and when.
I always DNF books as well! I think that I'm wasting my time when I would be reading something that I really enjoy. Great post♥
ReplyDeleteJumana @ Books by Jay
My reading habits have changed a bit as well since I've started blogging. There is definitely my tendency to not feel as guilty if I DNF a book, and I started reading more again as a while before I began blogging I had started to read less and less. As for the whole buying new releases over other books, I don't really do that, I still read older books as well, especially since I have so many to-read books on my bookshelf from my years of book hoarding. If anything, I'm more jealous of bloggers with so much more time to read that they can finish lots of books so quickly and have time to read the new releases as well!
ReplyDeleteWren @ http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.ca/
Love this post. I can't honestly decide if my reading habits changed when I first started blogging (they certainly have over the years because of blogging) or not. I started out as someone who read the require ~5 books a year for school and turned into someone who started reading 200+ books a year. But I started blogging not too long after I started reading like crazy. My beginning blogging days were a mess so I don't think my blog changed my reading habits until I really got series this last year or so.
ReplyDeleteCarrie @ Paper Bindings