Upcoming Events:
I am taking a blogging break for a little while. I am in the process of getting all of my challenges for 2011 picked out so you'll see a bunch of those posts.
I was going through my google reader earlier this week and I found a post that I totally could relate to in more than one way. The O.W.L posted about why she is taking a review request hiatus. After reading this post and feeling/agreeing with many of the points I to0 feel that for now The Book Junkie's Book Shelf will be taking a TEMPORARY review request hiatus.
Why have I decided to take this hiatus?Well let me just say to begin with this....when I first started this blog I was just hoping that someone would read it and maybe leave me a couple comments. I got my wish there! Then I got my first author request and it has just kept snowballing from there. So here are my reasons for taking this hiatus:1. I have a bookshelf (that is soooo full you can't put anymore books on it) and an under-the-bed storage box full of books that I have NOT read yet. Only a handful of books on the bookshelf have been read and NONE of the books in the under-the-bed box have been read. 2. I'm starting to think of reading as a second job. I don't want that. Reading is something fun to do....NOT a job. 3. My TBR list is HUGE! See #1 and then there are the books I don't even own yet. 4. I really don't like the guilty feeling I have when I take a long time to review a book. 5. Saying NO has always been a problem for me. 6. I want to become re-aquainted with my public library. Monday was the first day in MANY months that I've set foot in it and I left with a bag full of books. PLUS while I was there I put like 40+ books on hold. What this DOES NOT mean for my blog 1. I will still be stick to a VERY ecclectic array of books. That won't change at all. 2. Only, this time I will be reading and reviewing books that I want to read and review. I don't want reading to continue to feel like a job. 3. For those authors, agents, publishing companies that I've already said yes to. I will honor those requests. After that point feel free to drop me an e-mail but please know that I will more than likely be trying to stick to books that I will have highlighted in Wish Lists posts. I LOVE to read and LOVE working with all of you but in the future I want to do it out of passion NOT necessity. When I do start taking review requests again (At this time I don't know when that will be) I do plan on reviewing and making changes to my review policy. Right now I think I've left it a little bit tooooo open. I will be studying up on this in the future that is for sure.
4 comments:
You have to do what is good for you. Like you said, reading should be fun not a chore.
Snowballing is a very good term for it. I started book blogging around the same time as you did and it seems that this is the point (8 or 9 months) when the emails start getting a little out of control.
I'm still accepting requests, but I've gone from saying yes about 40% of the time, to about 5% (with those being pretty much only books from my wish list).I'm not having too much trouble keeping up with books coming in, but I have noticed a complete lack of time and ability to get to any of the 600 unread books on the shelf that I bought.
I commend you for taking charge of your reading. This should be fun all the time. If this 5% thing doesn't work out, I'll most likely be following in your footsteps.
I have been running on what I call "selective" mode. Only accepting those things I think I'll love.
Good call ;)
YA Book Giveaway at: http://kateevangelistarandr.blogspot.com/
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