Pure Imagination

Confessions of a Book Blogger

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome people at The Broke and the Bookish

This week’s topic is: Top Ten Bookish Confessions (Anything! You dog ear, you hated a book  but said you loved it, you have $500 library fines…anything goes!)

Sometimes I have nothing to say. I’m a pretty person and I’m a quite person. I’m not the best at small talk. These things sometimes transfer over to the internet, especially with Twitter. I adore Twitter, but sometimes I just don’t have anything to say. Interesting or otherwise. Sometimes I’ll think ‘Man, I haven’t tweeted all day. I should.’ Then I can’t come up with anything to say. This also happens with commenting. I want to comment on all of your posts but

I judge your blog designs. I do, I can’t help it! If I click through the TTT linky and you have a cute blog design I’m much more likely to check out more of your posts. Shallow…I know.

This goes along with the I have nothing to say thing. You know when you tweet a review link to a author and they maybe write you back and say ‘Thanks so much! You’re Amazing!’ or something along those lines? Well, I never ever know what to say back to that. I want to be witty and thankful that this author even took the time to speak to lowly me. But after 3 hours of trying to think of something intelligent to say this is what I usually write: ‘Oh! Thank you! I loved the book so much.’ =/

I’ve been at this blogging thing for a long time so I shouldn’t let my daily happiness be determined by how many comments I get, but sometimes that’s hard. I know I should just be thankful because I do get a good amount.

Drama, stats, comments…sometimes I get a little disheartened by it all.

This might make me a horrible person, but I never reply to review requests from self published or indi published authors. Most of the time I don’t even read the whole email and I have deleted them without reading them before. I state very clearly in my review policy that I don’t accept books from indi or self published and if I replied to every email…that’s all I would be doing 24/7.

I hate doing interviews. Remember how I agonize over what to say to authors? Yeah, same goes for this. I agonize for weeks about this and then I finally come up with 5 or 6 semi intelligent questions and then it gets like 15 hits (slight exaggeration there). You get my point, right? I put tons of work into it and then no one reads it. So, I’d rather just not do them.

Sometimes I’ll read a book and OMG LOVE IT but by the time the sequel comes out I’m all meh… I’m not sure why this happens.

I give up on books too easily. Sometimes I get bored with books and just stop reading, books that might have been a 3 star read when it was all said and done. I always feel guilty about it.

It’s a huge part of my life and I tons of work into it. I take it very seriously.

Related Posts

Comments

  1. Haha, I feel like we could get along perfectly! I know exactly what you mean with “not having anything to say”. I don’t feel bad about it, though – I’d much rather stay quiet than say something just for the heck of it 🙂
    Also, I usually freak when authors reply to me on twitter or something…
    In case you’re interested thi is my TTT post:
    http://booksmartie.blogspot.de/2012/08/top-ten-tuesday_27.html
    Laura @ the Booksmartie recently posted..Top Ten TuesdayMy Profile

  2. I’m with you on quite of a few of these actually. I have a hard time with twitter cause I don’t know what to say. I actually don’t spend much time on there these days. And I judge blog design too. I’m much more likely to visit them again if its a design I like. Or at least looks professional.
    I get disheartened when I don’t get many comments too but I’m sure we all do.
    I don’t always reply to requests. I say in my policy that I don’t though so I try not to stress it. But since I started doing tours and I know what its like to wonder if they even got my email I have tried harder to reply to say I’m sorry but I’m currently booked. But you say you don’t accept Indie or self published then I wouldn’t worry about not replying.
    candace recently posted..Pushing the Limit’s Read-Along Week FiveMy Profile

  4. Well, I love your confessions and I am with you on quite a number of points!! 

    I do judge Blog Designs! Totally! If the blog is cute I stay is the blog horrible I don’t. That’s how I roll and I think we shouldn’t apologize! 
    I also get anxious over comments too and I am obsessed with statistic. I check my stats even a few times during the day on my iPhone app! It became an addiction 🙂 
    DannyBookworm recently posted..Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry Read-A-Long Week 5My Profile

  5. Great post!  I can actually say that I do all of these things too, so you’re not alone!  I haven’t done a single interview on my blog yet, and honestly, I don’t know when or if I ever will!  It’s very rare for me to think of something that I feel is worth asking (or that other people haven’t asked before).   I usually don’t reply to review requests, either.  Although I do accept some self-published books, I feel like if the author clearly hasn’t read my policy before bothering to contact me, they don’t really deserve a response.  Thanks for sharing!

  6. I can relate to a lot of your confessions, Lori. I find authors a little intimidating too and especially at book signings where I can’t come up with something intelligent to say. And it is hard not to judge blog design, it is the first impression and it means a lot. Can totally understand about feeling disheartened sometimes, and I’m sure we all do. You’re awesome – sorry I’m a slacker commenter but you’re doing a great job!
    Lucy @ The Reading Date recently posted..Every Day by David Levithan Book ReviewMy Profile

  8. OMG I totally lose interest in book series too! I was so excited to read Dreamless and then I read the prologue and I couldn’t remember a single thing that happened in the end so I was like forget this! I agonize over what to say too! Especially at book signings. I just kind of smile, giggle and say thanks, I loved your book after they sign it. It’s so embarrassing! This was a great post. I like knowing that other bloggers have the same feelings as me 🙂 

    Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books
    Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books recently posted..Review: Cold KissMy Profile

  9. I love this post. I kept nodding along to everything you were saying. Especially the last three on the list. And especially number 9, about giving up too quickly on books. I thought I was alone on that topic, because most bloggers I meet tend to say they read through most everything. And I totally agree with you on number 4, about the comments. I love getting comments and each one is like a nice little surprise, especially if they relate it back to the post, and not the generic, “Nice review.” I enjoyed this post, and hopefully we’ll see more confessions! 🙂
    Felicis recently posted..Teaser Tuesday!My Profile

  11. I understand that it’s tough not judging – I judge people on the books they read and I know it makes me a horrible person.  Blog designs… I can’t judge those because I don’t have any graphic prowess. Unless something is so attrocious that even I could fix it.
    BarefootMedStudent recently posted..TTT: Good Intentions, Bad HabitsMy Profile

  14. I think one of two things when reading this list:

    Either you and I are friend soulmates or we’re just twin thinkers. Seriously, I would agree with every point on this list! Responding to an author on Twitter (not that that’s ever happened…) is so intimidating.

    But! I think there’s something positive to be taken from that. Authors are our rockstars so talking to a rockstar is bound to be intimidating. It’s all good. Plus, with just 140 characters on Twitter, I don’t even think it’s possible to concisely say whatever it is we want to… if that makes any sense.

    So much good about this list. Keep it up, Lori. For every comment you don’t get, there are people out there (myself included) that adore your blog and are very happy you keep on keeping on. : )
    Jessie Marie recently posted..A Case of the Mondays | 27 August 2012My Profile

  15. Love you confessions. I have the same thing with authors but most of the time it’s with bloggers. I get comments and i really want to reply but then i get all paranoid of what they think about it and same goes for Twitter.
    sangita recently posted..Review: Prowl by Amber GarzaMy Profile

  17. Number 10 does not surprise me at all. Your blog is fantastic. I always love reading it. And I aaaalways freak out about what to say to authors. I usually panic and say something completely ridiculous (once I actually compared myself to Voldemort. I am serious.).
    fakesteph recently posted..Top Ten (Tuesday) Bookish ConfessionsMy Profile

  19. I just got VERY PARANOID about my blog design, but then remembered that you’re a fairly regular commenter, so I must meet at least the minimal Lori Standard 😉

    I am like the polar opposite of your #3. I come up with WAY TOO MANY questions for authors. I find their answers fascinating, even if I’m the only one who reads them. I have an author interview I’m posting this week, where I was apparently supposed to pick 5-7 questions to ask her. I wound up sending her 24 and just telling her to pick her favorites. Fortunately, she was awesome about it (she answered 10). 
    Lauren@The Housework Can Wait recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday (August 28) – Bookish ConfessionsMy Profile

  20. I can tell you put a lot of work into your blog- it is amazing! And prettiful 🙂 

    I can relate to a lot of your points- I love pretty blogs and tend to stay on them much much longer than an ugly blog. I just wish I could make mine into what I see in my head!

