Let me preface this by saying that I am not new to blogging. I had a blog for many years that I shut down in 2014. When I’m feeling nostalgic, I look at it on the Wayback Machine.It was pretty successful, had sponsorships, and was in a totally different genre than where I’m at now.
I started blogging again as a relatively cheap hobby. I also wanted to scratch my itch to write poorly and talk to myself. Because, let’s face it, only four months in, that’s basically what I’m doing here. Heck, maybe that will never change…and that’s okay.
A ten-year hiatus is a long time. Things change. Book blogging is new to me, and I’m still learning. Let’s discuss some of the things I’m going to change—along with some I’m not.
What I’m Changing
Long-Form Book Reviews
Sometimes you don’t know you don’t like something until you try it. I’ve found out that I don’t like long-form book reviews. I agonize over them and am never satisfied with the result. I want to help out authors as much as possible, but let’s face it: I’m not a literary critic. All of my book reviews are based on feelings—big, over-the-top feels.
We’re talking about moments when I literally jump up and clap my hands excitedly during a really good part of a book. And, no, I’m not using “literally” metaphorically. If I do that even once, that’s a five-star review. I doubt there are professional book reviewers who base their ratings on whether or not they clap their hands.
What I’m going to do instead:
I’ll write mini book reviews as part of reading wrap-ups, most likely monthly. I like the idea of having flexibility in my reading rather than meeting deadlines for weekly review posts.
What I’m Keeping
I enjoy working with publicity companies like JustRead! Publicity Tours, as well as, individual authors to promote their works.This may involve long-form book reviews, and I’m willing to put in the effort for those. Life isn’t black and white, so my self-imposed blogging “rules” don’t have to be, either.
Top Ten Tuesday
At first, I was intimidated by TTT. Sometimes I take things very literally—I’m a rule follower, after all. But once I started interacting with everyone and seeing the variety of posts, I realized there isn’t a “right” or “wrong” way to participate. You don’t even have to follow the prompt if it doesn’t speak to you. That said, I try to follow it as closely as I can. Rules, ya know.
The Sunday Post
I adore this little recap at the end of the week. I love seeing what everyone is up to. Along with practical book blogging updates, we get a glimpse into each other’s lives. It’s just a fun way to connect, and I can’t imagine ever giving it up. Although, you should never say never.
What I’m Adding
Before We Jump In…
I’m not planning on changing my blog name. I like it, and it matches my my Bookstagram handle. However, in full transparency, my URL is carlabruns.com because I want the flexibility to change my blog name anytime. Also, some thief stole my old URL and is holding it hostage for $1,000. It’s been ten years—free my URL!
Books will still make up the majority of my posts, so I feel confident calling this a “book blog.” However, the new content I’m adding relates, in a roundabout way, to my love of Amish romance. Here’s what I’m adding:
Kitchen Chronicles
I enjoy cooking and baking. Basically, I pretend I’m an Amish housewife on the weekends. An Amish housewife who breaks the rules by watching a lot of TV. In my imagination, this TV runs on propane and only plays my favorite shows without the internet. But I digress. Occasionally, I like to talk about food, so I’m going to!
Yarn Tales
I love knitting, attempting to crochet (a.k.a. making misshapen chains I then frog), and looming. I’ll talk about these hobbies when I feel like it—probably more in cooler months since I tend to knit more when it’s cold and read more when it’s warm. If I pick up other fiber arts, like macramé or cross-stitch, I’ll write about those, too.
Life & Lore
This is where I’ll yammer on about whatever pops into my head, much like I’m doing now. I also reserve the right to wax poetic about my cats. Because it’s my blog, and I can write what I want to.
In a very short time, I’ve come to enjoy this bookish community. I hope you enjoy this little mix of hobbies I’ll be sharing. Here’s to a wonderful 2025!
Comments are my love language.