Top Ten Tuesday (89)

Top Ten Things That Make Blogging Easier/Better For Me

I actually had a hard time coming up with my list for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, friends. But I think that’s more a function of just a few things making a BIG difference, rather than lots of little things affecting me a teeny bit.

So I need to get better at actually COMMENTING on the blogs I follow on Bloglovin’ and Feedly, but being able to organize the blogs I follow makes it so much easier for me to keep track of things. I especially like the Bloglovin’ feature where you can scroll through the unread posts on a particular site through the bar on top. I like the way you can manipulate the order a little bit.

This would actually be more helpful if I kept with it and, you know, USED IT. I always talk about getting more organized and scheduled with my posting, and when I do manage to update my schedule, it helps me so much. Eventually, though, I forget for a few days or veer off-calendar for one thing or another and it all goes to pot.

My library is small, but it has a pretty decent YA section, and really good middle grade. The audiobooks are good, and they participate in Overdrive ebook lending, which is pretty awesome. As much as I would like to be able to buy ALL THE BOOKS to read and review on my blog, that’s basically just a dream. The library is where it’s AT.

For real, sometimes blogging is stressful. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. A lot of the time, it’s exciting and awesome and I want to share my experiences with people who get me. Blogging friends are AWESOME for that stuff. But most importantly, one of the things that makes blogging so wonderful for me is that I’ve made friends I can talk to about things completely unrelated to blogging, and being able to shoot the shizz with them makes the harder parts easier and the best parts better. Not just for blogging, either.

I just recently–within the last few months, maybe–started taking hand-written notes of the books I read so that I’m not totally lost when I write my reviews. I snatched up some Moleskines and I take my notes there. I carry one in my purse all the time so I can jot stuff down whenever it occurs to me. These help me tons when I’m writing my reviews.

Ever since I discovered this image editing site, I’ve become ADDICTED. I don’t have any kind of Photoshop on my computer, so I have to rely on this free site for my graphics. LOVE IT.

Little bit of an unapologetic Amazon girl right here. I’ve been an Amazon Prime member since they started it, and it remains one of the best things that I pay for. I more than make up for the annual fee I pay, and it gets me two-day shipping on basically EVERYTHING, plus free TV shows and movies and stuff. I have instant gratification problems as well, so that two-day shipping thing is LEGIT.

Seriously, if I didn’t have my kindle, I wouldn’t get to read half the books I read. Plus, most importantly, it means that I can always have a book to read on me because I can just throw my Kindle into my purse. Another bonus? I can own books without having to hide a package or find shelf or pile-space for another print book. (Even though, let’s be serious: I’d pick a print book over an ebook any day of the week.)

Ever since I started listening to audiobooks in earnest, I’ve become a BIG, BIG fan of Audible credits, and an even bigger fan of the SYNC audiobook series, where a YA title and a classic audiobook are available FOR FREE. Free audiobooks are just about the best thing ever, since full bust-out retail for audiobooks is A LOT.  Being able to listen to audio has expanded my reading experiences and given me more things to blog about! YAY!

WHEW. I know this was one of the examples, but it’s SO important to my blogging. I would literally be able to keep track of NOTHING without it. I wouldn’t know what books I needed to read, what reviews I need to work on, or what books I’m really excited about (well, maybe that I could keep track of on my own). Plus, I love interacting with people there and seeing what all my friends are reading. And we can recommend things to each other! That’s one of the best parts.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted byThe Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every week, the lovely ladies over there post a topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and MAKE A LIST. WORD.