I love reading and I love blogging. But even more, I love doing both of those things together! But the other day I got around to wondering: if I had to choose, which one do I love more?
I know, I know, it’s like asking to pick a favourite child. You just don’t do it! But for the sake of this post, I really wanted to force an answer out of myself… and I think I love blogging more than I love reading.
AHHHH!
For some reason I feel like that’s something I need to whisper. It’s almost scary to admit that in front of fellow book lovers. Obviously I do LOVE to read, I just think I like blogging more. Reading is great, but it’s also a very solitary thing. Blogging is the way that I connect with other people. It’s how I share knowledge, information, and also how I fangirl and talk with fellow book lovers. I really enjoy being able to connect with people who have similar interests, and also just share my excitement or frustrations with my online friends.
Although, reflecting on that last paragraph, it’s almost weird that I’d choose blogging over reading because I’m a MASSIVE introvert. I like doing things quietly on my own… so why is it that I chose the option that’s less solitary and more community-focused? Maybe I secretly want to be more social.
I love reading more than blogging. Sometimes I don’t fret not to blog for a day or two or even a week and just read and read. Don’t worry, blogging is a really special thing and I understand your love for it over reading! <33
Thank you! 🙂
Naw! You don’t have to be embarrassed at all about that! 😀 I sometimes HAVE to say that I love blogging more than reading xD Because while reading led me to blogging, sometimes when I don’t read, I sit there thinking, what can I post about today? 🙂 And also, YES for all the friendships made! I LOVE that! It’s one of the greatest things about blogging, and while yes, we talk about books, our conversations don’t center ALL around books, ya know? 😉 Sometimes we talk about non-bookish things, and hey, that’s super fun too! 😀
So no need to be embarrassed about liking blogging more than reading, I would say that would be the case for me too 😉
Haha thanks!! And yeah, it is fun when we talk about books but also when we talk about other stuff. 🙂
Secretly I’m totally on your side Ashley. I’m very shy and insecure and it’s a wonder I have a best friend like Stephanie. I met her by coincidence. (Fate totally brought us together.) On the internet I’m very social, but I bet when I get to BEA some day, I’ll be scared to death and I won’t have the courage to come up to anyone and talk. Luckily Stephanie will be with me and she’ll do most of the talking for me, haha!
Haha I was a bit like that my first year at BEA. I went with someone who was super social and excited to meet people. I often lingered awkwardly on the side LOL.
It’s a toughy, because if I didn’t love blogging (for reasons I can’t even figure out yet) I wouldn’t give up reading time to blogging time, but at the same time without the reading, I’d have nothing to blog about. I think I love reading a little more though. If someone said I could only do one for the rest of my life I’d become a “commenter”/observer in our community again and keep my books 🙂
Wow, who would have seen that coming? That’s cool though, because I think you are going against the grain in a way. I think the majority of people are going to say they love reading more, because more often than not, it lead to the blogging. I am on of those people. Even though I love blogging, I could NEVER give up reading. If I had to give up blogging, I would be heartbroken, but I could do it.
That’s true. I guess maybe part of it for me is that this isn’t my first blog. Although reading got me started on blogging about books, I’ve had other blogs before this (web design, relationship blog, etc.). It’s something that I’ve always really loved!
If it weren’t for reading I wouldn’t be blogging, so I think I have to choose reading. 🙂
I love both obviously, but I would have to say reading. Reading is the reason that I blog and even if I didn’t blog, I would definitely still be reading. But I do agree about the social aspect of blogging. Reading wouldn’t be quite as fun without the blogging. 🙂
I think I love Blogging more. Maybe because it is so new. I love sharing my excitement over books I’ve read. I love seeing and reading all of the beautiful blogs and love connecting with other bloggers.
I can live without blogging but without reading… no way. I got panicked the other day because I realized all unread books I own are ebooks on my Kindle. What if there is a zombie apocalypse and there is no power? Luckily my husband comforted me that we will find nearest library and make our shelter in there. *pfhef* One crisis diverted. 🙂
Reading has been a constant in my life since I was a kid, whereas I’ve only been a book blogger for a few months 🙂 I do really love the book blogging community though, and I’m so glad I decided to start a blog!
WOW! That is such a hard question… I think I would ultimately have to go with reading but I would be seriously upset if I couldn’t blog anymore. You know… even as I wrote that I’m still second guessing whether I should say blogging haha. Reading is just so much better for me, blogging about it… gosh I hope I never have to choose!!!
Yeah thank goodness this question isn’t for real! 😀 Having to actually pick would be horrible!
Oh man. Really, how do I pick? I’m guess I’m going to say blogging too – because blogging has enhanced my love of reading. I always loved to read, but reading has been made so much better because of blogging – where I discover more books than I ever dreamed of and get to connect to fellow book lovers and even authors. I also have to say, though, that if it came down to it, I’d give up blogging before reading. Does that even make sense?
When my kids ask me who I love more. I always tell them I love them both for different reasons. So asking this I really have a hard time picking. So I am taking the weenie way out I love reading for the quiet times that I want to be alone in another world and I love blogging to be able to chat with others and share my thoughts. I honestly really love them both for different reasons 🙂
But if one had to come to an end for some unforseen reason it would be blogging before reading!
