Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Reasons Why I Love Book Blogging

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Okay, so, this isn't a meme that I usually participate in, but I love the topic this week! There are a ton of reasons why I love book blogging, so I'll try to narrow it down to ten! :P

1. Friends. Book blogging is a great way to meet new people who share your bookish interests and an awesome way to make new friends. 
2. The community. Seriously, the community is awesome. Everyone is so friendly and the awesomeness of the community totally eclipses any of the drama that might pop up; also, any and all drama that pops up is handled really, really well in my opinion. 
3. Discovering new books. I'll be honest, there are books that I would've never picked up if it hadn't been for other bloggers saying how much that they loved the book in question. Admittedly this makes my TBR list insanely long, but it's worth it!
4. Bringing me out of my shell. Before I started my blog, I really didn't voice my opinion on books. I was extremely timid and if a friend asked for a recommendation, I had no idea what to tell them because sometimes their tastes were wildly different from mine. Thanks to book blogging, I read a bit of everything. Also, I would never have even thought about video blogging before starting a book blog--and that I filmed my first one for my IMM this past week is an accomplishment for me.
5. Getting to chat with authors. This isn't really just a book blogger thing, but I love being able to "@" authors on Twitter or e-mail them to say how much I've loved their book. And when they respond? It blows my mind. Every. Single. Time.
6. Being able to ask for review copies. I never knew that ARCs existed before I started book blogging so the mere idea that I could read a book before it was released blew my mind. It's a great way to discover new favorites and to spread the love with others--either by lending your copy or by buying a copy for friends (and one for yourself, of course). I love that I have the option of asking a publisher for a review copy if I'm dying to read a book. I know that I might not get it, but even having that option is amazing. 
7. Being able to share my opinion. I love that other people value what I have to say about a book. Even more than that, I love when I can gush with someone else about my favorite part of a certain book--whether it's a quote, passage, scene, chapter, etc. And the fact that my follower count keeps growing? It humbles me; really, it does. I thought fifteen followers was an insanely large number and would've been content with that, so I'd like to thank everyone who follows me and even those who just stop by to say hello every now and then.
8. Staying ahead of the curve. I love being able to keep up with new releases as well as upcoming releases. When there's a book that's coming out in the future that I'm excited about, I love being able to share that excitement with my friends--and if it leads to pre-orders, well, even better! ;)
9. Other bloggers. You guys kick ass. I love reading your reviews and seeing your posts. You make me get even more excited for books that I'm dying to read, introduce me to new books, and make me laugh sometimes too. (Proof that reviews can be funny and sincere.) Your honest opinions seriously help me out a lot when it comes to picking up books to read. 
10. Feeling less guilty about all the books I have. I'll be honest, sometimes I'll use my blog as an excuse to buy more books--in particular if I've read a really great review about a book that I've been on the fence about getting. I love having an excuse to go to the bookstore and I swear, I'm incapable of walking out of there without at least one book (probably two). Books that I get for review also fall under this category since my friends and family can't complain that I've been spending way too much money on books--although, okay, it's probably true--since they simply appear on my doorstep for review from time to time. Sure, I probably have too many books in their opinion, but I don't think it's possible for a bookworm to own too many books! ;D