5 Reasons I’m So Grateful for Blogging

I said that I’d write a post like this when I did my blogiversary post, but then the terror that one calls school started and I got nothing done blogging-wise. By now, I’ve been blogging for an entire year (and a little more) and I honestly can’t believe it. It feels like yesterday that I published my first post but it also feels like I’ve been doing this forever because blogging is such a big part of my life now.

This is a list of reasons that I am so grateful for this platform that I have figured out through my year of blogging

1. I’ve been able to read better books!

I was on Goodreads before I started blogging, and yeah, there’s a lot of books there (surprising everyone, I know). But while I did and still do love goodreads, starting a blog has helped me discover so many more and so many amazing books. I’m able to follow blogs of people who read the same kinds of books as I do, so find more books that are the kind of things that I read, and all in all, it’s easier to discover books through blogs than it is through goodreads!

2. I’ve met so many amazing people!

How could I possibly write this list without mentioning the people? You all, anyone who reads my blog, anyone who has a book blog, are amazing. Just being able to talk books with someone in the comments, freaking out about the same book (there are people who have read the same books as I have, here!!!). To see people leaving comments on my blog after I write posts, just to chat about what I’ve written, it’s nice. I’m gonna be honest, I do love blogging and writing these posts, but I probably wouldn’t have continued this long without all of you. So thank you. So much.

3. I’ve begun paying attention to upcoming releases.

One day, maybe April or May of 2020, I heard of a book via goodreads. And it sounded like a very good book! I wanted to get it immediately. It wasn’t until a month or so later that I realized that book wouldn’t come out until September of that year. I honestly just had no idea about books that were going to be released but weren’t yet, it was very surprising to me that this book was already on goodreads! I didn’t pay attention to these kinds of releases until I made a blog and suddenly people were talking about books that they were looking forwards to, making lists of books that were going to be released in the upcoming year. I was able to learn about books before they were out in the world and see which ones I was looking forward to, and it just added a whole new layer of excitement (and also impatientness) to books!

4. I know how to do so many wordpress blog-type things

I am not tech savvy. Like, at all. I still don’t know how to do several elements in blogging and have begun losing faith that I ever will (I’m pretty sure I’ve been taught how to hide text in the little spoiler thing about 4 times and have never managed to do it in an actual post?). BUT I know a WHOLE lot more about using wordpress, as well as doing things like graphic design, now. Over my year of blogging I’ve slowly been changing what the graphics look like and how many I use (seriously, go back to my first post, you’ll definitely see. Actually, wait, don’t) and I think that they are much better than they were. Also, they actually exist. Much better than they were. WordPress itself is still much of a mystery, but eh. Some things are meant to remain mysterious (I’d really rather this one not being one of them, though).

5. I’ve learned so much! And I have a platform, myself.

Blogging, while amazing for learning about books and making friends, has also taught me a lot about so many important issues that aren’t taught other places and are so necessary to talk about! Plus, I myself have been able to talk about the things that I want more people to know about (other than books. And baseball. Pretty sure you guys don’t want to hear me talk about baseball all the time). In June I posted about why aro/ace spec characters are so important in books and it was just really nice to have a place to talk about things that I care about! I think that a platform for these kinds of things, helping to educate others on things that we don’t usually hear about in every day life, is really important and I’m so glad to be able to use it myself and to read about the things others are saying!

I am so, so thankful and happy for blogging and I can’t wait to see what’s more to come. Thank you all for your unending support and for giving me a place to talk about the things that I love. I honestly couldn’t have done this without you. I can’t wait to see what else the blogging community has to offer and what else I can give you all as well!
As always, stay safe, and keep on reading!!!