    I also do that thing with sequels too- I think its because I’ve forgotten the first book and don’t want to re-read/have time to re-read….so I just leave it. It’s a shame really!
    Pocketful of Books recently posted..YA Book Review: ‘This is Not a Test’ by Courtney SummersMy Profile

  21. I completely relate on a lot of these, especially #1. I’m horrendous at small talk. I have a Facebook that I rarely ever post on because I simply don’t have anything to say. I’m better with Twitter, but to be honest I write about five or six Tweets a day that I just delete instead of sending.

  22. LOL, Lori this is why we are friends. When I visit blogs, I am more likely to poke around if their designs are nice and clean and not blaring music or whathaveyou at me.

    I also get disheartened by a lot of things.

    I also delete review requests without reading/responding sometimes. My time is precious, ya know?

    I totally take book blogging seriously too. I see it as my second job.
    April Books & Wine recently posted..I Hereby Confess: 10 Confessions Of A BookwormMy Profile

  23. I love this list so hard. 

    I get sad with the comments thing too, which has been hard this summer because a bunch of my favorite bloggers/loyal commenters are “off” for the summer. SAD ASHELEY. This makes me disheartened, which makes me think about other bloggy things, which makes me disheartened too. It can be a vicious cycle…

    …which means and proves that I take it very seriously too! And I think that is okay. I do know when to step back stop taking it too seriously. But I love it so much and I totally think it’s fine of us when we love it and take it super seriously. At the end of the day, it’s therapy – it’s downtime – it’s MY THING. So, yeah, it’s very serious to me. And it’s very serious to the authors and publishers too. 

    I love every point on your list!! 
    Asheley (@BookwormAsheley) recently posted..Ten Bookish Confessions!My Profile

  25. I can totally relate to you on most of your points.  I am very quiet and don’t talk much…I’ve always been “the listener” so I have a really hard time when it comes to social networking . I rarely do more than tweet my posts on twitter b/c I always feel like I’m butting in on someone’s conv. or wonder if I’ve said something wrong if the person/author doesn’t reply. (Even though my logical mind knows that they are probably just busy or didn’t see my tweet) And BEA was so tough for me…my 1st time and going alone…I was overwhelmed, had trouble initiating conv. with “strangers” in line and didn’t know what to say to the authors to sound intelligent! And even though I’ve been blogging over a year I’ve yet to work up the courage to actually request one review book….I don’t know when I’ll feel that I am at “that level”.

    Regarding some of your other items…no need to reply to emails if they didn’t read or respect your review policy.  And I totally judge blogs on design…if my eyes aren’t comfortable, I’m not staying! And I wish I could DNF books more easily!  I’d rather spend my time reading 4-5 star books that pushing thru 2-3 star books.  There is nothing wrong with moving on if you are not thrilled.
    Melissa recently posted..Teaser Tuesdays – The Dark Unwinding by Sharon CameronMy Profile

  26. I so, so feel you on number one. I feel like when I try to be witty or cool and post something on twitter because I’ve been silent, no one replies anyway and it was a wasted effort. 🙁 I judge blog designs as well. If things are chaotic or crazy, then I just can’t do it. If it’s too hard for me to leave a comment because Captcha or Disqus is acting stupid, then I don’t. (I really wish those two things would go away.) I get disheartened too — and especially pertaining to comments. It’s so sad to see a post sitting on the blog with no responses. In fact, to join like three of your things together, I have an interview on our blog that is so fun, but no one seems to care. :-/

    Great list, lady!
    Magan @ Rather Be Reading recently posted..Estelle: Return to Willow Lake by Susan WiggsMy Profile

  27. I with your for #8 and #9. I’ve broken up with so many series at this stage it’s not even funny. I don’t know if the books get repetitive or I get bored with the story.
    Adina recently posted..Top Ten TuesdayMy Profile

