Booktuber

Merry and Bright 2021 Readathon // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I decided, last minute, to take part in the ‘Merry and Bright’ readathon, hosted by booktubers Zoe, Chandler, and Spencer. There are only six reading prompts, and it is all together a chill readathon. I have picked a different book for each prompt, so hopefully I can get to them all.

Readathon Dates: December 9th – 15th

Winter Wonderland: White On The Cover?

‘If I Stay’ meets ‘Your Name’ in Dustin Thao’s ‘You’ve Reached Sam’, a heartfelt novel about love and loss and what it means to say goodbye.

I have been dying to pick up this book. What can I say, I am a sucker for a good heartbreaking YA contemporary. This one has a sci-fi element twist that reminds me of the movie ‘The Lake House’.

Hot Cocoa: Cozy Vibes?

In this clever reimagining of Charles Dickens’s life, he and fiancée Kate Hogarth must solve the murder of an old miser, just before Christmas.

When I heard about this book, I knew that it was right up my alley. You should know by now that I am a huge ‘A Christmas Carol’ fan, so a mystery retelling sounds amazing. For some reason, this book gives me those cozy London feels.

Elf on the Shelf: Already Owned?

A heartwarming, page-turning adventure about one child’s love for his most treasured thing, and how far he will go to find it. A tale for the whole family to fall in love with, from one of the world’s greatest storytellers.

I got this book for my wedding anniversary and couldn’t be more excited for it. Being a lover of Christmas and pigs, a Christmas pig related story is sure to be a 5 star read. I hope the book doesn’t let me down.

Last Christmas: Purchased Last Year & Never Read?

The tale of Nutcracker, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. It has retained its freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share.

I was gifted two different copies of ‘The Nutcracker’, so it seemed like it was about time to read it. I have actually never read the book, or even seen the stage production.

The Grinch: Enemies-to-Lovers or Unreliable Narrator?

Perfect for fans of ‘The Last Magician’ and ‘Serpent & Dove’, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

I have been wanting to read this book for a while, since it has become a favorite among the book community. So, I knew I had to find away to add it to my TBR. I can’t wait to jump into this ‘Romeo and Juliette’ fantasy retelling, and hopefully I will enjoy it as much as some of the others.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside: Dual Perspective?

Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich’s ‘If This Gets Out’ is an absolute showstopper! Equal parts edgy and adorable, this bright, joyful book has everything I look for in a queer YA romance.” —Phil Stamper, bestselling author of ‘The Gravity of Us’

This was on my TBR for the month, and is a much anticipated release (for me, at least).

Those are the books that I will be reading for the ‘Merry and Bright’ readathon. In total, it is only 6 days long, so hopefully I can complete this TBR. Let me know if you will be participating as well, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Booktube vs Book Blogging // Pros And Cons

- Bunny 8 Comments

Hi Friends,
For months, I have been going back and forth on the struggle of Booktube vs. book blogging, and which is right for me. If you don’t already know, I started out as a Booktuber, but the struggle to keep up with videos and the YouTube algorithm turned me off. It wasn’t very good for my mental health. I had always been an avid writer, so I turned to book blogging. I wouldn’t say one is more cost efficient than the other, since money goes into both of them. Also, for a planner like myself, both seem to take a lot of time and effort to keep up with every week.

I never really felt like a part of the book community, and I noticed that after stepping away, I was reading more than I ever had before. Watching new Booktubers growing, while I was stuck at 100 subscribers after more than two years took its toll on my mental health. I do, at times, get upset when my blog isn’t performing as well as I might hope. But I feel more involved in the blogging community, which helps. Also, I think my writing is way better than my camera skills. I will say that I sometimes get the urge to film a video, and some topics are just easier as video content, rather than blog posts. However, I like owning my work, which isn’t possible with YouTube.

I know that Booktubers get more recognition than book bloggers, which is a bummer. Another big thing is that Booktubers are the go-to for sponsorships and paid promotions. I am not sure if book bloggers get these opportunities as well, but I know that it is a huge thing in the Booktube community. I thought that it would be fun to give you some personal pros and cons of Booktube vs book blogging, just in case you were stuck on the decision too.

Booktube  Book Blog

Large community, with a lot of original content

Smaller community, with a lot of content inspired by Booktube

Your content is owned by YouTube, and can be deleted at any time

You own all your content, and nobody else can censor you

Need a good camera, lighting, and a background

If you want to do it long term, you need to buy a URL and hosting

You have opportunities for free books and paid sponsorships

Much harder to get noticed by authors and publishers

You have to be on camera, and able to clearly communicate your point

Can write a post in your PJ’s, from anywhere

I hope that this list might help some make the decision between Booktube or a book blog, or at least make it a bit easier. I think that I might start posting Instagram (or maybe Booktok) videos, if I ever feel the need to film anything bookish. That way I don’t have to commit to a Booktube channel. I would love your support on my little bookish corner of the internet, so like and share this post! You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram as well (@bookswithbunny).

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Book Blogger Newbie Tag

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hello bookish friends,
I thought that I would do the classic “Book Blogger Newbie” tag post. I know that this tag is a time long tradition when becoming a book blogger. I hope that these question help you to get to know me and my little blog better.

Why did you start this blog?
I had a booktube channel, but I just didn’t love the video format. I have always been a writer so I thought a blog is much more my style. I want this to be a place where I can share my love of books as well as other things. I want to talk about TV shows and maybe even some first time mommy content in the future.

What are some fun and unique things you can bring to book blogging?
I know that there are so many blogs out there and you want your blog to stand out. However, I don’t know how fun or unique my content will be. I guess something different is that I haven’t read a lot of the popular books from the 2000s. Currently, I am reading the Harry Potter series for the first time and I haven’t read anything by Sarah J. Maas. Also, this blog will be 75% bookish, yet I want to talk about other topics on this blog too.

What are you most excited for about this blog?
Mostly writing content and sharing my bookish thoughts. I love connecting with others in the book and blogging community.

Why do you love reading?
It let’s me escape into different land. This quote by George R.R. Martinup sums up why I love reading perfectly “A reader lives a thousand lives.”

What series got you into reading?
I fell in love with the The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books by Ann Brashares, which is a very underrated series in my opinion. After reading all of those books I never wanted to stop reading.

What questions would you ask your favorite authors?
I would love to know what they hope a reader gets from their books. Why do they continue write stories? Also, I read somewhere if author think their characters know about them. I think it would be interesting to know if author do think their characters know about them. As if the world they created is some alternate realm of sorts.

What challenges do you think starting a blog will be the hardest to overcome?
Probably staying consistent. Live has many ups and downs, so it is hard to stay on top of blogging. However, I have a lot of post planned and I will be trying to blog as much as I can each week.

When did you start reading?
I was not a reader as a kid at all. I was more of a television watching, Barbie playing kind of girl. It wasn’t until 2005, I was a huge Gilmore Girls fan and my brother mentioned that Alexis Bledel was going to be starring in the film adaption of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I decided I would read the book first, and I never stopped reading. From that day on I was a reader.

Where do you read?
I usually read at home in my bed. I cannot read in cars be I get motion sickness and I never really read when I am out. I just like being cozy in bed with a book or audiobook.

What kind of books do you like to read?
I am a huge YA fan! I will try to read a lot of different YA genres, but my favorite is contemporary. I am a fan of middle grade books, yet I haven’t read as many of them. I want to expand my reading taste this year, still I am kind of set in my ways when it comes to the books I read.

Wow! Does doing this mean I am an official book blogger? If you are a blogger of any kind let me know in the comments. I want to connect with blogger and just readers in general.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny