The question of what to do with books that I do not finish (DNF) has been an ongoing one since I started writing mini-reviews of a few sentences in a notebook just for me. My process continues to change, but I thought I’d share how I currently go about it.
To this day, my original Goodreads Tips and Tricks post is one of my top posts. I’ve continued to use those features, and I’ve also picked up several more in the interim that I’ll be sharing with you today. As always, feel free to skim for what’s new and exciting to you!
(I know that these days a lot of people are using Storygraph instead of, or in addition to, Goodreads — and I do think Storygraph is great! But since it’s taking me some time to make the transition, and there are plenty of people still on Goodreads, I hope this post is still helpful.)
To my Asian and Asian-American siblings: I see you. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. We matter, and we deserve better.
To my non-Asian friends: Thank you to those who have reached out and expressed support. Thank you to those who have been allies even before now, and to those who are confronting misbeliefs and bigotry. There’s still a lot of work to do.
As you might know, I really like creating systems for things I do frequently and repeatedly, to make my life just a bit easier. Taking reading notes is one of them, as something I do with just about every book I read.
For over a year, I’ve been tweaking and testing this process until it became what it is today. While I wouldn’t say that I have it down to a science, I’ve created something that works quite well for me.
This is actually a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while, but at long last I’m sharing it with y’all in the hopes it might inspire someone else.
There’s a lot going on in the world right now — well, there always is, but it’s particularly loud and overwhelming right now.
Not gonna lie, I’m writing this post in large part just because I need the reminder that it’s more than okay not to be super productive even though it seems like I have all this time, that I have a tendency to take on too much work and stress and I should stop doing this, that it’s easier to prevent than to recover from burnout.
Keeping this intro brief because it’s not about me or performative allyship or any of that; it’s about how white and non-Black POC folx can support the movement built by Black activists.
Obviously this won’t be a comprehensive list, but hopefully some of these resources will be helpful.
Hello and welcome back to Bookending Spring on the Nine Tale Vixen blog! If you’re new to Bookending Events, they’re quarterly (seasonal) events aiming to bring the book blogging community closer together; this spring, the optional theme is organization and cleaning. If you’re new to my blog — hi, I’m Isabelle and it’s nice to meet you! If you’re a returner — welcome back, friend!
The past couple of days have been lots of fun for me, and I hope you’ve gotten some inspiration from my prompts and from Bookending Spring as a whole!
For my last day as your host, in the spirit of spring and new life, I’d like to take you back to the beginning … of your own blogging journey.
If you were to restart your blog / bookstagram / other media account knowing what you know now, what (if anything) would you change? What tips would you give to newbie bloggers?
This post is part of Bookending Spring 2020, which is organized by Sam & Clo!
Today’s prompt, “Begin Again,” is hosted by yours truly — if you do this prompt, don’t forget to link back to this post!
If productivity YouTube has given me one major takeaway, it’s to set up automated reminders and systems because you will inevitably forget. Plus, even if I know my GYST list somewhat by heart, it’s still fun and motivating to check things off lists!
Over the year or so I’ve been blogging, I’ve gradually developed my own routine of recurring blog maintenance tasks. Because let’s face it, I need Todoist and my planner to scream at me to do these things and not just let my blog slowly succumb to entropy.
I definitely didn’t come up with all of these items on my own, though I’ve made adjustments for my personal preferences and blogging situation; especial thanks are due to Becky @ Uptown Oracle, Clo @ Cuppa Clo, and Soph @ Bookwyrming Thoughts for providing so much blogging advice and emotional support.
This post is part of Bookending Spring 2020, which is organized by Sam & Clo!
It is not based on a prompt, but hopefully you’ll find it helpful in your spring tidying and for general organization going forward.
Nine Tale Vixen 