Yesterday, while randomly going through my Timehop app I came across my review for Blood & Salt by Kim Leggett. Now this isn’t uncommon for me. I check that darn app almost every day and nearly every time I come across something that sticks. But what was so profound about this is what the review made me FEEL. It took me back to a place where reviewing was a passion. Something I did to get my thoughts and opinions about something out. Something I did to connect with other people who may share a passion creepily similar. I sat and read that review and I giggled at my excitement while at my desk. I remembered the creepy things that happened and how I kept being surprised by the twists and turns.
But then I look at some of my more recent reviews. And I realize my heart hasn’t been in it in a long time. I want to blame it on life being super stressful and all the crap I’ve been dealing with but I’m wondering if it’s more than that. If maybe I’m just in a rut and haven’t found a book I’m just super passionate about. Or maybe I’m tired of only reviewing what everyone is else reviewing. Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself to be this 100% all the time kick ass blogger who tweets, and bookstagrams (that shit is HARD), and reviews, and interviews, and hosts challenges.
When I cohosted the “Blogger Burnout” panel at BEA one of the biggest things Amber and I kept suggesting was “change up your outlet. Binge a genre you don’t get to read often. Step away from blogging and come back when you feel like it.” And I’m going to take some of this advice! ARC August starts in 3 weeks. I’m going to take the rest of July to avoid all my ARCs. Even ones that are already released. If I have a tour scheduled it’ll go up as planned but I’m going to take this time to read library books, and things that have been on my shelves for YEARS. I’m going to use Litsy (ReadSleepRepeat) and Goodreads (link to the right) on a DAILY basis. I may even host a Periscope chat/review!
Do you have any techniques to get you in the blogging spirit? Leave them below and don’t forget to keep up with me during my recharge!
Best of luck on getting back on your feet! It seems a lot of people have been feeling this way lately. Taking a break from ARCs sounds like a great idea since it sounds like it will lower your blogging stress. Whenever I get into a rut and just lose the passion for blogging I normally take a step back. I like to post at least one thing every week but I lower the pressure of having to post a review and try to make it something fun and relevant. I also try to plan breaks from the blog completely when I know big events, like going back to school, are coming up.
Thanks! These are all really good tips and I plan to try a few of them. I feel like I took an accidental hiatus and I want to jump back in but I haven’t found the right book to really get that flame going. 🙂
You take your own advice and just blog & feel what you want to do!
I’m actually going to take a break this week because I’m going on a trip and I don’t feel like scheduling posts for all the week!
Thanks love. I think I really just need a moment to read books that aren’t on everyone’s radar right now! 🙂 Enjoy your trip!
Honestly I’m sick of reading reviews for alllllll the same books all the time. Like ONLY the new books get reviewed by all the same people… and I get why we want to read and review those books, but I want to see a review come through my blogroll of a book that came out 6 months ago. But that’s just me and I’m always a lone shark 🙂 Good luck w/ your slump and I hope you find your passion again. You’re way too cool to ever NOT be in the blogosphere!
Have I mentioned how awesome you are lately? I swear I have the same thoughts but then I get discouraged because as soon as I pot a review of something that isn’t an ARC or a brand new release it literally gets NO love! I think I’m going to try and fix this…like a challenge? I have a budding idea! 😉
I can totally identify with this. I love my old reviews–they seem a lot more ME. I think I’ve toned down the me-ness by trying to think about how the book will be read by teens, or how it impacts the existing body of literature. I’ve gotten too pedantic.
i took a nice break while I was on vacation but I don’t think that I’ve gotten my style back yet. Hmm.
Scrolling through your blog looking for the ARC August sign-ups, and THIS. OH THIS. This has been me for close to three years, which is why I’ve pretty much stopped reviewing on my blog altogether. For me, it was the birth of my son, and the fact that I just don’t have the time and energy to devote to writing reviews anymore, combined with the fact that I think I just got tired of writing them. Those posts rarely receive comments too, which just reduced my drive to write them. Now, I will write a review if it’s a review book (which are also rare these days) but I will write a review if I finish the book and am bursting with things to say. I’ve had a couple of books that left my fingers itching to write out my thoughts, so I ran with that. I’m kind of rambling here, but hope it helps?