Friday, August 12, 2011

FOLLOW FRIDAY: MY RETURN

It's been so long since I participated in Parajunkee's Follow Friday! I love this week's question, which is basically, "How have your reading habits changed since you were a teen?"

To answer, I'm counting college as part of my teen years...after all, I was a lit major when I was 18-19 years old.

College taught me how to read with a pencil. To scour the books, underlining, making constant notes in the margins as I searched for potential test material or quotes for term papers. When I got out of school, finally, as a 24-year-old with a newly-minted master's degree, I still read with a pencil, looking to find out how successful, published authors got their stories on the page (I had to learn to write all over again following graduation; I sincerely believe there's a difference between academic fiction and mainstream / trade publishing fiction, but that's a post for another day).

Bloggers, though? Bloggers read with their gut. Bloggers respond to books on an emotional level, not just an intellectual level. They view characters as people they either connect with, want to befriend, or punch in the face.

I can't turn off the writer in me; I can't completely silence the margin-note-taker. But more and more, I find myself letting my emotions come into play now when I read, too...And that's definitely allowing me to continue to grow as a writer...

New followers, post comments below so I can head straight over to your own blogs!

16 comments:

  1. Happy Follow Friday! I'm a first time follower. Just jumping around, and checking out all the amazing blogs out there! Follow Follow Follow! Lol I think I like this a bit too much! : )

    Feel free to check out mine: http://booklove101.blogspot.com/

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  2. Hi there, new follower here, returning the follow! :)

    Love your blog and I absolutely love your answer! Have a great weekend!

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  3. Oh my god, I totally didn't realize you wrote Playing Hurt!! I loved that book!!! And I told my sister to read it and she loved it too!!! I'm a new follower :)

    Great answer!! I always write my reviews about how I felt and I often get really mad or really happy in books I love.

    Here's my FF!

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  4. Hi! Happy Friday! :D
    I'm a new follower, hehe. This is my Follow Friday. Please feel free to pass by and have a look and, if you like it, follow me back ;)

    Hope you have a great weekend!

    Alaiel

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  5. Thanks so much for the follow, guys! And Jessica, thanks so much for loving PLAYING HURT!

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  6. Hey! Thanks for stopping by my blog! =) I am following you as well! I was so shocked to see that you commented and followed me! =o LOVED Playing Hurt and I have a review on my blog if you haven't already seen it:

    http://www.ibbookblogging.com/2011/04/review-playing-hurt-by-holly-schindler.html

    =D

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  7. hey Happy Follow friday Just wanted to say if you want to check out my WEBSITE at

    http://TheReaderLeader.blogspot.com

    :D

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  8. Great post! I really enjoyed reading it :)

    I'm now following you!! :)
    Here's my post: http://tiny.cc/lfcup

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  9. Happy Follow Friday!

    That was a very insightful post! I think what you're saying about book bloggers is true -- we do tend to read on a very emotional level. On the other hand, I do think that the intellectual aspect comes into play when we write a review, since we have to analyze such things as plot and characterization.

    You know, I haven't done the margin-notetaking thing myself since college. Perhaps I should go back to it!

    Thanks for your very interesting comments!

    Here's my FF post:
    http://anightsdreamofbooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/follow-my-book-blog-friday-hop-6.html

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  10. Bailey, I'm thrilled you loved PLAYING HURT! And Maria, you are SO right when you mention the analysis of plot and characterization. I've been reading my own reviews since my debut released, and I have to say, I have learned a TON from insightful book bloggers.

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  11. Hi, again! Just wanted to add that I will also be checking out your books! And thank you SO much for following back!! : )

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  12. So remind me never to loan you a book. =)

    Here's mine: http://www.stuckinbooks.com/2011/08/follow-friday-8-12-11.html

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  13. Thanks for stopping my blog; I definitely read with my gut, reacting in the moment to how I feel about a character and how I hope it affects my blogging friends when they read the same book.

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  14. Thank you so much for coming by my blog and for letting me know about your author blog! I love discovering new authors and I will make sure my YA daughter stops by to read more on your books. if I know her (grin) she'll have your books by the end of the night! ;-)

    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Talina

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  15. LOVE to hear about new readers picking up my books, Talina!

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  16. Hello! I am your newest follower from the Friday Blog Hop. I would love it if you would follow back at one or all of my blogs :)

    www.singleparentretreat.com
    http://singlemamachallenges.blogspot.com/
    www.motherdaughterconnex.com

    Have a great day!

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