Celebrating 4th Blogiversary with 3 Bookish Things Tag & Giveaway!

(Last Updated On: March 29, 2022)

Guess who’s back, back again?

uess who’s back? Tell a friend!

That’s right friends, after another unplanned two month hiatus I am back and here to celebrate Reader Voracious turning four years old at the beginning of March! I can’ believe it’s already my 4th blogiversary since Reader Voracious launched here on WordPress… it feels like just yesterday that I published my first blog post.

💬 Related Posts: One Year Blogiversary | Two Year Blogiversary | Three Year Blogiversary

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Blogiversary Reflections

Here at Reader Voracious we celebrate milestones with a tag or introspective, it’s a bit of a tradition. But this year feels different somehow and warrants a bit of reflection as my life’s been changing and my relationship with the book community has as well.

I love Reader Voracious and the community we’ve created. I love reading and talking about books. I love using my privilege whenever possible to lift the voices of others. But the last couple of years have been really hard and I’ve spent the last few months thinking about this blog and if it still brings me joy. Spoiler alert: yes, it does.

I hold myself to really high standards and it is impossible not to compare my past blogging self to where I am today. It’s not hyperbole to say I was a different person in 2018 and it’s unfortunate that I equate my most productive blogging times with a really unhealthy time in my life. So the question became: does the person I am today find value and purpose in running Reader Voracious? And if so, how does Kal of 2022 want to approach the blog and work/life balance?

Patrons can read a personal deep dive into my relationship with book blogging on Patreon.

It’s hard to dedicate to book blogging when not reading much these days, especially when writing book reviews is your favorite thing to do! But at the end of the day, I’m passionate about books and love having a space to talk about them. I enjoy sharing books that look interesting and boosting authors. I’m going to continue to lessen the number of ARCs I accept and aim to write more recommendation posts. Continue to share tips and tricks for other book bloggers. Boost those upcoming releases. And ultimately, let go of the guilt associated with reading slumps. That last part is easier said than done, but necessary for me to build a healthy blogging habit again.

3 Bookish Things Tag

If you’re a longtime visitor of Reader Voracious, chances are that you know of my tag hoarding ways: I hoard tags in my drafts for months, if not years. I don’t know why I’m basically Scrooge McDuck doing the backstroke in my post possibilities.

I mention this because my dear friend Siobhan tagged me in the 3 Bookish Things tag almost four years ago in 2018. I told you, I’m the worst. But you really should check out Sibby’s blog if you haven’t before because she’s fabulous.

Three Read Once and Loved Authors

Emily Suvada‘s debut trilogy remains one of my favorites ever – so much so that I own three editions of it (and I don’t collect multiples)! I still remember the sheer unexpected joy that overtook me when I read This Mortal Coil in 2018. I bought the book on a whim because it sounded interesting and was blown away. It’s a shame more people haven’t read this trilogy yet because it is really fantastic science fiction and landed Suvada on my autobuy list, but I will admit that reading books about viral plagues hits different now.

June Hur‘s debut The Silence of Bones still haunts me with the PAIN it caused. Hur is a master of historical mystery and her latest The Red Palace is just as good as her debut; I’ll forever read what she writes. Interestingly enough, I own her sophomore novel The Forest of Stolen Girls but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. 2020 was a terrible reading year.

Victoria Lee‘s debut duology Feverwake is a powerfully heartwrenching story that grabbed me by the throat and hasn’t let me go for years. I will fight to protect Noam and Dara. (Interesting that two of the three on this list deal with viruses. Weird.) I have yet to read Lee’s latest release A Lesson in Vengeance but am looking forward to reading one of my two copies sooner or later!

Three Titles I’ve Watched But Haven’t Read

The way I watched the North & South series on Netflix at least four times before finding out that it’s based on an 1854 novel by Elizabeth Gaskell. This is one of my favorite miniseries and one of these days I look forward to reading the novel – I bought it on Kindle a couple years ago.

I literally didn’t know that The Princess Diaries was a book by Meg Cabot before watching the movie, but this is likely due to my book snob ways in 2000 when I was reading nothing but Vonnegut and other classics.

I was today years old when I found out that Psycho is a book by Robert Bloch. I grew up loving Hitchcock films and this is arguably one of my favorites – now I want to read the book!

