Sit Crooked And Talk Straight

I've been hiding my reading for the past two(ish) months, haven't I? Not on purpose! HONEST! But am surprise no-one's called me out since I've come back from my blog break and with the past few weeks, I've said yes to quite a few blog tours and with me not wanting to overwhelm you with too many posts (I usually only like to have two/three posts a week. Max.), but I can not talk about it now, can I?

What have I been reading the past few months since I went on a reading break and a blogger break?

Ok, let me backtrack and start the story in the middle of June 2020. Yes, a whole two and a half month back. After reading and audiobooking a heck of a lot of books, I hit a wall. All the books I was picking up were two or three stars and were very "meh", I was loosing the energy to read/on verge of reading slump and blog at the same time. I just felt run down.

So, I did a mini, under the radar, taking a break from reading and blogging. Reading was ok as I reread a book I love (Sabriel by Garth Nix) and I found myself jumping straight back into audiobooking. Reading took a little while longer.

But blogging. Blogging has taken longer. And I think it's because I've lost my spark and my energy for it. Don't get me wrong, I like blogging and I like being involved in the bookish world in my small way. But there are days where I couldn't muster the energy to write a post as "What is the point?! No one reads my blog, I feel like I've outgrown the community because of The Weekly Drama and am putting so much time/effort/thought into these posts and yet, am getting so little back lately? What is the point?!"

Oh yes, the I Should Quit Book Blogging voice has come back again, making its yearly appearance. But this time, this time, I'm actually listening to it and thinking about my reasons. I think, also, I felt like I lost my voice. I lost my space. Am I a YA book blogger? Am I now adult? Crime? Fantasy? Who am I?

So, been thinking about who I am now as a book blogger?

And the answer is ... I don't know.

I still read, I still blog, so maybe what I should do is using the blog to figure it out. Which means, maybe, changing the way I use the blog. For example, should I write-up every book I read or should have write-up one or two fuller reviews on the Pewter Wolf and do short, snapper reviews on Goodreads and change/delete some of my social media platform and try new bookish social media (which is the idea I'm leaning towards at the moment)? Or, find a nice medium between the two?

Should I change what books/audiobooks I read? Am I still happy reading YA or should I change my focus to something a bit more grown-up? Should I take bigger risks, experiment a little more with genres I both love and don't read in often/at all? Or should I admit to myself that writing the Pewter Wolf isn't giving me the same joy it use to and, if I want to keep going, I need to admit this and adjust? Or is the just the fact that it's been such a hot summer that my brain can't cope?

I don't know. And I'm not sure if/when I will know. But I think I've lost my voice and my likes along the way, hence why I fear it might have gone stale and I've lost my spark, so I need to find them again. So, maybe the next few months, things will change on here. It's going to be a bit trial and error for the next few months till I find something I feel comfortable and proud of. So, forgive me in advance, but I'm going to try and figure it out and make Pewter Wolf more... me

Join me while I figure this out, won't you?

What Did I Miss On My Week Break...?

I have been a tad quiet over the past few days on the wonderful/scary thing we call the Internet. Well, here's the thing. I went away for a few days with my family. So I had to leave my laptop behind. And with that, my blog...

But I thought I could be ok. I thought I could chat to you guys via Twitter briefly. I mean, I did decide that I would call these next few days my "Techno-Free Holiday", but then I discovered that the wifi was bad/awful, and, sod'slaw, this is when I realise I need the Internet. And the idea of talking to my family was... well... 

KIDDING, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ACTUALLY READ MY BLOG! KIDDING!!! I had a wonderful time with my family and it was nice not to worry about my "real life" job and real life in general. And while I had a lovely time with family and swum and had fun, I read. I finished off one book, read 2 eNovellas (I think) and am about 3 quarters of another book (which Stevie from SableCaught reacted by leaving a comment on my Goodreads, saying "OMG IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!" [she was with me when I bought this book... around 2 years or so ago]) and NONE of them have had me reacting like this:

I KNOW! Am shocked myself! The reviews of these will be coming in the nextish future as... well... one of them is linked to a planned themed-month. 

And what happens when I was away, I discover that I'm ON THE SHORTLIST FOR TWO CATEGORIES IN THE UKYA BLOGGER AWARDS 2015! 

No, wait, I lie... three categories. THREE CATEGORIES?!!?!?! 

There has to be a mistake. Three - three - really, three?! Plus the public vote of the "Vote for the blogger who has been most active in the UKYA blogging community" and the other UKYA Book Blogger Awards nominations as well... I need a lie down...

I mean... wow. Just... wow. Again. I know I wrote a tiny GIF-filled blog post about this on the blog a few weeks ago but -

Thank you. Now, I was going to say "VOTE!" but seeing as I have plans to write a blog post about the general elections in the near future so, I won't. I better get those reviews up!