Top Ten Tuesday is an original blog meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. and is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s topic is “Changes In My Reading Life.” I love this week’s topic. A few of these habits have fluctuated one way or another. I kind of love that even though I love a certain genre right now that doesn’t mean I won’t love a different genre with the same kind of fervor or that I won’t return to the first genre of my heart. Sometimes my reading habits change because I change and other times they change because of circumstances, but I still have a big passion for books and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.
1. I read just as many contemporaries as I do fantasy – When I first started blogging, I would say my favorite genre was without a doubt fantasy and while I would probably still argue this, in recent years I’ve renewed by love for contemporaries. Now I’m just as likely to reach for a contemporary as a fantasy novel.
2. I read less – I’ve been on Goodreads for a few years now and you can see how my reading goal and final count has trended down. I feel like I’m in a really good place though. I’m not reading a hundred titles, but I am almost enjoying everything I’ve picked up and not stressing when it comes to numbers.
3. I read more enjoyable books – Maybe it’s because I’m just picking up more diverse titles that are consistently more enjoyable, or I’m more likely to put down a book I’m not enjoying, or I’m more picky with what I pick up because I know I only have so much time to read, but my average rating is much higher now than it’s been in years.
4. I joined social media – Before I started blogging, I wasn’t on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, but now I am on Twitter and IG. I never pictured myself as someone who’d be invested in these platforms, but I don’t think I could live without Twitter.
5. I enjoy giving books away – I used to buy books and keep them because I wanted a big library, but as more time passes (and the less space I have), the easier it’s been for me to unhaul books. I would rather my personal library be about books I love rather than quantity.
Have you started reading less over the years? Do you find yourself being more discriminatory when it comes to which books you pick up? Let me hear from you in the comments and be sure to leave me a link to your own TTT post!
A Kernel of Nonsense 
Aww, I love the giveaway add in!! So true. I love to host giveaways. 🙂 Yay for contemporaries! My favorite genre for sure.
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This is great! I think there is a hard balance in blogging to feel like you’re “relevant” whatever that means and then just remembering that you started this whole thing because you love to read and getting back to reading what you love. Great job!
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Social media- definitely! And same here- I’ve always been a fantasy reader but now I read contemps and all kinds of different stuff. when did that happen lol? 🙂
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Right? I think part of it is being surrounding by people who have different taste and wanted to try something new because of them.
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It’s definitely gotten easier for me to DNF a book. Before, I used to read a book all the way even if I wasn’t enjoying it. Now I have to disengage to find a book I’ll actually love. Great post!
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Same here. I was more about numbers so would make myself finish that one star even though I knew very early on it would be a one star.
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I definitely need to work on giving away more books. That’s one I struggle with. Great post! 🙂
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I started reading more because I really needed to step away from real life in the last few years.
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Totally valid, Annemieke.
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Great list! I really enjoy unhauling books, too – it’s so satisfying to look at your bookshelves and know that every book on there is either a book you’ve enjoyed too much to pass on or a book you can’t wait to read. 🙂
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Yes! I also like to declutter every once in a while. Makes me feel more in control, haha.
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Being on social media (and learning how to use it) has been a big thing for me as well since I started book blogging. I think I’ve become more discerning about the books I choose to read as well. I think I understand better what I’m likely to enjoy and what I won’t although I’ll admit I still find it hard to DNF books 😀
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When I started the topic, I thought there would be no way I’d come up with anything. Surprise surprise! It wasn’t that hard at all. Guess I’m more of a work in progress than I thought. Thanks for sharing your list!
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I’ve pared down my home library a lot, too. I used to buy a lot of bargain books from B&N, but now that I use my library almost exclusively, I don’t need to buy as many books and I can focus on creating a home library that I love.
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Love that, Angela!
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I’ve been much better at passing books on too!
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I’m reading less books but enjoy the books I read more, too, and I wouldn’t change that, even though sometimes I miss how easily I was able to get through a tome of 600+ pages. And while I don’t read as much contemporary as SFF, I started to read more contemporaries in the last few years as well. I thought I didn’t like them, but that was before I started reaching specifically for diverse books, and that helped a lot.
Great list!
