Playing by the book

Reviews of kids' books and the crazy, fun stuff they inspire us to do

BBAW – All about reading and readers

Posted on | September 15, 2011 | 8 Comments

Today’s theme for BBAW is readers and reading. Book bloggers blog because we love reading, and I think it’s also fair to say that we love readers – readers of books with whom we can chat about our passion, and of course readers of our own blogs.

BBAW posed some questions to participants for today and I’ll answer them below as if being interviewed, and then to round the post off I have some questions for you as readers of this blog :-)

BBAW: Has book blogging changed the way you read?


Pbtb: Yes! I’m much better about reading both to my kids and for myself as a result of the blog. Wanting to always share the most interesting and beautiful books with my readers means I’m more focussed and energetic about looking for new books than before I blogged. As a result of blogging I’m much better informed about the children’s literature scene and am not just relying on memories of books I enjoyed as a kid.


BBAW: Have you discovered books you never would have apart from book blogging?


Pbtb: Absolutely! Bricks and mortar bookshops and even online bookshops are great for browsing but nothing beats a personal recommendation from a book blogger. Reviews on book blogs tend to be a little more heartfelt than professional reviews and I really appreciate this personal touch. Also, picture books don’t receive many reviews in the printed press, so reading blogs and researching my own posts is a wonderful way to discover new books I might otherwise never have heard of.


BBAW: How has book blogging affected your book acquisition habits?


Pbtb: BADLY. At least when it comes to our bank balance. Although I’m most grateful to be in a position where I now regularly get offered books for free for review, I still buy an awful lot of books, particularly books from North America. US/Canadian books are rarely to be found in my library system and so these quite often end up being ordered through my letter box. Fortunately I’m quite happy to have socks with holes in them if it means I can have books in my hands and head.

BBAW: Have you made new connections with other readers because of book blogging?


Pbtb: Book blogging gave me the confidence to approach my girls’ school about reading for fun to classes of kids on a voluntary basis. These sessions have been so much fun! These 5/6/7 year old readers are enthusiastic and honest and their energy and interest in books inspires me everytime I read to them. It’s really brilliant to have this opportunity to connect with young readers and the readers of the future.



And now a couple of questions from me to you, my blog readers…

I’m thinking of changing a few things here on the blog and would love to know what you think about my ideas, whether they’re good, bad or of no consequence. If you’ve the time to complete a short survey, I’d really appreciate your input.

If you’ve got any requests for making this blog more enjoyable or useful to read please let me know your thoughts!

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Comments

8 Responses to “BBAW – All about reading and readers”

  1. Trisha
    September 15th, 2011 @ 2:54 pm

    My husband always jokes that I would give up a meal a day to buy a book. He’s probably right!

  2. Julie @ MyBookRetreat
    September 15th, 2011 @ 6:16 pm

    I find myself checking the new books shelf in the children’s section at the library a lot more now and it’s been great for my kids. Reading to the school kids sounds like fun!

  3. Kailana
    September 15th, 2011 @ 8:57 pm

    Yes, book buying is very bad on my bank account, too… The occasional review copy is a good thing, that’s for sure!

  4. Zoe
    September 15th, 2011 @ 9:09 pm

    Hi Trisha, ooh, food and books probably tie in terms of how much enjoyment they give us in this home, but what a great way to diet – treat yourself to a book instead of an indulgent meal.

  5. Zoe
    September 15th, 2011 @ 9:10 pm

    Hi Julie, Yes I use my library a lot more too since I started blogging, especially the facility to order books online. That makes life much easier.

  6. Zoe
    September 15th, 2011 @ 9:10 pm

    H Kailana, I think I once made it to the 17th of the month without buying any books, but I’ve never managed to spare the bank balance for a whole month as far as I can remember!

  7. Anastasia @ Birdbrain(ed) Book Blog
    September 15th, 2011 @ 11:33 pm

    I hear you about spending lots of money on buying interesting books upon the recommendation of fellow bloggers! I had to ban myself completely from buying them for a few months because my TBR pile had gotten so out of hand.

  8. Zoe
    September 16th, 2011 @ 6:18 am

    Well done Anastasia if you did manage to ban yourself from buying! I try every month and always fail :-(

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