Book Blogger New Year's Challenge Day 2: Your Pros & Cons of Blogging List

Your Pros & Cons of Blogging List

I've always liked to read. Sure I fell off the bandwagon when I was in college, but in junior high and high school a lot of my time was spent reading. I would say it wasn't as easy to find book now as it was then. And I'm not sure there was really a type or genre of book I preferred. I do know that I read a lot of V.C. Andrews. I did read an awful lot of historical religious fiction. I figured out later, I loved the historical aspect and not so much the preachy, one-character-finds-God aspect. I haven't always read the latest/hottest literature and that was a concern of mine in starting Second Run Reviews as many of the blogs I read focus on staying on top of the latest trends.

But then, I thought about one of my other favorite things...movies. And damn movies are expensive! However, we have a theatre near us that is a second run theatre. My husband and I patiently wait (most of the time) for the movies to start there rather than spending loads of cash at the first run theaters. And I thought, that's kind of how, most of the time, I approach books. Sometimes I'll pick up the latest trend like Gone Girl (got it used last Christmas) or "the Divergent series" (still haven't read Allegiant), but many times I'm just browsing the shelves at Half Price Books or Barnes and Noble for something that catches my eye. If the book blurb plus the first few lines catch my attention, I'm likely to pick it up. What's the danger in that you ask? Well, being behind the 8-ball so to speak in terms of being trendy and upcoming in the blog scene. But I decided, what the hell! I grew up in near the middle of no where and still can't identify with most of the hot trends from the 80s and 90s because they never made it big in my small town high school. So I've never exactly been a trendsetter; and I think, I'm finally starting to embrace that aspect of myself and love it.

Another concern? I read kind an odd set of books. Lots of times this is thanks to my family and friends who read a variety of different genres. When I was in college student teaching I fell in love with young adult fantasy. I've always loved fairy tales and in the last few years have been actively seeking out retellings of classic fairy tales. Historical fiction especially plots set in the United Kingdom or Ancient Egypt really trip my trigger. Throw in time travel and I'm sold! And a few times a year, I read a few science fiction and non-fiction books. I think variety is good. And I've been lucky. Many of the books I've loved, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, for example, have become favorites of a lot of my friends. I got my sister back on the reading kick and she confessed to me recently, that after years of reading books I've loaned, she finally discovered the genre of book she loves the most--survivor stories. Ashfall by Mike Mullins is her favorite right now. I love sharing my eclectic taste with my friends and family and helping them discover new books, authors and genres. Why not share that with the world?

Of course, I think the biggest fear is just putting myself out there. I came from a small town and when I went to college, and decided to become an English major, I really had to put myself out there to be heard in class discussions. Sometimes, in class, I would say something and no one would respond. I remember expressing a concern about this lack of response to one of my professors. She responded by saying that in most cases I was sharing a point of view that no one had thought of before and my classmates were taken aback and just needed time to process my point of view. Well, I haven't put myself out there in a long time and I want to do that again. I have to get over the fear that I'll like a book that most of the world hated or that I'll hate a book most of the world loved. I just have to stretch and challenge myself to explain why I loved the book or didn't love it. And that's how we grow and learn, right? By challenging ourselves to go just beyond what we know we can do.

The internet is a big scary place. There's pros and cons to everything we put out there. We just have to take the chance that those friends we made through that point in life stick by us through thick and thin. So put it out there and see what the world has to say. Good luck in the New Year!