Blogoversary; Debbie Guest Post

Hey Guys!
So today I am delighted to share with you all a guest post written by the stunning Debbie at Snuggling on the Sofa. Debbie is a really fun person to know and is really friendly and just someone I’m glad to call a friend – and incredibly glad that I have been given a chance to meet! For you she has written about how blogging has changed things for her, hope you enjoy it!

How Blogging Has Changed Me

How I Read
Before, I used to pick a book randomly from my shelf, read it, note the author if I enjoyed it, and move on. Now, choosing a book is often dependent on whether it is a review copy and the release date. While reading, I think about the rating I’m going to give it and whether any quotes stand out for me. I still note the author if it’s a good book, but I also pay more attention to the publisher. And the book stays at the forefront of my mind until that review is written. The process itself takes a lot longer.

What I Read
Before blogging, I actually read more adult books, namely of the girly chick-fic variety. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy these books just as much; I just don’t have much time for them anymore! Since I mainly get sent YA books, these take priority. I also read more ebooks than I used to (though not as many as I should). I very, very rarely have time to reread books. I dream about it, but it just doesn’t happen. Before blogging, and especially as a child, I was known for exclusively rereading books such as The Babysitters Club.

Who I Read With
I think this is the biggest change for me. I haven’t had any buddy-reads yet, but the amount I share and talk about what I am reading has gone up a lot. If I can’t decide what to read, I consult Twitter. I’ve made several blogging friends through events, and I love getting recommendations from them and finding out what they’ve been reading recently! Twitter is also useful for this, for hearing other opinions and quick links to blog reviews. I look forward to events for the opportunity to get together with other bloggers, and meet some new ones. All the bloggers I’ve met have been friendly and really welcoming into the community.

How I Organise my Reading
I did quite often have paper lists of books I needed to request from the library, as this was my primary source of books. Now I buy a lot more books and receive some from publishers or other booky people. The day I found Goodreads was a godsend. Now I can keep track of any book I like the sound of. I also have a record of all those that I have read, and separate shelves for the books I own, the books I would like to have and the ones I’m prepared to give away. Without Goodreads, I would be completely lost.

The People Behind the Books
Before blogging, I had no contact whatsoever with publishers, and very little author contact. I had attended maybe one or two author events. When I finished a book I enjoyed, I would quite often check when the next book was out, and then that would be it. Now, before during and after reading I will quite often tweet authors to let them know how excited I am and what I’m enjoying about the book. I quite often follow their personal lives (not in a stalker way), but because authors are genuinely nice people. I’ve attended lots and lots of events this year, from signings to launch parties. I’m also thrilled whenever I receive an email from a publisher. All the ones I’ve met at signings and other events have been lovely, and its nice to know how much they appreciate bloggers!

What a fantastic post! Thank you for that Debbie! I agree with so many of the things you mentioned above! Blogging completely changes the way you read, how you choose what to read, and who you contact. Before blogging I had never met an author before and now I talk to them all the time!
What about non-blogs who read blogs but never did before? How has having blogs around changed things for you?