  28. Reading this list was a bit like hearing my inner thoughts printed! I kept saying to myself, Yep, yep, that’s me too, uh-huh, absolutely, I know, right?! etc. But I don’t give up on books very easily – I’ve slogged through many a book I probably should have given up on, because I’m stubborn or something (and by then I figure I’ve earned the right to post an opinion!), and I try to reply to review requests because it seems the polite thing to do. 😉 I have a stock line I always use that goes something like, “thank you for thinking of me, but I have to decline. I have way too many books to get through and simply don’t have time for review copies. All the best, etc. etc.” Short and simple and hopefully doesn’t make them feel crappy.
    Shannon (Giraffe Days) recently posted..My Top Ten … Bookish ConfessionsMy Profile

  32. So now I’m all paranoid about my blog design and feel like I must go fix it asap! (I tried changing the format the other day and then got exhausted from all the changes; I really should be satisfied w/ the status quot)

    But yeah, I agree with you on all counts. I get disheartened quite a lot about my blog… but then something good will happen and hooray! I’m a happy girl once more. 🙂
    Candice recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday – ConfessionsMy Profile

  33. I have a couple things in common! I don’t know how to speak to authors, whether I should be professional or just be my bubbly self, I worry more what they’ll think. I worry about the drama in the blogging world and my own stats and such too, but we shouldn’t let it get to us *hugs*
    I hope my blog design isn’t one of the ones you skip over, even though I haven’t done a TTT in ages lol.
    Kelsey recently posted..Book Blogger Interview: Becca at Becca’s Book BugMy Profile

  34. Lori, I feel you!  I struggle to find something to say at times, and I get sad with no comment posts 🙁    Interviews are painful for me, I always feel like I’m just regurgitating the same things over and over and I have no imagination!  

    *looks at all her unreplied-to-emails* yeah, me too.

    At least we know we aren’t alone now 😀
    Kat B recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish ConfessionsMy Profile

  35. I too HATE doing interviews. I just don’t do them if I can help it! I’d rather ask an author one question or a series of thoughts that have an ultimate question and have the write up a guest post instead. Thinking of questions hurts my head! Plus, I can’t take the pressure! Are they good questions? Stupid questions?

    I can’t say I judge people’s blog designs but a pretty or pleasing viewing experience is always helpful to get me to follow. That is particularly why I had my blog professionally designed with a pleasing color palette and theme.
    I make it a very big point to comment on other blogs. I probably comment on 20-30 blogs per day, espeically my favorite blogs, and those that regularily comment on mine. 🙂
    Jess (The Cozy Reader) recently posted..What I Read | Week 34My Profile

  38. One, three and four for me. It doesn’t help that I’m horribly shy. So sometimes I think I have something to say but then I talk myself out of saying it because I don’t want to sound silly or I don’t want to butt in or something. And if I have to talk to an author or a publisher? MAJOR ANXIETY. I spellcheck about a dozen times and reword, rewrite, everything until it is as perfect as I can make it.
    Ash @ Typing Tiara recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish ConfessionsMy Profile

  42. Lori you really have to be grateful, your blog is absolutely stunning, beautiful and your content is wonderful. I’ve deleted ALOT of email subscribed blogs and I’ve kept yours and maybe another half a dozen, and your also on my “Must Read” folder/tag on my Feedly.

    I love your Confessions as they are so real. I cannot say that there’d be one of us that truly don’t care about the blog design, when it’s pleasing to your eye, you are more likely to explore it.

    I get like you too when reading series’. I’ve started on just not reading the hyped up book 1 and I wait till the last book of the series is due out and then I start reading book 1 and try to read it in order, it is sooo much better because I no longer have to wait for over a year to get consecutive book. I know that sounds terrible, and with most books being released now being series it can sometimes not be realistic, but when I can, I try that.
    Angelica recently posted..Confessions of an Almost Girlfriend ~ Review + GiveawayMy Profile

    • Thank you so much, Angelica! I definitely don’t have as much time to devote to the blog these days so it’s nice to hear that people are still reading it and enjoying it.

Trackbacks

Categories

Southern Book Bloggers

Some Recent Posts:

Archives