Bookish Blog Hop Spring Day 2 prompt: How has your reading changed over the past year?
I am reading more now than I was in the past. I’m crediting the pandemic for that, though it’s not necessarily because I have more time. Rather, reading is something that kept me sane and distracted me. I really got into book blogging and picked up some more work tasks (I’m a librarian) that require me to read more. I first realized reading could be a form of escape when I was a child, after my grandmother died, and I’m finding that same comfort in it now.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on and/or purchase from some links, I make a portion of the sale. This helps keep Bitch Bookshelf running.
Here are the answers that the rest of the Bookish Blog Hope crew shared.
Jo Linsdell www.JoLinsdell.com
Since the pandemic started at the beginning of last year life has changed considerably in general. Here in Italy everything shutdown in March 2020. The kids had to do school online, my husband lost his job, and well, life got complicated…. finding peace to read was hard. Even when I did manage to find the time to read I found I wasn’t often in the right frame of mind to concentrate on the book.
My kids are now back at school and so in recent months I’ve been getting back into a more normal reading routine again. I have noticed that I often select more lighter reads now than I did before. I’ve always read a lot of thrillers and books in the crime/mystery genre, but lately I’ve been reading more romance.
Eline @ Lovely Audiobooks
In March 2020, I was hit by a massive reading slump. Everything was too stressful for
me to be able to really “turn off” and dive into a book. Over time, my reading (or rather, listening) has returned to normal again. But I think I’m a bit more critical now and look for more meaningful books than I used to.
Kim @ kimjackways.com
I had a few months where I struggled to read anything at all. I’d pick something up but would struggle to get to the end. When I started reading again, I looked for books that were hopeful.
I’m reading light, optimistic books, like The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Familiars and Foes, and Just One Damned Thing After Another. They are usually by female authors and have female main characters. These blend romance with escaping to another world, often very similar to our own, just with added magic!
Brandy @ Brandy Potter Books
When this whole COVID thing started, I actually got on a reading jag. I was either reading or listening to a book. From March to October, I actually read 60 books. That inspired a renewed interest in writing so I have been doing that more as of late. But I am reading again. I just read a great book called Brand of Magic: A Contemporary Witchy Novella by my fellow hopper Kim Jackways. It was what I have dubbed a “Tea-Cozy” witch story. I highly recommend it!
Note from Kate: I also loved Brand of Magic. Read my review here.
Kelsey There’s Something About KM
Reading became even more of an escape for me in the past year. It was certainly one of my best reading years in recent memory, especially when it came to listening to (Agatha Christie) audiobooks. My appreciation for this hobby certainly increased in the past year – whenever I needed a break from the other hobbies I started, reading was always there.
Vidya @ LadyInReadWrites
While I am not sure if the pandemic changed my reading habits, having my teens at home throughout has influenced my reading to an extent. For one, my older one and I try to read books together (each of us on our devices) and then discuss it on and off. We used to do this already but more often this past year. And this past year, I also participated as a round 1 judge for the Cybils Awards for the non-fiction category. This meant that I was in for a marathon reading session of nonfiction reads (From picture books to YA reads) – almost 200 of them in about 10 weeks. So that certainly changed my reading habits!
Has your reading changed since the start of the pandemic? Comment and let us know!
