Hi guys and welcome to my first Let’s Talk Bookish post! Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme, created and hosted by J.R. @ Eternity Books, where we discuss chosen topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts.
Today’s topic is: Bookish/Blogging Myths.
You can choose to write about bookish myths, or blogging myths, or about both! I’ve chosen to do a little bit of both, and talk about some myths, untrue sayings, and untrue expectations that people have about books/reading and blogging.
*You can learn more about LTB and see August’s topics here
#1: Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover – A saying that most don’t follow
I am going to go ahead and say it. I think, and based on what I’ve seen on Goodreads, people do judge books by their covers. Especially books with gorgeous covers. This is one of the things that nobody cares much about and does, because who can resist a beautiful cover???
To be perfectly honest with you, I have personally chosen not to read books because the cover was ugly. I use covers to decide if I should check out the books further, and mostly avoid books with covers that are not pleasing.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! We don’t have all the time in the world (we’ve got books to read!), and if something doesn’t catch our attention at first glance, then you shouldn’t feel bad about not checking it out. Imagine going through Goodreads and looking through every. single. book. just so you don’t judge it unfairly. I think that would be completely impossible.
#2: Classics Are The Gods of Literature – The Greatest Lie Ever
Most of the times, for school, you have to read a bunch of stories that are considered literary classics, many of which were written long ago, and some many centuries ago (Shakespeare anyone?).
The problem is, these books are so highly praised, and are called classics which are supposedly timeless, it’s pretty much ingrained in our minds that if we don’t like them, then there is something definitely wrong with us.
Here’s the truth: most of the classics that I’ve read have been horrible. I’m actually trying to recollect any that I have liked, and the only thing I can come up with is Anne of the Green Gables (I loved this series!!! This is probably part of the reason why I love English history and the Victorian Era) and maybe A Christmas Carol (I liked the moral/theme).
Everything else, such as books by Mark Twain, Charles Dickens (minus Christmas Carol), Lord of the Flies by William Golding (I passionately hated this book), A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (I didn’t even manage past the first few pages), were not good. And that’s a problem because this makes kids hate books and it also bores them because it isn’t relevant to their lives.
#3: It’s So Easy To Be A Blogger – Ok, maybe this is The Greatest Lie Ever
Sorry to burst your bubble, but nope, blogging is not easy. Sure it’s fun, it’s amazing when you meet so many supportive amazing lovely fellow bloggers, it’s a chance to be creative and let yourself shine, but it is far from easy.
Being a blogger means countless hours spent writing and perfecting posts, blog hopping, responding to comments, and constantly worrying about your stats. Okay, some of you may not worry about your stats, but I 100% do. It is energy draining, it is time consuming, and it can also be sometimes depressing.
However, I personally think the pros outweigh the cons, because it is so uplifting to see other people read and love your work, admire your site design, tag you, and nominate you for awards (this always make me so giddy and happy!! Thank you so much guys!!!!). It’s also amazing how bloggers support you during hard times, are super welcoming to those who are new to this, and in general are the most amazing, kind, and lovely human beings! It may not be easy, but bloggers have your back every step of the way.
#4: You Will Have Instant Followers and Become the Next Big Thing – *Sigh* Yet Another Great Myth
TBH, I thought it would be super easy to gain followers. Just write a post, sit back, maybe type a few comments here and there, and wait for the numbers to rise.
Of course, that didn’t happen.
Why did I think that being a lazy potato would help me gain followers? Because it seemed like all the big and popular blogs just wrote one post every few weeks, and they had over 1,000 followers.
But that’s not how it works. You can write awesome content, you could be the most original and unique blogger, but you won’t gain followers if you don’t go find them. No one will visit your corner of the web if you just sit and wait for them to magically appear.
It also won’t happen in one day. But don’t give up because once you start to gain exposure, you’ll realize how amazing and rewarding all your effort is.
#5: Reading is a Waste of Time – The Most Ridiculous Statement Ever
You know that look you get when someone asks what you’re doing, and you say “reading”? To me, that look translates to: “This girl is wasting time. Why is she reading all the time? She could be using this time to do something more productive.”
It’s annoying, because then I get self-conscious and I can’t really enjoy my book anymore because that look is still lingering in my mind and nagging me to get up and go be productive.
But reading isn’t a waste of time.
It can be used to de-stress, to escape, and to learn. You can brush up on history, learn about ancient times through amazing adventures, learn about legal and police procedures through mysteries and thrillers, and even to increase your vocabulary. Most of the ‘big’ words I know, I probably picked up from reading books.
Reading is also a hobby. If I was making something, or cooking/baking, or painting, I don’t think I’d get that look, because those activities seem more productive. But reading is a hobby as well, and should not be considered a waste of time.
So this statement, or thought, is 100% completely ridiculous.
Those are just a few blogging and reading myths that I think are completely not true. There are a few more that I could think of, but I think this post is long enough as it is lol
This Week’s Participants:
Jane @ Blogger Books | Ruqs @ Many Things Bookish
What are some untrue blogging or reading myths/expectations that you’ve encountered? Do you get that look when you say you’re reading? Am I the only one who doesn’t like assigned reading in Literature? Be honest, have you judged books by their covers?
Chat with me in the comments below!
Eternity Books 