Bookstune: Discussion: Return to the Book Community

I've mentioned before that I used to have a book blog when I was younger - in middle school. As I grew up, though, I had to leave it behind because I focused on my studies in high school. I barely had time to read anymore and so, I didn't. It wasn't until this past summer, summer '19, I thought back to how much I enjoyed reading and decided to pick it up again. It wasn't until a few more months that I remembered that blog that I enjoyed so much.

I remembered exactly why I created it: to share my love of books when, in my real life, I had no one else to share it with. I got to not only share my opinions on books I read but be able to communicate and talk about favorite books/books I was interested in with other people that had the same interests as I did.

I logged back into my old blog and I considered my next steps. Should I just revamp it? Or start from scratch?

I decided on starting from scratch. Erase the majority of my posts, lose my followers and my username. I am significantly different - older, more mature - than I was when I created my original blog and I knew that had to be represented by a fresh start, even if that meant losing everything I had garnered throughout almost a decade.

But I want to talk about what it's like returning to the book community nearly 10 years after I left. What's different. How this blog, and me, as it's creator, is going to adapt to those changes.

What's Different?

1. The Books!

Oh my goodness, the books/series considered 'popular' in the book community now is what hit me first. It was disorienting at first seeing titles that never existed when I was still an avid reader. Of course, it was expected but that didn't make it feel less like a culture shock.

However, it's exciting! This is such a never-ending, growing community and seeing the new books and trends, makes me so excited to pick them up and await new releases.

When I became an avid reader, the popular books were (mostly):

Now they're (mostly):

This also goes along with how different the popular authors are. Which are just as exciting because now I have new and old authors that I'm looking forward to picking up.

I mean, sure, most of them are the same:
John Green, Sarah Dessen, JK Rowling, Rick Riordan etc. But now there are brand new names I hadn't heard of before!
Jay Kristoff, Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas being just a few.

And of course there are those authors that were known but didn't have nearly the recognition they do now:
Holly Black, Rainbow Rowell.

2. Booktube

Where did all my favorite booktubers go? All the people I watched, subscribed to and loved seemed to have left the community!

Chapter Chicks were my favorite, PadfootandProngs, The Readables and so many others that I don't even remember anymore.

Of course, some favorites did withstand the test of time:
PolandBananaBooks, JessetheReader, Little Book Owl, Ariel Bissett.

I remember watching Jesse the Readers first video - his channel trailer and following him from there on. I still, to this day, associate him with The Fault in Our Stars because that's what his first few videos were about. So I'm so extremely excited he's still around and much more popular than when I left him.

But of course, there's new popular booktubers that are just as incredible and just as great to watch as the ones that have left.

My favorites now consist of:
EmmmaBooks, ReadbyZoe, A Clockwork Reader, ReadwithCindy.

However, it definitely is not only the people that has changed. The types of videos on booktube are vastly different. Reviews dominated booktube right before I left and I loved watching videos centered on books I'm interested in or have already read and loved. The current popular types of bookish videos are great and all, but I really do miss seeing as many review videos as I used to.

How I've Changed as a Reader:

1. Read More Outside of Comfort Level

When I first started my blog and reading journey, I would exclusively read YA. Classics? Yuck. Adult? No interest. But that's also because I was young and my interest was only within my age range. Which is okay.

But as I've grown older, my 'comfort level' has expanded. I can read a variety of different categories and genres. I'm interested in Adult fiction and classics, I'm actually currently reading Pride and Prejudice (and LOVING it). I'm intrigued on the New Adult category that seems to be pretty new. The books I consider as some of my favorites are actually Non Fiction.

I feel like this makes me so much more nuanced as a reader and I'm so proud of myself for growing out of that restriction I had put myself in. I'm really excited to show this and grow even further as a reader with this blog.

2. Reviews Higher Level

Going along with my first point, my analysis of what I'm reading has matured a lot. I'm able to read now with much more understanding/appreciation of themes, metaphors and therefore, I feel like my reviews can be given at a better level than they were before.

Because of this, my reviews are in paragraph form because I can finally connect all my thoughts into one coherent review. It makes my reviews more in depth and more relevant to my thought processes during my reading.

However! I have been wondering if it's easier to read my reviews when they are in more separated/bulleted form of what I thought of individual elements of the novels (characters, storyline, writing style, etc) rather than the book as a whole. So I'd love feedback on this!

With all the new releases since I left, my wishlist of books has grown tremendously. I have a section of books I want to read that came out more recently and another, equally as long section, of books I wanted to read since before I left.

Books I MOST Want to Pick Up that Came out After I Left: