Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger Easier

“Top Ten Tuesday” is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is the Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger Easier.

As always, these choices are listed in no particular order.

1) Goodreads

Goodreads really is a reader and blogger’s best friend. Whether I’m using it to track my progress with a certain reading goal, catch up with what my friends are reading, or endlessly searching through their database for new books to add to my ever-growing ‘To-Be-Read’ list, Goodreads is an indispensable resource I can’t imagine having to live without!

2) Chapters Indigo

There is no other company that I rely more heavily on than Chapters Indigo when it comes to purchasing new books. With free shipping and packages that invariably arrive within a day or two of my online order, I might as well own stock in the company at this point for all I’ve spent there over the years. Whether I’m shopping in store or online, I know Chapters will always have competitive prices, a vast selection, and stock the books I want most.

3) Amazon.com

There are few things I enjoy more than endlessly pursuing Amazon.com‘s Kindle Daily Deals. I can’t be the only who experiences a thrill when they stumble upon a particularly exciting or significant sale! Given that I’ve imposed a ten dollar limit on the books I’ll purchase for Kindle (If they cost any more than that, I reason I might as well own a physical copy that I can admire on my bookshelves afterward) it’s safe to say that the majority of books currently found on my Kindle were discovered through one of Amazon.com’s many sales.

4) Bookmarks

Given that I absolutely refuse to dog-ear or mark my books in any manner, bookmarks are invaluable when it comes to saving my place while reading. Even though I have a bad habit of losing my bookmarks and using any available loose piece of paper I’m able to find lying around (i.e. Receipts, bills, etc) having the ability to save my place without creating any permanent damage to my books is extremely important to me and allows me to avoid the anxiety that would inevitably follow should this not be the case. What do you mean I’m neurotic?

5) Sticky Notes

I’ve spent more money on these since becoming a book blogger than I would ever care to admit. Who knew that a simple office supply would become an absolute staple when it came to my review process? There is no better way for me to mark a quotation I want to later include in a review than by using what some might call an obscene amount of post-it flags. You don’t want to see a book I’ve read immediately afterward – They always end up looking a little like a display of the flags of the United Nations!

6) Journals

Speaking of essential parts of my review process, I rely on notebooks and journals to take extensive notes while I’m reading. These notes can range anywhere from random words or phrases that I think of to describe a character or event, my initial impressions of what I’m reading, or can be complete sentences I’ve composed that I want to be sure I’ll remember to include in my review. I’ve always had a weakness for beautifully decorated notebooks and I’m happy I’ve finally found a legitimate excuse to indulge myself every now and again! It’s a necessity, right?

7) Twitter

Had you asked me only a couple of months ago, I never would have imagined I would use Twitter half as much as I do now. In fact, before the launch of Pop! Goes The Reader, I had never been on Twitter at all! The entire process confused me, and as a rather shy, introverted person, the idea of making new friends and forcing myself to put myself out there and join into various conversations seemed like the most difficult thing in the world. Thankfully, I was proven wrong on all counts, and now have a wonderful group of friends I look forward to chatting with on a regular basis! Moreover, I’ve found that Twitter is wonderful for creating interest in book reviews and new blogs posts, and I love using it to promote my fellow book bloggers’ work as well.

8) Book Blogs

Book blogs are an invaluable resource, both when it comes to reading and blogging. As a reader, I rely on book blogs to help determine whether or not a certain book is the right choice for me or to expose me to a work I might not have otherwise heard of. As a blogger, I often find other people’s book blogs a source of inspiration for my own. Whether it’s Jamie’s ability at The Perpetual Page-Turner to consistently come up with the most inventive ideas for posts or Bree’s enviable ability at All The Books I Can Read to post a review nearly every day, I find my fellow blogger’s work inspires me to strive more with Pop! Goes The Reader and continue to work to make it the best book blog I can create.

9) Imagination

It might seem a little strange or silly to include on the list, but I think a good imagination is a key component of being a reader. I know that it has certainly made my own personal reading experience infinitely easier and more enjoyable! Suspension of disbelief is often a pre-requisite for reading, and allowing myself to become completely immersed in a story, despite a rather fantastical setting or set of implausible circumstances, will always improve my reading experience. While I do think critically while I’m reading, I believe having the ability to sometimes set that aside and allow a story to sweep me away can transform a good novel into a great novel, depending on an author’s ability to inspire such a reaction in me.

10) Kindle

Given how firmly opposed I was to digital eReaders when I first received my Kindle as a present, I never could have imagined how much I would grow to love and rely on it over the ensuing years. While I will always prefer the experience of reading a physical print book in either hardback or paperback form, there’s certainly something to be said for the convenience of a Kindle, or an eReader in general. Lightweight and easily portable, my Kindle has made it infinitely easier to travel in that it allows me the ability to carry hundreds of books around with me at all times, and has proven invaluable when it comes to combatting my inability to pack light and avoid those dreaded baggage weight allowances. I also appreciate how easy it is to highlight specific passages or quotes, which is extremely helpful when it comes time to draft my reviews.

33 Responses

  1. I totally agree with #4 and #10.
    I asked for a kindle for christmas because I’m going to the US on vacation and well I can’t travel with 10 real books 😀
    Never thought I would love it as much as I do.

    Going to follow you on twitter now 🙂

    1. I couldn’t agree more re: Kindle. I was given my Kindle as a gift and was initially reluctant to use it as I worried it was some sort of ‘betrayal’ to the physical, print books I loved so much. A European cruise quickly cured me of that! 😆 After being nailed with an exorbitant fee because my baggage was overweight because of all the books I had packed and purchased along the way, I soon learned that the Kindle is a reader’s best friend, especially when it comes to travelling. Having the ability to carry around a vast number of books in such a small, convenient package truly is invaluable.

