Tag: discussion

Bookblogtober Day 12: Fall Aesthetic

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As discussed in previous posts, I’m not a huge person for seasonal decorations but there are certain things that I am a sucker for and will surround myself with.

Baking/Fall/Christmas scents – I love anything that smells of fall/winter, especially maple scents, anything reminiscent of baking and those wonderful scents that mix the smell of campfire with other scents. For some reason those especially scream fall to me.

All the multicolored leaves! – I know it’s cliche to immediately reach for multicolored leaves, but it’s one of my favorite things. I grew up on a road that was one of those picturesque drives once fall came. So not only is it aesthetically pleasing, it feels like home.

Jewel Tones – I love the rich burgundies, deep teals and dark emerald greens that come out this time of year. Something about those decadent and vibrant colors just sing fall to me.

Coats and Scarves – Ok, so this isn’t aesthetic, but I love being able to pull out all my coats, boots and scarves. I love the warm and cozy feeling of bundling up when it’s just a little chilly. I know that if I’ve started pulling them out when fall has truly arrived.

What’s your fall aesthetic? Happy fall!

#Bookblogtober Day 11: Top 10 – Fall is the Best for Reading

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The last quarter of the year is for sure my favorite reading season. There’s something about the combination of weather, attitude and feelings that just lend to reading. Here’s my top ten things I like about reading in fall.

  1. While I don’t love being cold, the lower temperatures do make you want to curl up and hunker down.
  2. Bring out all the blankets and pillows! I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to blankets and pillows, but this time of year I can utilize them for my reading.
  3. Reading while drinking hot or warm drinks is so comforting and relaxing, but not in a way that will put you to sleep. Break out the coffee and tea (ok, to be fair I drink coffee year round, but still).
  4. At the beginning of fall you have that interesting mix of weather, meaning you could read inside or outside depending on what the day is like.
  5. Stormy nights, though not enjoyable in a lot of ways, make me want to break out the candles, turn out the lights and read.
  6. Did I just mention candles? Why yes I did! I love pulling out my fall and Christmas scent candles this time of year and adding those smells to enhance my reading experience.
  7. Fall is perfect atmosphere for reading so many different genres! Gothic/Horror? Check. Cozy and fun? Check. Sci-fi, Romance, Fantasy? Check check check!
  8. Changing weather also means more time that you won’t be drawn out for various activities (ok ok, speaking as an introvert) and you’ll probably have more time to read.
  9. The transition of aesthetics between summer and fall is comforting, watching the leaves change and the progression of that transition just changes the pace of people, it’s like taking a deep breath.
  10. The ultimate combination of all these things, curling up in a comfy chair or couch with a soft pillow and warm blanket, warm beverage and a candle burning is just a soothing and relaxing scenario that is conducive to reading.

Let’s face it, any time of year is great for reading, but there is something about autumn. Maybe it’s the fact that we have passed that halfway point of the year, days are getting shorter and it’s getting colder, but the thought of being alone with books and just reading everything becomes more and more appealing.

Happy reading!

#Bookblogtober Day 10: Tips to Get Out of a Reading Slump

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We’ve all been there, we have so many books we want to read but just can’t get into anything we pick up. At first you just think it’s the current book you are reading, so you try something else but then comes the realization that you are in a reading slump comes. September was one of those months for me. I was loving pretty much everything I was reading, but I had to push myself to get through them. So what can you do to break that cycle and ramp back up your reading? It varies depending on the person, but these are some of the things that work for me.

Re-read a favorite book – This is one of the sure fire ways I have to get myself out of a reading slump. I’ll download the audiobook of a favorite, or pick up my print copy to read. Sometimes this jolt of the familiar is just the jolt and reset I need.

Switch up your formats – I tend to listen to a lot of audiobooks because I am able to listen to them at work, but sometimes it ends up being too much and puts me in a reading slump. When I notice that happening I’ll switch back to print format and put audiobooks on hold for a little bit. Too much of a good thing can easily send you into a slump, so it’s ok to ease up if you feel like you’ve had too much of a certain format.

Set aside time to read – Create a block of time where you disconnect from everything else and just read. I will usually set my laptop up with some ambient sound, hide my phone from myself and make sure my boyfriend knows it’s reading time. Sometimes simply eliminating some of the outside distractions and giving yourself a solid block of time to read can help.

It’s okay to give yourself a break – Let’s face it, sometimes the only way to get yourself out of a reading slump is to simply give yourself a break from reading. I’m not saying take a month off (though if you need to don’t feel back about doing so) but sometimes what your mind needs is an actual break. I’ve been going through this a little lately with my audiobook reading, so I downloaded a bunch of podcast episodes and that’s what I’ve been listening to. I wasn’t enjoying the audiobooks I had, so I knew the quality of my reading was suffering. Sometimes it’s just what you have to do.

Hopefully some of these techniques will help some of you when you deal with a reading slump, they certainly help me!

Happy reading!

#Bookblogtober Day 9: Blogging Essentials

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As of late I have been trying to be better about consistently posting on my blog and blogtober has been great to kick me into doing that, but sometimes with a day job and other obligations it can be hard. Shout out to Jenniely for creating these prompts.

When I’m reviewing books, I usually try to jot down some notes since I know that by the time I finish a book there may be some things that are not as clear.

If I know I’m going to be linking to a bunch of items in my post, or I need twitter handles for my twitter post, I will open up notepad and compile all of the things I need before I start the post. Having to look for links in the middle of a post can interrupt my train of thought, so I like to gather all of that ahead of time.

One thing that I am going to try, so I don’t know if it’s going to be an essential or not, but I’m going to create a bullet journal just for my blog. I already have one for my reading with all of my stats and keeping records of my ratings and the comparison of how many books I read vs. how many I bring in. I think starting one just for my blog will help with scheduling posts and keeping track of books and posts that I have a deadline for. We shall see!

Other than that I just like to have all my resources at my fingertips so that when I sit down to write up a post I don’t have to go scrambling for information. The more smoothly I’m able to write, the more posts I’m able to work on and get scheduled. I’m hoping that further organization will help refine my posts as well as help the blog grow!

Happy reading!

Nanowrimo 2019 Prep: Gathering Materials

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In my last post about NaNoWriMo I talked a little bit about what I am doing leading up to November. Today I want to touch on a few more of the things I do in order to prepare as well as what I do to help me be inspired.

As I said previously, I carry a small notebook around with me in case I get sudden inspiration, but I also have my phone for running notes if I need it. Now, sometimes inspiration doesn’t want to come and is playing hard to get. One of the things I do to help keep those creative juices flowing is that I have a private board on Pinterest that is specifically full of images that I use for inspiration. I sometimes scour images looking for outfit ideas, setting ideas and even character image ideas.

Since I do work full time and have adult commitments sometimes scheduling is key. For those days that I know I’m not going to have a lot of time for writing I usually will set aside a specific block of time, no matter how small, for writing. I do keep an actual planner and write in this time.

As we get closer to November it’s important to remember that NaNoWriMo should never feel like a chore. It’s about fun and making progress on your writing endeavors. If it ever feels like a chore I would recommend rethinking your process or if you really are enjoying the story you’re creating.

Happy writing!

Nanowrimo 2019: Prep

DeAnneLeave a comment

It’s almost that time again! I both look forward and sometimes dread Nanowrimo coming back around. I’ve definitely learned from last year in that I will not be working on a story that I’ve already started, once again I will be starting something fresh and new.

I know the question of outlining and preparing vs. just pantsing it is always asked. I typically do not outline; however, I do plan a little bit. I tend to do some rough character profiles, figure out major plot points and roughly map out at least the beginning. I have a notebook devoted to this that lives in my everyday bag so if I get an idea I can jot it down quickly. While I may write down the bones of a scene, it is not pre-writing at all as it’s not much more than quick notes.

This year is also going to be a little bit tricky since November is going to be a little busier than usual. Not only am I going to be working my day job, but I’m going to the Portland Book Festival in the beginning of the month which will likely affect my writing for a few days due to traveling and the excitement of it all. My hope is that I’ll get ahead on my word goal so I won’t be too upset if I don’t write a ton while I’m gone (though I will be writing something because you know I’m getting the badge for writing everyday).

The only other thing I’ve done to prepare is make sure that those in my life who would expect to hear from me know that I may be less available during the month of November. Yes, this is a real thing. My boyfriend lets me know when he has a game expansion coming out, I let him know when Nanowrimo is happening.

I’m excited about the new story I’ll be writing and for completing Nanowrimo three years in a row. Who else is doing Nanowrimo this year?

Happy reading (and writing)!

#Bookblogtober Day 4: Cozy Places to Read

DeAnneLeave a comment

Everyone knows that where you read can dramatically affect your reading experience and everyone has different preferences regarding what is comfortable.

Earlier this year I was able to get my dream couch, which has a chaise. I have it set up so that the chaise is near my sliding glass door, so when I stretch out to read I can open the door to let fresh air in. I almost always also have a quilt and some ambient noise going to set the scene.

When I’m not on the couch I can usually be found reading in bed or at my desk, but I definitely get my best reading done while curled up on my couch. I would love to someday have a house where I had a comfy window seat to stretch out in, or something outside that was cabana like.

Overall as long as I am comfortable, have hydration and little distractions I am happy.

So where do you read? Do you have dedicated furniture or a favorite spot?

Happy reading!

Discussion: To Keep or Not to Keep? Different Types of Book Collecting

DeAnneLeave a comment

If you’ve been on the internet at all in the last few months, I’m sure you’ve seen memes, videos and posts talking about Marie Kondo and her Netflix show, which was preceded by her popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.  This has caused quite a ripple effect which includes a number of book bloggers, booktubers and others to examine their collections and initiate a purge (or at least make them consider one).

One of Marie’s quotes was taken out of context regarding how many books she likes to keep and sparked quite a…discussion by some who took it at face value. I think the important take away from the varying opinions, whether people agree with Marie’s methods or not, is that either way it caused people to look at their own lifestyles and possessions. I have been known to watch extreme organizing shows when I know I need a push to clean, not because my home is in disarray, but because it’s a motivational push.

That being said, seeing how those in the book community react to this trend, or even respond to it has been interesting.  It’s important to remember that there are many different types of book collectors and everyone is entitled to their own preference regarding their collection.

There are those who prefer to have copies of every book they have read whether they liked it or not, because it’s something they have consumed and has memories attached to it.  Others prefer to only keep a small selection of books which are their favorite and most beloved of stories and not own any others.  Then there are some in the middle (like me) who have a large collection of books, but they are typically books they have enjoyed and many that they will read again.  I personally do not keep books that I don’t enjoy, or if I felt the story was enjoyable enough but don’t really feel it has a place on my shelf I will let it go to a better home.

There is nothing wrong with any of these styles of collecting.  People are allowed to collect in any way that gives them joy (a key point that Marie made, over and over again).  Too often people react negatively when they see another person collecting in a way that is different than their own, I think people often lose sight of the fact that we are all individual and what may work for them doesn’t work for other people.

So, if you watch Marie’s show or read her book and suddenly feel the urge to go through all of your books to narrow your collection, then do it! If you don’t feel like you need to, then don’t.  I regularly go through my collection of both read and unread books and purge those that I’ve changed my mind on. Do what works for you and what gives you the most peace of mind when you look at your books.

So what’s your collecting style? Let me know in the comments.

Happy reading!