Ask me what I’ve been reading one week and it will be something completely different when you ask me the next. I’ve been noticing – from my book hauls, from my reviews, from my discussion posts – that I go through lots of different reading stages.
This time last year I couldn’t get enough of contemporary fiction and this inspired my blog name. I read book after book and wanted more and more. I tend to read more contemporary during the summer months and am edging away from it at the moment, not being able to think about the sun and characters lazing around on the beach when it’s pouring with rain and I’m wrapped up in my duvet.
Currently, I’m in the mood for classics. It’s a bit weird because I’ve never really felt like it before. I’m reading The Catcher in the Rye for school and have surprised myself by really enjoying it. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to read a classic a month, as it’s something I tried to do last year but failed. I have a few classics lined up so I’m keeping my fingers crossed it won’t just be something I do for five minutes and then forget about.
Sometimes I can’t help going through one of these phases. I can be influenced by the reviews I read or watch. Sometimes I’ll see a book pop up on Twitter or a blog countless times and believe it’s a sign so I have to buy the book. Most of the time they’re probably marketing campaigns… I’m influenced easily when it comes to books.
Other times I’ll read one book and then it puts me in a good mood, or I’ll read a book that I didn’t enjoy so I try to veer as far away from it as I can.
I’m not exactly sure where these trends come from. I can think long and hard about it, but I suppose I’ll have to have a conversation with my sub-conscious.
13 Comments
Chrissi Reads
15 January, 2014 at 6:33 amTwitter: ChrissiReads
I’m definitely influenced by what other people are reading or blogging about. It doesn’t mean I’ll drop what I’m reading, but it definitely makes me want to buy a book and possibly bump it up the list, if everyone is talking about it.
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Caroline Taylor
15 January, 2014 at 8:42 amI’m not overly concerned about trends, if I don’t like a genre I won’t start reading it because everybody else is loving a certain book, although obviously I do get lots of inspiration from blogs and twitter and quite often I’ll read a review on a blog and then immediately order the book.
Maya
15 January, 2014 at 10:15 amThat’s funny – just yesterday I was writing a post about my seasonal reading habits and how I like to read different books depending on what the weather’s like. So yes, I definitely go through different reading phases!
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Zoe @ Bookhi
15 January, 2014 at 12:40 pmI think most bookworm’s go through phases of reading. When I’m in the mood for a dystopian, I don’t reject other books so my book phases aren’t that obscure. I never plan monthly TBRs though because they ALWAYS fail! I could have an urge to pick up a classic one evening but decide against it because I’m reading something else, and that enthusiasm doesn’t return for ages.
So yeah, I’m not sure if that comment made sense. The ramblings of Zoe xD Great discussion, Lucy!
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Jesse Owen
15 January, 2014 at 1:07 pmI’m the same – I tend to be heavily influenced by what everyone else is raving about. If a type of book gets lots and lots of positive reviews those books invariably make their way to the top of my pile 🙂
Great discussion as always 🙂
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Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain
15 January, 2014 at 1:35 pmI totally agree with you. I go through so many different phases and I used to be obsessed with fantasy and dystopian books but now I’m on a serious contemporary kick like you were last year. I’m also trying to read more classics as well and I heard The Catcher in the Rye is actually a really good classic. Nice post, Lucy! <33
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Danielle
15 January, 2014 at 1:39 pmYeah I would definitely go through phases, I tend to read a certain genre and exhaust myself and then move on which is good in one way because I am then well versed in it but sucks because I’ve missed out on a lot of other great books in other genres and feel like I’m playing catch up. So this year I am trying to pick a different genre each time I start a new book to break that habit!
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Alise
15 January, 2014 at 6:54 pmYep! I am the exact same way except I think my tastes change from week to week. A year ago I refused to read any contemporary but now I find myself almost searching them out 🙂 Now I am definitely into fantasy!
Alise recently posted…ARC Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Amenah
15 January, 2014 at 7:11 pmThe one time I really let my reading tastes be influenced with the comings and goings of the industry was when Twilight came out. YES, I KNOW, I KNOW – I can feel you shunning me already…
But what that actually did was create a huge decline in how much I read and the enjoyment I got out of it; so much so that for a little while, I stopped reading altogether. It took a while to get out of the reading slump the boom in crappy paranormal romance YA literate gave me.
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Sunny A
16 January, 2014 at 2:29 amTwitter: A_SunnySpot
This is an interesting topic because there are so many different things that influence these different phases. But in other cases it can come down to something as simple as how were feeling at the time or our interest in a certain genre or a book. I’m definitely going for contemporary at the moment. Great post!
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Francoise
16 January, 2014 at 4:14 amOh I totally agree! I always go through fazes like one month it’s dystopia and the other it’s paranormal romances, and you’re right it really does depend on the season! Every reader can relate to this post! Great discussion.
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Kim @ My Only Sunshine
17 January, 2014 at 4:43 pmI definitely go through reading phases! One week I’ll be reading Contemporary Romances, then the next I can’t get enough of Dystopian. It depends on my mood and I’ve also found out that if I don’t switch it up I get burned out on genres really quickly.
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Kyra
18 January, 2014 at 7:49 amTwitter: Bookaholic007
Great post!
I also go through different reading phases. I try and set aside some books to read throughout the month but it doesn’t work so well as one day I could be in the mood to read a certain book, or a contemporary or that when I’ve set aside books for the month. But ja, I also definitely go through reading phases! 🙂
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