Let’s Talk Bookish: Freebie

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme that was originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books starting in August 2019, and was then cohosted with Dani @ Literary Lion from May 2020 to March 2022. Book Nook Bits has hosted since April 2022, with Dini at Dini Panda Reads as co-host from February 2025.

I love Freebie weeks – all of the LTB prompts are excellent, but I love the chance to go back and explore older topics, too. I’ve been working my way through them from the beginning, and this one brings me to June 2022.

Let’s Talk Bookish May 30th: Freebie
June 3rd 2022:
Have you ever considered quitting blogging?  
(Kristin @ Lukten Av Trykksverte)

Prompts: Have your reasons for blogging changed since you started? If so, what changes have you noticed? Have you ever taken a break from blogging, or thought about it? Have you ever thought about quitting blogging entirely? What stops you? What gives you motivation to keep blogging?

I don’t think my reasons for blogging have changed – I started this blog because I wanted a space to talk about books, and that pretty much remains the same. I did originally expect it to become a space to talk about other, sort of related things, but for now the book side keeps the blog pretty full. And I have a Substack for the other stuff now, too. So I guess although my original reason(s) is the same, the way I’ve engaged with this blog and the content is slightly different – it’s much more structured, which makes it easier on me, and it remains very much book focused.

Before I had that structure in place, I really struggled to keep up with the blog, and I’d get a bit disheartened and took breaks. I don’t think I’ve taken any real break from blogging for the last few years, but it does cross my mind now and then, especially when I’m facing a tough time elsewhere. Then again, I am lenient with myself – I might not take a ‘break’, as such, but I’ll sometimes skip over certain days to give myself a bit more time with writing posts.

Have I thought about quitting blogging entirely? Yes. Is there anyone who hasn’t? It’s an occasional, rare thought, but sometimes I do wonder if I should quit. This happened more often when I checked stats regularly – it can be a little down heartening to see little or no growth, and it does bring up the question of whether it’s worth keeping going. Ultimately, though, I like my blog, and I like writing it, and I felt much better about it when I wasn’t constantly eyeing my stats and wondering what I was doing wrong!

And, interestingly, when I do occasionally check my stats, they seem a lot better than when I was checking regularly. My motivation comes from the fact I really enjoy doing this. I like taking part in memes and writing reviews and reading books and getting to talk about those books. I don’t always have the time to say everything I want to on the blog, but I just find it fun.

I just try not to let myself get caught up in it all anymore – I do this because I enjoy it, and when I’m not feeling that joy, I I try to remind myself why I started, and maybe consider the cause of the disinterest. I think breaks, when you’re losing that joy, are an excellent idea, and often what we need to find our love of blogging again.