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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Bookish Habits That I Need To Quit


I've seen this meme on a lot of blogs and decided to join in. This meme was created by The Broke and Bookish. Every Tuesday there is a new topic that involves a list of ten books. 

This week's topic: Ten Bookish Habits That I Need To Quit


1) Feeling bad for rejecting review requests.




I know that it's normal to reject review requests and authors generally understand when you decline, but I always feel so bad. First off, I'm always concerned that I passed over an amazing book. Second, I know how difficult it is to get word out about your book, especially if you're an indie author.

2) Feeling bad for writing a negative review.



The most important thing as a reviewer is to be completely honest, but when it comes to writing reviews that are 3 stars and below, I just can't help but feel bad. Authors have a really tough job and the last thing I ever want to do is hurt their feelings, but if I were to sugarcoat the truth, I wouldn't be helping anyone. And yet every time I post a negative review, I worry about the author seeing it and making them upset. 

3) Forcing myself to finish a book I'm not enjoying.




As a kid, I never left a book unfinished, even if I hated it. I would trudge though the book and whine the entire time until the pain was finally over and the book was finished. Since I became a book blogger, I've realized that life is too short to spend my time on books that I'm not enjoying, but I still find myself saying, "well what if it's about to get good and I'm going to miss out?" Fairly recently, I've made a new policy that if I've read 25% of the book and I'm still not liking it, then I need to put it down... though most of the time, I still end up forcing myself to go further and I end up finishing it.

4) Comparing everything to Leigh Bardugo's books.




Some of you may have an inkling about how I feel about Leigh Bardugo's books. For the very few of you who don't know, Leigh Bardugo is the QUEEN and if you haven't read her book--DO IT NOW. Start with Shadow & Bone and read all the way through the trilogy, and then read Six of Crows... But anyway, Bardugo's books are my absolute favorite and I compare a lot of the books I read to her books. Considering my love for her writing, those are impossible expectations to put other books up against.

5) Buying every book from book panels/events that I attend. 




I'm very lucky to be living in New York City, where a lot of authors hold events and panels. Most panels include at least 2 authors, if not more. I usually plan on attending an event because of a specific author, but by the time the panel is over, I've walked out of the bookstore with all of the books from the attending authors. I'm proud to be a book-hoarder, but even I know that I allow myself to get carried away.

6) Kicking myself for missing book events.




As I already mentioned, there are a lot of book events held in New York City, and obviously I can't make it to all of them--even though I would like to! I even make obscure plans to try to fit the event in my schedule, even if I know it's stupid and/or impossible. It usually goes like this: "Well, if I come into work an hour early, I can leave at 4PM instead of 5PM, I'll have to skip all meals and find a way to explain to my uncle why I'm not there for my cousin's birthday, then take two trains and a bus, and only be a few minutes late . . . then I'll be home around midnight." Apparently, there are other things that are important in life like work, family, and you know . . . eating and sleeping once in a while haha. I really need to force myself to understand that if I don't keep up with the other important things, I won't be able to go to any book events in the future. 

7) Being shy around authors.




You'd think that since I have been lucky enough to meet so many authors that I would be a pro at talking to them . . . NOPE. I can spend hours, days, weeks, even months daydreaming about when I'll finally get to meet an author and what I'll say, but when the time comes, I'm a mess. I get so flustered that I have to work myself to even speak normally to them when it's my turn to talk. It's something I really need to work on.

8) Not allowing myself to re-read books that I really love.


You guys know that my reading schedule is usually pretty insane and it prevents me from re-reading some of my favorite books. I find a lot of comfort and happiness in my favorites and I need to allow myself more freedom to go back to read them whenever I just want to jump back into those familiar worlds or hang out with my beloved characters. 

9) Buying book-related merchandise without considering where I'm going to keep it.




Just like my book-hoarding problem, I buy a lot book merchandise. Totes, mugs, bookmarks, t-shirts, you name it, I have it . . . AND my house has become quite cluttered with all of it and somehow I have not stopped myself ever from buying book merch. At this rate, you guys might see me on Hoarders: Buried Alive someday.

10) Choosing books over sleep.


In general, I'm a bit of an insomniac but there have been plenty of times when even though I was sleepy, I choose to read instead before I knew it, the sun was out! I mean, you'd think that since I have a sleeping problem, that on the rare occasions that I'm actually sleepy at a normal time, I would take advantage of that but nooooo, I just keep reading and it makes it really hard to function in my every day life. 

37 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. This is the first time I've ever had to share one of these on my page... because obviously: https://www.facebook.com/platypire/posts/950379658367974

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  2. I wish there were more author/book events in my area...

    Check out my TTT.

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    1. I'm really lucky that even if I miss an event chances are I'll have another chance.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Okay I'm definitely guilty of some of these. Like reading over sleep, feeling guilty about writing negative reviews, and feeling guilty about not finishing books. i'll be going to my first book festival in November (YALLFest) and I plan to get ALL the books! lol To be fair, tho, I don't live anywhere near many happen.

    I think I compare things to Jodi Meadows' writing. I'm so obsessed! Awesome list!

    Christina @ Books & Prejudice

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    1. I was originally planning on going to YallFest but because it's a far drive for me I'm reconsidering it because I know the authors go through here. I'm so spoiled, I know. You'll have to let me know how it is!