To be honest, I think that I’m the same. Blogging is like that thing I just really really want to do all of the time. I do love reading, but blogging is something I love more. It just works that I’ve combined them. To be honest, I run two blogs now because I enjoy it so much and I’m trying to break into freelance blogging. You just do what you love and I don’t think it’s a bad thing to admit that at all.
I can easily say I love reading more. I do love blogging, but I find reading to be a perfect and fun escape, while blogging is work and effort. It’s rewarding, but not in the same way.
Ooh great question. Well, lately I feel like I spend more of my time blogging than I do reading. But, I don’t know if that is a preference or a necessity. I just don’t have as much time to read. But I love to read. And reading came first. So I’ll have to go with that.
This is such a hard question to answer because on one hand I love just sitting down with a good book, but like you said,that doesn’t lend itself very well to social interaction. On the other hand, sometimes blogging really wears me out and I just feel very done with it. So I guess I would have to pick reading, as of right now, just coming back from a blogging hiatus, but hopefully I’ll come to love blogging again. I definitely don’t think it’s a bad thing that you love blogging over reading! I almost envy you haha. Great post!!
This is hard! I’ve always been a reader, but for the few years when reading took a backseat, I was blogging, and I’m still blogging. I’ve blogged about everything! I don’t keep up with all of them, as my book blog is my primary one. But I do really really love to blog. If I gave up blogging just to read, a lot would be missing from my life. But if I gave up reading just to blog, then I could put more effort into my other blogs…Hmm…I suppose I do like blogging more. 😛
I love reading more. Blogging is a lot of work (despite what people think) where reading is well… just that .. reading. I sit back and relax and go to another world. Blogging I am thinking constantly of my next post.. visiting other blogs… commenting.. and all that jazz. So it is work.. though I enjoy it. Reading is just enjoying the work someone else has done.
Hmmms this rough..I think blogging because of the social interaction it gives me!
Reading for me. I love both though. I would hate to give up either one of them.
I think I agree. I love both, and sometimes I only feel like reading and not like blogging, but often blogging is a bit more fun. Probably because it’s social, like you said. Awesome discussion! 🙂
Ooh so hard to choose. I like both equally I think. Sometimes I like blogging more, and sometimes I like reading more.
both, but….reading! If I lived like a hermit for the rest of my life in a giant library, I would die happy
Gaah it’s very hard to choose between the two but… *whispers* I love blogging just a teeny tiny bit more than reading. Ultimately, I love everything about blogging, the writing of great posts, designing it, promoting, it and being in a community of like-minded people. 😀
Reading. I love blogging, but I sometimes get mentally exhausted by it. Am I making sense? 😀
When I read the title of this post, I was like: I love reading WAY MORE than blogging. It’s the reason WHY I blog, so how could it not be my favourite of the two?
And then I read your paragraph on how blogging lets you meet like-minded people, and fangirl. I absolutely adore blogging, and I don’t think I could ever give it up. But I know I simply could not function properly without reading, so i know if I had to pick one to give up, it would probably be blogging. Reading is my main salvation, and my main escape from the world when it gets too rough for my taste. I don’t know if I could really be who I am today without reading.
But blogging is pretty much my favourite thing outside of reading. I have met so many amazing people, and absolutely adore spending my time reading posts and commenting.
So yes, it is like choosing between children because I love them both for different reasons. At least I shall never actually have to pick between the two! Phew.
I would have to say that I love reading more than blogging. I do love the community, but I don’t think I could give up books, especially since I could always talk about them with my friend, and then the stress that blogging sometimes gives me would also be gone and I could read whatever I wanted.
Oh, tough question! I love both, but if the options were “no reading” or “no blogging” for the rest of my life, I’d have to sacrifice blogging. I couldn’t imagine the rest of my life without books! I think I’d be able to find another online social outlet to replace blogging if I really had to. I’ve played several MMORPGS that had awesome communities and it was so hard when the sites closed down, but we managed, and we still keep in constant contact with each other years later. On the other hand, I don’t think I could find something to replace reading, ever! 🙂
Reading will always win for me if I had to chose between that and blogging! I don’t think that I will ever stop reviewing (even if just on LitRate:)
If I wasn’t a reader, I wouldn’t have my blog, so I love reading more than blogging. I could go a week without blogging, but I can’t even go a day without reading 🙂 But the combination of them is perfect for me, because it gives me the ability to do two things I love: reading and talking about books.
I prefer reading to blogging. I am not a very social person and despite the wonderful intentions of being really active and sociable online when I started my blog, I have found that I am struggling to meet those goals. Don;t get me wrong I still love sharing my reviews but the introvert in me wins when it comes to being anymore involved despite my best efforts.
I just started my blog yesterday. I started it because I was/am a reader and I was already leaving reviews on amazon and goodreads so i decided why not make a blog too. So I would definatly stick with reading because without it I wouldn’t have startes my.blog.
Good luck with your blog! 😀 It’s exciting!!