Reading in the Here and Now...

On December 16, 2005, I posted my very first post on The Written World. I was all ready starting to see my reading being influenced by the online world, that's why I read The Red Tent in 2005, but I was just reading books that looked and sounded good. My reading back then was way different than it is 10 years later, though. For example, in 2005 I read at least 7 books by Anita Shreve. That was the year I read The Pilot's Wife, loved it, and then ran out and got a bunch of her other books at the second hand bookstore. And, actually read a bunch of them!

That's how I used to read. I would find a new author, go on a buying spree at the second hand bookstore, and then proceed to read their backlist. In 2005 I probably had a TBR pile, but it was nothing like it would become as the years went on. I had a lot of books all ready, but I remember having a little tiny bookcase in my bedroom that contained my unread books and then all the rest of the shelves were read books. I only really blogged for one month in 2005, so in many ways 2006 was the first year... And, it is when things started to change for me as a reader...

In 2006 I commented on a blog and the blogger turned out to work for Random House Canada. A few quick emails back and forth and I entered my foray into review copies. And, it was a blessing. I was in university and review copies kept me in books until I graduated without doing bad things to my tiny bank account. But, between the review copies and the blogging, my reading was changing. In the early months of 2006 there are all ready posts about books I am hoping to get to soon and books that I haven't had a chance to read yet. And, I believe, 2006 is one of the last years of reading multiple books by the same authors. (In most recent years only really graphic novel series and Susanna Kearsley spring to mind.)

Blogging and getting review copies was a very fun experience. I loved hearing about new books and the constant parcels in the mail. In the beginning it was nothing like it would become... I actually was able to keep up! And then blogging and reviewing books for publishers became a lot bigger and I started to put more and more pressure on myself. It lead to reading more in the 'now' and less with exploring older books and backlists. I am sure there are many years where I mostly only read books published that year. It was fun always knowing what was going on and having read the 'big' books before they were really big. But, it started to get too overwhelming and lead to many long hiatuses from the blog and really spurred out of control last year when I hardly read at all.

Now it is 2015 and there is always that feeling that with a new year comes a fresh start. And, I have been trying to make that apply to my reading and blogging. I will likely always be tempted by the new and shiny books, but this year is also about all that backlist that I never got around to reading... Over the years I have posted big lists of books that I have bought. I bet I have hardly read any of them... Favourite authors come out with new books and they just gather dust on my shelves because often I haven't read the book before it.

So, 2015 is quickly becoming the year of 'no pressure'. I wander over to my shelves and just pick something... And, if it doesn't work for me, I put it aside and grab something else. I have probably started 30 books in 2015 so far and only actually finished 16. I am sure many of the others will call to me later, but they were not at the time. And, I am finally getting to books I just HAD to have and backlists from authors I have loved and never read again. For example, finally reading another book by Patricia McKillip like 2 years after I read her for the first time. Or, yesterday, I finished Shine by Lauren Myracle because it was one of those books I bought because I had to have it. I am hoping this mixture will finish for the rest of the year...

When you look back, how has your reading and blogging changed over the years?