What Does Book Blogging and the Community Mean For Us?

Hello friends! We say this a lot, but this time, we honestly couldn’t be more excited to present you with today’s post, which is one that we created to celebrate blogging and the book blogging community. Something we have been experiencing recently – and also heard other bloggers mention – is that despite our views growing, we haven’t received as many interactions in 2021 as last year. In a world where it sometimes feels like people don’t appreciate bloggers enough, it can feel hard to not feel burnt out. However, despite the occasional difficulties, we are all here because love the community (and blogging itself) a lot, and we wanted to show our appreciation for it all today.

So for this post, we invited ten bloggers to share what blogging and the book blogging community mean for them, and we are also going to share our thoughts on this topic. We hope that this will be like a nice Christmas present post for all book bloggers and that it will show everyone how much their work means for others in the community. Without further ado, let’s jump into the post and let’s celebrate bloggers and blogging together!

Amber Elise @ Du Livre:

Book blogging has changed drastically since 2011, but I can’t imagine my life without it. For me, blogging is all about making connections with others. When I first started blogging all those years ago, I didn’t know that many people who read as voraciously as I did and I never thought of reading as a social hobby. Book blogging has introduced me to new friends, new challenges, and be in “the know” with upcoming book releases. Ten years ago I don’t think my little blog would be such a big part of my life, but it’s all because of the people!

Becky @ A Fool’s Ingenuity:

Writing a single paragraph about what I love about blogging and the community is a surprisingly difficult task. Who knew there were so many things I wanted to say about something I often complain about and avoid? Here’s the thing, blogging itself can feel like a chore. It is hard work, time-consuming, and is a hobby for most of us. Yet we spend all the time we can spare on it because we love books, and we want to shout about them to each other. We love talking about books and discovering new ones to read so we spend our free time not just writing about them but reading what everyone else is reading too so we can add to the ever-growing TBR list. The greatest compliment anyone ever gives a blogger is that they read a book because of you. Something you wrote made someone else want to read too and it shows the time we spend is worth it. Even someone saying they bought a book because of you is great, even if it does fill me with anxiety in case they don’t enjoy it as much as I did. That’s always what I’ve enjoyed about blogging, we create our own trends with books and we are influencing each other to read different things. It’s a lovely place to escape to on a bad day and you know that if you mention something on your blog people will remember about it later, even when you have forgotten.

Books and blogging have been an important place of escape for the past two years. When we’ve all been stuck at home and we have been feeling isolated the book community is there because most of us have never met each other in real life. It’s a kind of normality we might not have been able to have in our lives. I know I’ve been absent from blogging but people have reached out and when I am blogging you feel like you’ve never been gone. The community has always been so welcoming, it’s what I loved when I started 7 years ago and it’s what I love now. It’s why I never seem to be able to leave because I’d miss everyone if I wasn’t blogging. I already feel out of the loop.

Caro @ The Bookcheshire Cat:

Books have always been a safe space for me to escape reality, but I was also in a years-long reading slump that seemed to never end. In this sad time it was book blogging that finally rescued me and connected me with other readers from all over the world! This reignited the love for reading I thought I had lost, as I found many lovely bloggers to talk to, who would share their own recommendations (some of which became all-time favorite books for me.) 🥰Writing my own posts and surrounding myself with all things bookish further made me excited to keep reading books and talking about them with my fellow readers. Reading is still one of my main coping mechanisms with the world and it is thanks to book blogging and its community that I was able to get back to my passion. For this, I will always be grateful. ❤️

Emily @ Paperback Princess:

Blogging this year has been tough for me personally, as I’ve been on a hiatus since school started. However, nothing brings me more excitement then when I’m able to find some time to return to my favourite book blogs to see what they’ve been up to. I know that no matter where I’m at or what I’m doing in my life, my blog friends will always be there to talk about all of the books that bring us joy, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.

Maria @ The Character Study:

My favourite part of blogging is, hands down, the discussions that arise from all kinds of different posts. It truly feels like having a conversation with a friend—something uncommon on the Internet, where everyone’s on edge. I’ve found fellow book bloggers actually willing to take the time to read and respond to posts to have a conversation on whatever topic it is about, and it’s always a fantastic feeling. Also, become of the vast range of book blogs and interests, I’ve come across many fascinating posts—from book reviews to general discussions—about topics that I would have never thought about otherwise. It is an overall lovely place and way to exchange our ideas surrounding books and reading.

Marie @ Drizzle & Hurricane Books:

When I first started blogging 7 years ago, I never imagined the impact it, and the people I’d meet thanks to it, would have in my life. From a hobby started randomly to a real passion I pour my heart into every single day, to the people I met through blogging, both have changed me, in the best way. Blogging has deepened my passion for books in an incredible way and I’ve learned so, so much thanks to it, even managing to leverage what I’ve learned into my every day life and into getting me job opportunities (just to be clear: not blogging-related jobs… unfortunately). Of course, I also met incredible bloggers whose taste in books I deeply trust: they’re the ones that helped me find some of my favorite books of all times, the ones I can scream about books with for hours and so on. Never would I have imagined I’d meet some of my closest friends, too, people whom I can talk to about books, sure, but about so many other topics, friends I can confide in. The book blogging community has welcomed me warmly ever since day one, and I found in them and in this blogging community a place I’d find nowhere else. I’ll be forever grateful for it and for them.

Nick @ The Infinite Limits of Love:

What I love best about the blogging community is how we’ve connected from all over the globe because of our shared love for a simple act that brings all of us joy: reading. In a sense, I’ve grown up in this community and have had my fair share of ups and downs, but the fact that I’m still happily here after all these years is proof of how much I love being part of this community. It’s not a perfect community by any means, but I am so grateful for the life-long friends I’ve made, the good books I have discovered, and the greatest support system anyone could ask for. Wishing everyone a happy holiday and new year!

Roberta @ Offbeat YA:

2021 was my worst year ever – especially in the health department. Without my books/authors, my blog and my online friends, I don’t know where I’d be. The net can be a pit of snakes sometimes, but if you know where to look and cultivate the right relationships, you’ll find patches of kindness and acceptance and support that will make you smile even in the hardest days. Authors who’ll spontaneously and genuinely show appreciation to your reviews even if they aren’t 5-star ones…friends who’ll do their best to lift your spirits and won’t judge you for your failures. My blog and my Twitter account have opened a whole new world for me, and I know I’ve become a better person myself because of them. I want to thank all the people who have been at my side during this 9-year journey, who have made me smile when I felt like crying, and who have always, always let me be myself. And I want to thank everyone who keeps blogging and making a difference (because be not mistaken, you do), and never fails to be there when it counts. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, and here’s to a new year filled with joy…and awesome books of course. 😉

Sophie @ Me & Ink:

I love book blogs. There is a strong community full of support, creativity and shared love. It can transform the typical solidarity act of reading into anything but lonely. It reminds you that you aren’t alone in your thoughts and provides a plentiful supply of recommendations. Recommendations that could change your life, as I know. Not only is it a fun, personal and positive environment, but it’s also an important one. The community encourages and engages in conversations about literature, from being conscious about themes and writing choices to advocating for diversity. For me, this has elevated the depth of my love and understanding of books. It transformed me into an active participant in my reading, and I will forever be thankful for that.

Yep, I am undeniably a fan of book bloggers and all their hard work.

Tasya @ The Literary Huntress:

Book blogs will always have a special place in my heart since it has introduced me to such a warm community and so many amazing books! Blogs have allowed me to understand why readers love a certain books, how much it matters to them and how it connects to them in such an in depth way. I am also in awe at the commitment and time it takes to maintain their blog, from writing posts to self hosting to learn coding/designing for themselves! It’s a lot of work but it’s also really lovely to see all the passion for books shining through and uniting us together.

To all book bloggers: thank you for all of your hardwork and know that we will always be here to appreciate you ❤

Sabrina @ Wordy and Whimsical:

I am constantly amazed by the power of books and the internet and how they managed to facilitate the creation of such an incredible community of people all passionate about the same thing.  Blogging has helped me feel part of something bigger than myself and to connect with people I otherwise would never have met.  I love talking about books no matter what, but it is also nice to share my thoughts with people who actually care and to read their thoughts in return – I am so grateful to have been able to make friends in this way and find some new favourite books!  So, a huge thank you to book bloggers! I hope you all enjoy this holiday season 💜

Vera @ Wordy and Whimsical:

Blogging has given me an outlet where I can share my love for books and reading with others, so it has a very special place in my life and heart, as cheesy as that sounds. Even though I’ve always had friends who enjoyed reading, it wasn’t until I joined the book blogging community when I found readers whose main hobby is reading and who value it as much as I do. I discovered blogging as a teen, so a sense of belonging and of finding people similar to myself is always going to be strongly connected to blogging for me. I’ve been blogging for more than seven years, and all this time, blogging and bloggers have been a constant presence in my life. I was a really shy blogger at first, and in many ways I still am, but nonetheless, I’ve found multiple close friends in the community. I believe that blogging has had a really positive effect on my life all around – it’s helped me find friends and a community, it became a hobby that I thoroughly enjoy, it’s widened my world-view, and on a more practical note, it’s helped me improve my English. To close this off, I’m incredibly thankful for all book bloggers as their work has inspired me, has helped me discover new authors and books, and has made my days brighter. 💛

Let’s chat!

First of all, happy holidays everyone! We hope you’re having fun and / or taking all the rest you need. 💜 What do YOU love about blogging and the book blogging community?