Hiatus: See You In December!

I wish I didn’t have to do this. In fact, I’ve wracked my brain over the last week to think of any way it could be avoided. Unfortunately, at this point is seems inescapable.

As you might have noticed, Pop! Goes The Reader was strangely silent last week. While this was primarily because I was fighting off a bad case of bronchitis, I was also in the process of beginning what I hope will be a fun tribute to my favourite holiday – My tentatively named ‘Cool Yule’ Christmas feature set for December. As my plans grew and my to-do list expanded, however, I quickly realized that executing this would take more time and effort than I had previously allotted. Which is why I’ll be taking the much-needed next three weeks in order to plan and prepare.

When I first launched Pop! Goes The Reader back in June, I was unemployed and had little trouble reading and reviewing at least three books a week, and foolishly imagined this would always be the case. As it stands now, I’m currently working full-time in a position that monopolizes much of my time and energy and I’m lucky if I’m able to review even one novel a week. I’ve fallen woefully behind in replying to comments left on Pop! Goes The Reader as well as finding time to read the blogs I follow regularly. This is something I’ve struggled to reconcile myself with as I’ve never been particularly adept at admitting weakness or failure, and I can’t help but feel that my inability to plan ahead, manage my time and properly organize my blog is evidence of both. Even after close to six months, blogging is an entirely new experience for me and a continual learning process. It has proven to be one of the most challenging, demanding, and ultimately most rewarding experiences of my short twenty-five years, and I wouldn’t change it for an instant.

While I’m ultimately taking the next three weeks off in order to prepare for the month-long ‘Cool Yule’ celebration and series of posts I have planned for the month of December, I would also like to take this time to take a step backward and adjust both my priorities and my expectations when it comes to blogging. I see both myself and my blog as a continual work in progress, and would like to find a method that works best for me as I often feel as though I haven’t yet found my footing.

Trust me when I say that were there any other way, I would happily choose it. Unfortunately, if I have any hope of completing at least half of what I have planned for December, I’ll need the next few weeks in order to properly prepare. While I worry about disappointing my regular readers, I can only hope everyone will understand. I look forward to coming back rested and well-read in December! See you then! 😀