Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. Today’s subject is confession! Technically the theme this week is “Blogging Confessions,” but I’ve mixed in a few confessions that have to do with books in general. I’m sorry to say it was very easy to come up with this list. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. These are my Top Ten Bookish & Blogging Confessions:
1. I never purchase e-books for my Kindle. I love my Kindle, but I have to confess I only use it for review books that I get from NetGalley and Edelweiss. Given the choice, I will always pick up a physical book when I read for pleasure. Therefore, all those “Kindle Deals” posts that so many bloggers write? They are completely lost on me, and I never bother to read them.
2. I rarely visit the library. I don’t think I’ve ever turned library books in on time, therefore I’ve racked up lots of overdue book fees over the years. I used to take my kids when they were little, but I have such an extensive library at home, that there really isn’t any point. But I don’t mean to knock libraries at all. I have many fond memories of childhood library experiences. They just aren’t part of my life right now.
3. Many of the books I own, I’ve never read. That confession may sound shocking, but I actually own nearly three thousand books. I used to be a big-time book collector, before I had kids and stopped working, and I often bought every new fiction release that interested me, even if I knew I’d maybe never get around to reading it. Of course I’ve read many of my books, but let’s just say that if I was told I could never buy another book again, I would still have enough reading material to last me the rest of my life.
4. When I do buy books, especially hardcovers, I will only buy them if they are first printings/first editions. My old book collecting ways have never left me, even if I’m not quite the collector I used to be. The first thing I do when I pick up a book in the store is to look on the publishing page at the number line to make sure it’s a first printing. I have even been known to return books purchased from Amazon if they weren’t first printings.
5. I read Twilight before it got popular. And guess what? I loved it. I heard about Twilight in Publishers Weekly and put it on my must-buy list, so I read it fairly soon after it was published in 2005. Back then there was no stigma surrounding the book (and no franchise yet either!), so no one was yet making fun of its sparkly vampires and inept heroine. I’m sorry it’s become so tainted by bloggers and the internet in general, because it really is a good story.
6. I always stop and stare when I see someone reading in public. My curiosity can never be quenched when it comes to strangers reading. I always feel a connection to anyone with a book in their hands, and if I see you reading at a cafe table or on a park bench, I’ll surreptitiously try to see what book you’re reading, without looking obvious, of course! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to bite my tongue to keep from asking people what they’re reading.
7. I’ve been lying for years about reading all the Jane Austen books. In fact, I’ve never read any Jane Austen from start to finish! I’m not sure why, because I suspect I’ll love them. Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I really should give the book a try sometime.
8. Going to book signings and meeting authors in person terrifies me. I always feel as if I will say the wrong thing to them, or worse, not be able to speak intelligently at all. I’ve met many authors over the years, and you’d think it would get easier over time. But even now, I feel a little flutter of fear in my heart as I approach the front of the line.
9. I find it incredibly hard to write bad reviews, especially if I have some kind of relationship with the author (Twitter, email, etc.). In those cases, I tend to stress the good parts of the book over the bad. I know it may not be 100% honest, but it is the kinder way to go, and I’m not ashamed.
10. Most of my friends have no idea that I’m a book blogger. When I first started blogging, I thought the obvious way to get new followers was to target my Facebook friends. But when I started telling them about my blog, I was underwhelmed by the response. After that, I kept my mouth shut and I came up with other ways to spread the word. Every once in a while I tell someone about my blog, and they give me a look like I’m from another planet! Not even my coworkers know I have a blog…
Wow, I feel so much better after confessing! How about you? Do you share any of these quirks with me, or do you have others you’d like to tell me about??
2, 3, 5, 6, & 8. YEP. I wish I could claim to never purchase ebooks (it would make my husband VERY happy), LOL. And Twilight is awesome. Okay, I don’t actually know if I read them before they got “popular,” but I definitely read them before they became this embarrassing secret to hide. I read all three right after Eclipse came out, and if that’s after the stigma was attached, I must’ve been living under a rock, b/c I picked them up on a total whim. So yeah, I love them too 😉
I love meeting other Twilight fans. I always feel so bad about loving the books (at least the first one, that’s my favorite), so I usually don’t talk about it LOL!
Number 1 is the best type of confession 🙂 I love real books and refuse to buy an e-reader…but I do really need one for ARCs/Request books. One day I guess I’ll have to give in.
Also, it’s a shame you didn’t get the response you were hoping for from friends. I did the same, but I was pleasantly surprised at all the bookworms that emerged which I didn’t know about.
I’m glad you have some bookworm friends! I do have some, but most of them don’t read the genres I read, so they don’t really *get* my blog.
