Carol

10 Ways My Reading Has Changed Over Time #TopTenTuesday #ReadingLife #blogger #bookblogger #BookX #bookcommunity #bookworm

This week I’m talking about the ways my reading life has changed over the years. Has your reading life changed over time?

Coffee Mug: Yes, I really do need all these books (a tall stack of books)

10 Ways My Reading Has Changed

I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday.

***This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.

(In no particular order)

I Know My Reading Tastes

I’ve always been a reader, but I’ve only identified my reading tastes in the last seven years when I started tracking my reading and blogging. You might enjoy this post about identifying your reading tastes.

I’m Reading More Women’s Fiction Today Than in the Past

(thanks Pandemic!)
When I first started blogging, I felt I needed to focus on “serious” reading such as historical fiction, nonfiction, and literary fiction. Even though I read an occasional romance or light women’s fiction, I felt insecure about bringing those reviews to the blog. I’ve since lightened up and enjoy sharing occasional light women’s fiction and romance (but I’m still picky in the titles I choose!). During the pandemic I craved light women’s fiction and the HEA guarantees of the romance genre.

I’ve Identified “Book Buddies” or “Book Twins

Part of the joy of reading is finding your people….your book twins…your book buddies who enjoy the books you enjoy and talking about them. Blogging has brought me book besties from around the world (you know who you are!).

I Have Developed More Satisfactory Ways of Choosing My Next Read

Early in my reading life, I couldn’t tell you how I chose my next read. You could find me picking my next read in the book aisle of my grocery store, selecting a book from
“read and return” book shelves during my haircut appointments, reading the next book that my friends were passing around, or grabbing the first title that appealed to me while waiting for my children to pick out their library books. Honestly, I put little thought into choosing my next read, and I didn’t have money to buy books in those days. Today I have a specific method for choosing my next read.

I Have Increased Confidence in Writing Reviews and Rating Books

I read for decades before ever writing a review or rating a book. Over the past seven years, I have developed a specific method for writing reviews and rating books. It’s a work in progress. You might also enjoy “Gift an Author, Write a Review”

I Have Learned That I Enjoy “Uplit” More Than Sad and Depressing Books

Given a choice, I will opt for “uplit” almost every time. Click here for some UpLit titles I’ve enjoyed. As much as I love Literary Fiction, it is often a story of sad people living sad lives. I’m careful with Literary Fiction, but I do have a list of favorites.

I Have a List of Auto-Buy or Auto-Read Authors

When I began blogging and reviewing, I started paying attention to the authors I loved like never before. I have a list, and it is a fluid list as tried-and-true authors can veer off in unexpected directions and cause you to rethink your commitment. I have to have loved two or three books by the author before he/she earns a spot on my list. I also have a small list of authors for whom I’m a completist. Can you name one of your auto-read authors?

I Read More Via Audio Format Than in Years Past

I’m making peace with the audio format. It’s still not easy and is not my most desired format, but I listen to more audio books as the years go by. I’ve discovered that My husband loves audio books and it’s his preferred format, so it’s an incentive to find a book we would both love and ‘buddy read.” We’ve enjoyed several books this way. I can give you recommendations if you’re interested in the books we’ve enjoyed. One of my (our) FAVORITE audio books is Project Hail Mary! I can’t imagine reading it in print! When I recommend PHM, I always highly recommend the audio format.

R E T I R E M E N T Changed My Reading Life!

I can stay up as late as I want. I can stay in bed in the morning and read. The time I spent managing a classroom and motivating children, writing lesson plans, grading papers, and completing other administrative tasks is now devoted to reading! Retirement is great for the reading life, and I highly recommend it! Are we friends on Goodreads?

I Now Read Over 100 Books a Year

During the years I had “littles” at home, I was lucky to read a handful of books a year. During my teaching years, I only read during the summer months, long weekends or winter and spring breaks. I can’t be trusted to read and not neglect my other work, so I strictly regulated my reading life. Now in retirement, I read like it’s my job and most everything else revolves around that!

QOTD:

What is one way your reading life has changed over time?

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All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

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44 comments

  3. Nice! I can’t wait to be retired. Having a day job, being an indie author on the side limits my reading time, but I still manage to read every day.

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    • So thankful that audio makes reading accessible for more book lovers! Retirement will come faster than you can imagine! Life is short!

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  8. Wow, reading a hundred books is so impressive! I could never. I also agree with you on audiobooks, I never thought I’d listen to an audiobook, but I’m trying to do so more now. I don’t enjoy reading depressing literature either, if my book doesn’t have a happy ending, I probably won’t read it again. It was fun reading about your reading habits 🙂

    If you’d like to visit, here’s my TTT: https://thebooklorefairy.blogspot.com/2024/10/top-ten-tuesday-new-reading-habits.html

    Reply

  9. Great list! I feel like I’ve slowly started discovering book buddies or book twins over the past few years of having my blog. It’s a really satisfying feeling and it’s great to find readers whose tastes are so compatible with mine—it’s led to some fun new book discoveries!

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  10. I can identify with many of the things on the list. My biggest change in reading came in 2001 when I took a fiction writing class. I not only switched from reading mostly nonfiction to reading and try to write fiction. It was a huge shift in my reading interests!

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  12. Self-awarness in reading! Love this entire list. I honestly pray that my daughter finds this. I see her wanting to keep reading (for some reasons she LOVED Colleen Hoover’s boosk) but doesn’t know how to move forward and, like all of us when young, doesn’t want help. I may dare to send her your post!

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  13. Reading with littles at home is so hard. I’m glad mine are teenagers now so I can devote more time for reading while they get the Cinderella treatment doing the housework (kidding, mostly. They have weekly chores but schoolwork always supercedes chores). I hope you have a great week.

    Here’s my TTT if you wish to visit – https://justanothergirlandherbooks.blogspot.com/2024/10/top-ten-tuesday-books-on-my-tbr-longest.html

    Reply

  15. Listening to audiobooks has been a popular change cited on a lot of lists today. That has changed for me as well. These days, I always have an audiobook going. I listen to them while I drive, do housework, and exercise. It helps tedious tasks feel quicker and more enjoyable!

    Happy TTT!

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

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  16. I used to rarely listen to audiobooks but now I really enjoy them. They’re a great way to fit in reading during an otherwise busy day. Also, I have that same mug at home!

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  17. I’m still fine tuning my reading habits, Carol, but I think that is an ongoing process anyway. Thanks for some great ideas here, and yes, we are friends on Goodreads. 😉💖📚

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  18. What a fascinating question – and equally fascinating answers. I’ve been thinking of how I would answer them – I wish I could say I now read more but I seem to be reading less now that I am no longer taking long flights for work or staying in hotel rooms!

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  19. I could have written most of these points, Carol, as I agree with you. Retirement was the biggest change for me. I used to read short, quick reads from the same old authors because of time restraints. Now I read wherever, whenever and choose very differently. I also have a list of auto-read authors. I haven’t read or listened to Project Hail Mary, so I am off to see if my library has the audiobook.

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    • Awww! I’m envious that you have PHM waiting for you enjoy! It’s one I wish I could read again for the first time! And definitely rec audio for the most enjoyment!

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  22. My reading list /genre has exploded since retirement. I still read more fiction than nonfiction. And being a grandmother means I read children’s books to my grand kids. Yes retirement is wonderful

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