Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Ten Reasons Jamie Loves The Online Book Community


For future Top Ten Tuesday topics & info on how to participate, click here!
This week's topic: Ten Reasons I Love X -- could be a certain book, character, author, your indie bookstore, a fandom, a tv show, reading, a hobby, a genre. Honestly anything you want to gush about. 

6 years ago this month, these fabulous ladies and I started planning this blog and what we wanted to do with it. While our blog anniversary isn't until the end of the month when we actually debuted the blog, today I just want to spread some love and talk about why I love the online book community so much in honor of 6 years in this great community!


1. You will never run out of things to read -- seriously being around you people makes my TBR grow exponentially! It's kind of ridiculously how many books I've added because of this community over the past 6 years.

2. When you NEED to talk about a book or some bookish problem, there is ALWAYS someone available for you: The best thing about being friends with people online is that people are from ALLLL AROUND THE WORLD. So like when I finish a show that breaks my heart into a million pieces or a book that I just HAVE to rave about -- there is always someone there for me. Like that time I watched Dance Academy and got to THAT PART at 2am and thank the lord because so many of my friends across the pond were there for me!!

3. Along with that, having friends around the world pretty much means every time I travel I PROBABLY have a friend I can visit wherever I go:  It was so nice last month when my husband and I were in London because I got to meet up with some London bloggers I adore!  FRIENDLY FACES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
  
4. Everyone is so generous and wonderful -- I see the generosity of this community constantly -- sharing books, giving advice, authors taking time to chat with fans or give encouragement about writing, rallying together around people, raising money for important causes or for our friends in the community! It's such an amazing community.

5. It's so easy to meet friends or make really great connections because of the way books are so personal: What I mean is that I find the nature of talking about books a pretty personal thing because every reader brings their own life and experiences into it and I LOVE how this easily opens us up to connecting with people just by talking how we relate to something in a book or by gushing about our favorite characters or thinking critically through a book together.

6. Creativity abounds: I've been in this community for 6 years and I am ALWAYS so impressed by the creativity in this community.

7. We are made up of passionate readers: WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN YOU FIND MORE PASSIONATE PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO TALK IN ALL CAPS ABOUT BOOKS????? The bookish online community is unparalleled LETS BE REAL. I'm so proud of this community for being so passionate about reading and literacy and connecting people with books they love. I've seen that passion do many things for the publishing industry and for readers. I'm seriously so proud of what our passion has accomplished and how we champion books and authors we love and use that passion also for better representation and to fight some of the broken things in publishing. This community CARES SO MUCH about books and readers and authors and just publishing as a whole and pour soooo much time and energy into it.

8. There's so much to learn from it: I don't think I have ever learned so much from any other community I've been apart of. When I started this journey of blogging back in 2010 I wasn't aware of sooo many of the things the bookish online community has taught me. I thought feminism was stupid and in these years I learned what feminism really is and am proud to be a feminist. I didn't know much about sexism. I really didn't know about many of the racism issues that happen or the daily microaggressions I've now seen people I care about have to deal with. I didn't realize diverse representation was a problem. I really didn't know much about the LGBTQIA+ community. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS I JUST DIDN'T KNOW. And it was humbling because I realize how many things I've said were just SO WRONG in my life because I JUST DIDN'T KNOW -- slurs and sexist thoughts and so many other things that I never knew were harmful which is something I would have never wanted to do. I'm happy to learn and do better. This community has taught me SO many things and I get to learn from such a diverse group of people.

9. I am able to get personalized book recommendations: I mean, I can't walk into many places and have someone be like JAMIE JAMIE JAMIE this book is for you. But the online book community doesn't hesitate to let me know if they think I would love a book because they KNOW me or what kinds of books I like. Or when I am looking for something super specific I can shout it out on my blog or Twitter and people rush in with very specific recs to my very specific reading needs. IN AN INSTANT.

10. Because y'all make me feel like I belong: seriously, this community has been a lifesaver for me in SO many ways over the past 6 years. It would take me forever to explain why. What I do want to say is that this community made me feel like I found my people and gave me the courage to BE the person I am rather than the person I was putting on. I embraced things I loved that I previously hid. I just really grew into my own because of this community -- because I felt like I was heard, understood and that I could be so ridiculously open in a way that I couldn't with a lot of people in my life. I was more myself HERE then I was IRL.  All of this really translated into my IRL life through the years and I finally felt like I knew who I was and I was happy with it.

