So, I just saw the BBAW topic for today is how book blogging has changed your reading habits, and even though I’m not going to be blogging all the topics, this one intrigued me.
Running the Lesbrary has completely transformed my reading habits. I’m not sure if I started the Lesbrary because I was reading more lesbian books, or I started reading more lesbian books because of the Lesbrary, but either way, it’s been a huge increase. I used pick up lesbian books whenever I could, but the vast majority of my books and the books I read were straight. Now I have a whole bookcase of unread lesbian books (that are slowly spilling onto the floor), a stack of lesbian books by my bed to review (I’ll get to them, I promise!), and an ereader packed with them.
That’s another thing! I hadn’t read any ebooks or self-published books before the Lesbrary. In fact, I bought my ereader specifically in order to read the ebooks the Lesbrary is sent. And I read self-published books and ebooks frequently.
I’m back at school now, and as an English major, I’m sticking to just course reading at the moment, but outside of school I now hardly read any nonqueer books! Ideally, I’d like it to be about 50/50, but I have so many to review that I feel like I can’t justify reading a straight book. It’s definitely been a huge change for me.
Have you noticed a change in your reading since following book blogs? (Especially queer ones?)
amymckie says
Very cool! I’ve been able to FIND so many more queer books so it’s definitely changed my reading habits that way too 🙂
Danika the Lesbrarian says
Ah, true! When I was first starting out, I thought I could read all the lesbian books there were! (Hence the tongue-in-cheek tagline, “The humble quest to read everything lesbian”) Now I’m swamped! Which is awesome, because now I can afford to be more discerning, instead of thinking that I have to settle in order to have a les/bi/etc character.
LVLMLeah says
I never heard of book blogs until I discovered that I liked reading romance, which was not that long ago. I started commenting on and reading books that blogs reviewed. Then I started my own blog because I liked to read erotica and didn’t want to review on Amazon. All the while, I started interacting with more and more diverse book bloggers.
From bloggers I learned all about ebooks and got an ereader in ’07 and have never looked back. I prefer them because I can read more alternative types of stories.
From reading erotica, I got exposed to gay/lesbian stories and I went from reading some m/m to loving lesbian. Now I pretty much only read stories with lesbian or bi characters, romance, mystery, whatever.
So yes, book bloggers have had a huge impact on what I read and still influence me on many levels.
Danika the Lesbrarian says
Wow, that is a big difference! It’s really fantastic how much exposure we can get to new and varied books through book blogs. Half the books I read now I never would have heard about without them!
Allysse says
Yes, there has definitely been a change in my reading habits.
The major one has been discovering the diversity of queer books. I couldn’t find any in bookstores because where I went there was no specific sections for them and so if I didn’t know an author or a title I just couldn’t find any queer books. But now I found out there are tons of them.
Contributing to The Lesbrary has made me read more queer books. Before I had a few of them waiting to be read and now I know that I read at least one queer book per month. My e-reader and book shelves are packed with queer books now, and the collection keep on growing every month (and I’ll probably end up with more that I can reasonably read in a lifetime… just like the other non-queer books I have).
Danika the Lesbrarian says
It really does seem like you have to know a code to actually find queer books. I understand not wanting to segregate them, but it also makes them almost invisible in the sea of straight/cis books, especially when the advertising specifically hides the queer content (not mentioning it on the cover or blurb, for instance).
“I’ll probably end up with more that I can reasonably read in a lifetime… just like the other non-queer books I have”
I have a friend who is completely overwhelmed by that idea, but I find it quite comforting. There are always more waiting just around the corner!
mstiptress says
Oh yes, My reading habits have changed so much since the beginning of my blogging time. Not Queer mostly (although I need to start reading more of this genre)
Lol, I have done the same thing with the e-books. Before I never wanted to read an e-book and I was dead set against buying some form of an e-reader, but blogging has opened up so many doors to new authors and free e-books that I couldn’t stand being without one anymore. I was ashamed to say.. lol.
So yes, this has changed my reading habits drastically, I think may have even made it worse. I fear I have become OCD over books. (So i am told).
LMBO!
Danika the Lesbrarian says
Yes, I think I had an anti-e-reader bias before, but it’s not like it has to replace physical books! Now I read both. (Though, I’ll admit, I do enjoy physical books more.)
kindamixedup says
I have found many, many queer books I would love to read, but the thing is most of them I can’t put my hands on them! very frustrating. But I also got the chance to read more of those books. It doesn’t only change the way you read, it chances the way you see the world.
Danika the Lesbrarian says
Have you tried Interlibrary Loaning books your library doesn’t have? That can really help to get more obscure titles.