When I was in middle school (and even younger than that) I went to the library or bookstore at least weekly, and I picked up tons of books. I chose books simply based on the cover and the synopsis- especially the synopsis. The more involved I become in the book community, the more I find myself doing less of that.
I now tend to pick up books based on what other people think of them without even forming my own opinions or considering if I will like the book or not. I can’t even tell you how many books I bought just because I heard people in the book community like them. I don’t even know what half of the books I buy are about at this point!
I began reading fantasy books more and more often, which I don’t even like. I’m more of a contemporary and mystery/paranormal reader. Sure, there were a few fantasy books I enjoyed reading, but there were so many that I forced myself to read just so I could be part of the loop.
Sometimes I feel like I’m going to be shamed for not reading or not enjoying something that was incredibly hyped by everyone. I also don’t want to attend any book events because I know that there are a TON of books I haven’t read and I don’t want people to think I don’t belong there.
Basically, the point of this post is to say that I want to start reading for myself again. I don’t want to fall out of love with reading because I don’t enjoy what I pick up. I also want to say that this is a criticism of myself, not the book community. There are so many wonderful people and the place is so welcoming. This is just how I am currently feeling!
Do any of you feel the same way or am I alone in this one? Have you picked up any books solely because of the book community, without even knowing what it’s about?
I get influenced by what others are reading too, but I usually tend to stick to things and genres I know that I would enjoy too. But it’s easy to get caught up into this and start reading anything really popular, so you won’t feel clueless about what everyone else is talking about. There are some books that are so overhyped, that you feel like you had been living under a cave if you haven’t read it/heard of it. But I think you should stick to your favourite genres and reach for books from different genres only if they sound interesting to you, because diversity is good! I surely don’t want to see everyone talking about the same books all over again. So, keep up the good work and read what you love! :)
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Thank you! I completely agree! I don’t necessarily always pick up books I’m not 100% interested in, but it’s happened on multiple occasions! Hoping to work on that more.
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I definitely feel that way! There are so many books I buy because I feel like if I don’t read them then I’m being left out and that people won’t like my blog as much. I should read what I want to read. I shouldn’t read because I’m trying to fit in. I’m super glad you made this post, because it has opened my eyes more. I love pretty much all genres but just like you I often buy books that I don’t even know what they’re about anymore. I mean I have read some amazing books thanks to this community, but I’ve also read books that were disappointing and just ended up being over hyped.
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Yes exactly! Thank you so much for the comment and I’m really glad you can relate! I like knowing I’m not the only one!
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I get influenced so easily by social media etc. when it comes to choosing books nowadays, I want to see what all the hype is about and be in the loop as you put it – I definitely think it’s important to read for yourself, if anything, it will make you fall in love with reading all over again .xx
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Im so glad you feel the same way! I am definitely going to start working on it now!
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I also nominated you for the Liebster award! https://midnightwander.wordpress.com/2017/09/25/liebster-award-x6/ xx
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Thanks !
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this was / is also me too! back then, i hadnt discovered the community so i just picked whatever books i wanted to read. but after getting exposed into the community, i felt like sometimes i have to follow whatever’s the hype or what’s trending because otherwise, you might miss out the hype train 😟 and besides, if you follow whatever what’s in in the community, there are more chances you’ll get noticed because that’s what’s everybody’s talking about
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Exactly! But there are so many books that no one knows about because it isn’t as hyped. Some books deserve more recognition!
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Girl I feel you! I usually read the books I hear someone recommend just because I follow trustworthy like minded people and because I simply don’t have time to stay in the library for hours reading all the synopsis but I know that sometimes that might not be the best idea since it doesn’t allow me to form my own thoughts about a book
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I can totally understand where you’re coming from, by not following the popular hype it feels almost like you’re getting left out of a party. It’s understandable feeling pressured to read or like certain books in this community because it feels like, if everyone is enjoying themselves, and I want to enjoy myself too!
While I do still mostly pick up books based on cover and synopsis, I do like getting recommendations from bloggers. I’ve been thankful for the books that I ended up liking and found because of bloggers but there have definitely been some books I didn’t like so much. As for fears of not fitting in I still feel nervous if I find I didn’t really like a super hyped book and have hesitated to post my reviews for fear of hate.
I think it just comes down to knowing what kinds of books that you like and reading for you. There is room for every kind of reader even if it doesn’t seem like it sometimes. While everybody is all over fantasy right now popular book genres especially in YA change all the time as fads come and go, so don’t worry about feeling like you have to read what’s popular to fit in.
Plus! I think it’s good to read books that aren’t super hyped! There are a lot of good books that deserve some recognition (even new releases!) and it’s a shame that many people miss them because they’re too busy following the hype. I actually like reading reviews for books I haven’t heard about a million times because, well, how else will I discover new books and authors?
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That’s exactly how I feel! The hype can be a little intimidating sometimes but it’s good to think about what you’re going to enjoy and reading for you as you put it! Thanks for the comment :)
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Make sure you save time for what you enjoy, reading is such a wonderful hobby, I hope you always love it! .X.
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