Heeeeeellllo readers, it’s time for a Thanksgiving styled post – which as a British person doesn’t quite work but it’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for a Top Ten Tuesday post (run by the brilliant The Broke and the Bookish) so I’m going with it. The topic today is a free topic as long as it related to thanksgiving and being happy for the things that we have and I wanted to focus on something blogging related so with little delay – ten things I’m thankful for as a bookish bloggers.

1. It has opened my eyes to books I would never have considered before

In the past two of so years I have read books that  I would never have known about or bothered to ever pick up. Whether that’s the classics binge I’m currently going through or the YA books I fell in love with over the last six months,  without the bookish bloggging community and creating this blog I would never have read so many fantastic books.

2. Every day I am told about never fantastic books

This relates to the first but before my blog I never really had a TBR – I kinda just read willy nilly and read as and when I pleased. Now I’ve got a list that I can’t stop spiralling out of control and rather than being terrifed of it, I’m just bloody embracing it. Never before has my adoration of reading been so strong and that wouldn’t have happed without all of this.

3. Being taught to be proud of what I’m reading

Yearrrrrs ago we were on holiday, as a family, in the Lake District and at the cottage we were staying at they had a number of old and worn books – one being ‘Ps I love you by Ceclia Ahern.’ Mumma B told me it was trash but I read it and I thought it was perfection.

I struggled a lot with my reading likes/dislikes and since the blog I’ve learnt to embrace them – so what if some days all I want is an utterly trashy chick-lit, or I want to read a children’s book and look at all the gorgeous pictures. Blogging has allowed me not only to experience new genres and books but also be proud of what are a little like guilty pleasures.

4. The community.

I joined the bookish blogosphere to write really and I found that actually I’ve met some truly wonderful people who make me smile on a daily basis and share with me all of their wonderful bloggish bits. When I joined I was warned a little that blogging would be lonely but two years  or so later I feel more comforted than ever and hopefully I’ve been there for many of you to. My NY resolution is to participate more and comment more but I will – I promise you gorgeous readers.

5. Absolutely awesome authors

I still can’t believe how many utterly wonderful, talented, thoughtful and compassionate authors I have met over the last two years – whether through email, commenting on the blog or twitter I have read so many fantastic books and currently it’s so sad I’ve got too many to read because the list just keeps growing.

Thank you for writing all the fantastic books and letting have a nosy read inside.

6. It made me re-realise my love of reading again

Throughout university my love of reading plummeted – studying Philosophy/Media the number books, essays, magazines, studies, theories I was reading on a daily basis reading for pleasure became a bore rather something I enjoyed. I stopped reading for almost the entirety of my third year and  then when I graduated and started to take pride in the blog again my love of reading just blew up. I now review three books a week and dread to think how much of my time I spend reading. The blog really made me revalue the importance of reading in my life.

7. Opportunites

I say this often but the blog was really started just for somewhere to write about books – over the last six months to a year I’ve really started to push the blog to be more than that. Working with Penguin, shortlisting for Arachne Press, working with Invaluable and giving away tickets for the Stylist Live Event and meeting Caitlin Moran I’m only hoping to do more with MLBB over the next year – we’ll see.

8. Discussions

I think one of the best things about blogging is the discussions it creates – whether it’s about negative reviews or whether you did or didn’t like 50 shades it’s been such an eye opening  experience to participate in so many bookish discussions. I’ve never felt so passionate about some of my reader beliefs and many  have changed over the past two years but it’s the talk and chance to agree/disagree that I’ve liked so much.

9. Self-published authors

This links to a lot of my points but getting to work with so many self-publishes authors and help to bring their book to market has been really fun and really eye-opening. Many of the books that have really hit home for me and have made me think have been from self-published books. Unfortunately I still think they get a bad name and I hope at least a little I’ve helped to change that – one book at a time.

10. It’s given me my ‘thing.’

Although I’ve alway been someone who strives to experience everything I’ve never had a thing – I’ve never had something I am truly proud of, but I do now. I cannot imagine not writing here and I can’t imaging not having this as my space to air all my thoughts and that makes me feel utterly wonderful. I love writing, I love sitting down and just reviewing/adding images/ replying to comments it’s perfection. Gah I’m an utter blog addict.

Tried to not get too sappy there but I am so thankful to all your wonderful likers/commenters/emailiers/authors/readers. You’re all so goddamn fantastic – have a wonderful thanksgiving!