Day 5
Blogger Burnout and Book Hangovers
One of the unfortunate side effects of reading and blogging like rockstars seems to be a tendency toward burnout.
How do you keep things fresh on your blog and in your reading?
Emotional burnout - I have been blogging since 2009, I had 3 great years then I hit the burnout mode, along with a few close bloggers. It was more emotional then anything.
Blogging burnout - I started receiving review requests, Netgalley comes on board, all exciting stuff but it hits me, I'm no longer reading what I want and to my mood, this was blogging burnout for me.
I did quickly accept that I could 'waste' time on memes that had 75% YA blogs and should just move on. This is when I decided to try something new.
Keeping it fresh for the Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime genre fans
Serial Killers Reading Challenge and.......
Thrill Week, this was 2 years I loved during blogging. 2011 and 2012
Late 2014 and all of last year, I joined a book club. Such a bad decision. Last year was the worst reading year of my life, so many books I didn't enjoy but I do love the ladies. I posted this discussion asking bloggers for feedback - note, we have been 'off' since the 1st week of December and it has been the best reading. I have to decide if I will tell them on Tuesday that I am leaving.
The good thing that has came out of this is that I am more grateful for the blogging community, the few blogging friends I have and reading what I choose and YOU the bloggers recommendations for me.
Now this is the kind of book hangover I love. You finish a book and you will talk to anyone and everyone about it. Your child, spouse, neighbor, colleague and they all listen but couldn't care less and you don't care either because you LOVED the book, It's not about them, its the book. So to have that excitement and find someone else in the blogging community that agrees PRICELESS MOMENTS.
And this is me since December, who cares about work, the book is more important. I do have to slow down though before I end up with burnout due to my own habits. My partner has even started asking again what are you reading? :-) He notices that I love reading again, last year was hangover I never want to remember.
So the main thing for me is 1st I need to read books I love and are intrigued with. As you can see I definitely love thrillers, the darker, psychological mind blown, bloody ones but I do have eclectic taste and get those recommendations from you. My Top Tens at the end of the year are always mixed.
This year I will decide if I want to bring back Thrill Week.......... what do you think?
My blog button is so very me :-) A bloody thriller with a cup of tea most nights. girly girl and I love a good sucker punch to the heart with highly emotional reads.
What a fun BBAW - thank you to the event planners and thank you for participating and commenting. I am grateful.
Each of us has to figure out what will work for us in the long run. Or not. It's OK to take breaks and step away. Good luck with your book group. Maybe you could join in now and then if they read something you're interested in. Or maybe just go for the fellowship. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to go for the fellowship but I will ask them how they feel about it, we will see. One member is away so I'm unsure if I will bring it up on Tuesday.
DeleteIt's amazing how some seemingly non-YA memes are like 98% YA! I know what you mean there...
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts on the book club were interesting. I've been trying to find a local one that I might enjoy, but to no avail. Even the closest mystery one seems to pick books I'm iffy about. I know I'd like socializing with other booklovers, but I don't want to waist precious reading time on books that aren't my thing.
Like you, I'm so thankful to find other bloggers who love the same genres I do!
I considered choosing Mysteries every time it was my turn but I really tried to choose something for great discussion and I think they will enjoy. I would love to try a Mystery Book Club, I need to think about this.
DeleteI've decided to pull back on my book club a little because their taste is so different from mine.
ReplyDeleteSounds like such a great idea at first right but last was really hard on me. I can't go through that again.
DeleteMan, sometimes I feel lost in a sea of YA. Not that I hate YA, but it's not a lifestyle for me.
ReplyDeleteMe too. You're right about it being a lifestyle for some bloggers. Never thought of that before.
DeleteVery true - this was a huge burn out for me until I just accepted it but sometimes you will find 1 new blog in the hundreds.
DeleteHave I mentioned this week that I LOVE your blog button? It's fantastic!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, it was my 3rd try, so me.
DeleteI love your button too. Bring back Thrill Week for you, not for anyone else! Sorry about the book club. I still haven't found a good fit. Keep giving it a try.
ReplyDeleteNise, you are absolutely right. So easy to give advice but not listen. Thrill Week should be for me, thanks. The goal is anyone that participates. High five
DeleteI understand about your book club. I tried keeping up with group reads now and then in online books groups I belong too, but my partcipation always fizzled out after awhile. I prefer to read what I want to read. I am in a Postal Book Group now which is working out well--I think it is because I have two months to read each book as opposed to one. It's easier to fit in. It's not for everyone, of course, but it works for me. I would love to join a mystery book group, but the local one is at a time I can never make because of work.
ReplyDeleteI love the meme of the person sitting on the books. :-) That is so true!
Have a good weekend, Marce! I am glad you took part in BBAW!
I'm glad to have found your blog during BBAW also, exciting to follow you.
DeleteI am really starting to think about a Mystery Book Club, I would love to try that, wonder if I advertise that at the book store, if I would get response.
Reading what you want to read is key to avoiding blogger burnout and reading slumps. That's one of the reasons I don't accept or request review books - I'm such a mood reader that I just can't commit to that.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're in for a great reading year, Marce, especially now you've got it all figured out.
I'd be interested in Thrill Week!
Reading With Jade
I am sorry to hear about your book club. It's hard to find a good one, I agree. It's been almost two years since I moved to a new place and haven't found any yet! I do feel you shouldn't give up on the concept entirely ;)
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear about your book club. It's hard to find a good one, I agree. It's been almost two years since I moved to a new place and haven't found any yet! I do feel you shouldn't give up on the concept entirely ;)
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you are past the burnouts right now. I think you should read what you want to read. I find that when my book choices are not my own, I struggle with burnouts too.
ReplyDeleteYep, I find myself reading book and wondering, "why am I reading this"? It's not fun. I think we need to stay true to are selves. Have you read The Hollow City by Dan Wells? If you like weird, dark mysteries you might like it!
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest struggle is managing to read what you want when you want when there are so many external things trying to dictate what you read. I'm glad you are having a much better reading year.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for dropping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteI've been reading a few of your posts and this one really stuck out. Between November and January, I was in a huge reading slump. It was a combination of being overwhelmed with a ton of books and just trying to deal with family responsibilities over the holidays. To be fair, I was a fairly new book blogger and it took a while to really get into a groove. After reading this, I'm glad that I'm not alone.
Hey Marce, remember I was with your for your first Thrill Week as Best O' Books! It was fun and I would do it again, even though I am shying away from challenges and most memes this year. It would be fun if a bunch of us mystery-suspense book lovers could make our own online book club just for our fave genre. I look on GR but can't find a good fit there and my local club was all about just literary fic.
ReplyDeleteI'm in if you do something "thrilling". Think about it :)
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