Three Characters You Love

As weird as it is to say, the sentient warship Titania from A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna is one of my favorite characters! I adore the Celestial Trilogy so much as well as its characters, but Titania’s journey throughout is truly special.

Julian from Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas stole the show for me with his wit, caring acceptance of Yads, and complete disbelief at belief a ghost. This book is full of loveable characters and soft moments and is a must-read if you haven’t read it yet.

Some characters make you feel seen for the first time, and as a result they hold a very special place in your heart. Anthia from The Storm Crow by Kalyn Josephson is one of those characters for me: the depression representation in the book came at a time that I needed it the most. I still need to read the second book in the duology, and I think I shall prioritize it ASAP!

Three Series Binged

Fun fact: I wasn’t really a series reader until I became a book blogger and since then I’ve started more series than finished. My reading has so heavily skewed to new releases and focusing on debuts, so it’s rare that I pick up a fully released series altogether. But I did read all 3 Caraval books in a period of three days when the third book came out.

Before ARCs took over my life in 2019, I used to read a good number of indie series that just piqued my interest when on sale. I recently re-read the entire Reapers Inc series by Angela Roquet and loved it as much as the previous 3 readings. And of course, the Emperor’s Edge series by Lindsay Buroker will always have my heart… as will Sicarius and the slow melting of his heart. I am due for a re-read, and now may be a good time so I can write a blog post!

Three Unpopular Bookish Opinions

1. Publishers create a market for ARC selling by creating “special edition” and “limited edition proofs” of titles by highly sought for authors and have no justification to be shocked pikachu whenever people go feral for one. It would make far more sense to create special editions that people can buy so the money goes to the pockets of the authors and team behind the books.
2. Book blogging isn’t dead and is a necessary part of the book promotion ecosystem.
3. Creating lists of YA Book Boyfriends when you are yourself an adult is a Choice and one people shouldn’t be making.

Three Current Favorite Book Covers

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross, Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor, and Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe

Three Goals for the Year

This question is perfect for reflecting on the blog’s four years and where I’d like to see it go in the next 12 months. My main goal is to regain consistency and habits, while not tanking my mental well-being. A precarious balance!

1. Find balance between allowing myself a break and encouraging myself to work on the blog. It’s been six months to the day since I started working again, and I’ve largely adjusted back to being in the workforce. It helps than I telework three days a week now, which limits my “extreme dead days” to Mondays and Wednesdays, so now I want to build up the blogging habit to regain consistency!
2. Blog hop and reply to comments once a week, on the weekend, so it doesn’t pile up and give me anxiety. One thing I most most from my earlier blogging days is feeling like I am part of the community – I want that back, otherwise what’s the point?
3. Keep up with my friendships, both online and offline, and keep the Nerd Voraciously Discord Server going strong. I notice that when I slink away into the ether and avoid the internet, the server dies. I also want to make new friends – be my pal!

Giveaway Celebration!

To celebrate four years of book blogging, Reader Voracious is hosting TWO international giveaways that you definitely should enter. I’m genuinely so thankful to this community and am happy to be in the financial position to pay it forward and spread some cheer.

International Audiobook Giveaway

One follower will win the audiobook of their choice via Libro.fm, an online audiobook service that supports independent bookstores and provides DRM-free copies of their audiobooks.

💬 Related Post: Why I Switched to LibroFM for Audiobooks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interested to see what audiobooks are available in your country via Libro.fm? Check out their library and filter by your location. With Book Depository not shipping to a lot of countries still due to the pandemic, I thought audiobooks would be the most inclusive way to go this year.

International Book Giveaway

One lucky Twitter follower will receive a book of their choice, up to $20 USD. Simply follow @kalventure on Twitter and retweet the giveaway tweet embedded below.

🚨 INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY 🚨

Reader Voracious turned 4 this month & to celebrate I'm hosting a giveaway! https://t.co/rTEYXKuxvh

RT & Follow by 4/3 for a chance to win a book of your choice from Book Depository, up to $20. pic.twitter.com/euFhYslgqp

— Kal @ Reader Voracious is hosting a giveaway! (@kalventure) March 27, 2022

Open internationally so long as Book Depository ships to your country, if under 18 please have your parent’s permission to enter.

Thank you, everyone, so much for becoming a part of my bookish adventures over the last four years! I’m looking forward to many more conversations, buddy reads, and fangirling moments in the years to come.

Let’s go on another adventure together!