Yep, reading anxiety is hitting me...it's struck! I haven't completed any books this week and I'm still reading "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming". Usually when it takes long to finish a book, for me, it means I'm not enjoying it. However, that isn't the case with this one. I do like it very much but I'm finding "real life" getting in the way of reading time. Not to mention that I keep accepting reviews and, although nobody is pressuring me to finish these books immediately, just knowing they are waiting for my review gets to me. Don't get me wrong, I love reviewing but I think I'm putting too much pressure on myself to finish them quickly. I love reviewing and I'm not going to stop, but I think I'm going to have to be a bit more selective and give myself a chance to catch up.
I've joined many reading challenges and I'm falling behind on those. I don't think of those as an obligation because the books I chose for the challenges are books that I want to read from my TBR anyway. So, that's still reading just for the pleasure for it. Just about any book I pick up from my TBR can be fit into one of the reading challenges and, almost all, of the challenges allow you to change your choices during the year. I don't feel any pressure with the challenges. Which means, my pressure comes from trying to do the reviews in a timely manner.
What I'm wondering...how long does it take all of you between the time you receive a book and the time you post the review? Do you put the reviews ahead of everything else? Do you do a review, then a non-review book, then a review book to break things up a bit?
Do any of you ever feel reading anxiety? Do you feel pressured to do reviews fast? Does it ever get a bit overwhelming? How do you juggle review books and books you read just for the pleasure of it? Inquiring minds what to know :)
It is dreadful when you just feel you are not reading fast enough! I feel like I am not making any progress through my TBR.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I've been feeling. I find so many great blogs, books and ideas online but then I spend too much time here and that takes away from my reading. I also get behind on my library books because I'm trying to finish review books first. I'm cutting back a bit, especially for summer so I can catch up and get back to enjoying reading and not feeling so much pressure.
ReplyDeleteI do feel like that sometimes, not funny. And even if I am loving the book it can take ages.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did you get any info about the Synarchy tour? They were supposed to get back to me. All I know that i will put up a review
I often feel pressured to read quickly - this was usually when I was lent books by other people, so I have stopped them giving them to me now, as they were always convinced I should read them, when I always had my own TBR pile. I have just started reviewing PDF books for You Gotta Read Reviews and I am having to break the books down into sections so that I still get to read my own books too.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually feeling overwhelmed at times when I look at my stack of review books. I sometimes finding myself not reading a review book that was published in March, and instead reading one set to be released in July of August. This usually happens because the later book seems to be more appealing to me.
ReplyDeleteI try to post reviews within a couple of days of reading the book, but sometimes it takes a bit longer to get my thoughts together :)
Kerrie - That's another problem...not making progress in my TBR. When I stop to read a review book, that takes time from a TBR book.
ReplyDeleteWrighty - It sounds like you are going through the same thing I am. I'm going to try and slow down for the summer too.
Blodeuedd - I haven't heard anything further about the blog tour for Synarchy either. I'm supposed to post my review on 6/15. When does yours start?
Scrap girl - Do you like reading PDF books? Do you have an ebook reader? I have one review to do now, but it can only be read on the computer.
Diane - It sounds like many are going through the same thing. At least I don't feel so alone in my feelings about it. I try to post a review in a couple of days of reading the book, while it's still fresh in my mind and preferably before I start reading the next book.
Mine is up on the 12th. Weird cos she did say she would like send me at least the cover...even if i already have that.
ReplyDelete...haven't started it, hehe, i got caught in chick-lit land. But I plan to read it by Tuesday so no prob there. I do have long boring lunch breaks ;)
I was told she'd send me the cover and some other promo stuff too. I didn't get anything yet.
ReplyDeleteI love chick lit and I can't blame you for getting caught in that land :)
I get reading anxiety sometimes too. But then I take a deep breath and remind myself, its something I enjoy doing, no need to get worried over how fast or how much I can read. That takes the fun out of it.
ReplyDeleteIf I promised a review, I read those books first. It usually takes me two to three weeks, unless I'm really swamped, it might take over a month to get the review up.
Enjoy your Sunday :O)
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
You are so right, Naida! It takes the fun out of reading if you worry about it.
ReplyDeleteI don't accept ARCs or anything so I don't have that pressure. However, I do check out WAY too many books from the library at one time and then worry about finishing them all before they are due. I also worry about reading quickly enough to have something to post on my blog. In my head, I imagine all my blog readers sitting by their computers and wondering why I haven't updated my blog lately :-).
ReplyDeleteDani - It's amazing how we all put so much pressure on ourselves when this is supposed to be fun and a hobby :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes I do love chick-lit land. I wonder what more I could find ;)
ReplyDeleteBlodeuedd - I have so many chick lit books, but they are buried in my TBR. Fortunately the Shopaholic series isn't buried :) I'm loving the first book!
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling, Yvonne. I have quite a stack of review books to get through and feel terrible for not being able to get to them sooner.
ReplyDeleteI am really picky about the books I say yes too (only choosing books I really want to read)--and warn the person asking me to review books that it could be months before I get to it.
I've started to do that too - warn people that it might be awhile before I get to it.
ReplyDelete