SO...I love all you online book people whether you blog or vlog or take pictures of books or tweet or WHATEVER YOU DO. If we've connected over books....I HEART YOUR FACE.




Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly link-up in the community where we provide a prompt and other lovers of listmaking join in on it with their own top ten list. Feel free to have less than 10 or more if you need to at times and put a spin on the topic if you need to! Just please link back to us if you are participating :)

To join, link up below with the URL to your blog POST (not your blog), your name and your email (which will remain hidden). Then bounce around the Linky!

 Aly @ Of Wonderland   Tom @ Reading Nook Reviews   Camila  
 Kelly F. Barr   Kristi @ Hidden Staircase   Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook  
 Valerie @ He Said Books or Me   Beth @ Betwixt the Pages   Heather @ Feminism in Cold Storage  
 Selah @ A Bibliophile's Style   Emily @ Infinite Lives, Infinite Stories   Kendra @ Reads and treats  
 Tanya @ Girl Plus Books   Katey @ Read, Write, Design   Lynn @ Smoke & Mirrors  
 Candace&Kattie@LiteraryDust   Jade @ BookMuffin   Deb Nance at Readerbuzz  
 Megan Easley-Walsh   Cait @ Paper Fury   Olivia @ Rainbow of Books  
 Ara | The Bookish Agenda   Maggie @ The Novel Orange   Kelsey @ librasaurus  
 Kathy @ Kathy Reads Fiction   Bekah @ Will Bake for Books   Jen @ Book Lovers Alliance  
 Giovanna @ BookComa   Rachel Troyer @ Obsessed With Fairy Tales   Amy @ Every Book You Need to Read and More  
 Estefani @ FICTION JUNGLE   Jess @ Such a Novel Idea   Aubrey @ Aubrey's Book Nook  
 Rivalie @ Forever Obsession   Austine @ NovelKnight   Analee @ Book Snacks  
 Brianna and Angelina @Fables Library   Lindsey @ Bring My Books   Kourtni @ Kourtni Reads  
 Evie @ Just Another Belle   Alison @Hardcovers & Heroines   Caroline @ Stardust Words  
 Alice @ A Readers Fiction   Chrissi Reads   Carrie @ Reading Is My SuperPower  
 Andi @ Andi's ABCs   Tanaya @prettypagesblog   Amy @ Read What I Like  
 Jenna @ Fictional Neverland   Pretty Deadly Reviews   Cindy @ Oodles of Books  
 Diana @ Voices in my Head   Charlie @ A Books Eternal Glory   Chelsea @ Books for Thought  
 Meggan @ Between The Pages   Rachel @ Go Read A Book   Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse  
 Gabby @ 500 Books   What Aimee Read Next   Zahra @ To the Bookstore and Back  
 Sam Whitehouse   Shelf Worn Books   Brandi @ Brandi Janee's Bookshelf  
 jessicabookworm   Dana @ DanaSquare   Lynn Williams  
 Tasheena @ Dear Reader   Maybe Books Will Be Our Always   Michelle @ Pink Polka Dot Books  
 Bruna @ Bruna Writes   Courtney @ Incessant Bookworm   Stephanie @ Adventures of a Bibliophile  
 Tasha @ The Bookie Monsters   Jessica @ a GREAT read   Reg @ She Latitude  
 Courtney @ The Green Mockingbird   Becksa @ Ranty Runt of a Reader   Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books  
 Kirstie @ Upside-Down Books   Bri @ Transported By Books   Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know  
 Abbi@Christian Novels   Yasmine @ Swissbookworm   Esther @ Chapter Adventures  
 Elena @ ElenaSquareEyes   Ashley @ Running While Reading   Jessica @ A Cocoon of Books  
 Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs   Rachael @ Parawl Perwyl   Lenoreo & Curly Carla @ Celebrity Readers  
 Alyssa @ Book Club Babe   Lisa @ Captivated Reader   Katherine @ I Wish I Lived in a Library  
 imyril @ there's always room for one more...   Arwen@ I Love A Good Book   Miriam Michelle Gonzalez  
 Lisa & Becca @ Lost in Lit   Aliaa @ Mademoiselle Le Sphinx   Lauren @ Always Me  
 Marie @ Pages to Explore   Sheri @ Read in a Flash!   C @ Thoughts From Libraries  
 Jaime @ Two Chicks on Books   Lindsey @ Lindsey Reads   Bettina @ sweesomastic.de  
 Amanda   Barb (boxermommyreads) @ Booker T's Farm   Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies  
 Majoring in Literature   Brittany @ Beauty and the Bean Boots   Heather @ Based on a True Story  
 Keanna @KeyReadThat   Lauren @ My Expanding Bookshelf   Elisabeth @ The Dirigible Plum  
 Amy   Jackie   Beckie B.  
 Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally   Lois @ My Midnight Musing   Elien @ So Bookalicious  
 Cassie @ Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile   Amelia @ Keep Your Feet   Christine @ BookishlyB  
