BBAW: Cause and Effect--ie. What Happens When You Blog

Today's BBAW topic is all about how book blogging has effected your reading style, the way you acquire books, etc. Honestly, I can tell you that book blogging has changed a lot about how I read, what I read, and who I chat with about what I've read. That's the short answer, but now for the long one!

Before I started blogging, I had an absolutely terrible habit... I used to read the last paragraph before starting in on a book. I know that it doesn't sound that horrible, but once I started blogging, I stopped doing it. Not necessarily because I didn't want to know what the ending was anymore, but because I wanted to get the full experience--as silly as that might sound. I wanted to get sucked in and toss my hands up in the air when the ending left me hanging. Knowing the ending was--simply put--no longer an option.

Were there books that I'd never have known about if it wasn't for blogging? Definitely! Before I started blogging, I'd just walk into the bookstore, look at covers, read the summary, and pick up books based on that alone. Thanks to blogging, I know about books far in advance--and pre-order on occasion. This means that I go into the bookstore with a game plan. ;D Also, whenever a book is hyped by another blogger, I'm much more likely to go pick it up if we have similar reading tastes. Have I mentioned that I've been buying a lot more books than I would've beforehand too? Because it's definitely true--and I've put myself on a book buying ban this month because of it. xD

Have I made connections with other readers due to blogging? Of course! By other readers--for the most part--I mean to say fellow book lovers and bloggers, but you get the point. This has led to me tweeting more about books and using Twitter to talk to other readers--as well as visiting other blogs and either agreeing with reviews or sharing what I might not have enjoyed quite as much.

Honestly, blogging has changed my reading habits and what I read as well (although it hasn't dramatically changed what I read). If you've been thinking about starting a blog, definitely go for it--although be warned, you might be going to the bookstore a lot more than you usually do! :P