Hey popcorns! πΏ
Iβve been wanting to write this post for a grand total of 40 minutes, it is something that is very personal to me. It’s about a topic that I hope many readers will relate to but if you can’t that is totally okay! π
I just wanted to say to you all that it’s okay not to be okay. I’ve had a pretty awful morning today and it was really, really tough guys. But that’s okay, and you don’t have to be ashamed when your sad or upset or angry or just losing the will to live β€
We can’t be happy all the time. Sometimes we can go weeks without feeling happy, whoever tells you that you have to be happy all the time wouldn’t know what mental health was if it slapped them in the face. We all have our demons that we have to fight, but we don’t always have to smile while fighting them or put on a brave face when we know we’re losing the battle.
I’m always trying to be strong, be there for other people but I hurt and am sometimes hurting too.
That was a seriously heavy intro but I just felt like I needed to type that out. Anyways thank you for reading that everyone, it feels nice to get it out there π
Before we begin this two parted post Iβd like to ask everyone to please go read this recent post by Blondey On A Mission called What’s Under The Filter. Everything that she wrote really resonated with me and I just think it’s something that we all need to read and be enlightened about.
– SEPTEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS –
In September things are going to get crazyyy busy for me due to the fact that MY BUS LEAVES AT 7AM AND DOESN’T BRING ME HOME TILL AT LEAST 4:30. And then if I have subject help sessions *cough: maths, biology & chemistry* I’m not going to be home till like 7pm (12 hour days… ay oh, let’s go! π You know who you are!) It’s going to be a massive change for me and my priorities are obviously going to be schoolwork, my workouts, staying on top of the violin and keeping up with regular Wattpad writing updates.
Here are a few changes you will be seeing come September:
- Posting will reduce to once a week. I’ll only be bringing out a post once a week so it will alternate between KIP chapters and normal posting. I’m not sure what day yet but definitely a Saturday or Sunday.
- Less active on other blogs. I might not be able to keep up with everyone’s blog (or maybe I will) so I will try my best but if I miss a few posts don’t kill me! π
- Taking a September break from blogging. I have decided to go on hiatus in September so I can settle into school and work out a schedule where I can fit everything in, you might see me lurking sometimes but I probably will be MIA until October. Don’t miss me too much hehe! π
Book shaming: what is it? In my opinion it’s shaming someone for their love of reading and shaming them for what they’re reading. According to the Urban Dictionary it is to make one feel guilty about the book they are reading are enjoying.
It is a horrible thing. I think at least 50% of readers have experienced it before, whether it’s people shaming them for their love of reading or shaming them and saying that the book their reading is weird when maybe it’s one of their favourite books.
Believe it or not, readers can do it to each other. I’ve even seen it on the blogosphere. Forr example, just because you like diverse books it doesn’t mean that all readers too. I was reading a comment chain the other day about a blogger saying that they have nothing against diverse books they just never actively search for them and my gosh you should have seen the reply.
Us readers have to stick together everyone, it may not seem like we are a rare species (I love how I say that like we’re actually a species) but outside of the blogosphere we kind of are.
I think the reason people like to shame readers for their love for reading is actually because they’re jealous. They’re jealous that we have found a way to escape from the world and all the awful things in it that doesn’t involve an Xbox controller or/and a flat screen TV.
When people comment about my reading I immediately feel awkward, embarrassed really. Which is not okay. I shouldn’t feel embarrassed that I love books, books have made me who I am. I’ve lost myself and found myself more times than I can count in them.
And let’s be honest, books are there for you when people aren’t. They’re like a reliable best friend that you can just take wherever you go. I do have to say they are great listeners.
I can’t imagine a world without books, I just know it would be a boring and depressing one and we’d all be phone slaves.
I will never forget the first day of my transition a month ago we had to put our hand up at least once and finish the sentence starters. One of them was for reading, and as soon I saw it my mind was at its own civil war.
There was that one part of me that wanted to put my hand up and talk about how much I love reading and why. However, there was that other part of my brain that kept saying ‘what if they judge you’ or ‘what if they think you’re weird’.
I don’t think I’ve ever regretted the choice I made there so much. It felt like I’d already lost my first battle of being honest and being myself but I also learnt a massive lesson about what I would do next time.
What you should take from this: book. shaming. is. wrong. even among readers as ourselves, we all like different books. don’t make the same mistake I did, be honest with people. and don’t be embarrassed about your love for all things books!!
Sorry if this was a short one but just something that has been bouncing about my brain. I’m bringing out a fitness post this weekend, then next week is a tag week and a massive surprise post. Then it’s September here we come π
I hope you’re all keeping well, just a reminder to take it easy today and don’t go too hard on yourself! And look our for my new profile picture on the weekend… π
Do you have anything to add to this discussion? Do you have a stressful school year ahead? Feeling like a sweet or sour popcorn today?
That’s a wrap! π
ps. I have not proofread this post. I have done enough proofreading and editing of my novel to last me a life time this week π
A OH LETβS GO!
Girl. Please please please donβt beat yourself up ever π itβs 100% to only post once a week itβs what Iβve done for awhile & itβs a lot more manageable!
But I canβt wait to see your new profile pic! Girl, you should start a booksta! Itβs a lot easier to stay up to date with the community but in a quicker way! But of course no pressure π
I also had a similar experience to you when an English teacher asked who liked reading & I was like the only one to put my hand up (I was overcome with βnew year new youβ vibes I wouldnβt normally be so brave π )
As always keep on being amazing! π
YES EL! π That was bear good.