 Maggie@ Never Done It That Way Before   Kate @ Fangs and Fur   Puput @ Unboxing My Thoughts  
 Bonnie @ A Backwards Story   Martha @ I'd Rather Be Reading   Amy @ Pages of Starlight  
 Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog   Kayla @ Sunday Morning Coffee   AngelErin @ Angel Erin's Book Obsession  
 Diana @ Little Miss Drama Queen   Jenna @ Reading with Jenna   Helle @ Bookish Utopia  
 Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales   Alexandria @ Heart Full of Elves   Ayla @ Books & Babbles  
 Liv @ Curlyhairbibliophile   Aria @ Stuck in Wonderland   Kat @ A Myriad of Books  
 Ely & Michelle @ Tea & Titles   Kyra Morris   Ara @ Open Pages  
 Kristine @ The Writer's Inkwell   JJ@bookloversblog   Amy @ Book Babbles and Blues  
 Jennifer @ Feminist Fairy Tale Reviews   Bri @ Paperback Bri   Kristin @ Lukten av Trykksverte  
 Amy @ Amy's Bookish Life   Jen @ Decorate The Soul   Lindsay @ Lindsay's Library  
 Lefty @ The Left-Handed Book Lover   Tracy @ Cornerfolds   Erica @ Novel Ink  
 Savannah @ ReadingBifrost   Hannah @ Broc's Bookcase   Jess @ Little Book Heaven  
 Stephanie@Don't be Afraid of the Dork   Laura & Jen @ Reads We Review   Kate @ Parchment Girl  
 Jacquie @ Rattle the Stars   Dawn @ Dawn's Dreams   Jordon @ Simply Adrift  
 Jocelyn @ 52 Letters in the Alphabet   Jamie @ Watch Game Read   Jim @ YA Yeah Yeah  
 Shayna @ The Bibliotaph   Becky & Angharad @ Two Book Thieves   Girl with her Head in a Book  
 Alyce @ Everything Alyce   Marcilia @ The Plot Bunny   Aj @ Read All The Things!  
 Rachel Patrick   Mandy @ The Reading Diaries   Kate @ Mom's Radius  
 Sonia @ The Book Wielding Harpie   Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense   Alba in Bookland  
 megan @ love literature art and reason   Aimal @ Bookshelves & Paperbacks   Jen E @ critic and fangirl  
 Annemieke @ A Dance with Books   Holly @ Nut Free Nerd   Becca @ The Bookkeeper's Apprentice  
 Anushka @ Going Through Books   Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog   Brandy @ Random Musings of a Bibliophile  
 Mikayla @ Mikayla's Bookshelf   Lisa @ Loca For Language   Joseph @ thoughts and afterthoughts  
 Milka@ReadReadRead   Anna @Adventures with a Book Nerd   Nicole @ Reading Books With Coffee  
 Amber @ YA Indulgences   Emily @ Midwestern Book Nerd   Deborah @ The Road of a Writer  
 Ashley @ What's She Reading?   Kati   Got My Book  
 Ellen @ The Canon   Wendy (Literary Feline) @ Musings of a Bookish Kitty   Islandgeekgirl @ Overflowing Bookshelves  
 Emma   Cora @ Tea Party Princess   Eve @ Functioning Insanity Reviews  
 Jennifer @ YA Book Nerd   Stephanie @ My Bookish Itinerary   Curious Daisy  
 Lori @ Palmer's Page Turners   Dashie   Sydney @ Singing Librarian Books  
 Find Me at the Library   Amanda @ Cover2CoverMom   Sarah's Book Shelves  
 Julie @ Keep Calm With Books and Coffee   Mari @ Story and Somnomancy   Marie's Reads  
 Sue @ Crushingcinders   Amanda @ Good In The Stacks   Sara @ A Gingerly Review  
 Kerr and Rachel @ Paein and Ms4Tunes' book blog   Alice@ The Geeky Burrow   legolegislegimus  
 Taylor @ Stay on the Page   Mia- Top Ten Oldies But Goodies!   Serenity @ Book Charmers  
 Charnell @ Reviews from a Bookworm   Ricki and Kellee @ Unleashing Readers   La La in the Library  
 Emma @ Awkwordly Emma   Mariela & Allyson   Sarah @ Exploring All Genres  
 Megz @ Barefoot Whispers   Jessica @ Peace Love Books   Tiara @ The BiblioSanctum  
 Kelsey @ kelseyempfield   Shon @ Tangled 'N' Books   Sarah @ Scheherazade Reads  
 Sam @ Suicide By Books   Miranda @ A Real Writer's Life   Mallory at Story at a Time  
 Vanessa @ Cross My Heart and Hope to Read   Rissi @ Finding Wonderland   BookSophisticate  
 There will be books   Rachael @ A Little Bit of Literature   Stefani @ Caught Read Handed  
 Ashley   Liza @ Quite the Novel Idea   Emma @ The Testy Badger  
 Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination   Katrina @ Kaleidoscope of Books   Bonnie @ For the Love of Words  
 Marianne @ Let's Read   Debbie Rodgers @Exurbanis   stacey@books,dreams,life  
 Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog   Nori @ readwritelove28   Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity  
 Camryn @ The Writing Crafter   Akilah @ The Englishist   Lillian @ Mom with a Reading Problem  
 Bobbie @ A Page to Turn   The Literary Counsellor  