      Thanks for adding me on Twitter, Barbs! 😀 It’s always a pleasure to chat with you.
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger EasierMy Profile

  2. To be honest, your blog is one of the blogs that inspired me a lot eventhough its still new, Jen 🙂
    Journals is important for me too! I use it almost for everything, write random things, listing books that I still need to read/review, remembering quotes to use on my review (eventhough when I’m very, very lazy, I just go on Goodreads, go on the quotes page, and put any quote from the book. Goodread is awesome like that! 😉
    Tirta @ I Prefer Reading recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life as a Blogger/Reader EasierMy Profile

    1. Oh my goodness, Tirta, I can’t tell you how much your comment means to me! *Hugs* Thank you 😀

      I don’t go anywhere without my reading journal. I like to jot down thoughts, impressions, etc as I read, otherwise there’s a good likelihood I’ll forget it by the time I sit down to write my review 😆 I have a fairly terrible memory.
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger EasierMy Profile

  3. I keep losing bookmarks too! I’m thankful I can usually remember the part I left off so I don’t really need to result to book damaging tactics haha. (I had a friend who left her pencil as a bookmark, putting the book in her bag as she rode home, and when she opened it, there were light scribbles on the pages. She ranted for five whole minutes about this. I laughed at her.) So far, Goodreads, sticky notes, book blogs and ereaders are things we have in common. It’s cool you added imagination! Mine isn’t that vivid but it does enhance the reading experience. 🙂
    Hazel recently posted…Review: Letters To NowhereMy Profile

    1. Oh goodness. I would have been livid if I managed to get pencil markings all over one of my books! (Yes, I’m one of those people) 😆

      I think sometimes being able to put critical thinking aside to a certain extent and immersing yourself in the story is one of the best things you can do as a reader 🙂 Imagination certainly helps with that!
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger EasierMy Profile

  4. You know I’ve tried taking notes on a journal for reviews and I just can’t get that to work for me. Sticky notes do work better for me but I don’t do that too often. But anytime I have to stop to write something down it takes me out of the story so I don’t do it too often because of that reason as well.

    I agree with you on Goodreads, Amazon, my ereaders, twitter, book blogs!! <333
    Jess @ Gone with the Words recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Things That Make My Life As A Reader/Book Blogger EasierMy Profile

    1. I definitely understand where you’re coming from re: taking notes while reading. While it does sometimes disrupt the pace and overall flow of the story, I don’t know that I could do without it. I’ll often have a fleeting thought that I want to remember when it comes time to review, but if I don’t write it down immediately, chances are I will simply not remember it!
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger EasierMy Profile

    1. I do think a balance of the two (i.e. imagination and critical thinking) is the ideal situation. If I’m being honest, there are times when I’ve seen certain people who seem determined to go into a novel with a certain mindset before they’ve even begun reading, which really does a disservice to the book. I find that if you’re not willing to fully immerse yourself in the story, even if that does require a certain suspension of disbelief, you likely won’t get the full experience. I think being open to allowing your imagination to run away with the story is one of the best things you can do 🙂
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger EasierMy Profile

  5. First I had to stop clicking all over your BEAUTIFUL blog before I could take a moment to breath and focus on this post 😉 I’m also a new follower!

    Chapters Indigo is great isn’t it? I love their new ship to store feature too, so if I don’t have enough $ to spend $25 to get free shipping, I can still get it, even if I have to wait a few more days.

    I’ve found the best bookmarks are cloth ones! I’m less likely to lose them for some reason and they hold up for years!

    Love your inclusion of imagination and all you said about it!

    Overall, great list! Here’s what helps make blogging & reading easier for me!

  6. Such a good list!
    Funny you bring up the dogears. I dogear like it is my job. hahaha I go back and forth with taking notes while I read. I like it because it keeps me from forgetting thoughts, etc., but sometimes I feel like it takes away from simply enjoying the book. That is where my dogearring comes into play… if anything jumps out at me.. whether it is a steamy scene, a quote, whatever.. DOGEAR! haha BUT… this has become a problem for when I choose to give it away… who wants a book loaded with someone elses dogears? haha
    You are so right about book blogs. I am so thankful for them! It keeps me up to date on everything bookish!

    1. Thanks, Betty!

      So, essentially, you’re my worst nightmare 😆 Just kidding! I’ve always been really anal about that sort of thing (Cleanliness, organization, etc) so I guess it should be no surprise to me that it extends to my book and reading habits as well. There’s nothing that gets me like a dog-eared book. I don’t even crack the spines on mine! 😛

      I do agree with your comment about taking notes – As invaluable as they are to me in the review process, I do find that it can disrupt the pace and flow of a story and it becomes a little tiresome having to stop and write something down when I’m in the middle of a particularly good scene. That said, I can’t think of any way around it, as with my rubbish memory, it’s really my only choice!
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Top Ten Things That Make My Life As A Reader & Blogger EasierMy Profile

    1. No worries! I constantly feel as though I’m playing ‘catch up’ during the weekends after a particularly busy week at work when I’m unable to comment as much as I like.

      Sticky notes really are an irreplaceable part of my review process – I don’t know what I would do without them!

      Thank you so much for taking the time to comment 🙂 It means so much to me and I really appreciate it 🙂
      Jen @ Pop! Goes The Reader recently posted…Review: On The Island by Tracey Garvis-GravesMy Profile

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Hi! I’m Jen! I’m a thirty-something introvert who loves nothing more than the cozy comfort of home and snuggling my two rescue cats, Pepper and Pancakes. I also enjoy running, jigsaw puzzles, baking and everything Disney. Few things bring me more joy than helping a reader find the right book for them!

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