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  4. I find myself nodding along as I read your list! So many relatable bookworm problems. :-)

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    1. I'm glad that you found it relatable! I figured that my fellow booknerds would understand =)

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  5. What a cute, heartfelt list! I love your spontaneous responses to the question of the day.

    My TTT

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  6. You are SO lucky to live in NYC!! I would love to live in a place that had bookish events all the time. I would also buy tons of books if I went to author events all the time, so maybe it's okay. No, never mind, I would rather have to option!

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    1. I know! I try to take advantage of my location as much as possible. I just need to learn to reign myself in a bit more.

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  7. I still can't bring myself to DNF. I actually did read a book once that I was forcing myself through, really just wanting it to end already, and then BOOM! At 50%, it got good, and now I'm anxiously waiting for book 5 in the series to come out. I probably shouldn't have told you that because now you'll never be able to stick to your goal of DNFing lol. I also need to let myself reread more though. But choosing sleep over books? I don't think that'll ever happen, haha. Great list!

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    1. It's okay, I struggle to keep up with my own goal but it's difficult lol I completely understand. Unfortunately, I need to learn to pick sleep over books sometimes otherwise it's really difficult to go to work in the morning haha

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  8. Books are better than sleep. My heath may not agree, but who cares?! There are books I NEED to read! I also refuse to DNF books, which prevents me from having time to read books I'll actually like. I also feel bad writing negative reviews, since being an author is a really hard job. Amazing list!

    My TTT

    Lizzie @ Big Books and Grande Lattes

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    1. Books are definitely better than sleep BUT when you have a 9 to 5 job you need your rest haha. I used to refuse but I'm trying to get better at it. Why waste our time with something we're not enjoying?

      Thank you!

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  9. I can relate to #8 the most! I never re-read books that I love. I think that it's because my TBR is so huge and I have so many other books to read. But, I really want to break that habit. I've read so many awesome books in the past couple of years that I'm just dying to read again.

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    1. I always keep my favorites near by and I leave post-its so I can get to my favorite parts whenever I want to but I really need to allow myself more time to reread my favorites. I mean, they're our favorites for a reason, right? Of course we want to experience that again.

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  10. Great list! I have a lot of difficulty with #3. I like your 25% rule. My issue is that even if I'm not really enjoying it, I also keep thinking "Maybe it'll get better." That thought continues until I've gotten halfway through the book, and then by that point I usually think "Well even if I'm not enjoying it, I've already finished 50% of the book, might as well finish it!"

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    1. That is pretty much what happens to me! I have recently come up with the 25% rule but it's hard to stick to it due to my guilt haha.

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  11. The only one on your list that I think I'm personally guilty of is not putting down a book I'm not enjoying. I need to learn that lesson. Instead of dreading coming back to that book, I could be reading something I actually enjoy! I guess I do kinda feel bad for writing negative reviews, but oh well! Great list!

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    1. Yeah, it seems like a lot of us have that problem! We should really learn not put down things we're not enjoying haha. Why is it so hard if it's literally making us unhappy?

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  12. Those first three issues you list?! YES! I deal with them all too. I've gotten better at politely declining review requests because I've come to realize reading what I HAVE and really KNOW is when I'm most efficient with book blogging. Which I clearly need. :)

    Fun post. Thanks a bunch for visiting Dreaming Under the Same Moon.

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    1. I hate writing rejection e-mails! I just feel so bad for the author and then I wonder if I skipped a great opportunity but I have to consider my schedule and other things so I just can't accept everyone.

      Thank you!

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  13. This list is spot on! I'm so bad with my guilt, so I totally relate!

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    1. I am so bad with my guilt. It's so overwhelming at times =/

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  14. Damn... the very first one though... it's so hard to say no because it's like... oml, I'm basically rejecting you :( but yes, I'm sorry authors

    Here's my list that’s full of supernatural gifs ... 10 Reasons why I've stopped lending out books

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    1. I hate having to reject an author for whatever reason. I just feel so bad but it's necessary unfortunately =(

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  15. So many of these that I relate to!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/top-ten-tuesday-25/

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  16. Of course you have comparing everything to Leigh's books! I love it!

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  17. i don't get a lot of review requests but i do feel really bad when rejecting them. but its not my fault its not the genre i read :( i also feel bad when i was given a book and i didnt enjoy the it as much and didnt give it a high rating, but like youve said, sugarcoating the truth wont help anyone. gal me too! i never give up on books no matter how unhappy i am with it. like if i started it, i definitely have to finish it. comparing books to leigh bardugo's is me as hell. i just feel like because im so used to how amazing her writing is is that i have very high standards lol. so lucky you live in nyc and get to go to all these amazing events *le sighs* im moving soon okay! i never let myself re-read books as well. there is just too many books to read and i don't have the luxury of rereading *sighs* i would choose books over sleep but i don't even have energy to do that because school drains every bit of energy out of me ahahah.

    great post!

    isha @ two sisters bloggin'

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  18. This is my LIFE right here. Like, you have made a post about my struggles, 100%. I do every single one of these, and I NEED to stop. I am not in NYC, BUT I am not that far either (like, 2 hours, tops). So I feel like "I COULD have gone to X event". But I couldn't have, because I don't have money for that, and I have the kids, and NO. And the re-read thing! I want to reread The Hunger Games SO badly, but then I yell at myself that I don't have time. AND I don't sleep, because books. Seriously, we need to start some kind of support group because this struggle is REAL!
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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