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)



19 comments:

  1. Great topic, Jamie! Love it. :)

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  2. OMG YES to pretty much all of this for sure. I ended up picking something similar (book events) but yeah so much fun and many of the ideas cross over. I love the bookish community!

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  3. An apt topic to pick with your six years drawing in. I really love all the reasons you've shared in your list, and in many ways you've summed up the bookish community so perfectly.

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  4. I love all of these! And I especially agree with point 8, I'm still fairly new to the online book community but I've learned so much already! About genres, tropes, (under)representation etc.

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  5. This is a great list Jamie! I agree especially that there is so much to learn! I've only been doing this a couple of year and every day I feel like I learn something new! Love it!

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  6. Yes to all these!!! Wonderfully said!

    Here's my Tuesday Post

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  7. Aw that's so sweet but SO true!! I love that there's always someone online to talk to - it makes the book community feel like an entire new universe of AWESOMENESS. And omg, my TBR, the question do I thank or scowl at the community for making it so large!?

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  8. Here! Here! and Amen!

    http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/06/i-love-authors-and-you-should-too.html

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  9. Great list! The bookish community is the best!

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  10. I just had to add my Ten Reasons I Love Classic Literature
    and I really enjoyed reading your reasons for loving the blog and also some of the others. As always, such a great way of thinking about our reading.

    Marianne from
    Let's Read

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  11. Fantastic list!! I love the bookish community and I have learned a lot from being a part of it as well, :D

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  12. Great topic :) There are so many reasons I'm glad I joined the book community and talking about books is one of them!
    My TTT

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  13. Here comes my answer! My blog i originally in swedish but you can easily translate it into english or whichever language you'd prefer :) http://tickmick.blogspot.com/2016/06/top-ten-tuesday-vecka-23.html

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  14. Lovely list! These are some of the reasons I've decided to join in. :)

    C @ thoughtsfromlibraries.blogspot.com

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  15. I totally agree with #8! It's amazing how much I've learned from the book blogging community. I've picked up so many more diverse books and been exposed to lots of topics and issues I never thought about before. I'd like to think the online book community has contributed to me becoming a better person!

    My TTT

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  16. For anyone in the bookish community who loves Liane Moriarty please check out the #ReadSavannah event that is coming up in Sept. at www.shereads.org (may need to scroll down to find it but it's there!). This one-day event will feature a moveable feast, lots of authors, with the final headliner being Liane. It's sure to bring the book community out in force and we'd love to see you there!

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  17. Yeeeeessssss to all of this! The bookish community is so incredibly amazing for so many reasons!
    -Amy

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