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Are you me? I used to be able to fly through big books too and now I only pick them up every once in a while.
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Yes! Giving away books is something I’m better at doing too.
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I also read less — if we are counting by number of books. But I’d like to think that I read better. My TTT: https://mwgerard.com/top-ten-tuesday-reading-life-changes/
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Love this summary so much!
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I’m reading less these days as well, and social media is definitely to blame. 🙂
My TTT.
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Lol.
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I’ve been reading less in recent years too, I want to make it a goal to read more in the new year!
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Wishing you luck!
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I love #3. It took me a long, long time to learn that it’s okay to put something down or even quit it completely if I wasn’t enjoying it. That’s definitely helped increase my level of enjoyment!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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I need to give away some books. I think it’s easier to give away books when you realize how many good books there are out there and that you probably won’t read some of them again. And also when you are constantly getting piles of books. There are some books I know for sure I will reread multiple times, but many I won’t. I’m bringing a ton of ARCs to my parents over Christmas break because they have a drawing where they give stuff away.
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I haven’t started reading less, but I anticipate that will definitely be happening in 2020. I want to make sure I’m getting to all those other things that I need to be doing but have been neglecting.
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Lovely post! I’m so happy that you found a new love for contemporaries in the past few years, they’re my favorite aaaah I love them 🙂 and right here with you on enjoyable reads! I feel like I’ve been getting better with it all in the past few years, maybe a little more picky, but I’m enjoying my books more, too 😀
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I think your changes indicate a positive, happy reader. I especially love that you put so much care into reading books that will be special for you, and I think that might stem from adding so many books about Latinx people. It feels similar to my search for fat-positive books. While the search itself can be frustrating, in my cases the reading is rewarding.
When you say that you’re reading contemporary vs. fantasy, what do you mean? I thought contemporary meant “published now/recently,” and wouldn’t that include fantasy? Just asking 🙂
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Definitely think reading more diversely has improved my level of enjoyment. Contemporary as in the genre, a book that takes place during modern times in our world. Fantasy, though written in modern times takes place in another world.
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Iiiiiinteresting. I never made the distinction between worlds. I think I read a lot of fantasy that is not in a real place but decided in my head that it was Earth.
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I definitely think it’s a good thing you are focussing more on quality over quantity. I have been reading a lot more than I used to, especially this year, but that wasn’t so hard since I barely read anything before starting my blog in 2016.
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It’s all about finding that right balance for yourself.
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My overall ratings tend to be higher now as well, and I do think it has something to do with being more selective about which books to read in the first place. Great post!
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I’ve noticed a lot of people saying they’ve moved to more romance today. I wonder if it’s an age thing, like we need more of it as we get older or something?
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Or maybe we need a break from the state of the world.
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I used to want a huge library too. And then I realized I don’t have a lot of time to re read so now I keep my library small, to books that make me smile and bounce for joy. 😉
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I’ve always given away books but now I pile them up and deliver bags to the public library for their yearly sales. Sharing the love.
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What a positive list! This is wonderful. I particularly like that you are more interested in giving books away. What form does that take for you? One of my friends has a Little Free Library I donate to primarily. I want to do more blog giveaways, but I don’t read many newer releases and I worry people won’t want those books in a giveaway. Does that make sense?
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I’m the same with social media! I’m only on those sites because blogging made me do it. 🙂
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So many wonderful changes! Everything you said about reading less, too, makes sense. I feel like there is a definite ‘less is more’ quality to reading.
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I’ve been reading more contemporaries and out of my general norm as well.
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Great post! My reading habits changes all the time and it’s nice to have a conversation on changes in reading habits.
I have consumed more books lately and a lot of it has to do with the books I have selected. Mostly they have been good to great reads which has spurred me to enjoy more books. I agree with you to enjoy the books rather than count the amount you read. Whilst it’s nice to see a higher number of books read, it’s not so great if they were just ‘meh’.
I steer away from romance in general as I do find them boring. I also like reading debuts novels as I love to discover new authors to love. At the same time I do tend to read authors I know as I know most of the time it’s not going to be a disappointment.
I am awful with social media! I am barely active in Facebook these days. I can live without it all 🙂
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