Awhhh π₯Ί Thatβs so good to know, I think once a week will equal a lot less pressure and make blogging more manageable like you said!
Yes I want to take it soon but itβs so rainy lately and obviously I donβt want the book getting soaked π Iβm definitely interested in joining bookstagram, I think Iβll make that my September goal to set up an account! π
Omg well done! Itβs better than me sitting in my chair saying nothing π Thatβs so good El and omg thereβs always that first day of the new year where youβre so invested in the βnew youβ and it just flops (maybe thatβs just me π)!
Awh thank you so much this made my day β€οΈβ€οΈ
Ah yes yes yes you wonβt regret it – bookstaβs amazing! Make sure to tell me when you do so I can shower you in help & love ππ
Yes I saw a peek on your blog (I had to visit to cop the link for one of the awards I nominated you in) and your photos are gorgeous girl π Awhhh much appreciated and Iβll let you know π
Thank wuu π₯Ί
Sorry about your tough morning and I hope your doing better todayπ While I will miss reading your posts, I understand needing to get back into the swing of things! Thanks for sharing π
Itβs okay and I definitely am feeling a lot more myself! Of course, thank you so much and definitely β€οΈβ€οΈ
Oh my gosh book shaming is definitely a thing!! I never realised how much it happened until I joined book twitter. I set up an account but honestly I just donβt use it anymore because I was so fed up of the snarky comments about certain books or certain readers. Just let people read what they want!!
It is!! Oh no really? Iβve been really tempted to join a book community on social media but that has put me in a total 180. Thatβs so horrible that people do that! Exactly, reading is a free thing and itβs a solo thing too, no one has the right to tell you what you can and canβt read π I never thought Iβd see the bad side to the book community too!
It definitely varies day to day and they do tend to be lighthearted comments but it’s just frustrating sometimes. Bookstagram is definitely so much better than book twitter though (in my opinion)! Plus you get more photos of pretty books as a bonus haha
Yes I understand, I think Iβm going to post pone joining any book social media just yet π If I was going to join it would definitely be Bookstgram and nothing hits different like aesthetic book photos β€οΈβ€οΈ
I’m so sorry that you had a rough morning! Let me know if you ever want me to cheer you up! π My school started too and I’m so much busier too, I can’t believe you have to do 12 hours a day! π
I think that book shaming is something that a lot of us have done… including me :(( I’m definitely working on it but I need to stop analyzing what someone’s reading tastes means about them π
Wonderful post Amber! We’ll miss you in September π
Awh itβs alright Aditi! I feel like I just had to get through it and push through for the other side π That means a lot and awhh π Oh no I hope itβs going okay!! Hopefully not everyday but hopefully I can adjust right?! π₯Ί
I agree, we have all judged someone by their book preferences I think, the most important thing is whether we voice it! Thatβs okay, itβs just good to hear that youβre working on stopping it βΊοΈ
Thank you so much Aditi and awh Iβm going to miss everyone so much! π« Especially you but donβt tell anyone π€«
Yess that’s good to know! And I believe in you π !!
HAHA aw imma miss you too! (and im so behind on WP notifs as usual……)
Wow. I love reading about people and yes I believe that this platform is beautiful β€
Awh thanks Priyasha! π₯° Means a lot and me too β€οΈ
I’m sorry to hear you had a tough morning, I hope through feeling that way you were able to get it out of your system and I truly believe that as there is no way around some things, when we push forward and go through it we become ten times stronger because of it β¨.
Wow to 12 hour days but automatically sang that ay oh part π Wishing you the best of luck with that and hope you’re able to find downtime every now and then to recoup πͺ.
It’s so weird to think that if I didn’t blog then I probably would know many people who actually enjoy reading too π΅. I haven’t been shamed by them in particular but more so by those I know who love to read but don’t understand my preferences which tend to vary (it’s like I’m supposed to stick to one genre even though sometimes I like true to life stuff and then I’ll be back on the fantasy train ππ). You definitely shouldn’t feel embarrassed as through reading you probably know a lot more than they do about the world and alternate versions of it….and now I sound like the mean one putting them down but they practically ask for it when books are concerned π€·π This was a brilliant topic to think about and discuss as it really does get overlooked (especially when the shame is from reader to reader when you’d think it would always involve people who don’t enjoy reading). Great post as always! Take care ππ
Meant to say “wouldn’t know” in that third paragraph, kinda wrote an essay there π
No worries at all! My grammar is awful, if I sent back a comment for every mistake WordPress would have to say βcomment chain limit reachedβ π Nooo I loved reading your thoughts, thank you for sharing them,
Awh itβs okay Elsie β€οΈ I feel like I had to feel like that because like you said there really are no ways around some things sometimes π So true!!
Tell me about it, I just know itβs going to be intense π Haha yes if you know, you know! Thanks so much and I really hope so too because I really author to function without downtime and I donβt just want to go through my life I want to live it π₯°
Tell me about it! I didnβt realise how big the reading community was until I became a part of it. Yes itβs pretty rare among bloggers, awh no Iβm sorry to hear that! No one deserves to be shamed for their rasping preferences, reading is a free hobby. Thanks so much Elsie and omg thatβs so true. Haha you donβt sound like the mean one at all! π I thought so too and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, and exactly! Book shaming as a whole is over looked because itβs not even looked at when it comes to it coming from reader to reader π« Thank you so much again! You too Elsie π