I tend to keep my blog pretty quiet amongst friends, too. I don’t want to be “that person” who constantly talks about blogging in real life. Now, my friends who are readers know about my blog, even if they don’t follow it closely, they do come to me for recommendations. 🙂
My bookish confessions.
Book bloggers are special people, not everyone understands us!
Very few of my real life contacts know about my blogging. My folks just learned about it within a month or so, and I never really give up the site info. Not sure why.
I’m finding a lot of other bloggers are the same, so I guess it’s not that unusual. I just have a different set of friends when it comes to blogging.
I was drawing a blank when it came to blogging confessions this week, but I relate to so many items on your list. I get so nervous meeting authors too. And strangely I’ve been buying more print books lately, and I always check that they are first editions too – I learned that from working in bookstores.
Lately my big worry is that I’ll never get around to reading all the books I have on my shelves- it makes me think I should stop buying new books (like that will ever happen.)
Thanks for sharing your bookish confessions!
Stopping book buying is NOT the answer! Ha ha, thanks for stopping by, Lucy!
Most of my friends and colleagues don’t know that I’m a book blogger. It’s strange but I don’t share a lot of my book love with others!
Glad to see so many of us are in the same boat:-)
I have such an extensive library at home that there isn’t much point in my visiting the library either but I CAN’T STAY AWAY. It’s terrible and I wish it was a habit I could break.
hahaha I haven’t been fibbing about it but yeah I’ve only read a single Austen and it wasn’t even P&P. Need to fix that.
You know I have yet to go to an author signing and I always talk about how much I’d LOVE to go to one but in truth I’d be absolutely terrified too. I am not a social person at heart and going out and interacting with unknown people (especially unknown famous much-loved authors) would not likely go well.
Yep, me too. I’m just not that social and meeting new people, especially people that you consider to be “rock stars,” like authors, is especially stressful.
I put never visiting the library on my list too! And I also find it hard to write bad reviews.
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Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination
A lot of these ring true with me too. The thing with libraries is funny – I borrow a lot of books from my county library’s digital collection and I love it and don’t know what I’d do without it. But going to the library and getting physical books? Not so much. This is because my mother used to work in a library when I was a kid. I’ve heard so many icky stories of what library books go through. I like to snuggle up in bed with my books at night and just don’t want to think about how many people have read my book while sitting on the can, lol. Silly, maybe! But I can’t help it 😛
And oh I too am terrified when I meet authors whose books I like. At Balticon earlier this year I met Brandon Sanderson. I just stood there frozen with fear when he signed my books, lol. I did get to talk to him afterwards during a more casual meet and greet though, and he was the nicest guy. But man, I was like a deer in the headlights at the actual signing.
Oh I am so grossed out now about library books! Ha ha. I think meeting authors should be combined with drinking alcohol, then I could totally talk to anyone, LOL!
1. I have a whole stack of books I haven’t read either. I’ve had to clamp down on that book buying habit.
2. I do talk about my blog among friends, but I don’t run a book blog. I actually have them interact with my blog now and then – most commenters are outside of my in-person friends, but sometimes me in-person friends will bring up my blog when I talk to them. Even if your friends don’t always respond, you might try mentioning it on Facebook.
Haha that is the danger of befriending authors you don’t want to hurt their feelings. Don’t be terrified of them in person!!
I own about that many books as well – and I just can’t stop buying. I definitely prefer print. Heck I went to the used book store today too and bought more books sigh…
Are we the same person?? Well, not quite, there’s a couple we deviant on (I actually do read Austen, and I love visiting the library) but I liked Twilight when I read it, and I only use e-books for NetGalley. I also feel kind of pressured to write nice reviews, but I force myself to be honest, just because I don’t want other people reading the book and being disappointed.
Ah, the struggles of being book-nosy! I sometimes give up on subtlety entirely, swerving and crouching to get a look at someone’s book cover. But I try to never ever interrupt them, too. People walking around town are forever approaching me on my lunchbreak to ask what I’m reading. I always want to shout: “Come to the bookstore when I’m working again in 10 minutes and then we can talk! But for now, please let me read in peace…”
Your bookshelves are a magnificent sight. I think it’s good to have plenty of un-read books on hand. Gotta be prepared for whatever fancy might strike at any time. It’s awful to look around your library and not see one single book which will satisfy a craving.
I’m always so nosy when I see people reading in public. If its a book I have read I will have to restrain myself from going over to them to become the two best friends that anyone could have.
Also very jealous of your bookshelf. I think it’s bigger than my entire lounge room.