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Changes in Reading Habits | Discussion

Nov 21, 2018

When I starting blogging here at Angel Reads, I only read YA fantasy/supernatural. I had been reading it since I was 12 and many of my reading habits didn’t change. Then I joined the world of book blogging and was introduced to a new side of YA. A new side that I didn’t know too much about and didn’t know what books to read it. It was YA contemporary. And although I was reading it, I kept on going back to YA fantasy and supernatural. It’s where I found my solace, where I was able to just go away from the world.

Then a couple of years ago, I fell into the world of New Adult and Romance and I was gone. I’m now reading more romance books than ever before. I think because my life is just so busy now, that being able to finish a book in a couple of hours, is great. I’ve found that with romance books, I don’t need to stress or try and remember all the characters and layers of the world. I can just sit down and relax. I’ve spoken about reading more romance books in more detail before, but ever since then, I’ve read more and more romance.

There is a lot of factors in my changes in reading habits and it’s just not the fact that I am reading more romance. So I thought that today I would talk about changes in reading habits.

Annie Spratt

Changes in Reading Habits

I’ve really thought that I would sway about from reading YA fantasy and supernatural. I had been reading it for so long and loving it that it just stuck with me. I would try and read other genre’s, but I always seemed to go back to read it. This has a lot of this had to do with me being in high school at the time. My friendship group read, but not like me. So I had no one really to talk to about trying different books. When I made Angel Reads, it was the first time I was really exposed to other genres on a regular basis. Reviews of new books were easier for me to find, people that I trusted were reading different things to me and I was going into bookstores and book sections more. This let me see a whole different side to YA.

After I finished high school, I went straight into a writing and editing course at university. So you can imagine the range of books that I was reading, hearing about, and getting recommended. And while even then I was falling back into YA, I was branching out on what I was reading YA. But it was a great way to see and hear people’s thoughts on different books. But reading YA was looked down on and that was a struggle. And while I didn’t care all that much, it was hard to recommend books that I loved, because not many people thought about even picking them, up.

It was probably before even university that I discovered Katie McGarry and I am so glad that I did. She was able to introduce me to a whole new genre of romance and gosh I am glad that I started. What I love about Katie McGarry was that she was on the border of YA and NA romance, so it was easy for me to transition into reading NA romance. Then I started reading Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy, and Rebecca Yarros’ New Adult books and again it just grabbed me, and then I wanted to read more of these so I moved into their adult romance. It all flowed naturally, and I wasn’t just thrown into the deep end of romance. Which can be scary and different sometimes. And now I probably read way more romance than I do YA – and I don’t’ mind it.

I think for a while I was getting bored with YA. It was just everything was reading the same and I wanted something new and different. I ended up only reading the same authors because I just didn’t know what to read next. But I think that this last year has seen something happen in YA, that I am so happy about. It’s like it’s been rejuvenated and I am slowly starting to read more and more.

Something else that has changed my reading habits is the fact the last year and a half I’ve worked in a bookstore. I see new books come in nearly every day and sometimes things catch my eye, that I never thought I would. I’ve read more adult books this last year and a half than I have my whole life. And that’s saying something. Adult books never caught my eye, all the ways that I ever saw just bored me. But I did pick some up, after being recommended by both co-workers and customers. In saying that, most of the ones I have read have been historical fiction, but you get my drift.

It’s scary changing what you read, to be honest. Like I said I will always love YA, but reading different genre’s and readerships has made me love books even more.

João Silas

Don’t be afraid

I don’t know what the point of this post really is, other than to say; it’s okay to branch out on what you normally read. It’s okay to blog about different genre’s and readerships. And it’s alright for your reading habits to grow with you. I will love YA forever, I will never, ever let it go. It embodies a lot of my values and it explores diversity in a way that makes me excited. Being able to recommend teens new and exciting books at work, is what makes my day. Seeing their faces light up when they find a book they might light – it gets to me.

So don’t be afraid to read what you want. Don’t be afraid to blog about that aren’t your usual thing. And while it might be a set back at first blogging wise, I am so much happier now, blogging about YA and romance. I get to talk about all the books I love in one place, because in the end Angel Reads, is about what me, Angel is reading.

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Have your reading habits changed over time? Why do you think they changed? Is there a moment or book in your life that did change what you read? Let’s Chat!

Dicussion: Reading on Wattpad

Apr 14, 2016

I like reading on Wattpad. There I said it, it’s out. I am not ashamed that I do, but I never really talk about it. I have been thinking about this lately, I am a book reviewer who reads books on Wattpad.

If you don’t know what, what Wattpad is, it’s a website where you can post your novels/short stories/really whatever you want. But with social aspects, you can vote on stories, comment, add to your libraries and connect with authors in ways that you cannot do with traditional published and even self-published authors.

I personally think that Wattpad is a pretty amazing website, there are some incredible stories on there, and some that I wish were published because they are that good.

There are many aspects of Wattpad that are really good. One of those is that you get to read the novels as they are written. On Wattpad, you upload chapter by chapter. I like seeing how an author can create a story as they go, how they work with loopholes, how they fix those loopholes. It’s interesting, how someone can write chapter upload it and then write the next chapter and so on.

It is also really easy to navigate and use. You can use both your laptop and the mobile app and they are in-sync with each other. You get notifications when you a story is updated if it’s in your library or you follow the author.

Also, if you have opened the story on your phone or it’s in your library – you can read it offline on the app.

There are also some stories that have been picked up for publishing – some that have done quite well.

Angelfall by Susan Ee and the After series by Anna Todd – were both picked up and traditionally published and there are many more.

I find that contemporary is better written on Wattpad simply because there is no real need for world building. I do have some favourites though, these two writers are quite good.

Knightsrachel: Two of my favourite stories from her are My Brothers Best Friend and Jefferson Lake. These two have both been finished so if you want to read it all – you can.

Another writer that I really like is GinaWriter, her novel Boot Camp – which is now being published by Pulse.

Another thing that I like about Wattpad is that you get to see people deal with the same things in a different way in one place and see how people react to it.

One thing about Wattpad that I know I would like if I was posting on there is the feedback. You get feedback on every chapter and for a writer who wants to be published, it’s really good. – sometimes the feedback is upsetting, but that is what a writer has to deal with.

With all these good things there are some con’s about Wattpad.

There are some horribly written books. Like really bad that I want to cry about. The way I go about choosing a book is I read the synopsis and then the first chapter – that normally tells me if I want to continue reading. Sometimes I do this multiple times before I find a book that I want to read.

Some are not edited at all, and those are the books that I want to just rip apart – but I don’t because I know that is what you sometimes get when reading books on Wattpad.

Overall, I really do enjoy reading books on Wattpad. It is a different experience, but always fun. I don’t like when people say that because they are not ‘published’ stories or that they are not well written – yes some are, however there are some amazing stories on there that are very much publishable.

Do you read on Wattpad? What are some of your favourite stories on Wattpad? Will, do you read on Wattpad? Let’s Chat.

I AM BACK!

Nov 11, 2014

Well as the title says I am back! I could not be more excited about it. So if you didn’t know I was on a short hiatus, okay yes it was like 2 months but in those 2 months I had my practice exam, graduated from high school and today finally after 13 years of school, I have finished. (yes, yes I still have University but it’s different.)

I could not be happy that I am finished, It’s been a long year and after 3 weeks of 6 exams my fingers are blistered, my hands hurt and my room is a mess with everything everywhere but I am so glad that it is over.

I never really realised how much blogger impacted my life, it’s been so hard not being able to blog and talk to you all about books. I have also only read 1 book in those 2 months and only because I needed a break.

Blogging has become my life the last 2 years and not being able to do it the last 2 months has been crazy and I am so glad that I am back. It’s time to read and review and just have too much fun. I have so many exciting things to come and some really awesome features that I cannot wait to start. But for now it is time to party and just be all crazy…about books.

Credit

I also turn 18 this months so that is something else that I am looking forward to this month.

The next couple of weeks might be crazy me getting back into the grove of things, reviewing the books that I read before I went on hiatus and didn’t get to review a whole heap of stuff but I am excited to be back and I hope that you are too.

xx Angel