Bookmark Chat: Guess Who’s Back…

Back Again…

Hellllllo reader!

I know, it has been a minute since you’ve seen a post from yours truly. What happened? Where did I go? How could I leave y’all with nary a peep?

Short answer? Stress is a bitch.

Long answer? I recently (as in last July) became not only the Microbiology supervisor at my job, but the team lead AND, since the end of December, the Molecular supervisor. My days at work have been long, difficult, and have consumed all the mental energy I have to give and, not gonna lie, that’s not much on a good day. This first affected my posting schedule here and then affected my reading. Before the beginning of the year, I hadn’t picked up and completed a book since September. So not only was I stressed at work, but I was feeling kinda miserable for not reading at all. Like I was failing at my favorite hobby.

Which, I know, is such a silly thing to think, but my brain is not always the kindest.

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been easing myself back, trying my best to be kind to myself in regards to my reading. I read a whole book in January! And three in February! Baby steps, ya know, but I’m finding the joy in reading again. I’ve also been reading books that I already own and finding I have damn good taste. I haven’t given anything I’ve read this year, so far, less than a four star rating. There’s something to be said for reading books you personally picked out for yourself instead of books you perceive you have to read. I think that was part of my issue; my reading had started to feel like a chore instead of what it really is. Something I love to do, my escape from the world, and part of what makes me… me.

They’ve also FINALLY hired more staff so I’m not doing three jobs at once and I could cry from happiness 😭

Kerri’s Back…

So what does that mean for the blog?

Well, my husband I are were talking about just yesterday and I said “Maybe I’ll start back with the blog next year.” The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized how much I missed my little bookish corner of the internet. I missed my site, I missed rambling about books, and I missed the community. That’s one thing I never stopped doing, visiting bookish blogs that I enjoy, though I have been terrible about promoting and boosting, I fully acknowledge that. I missed being a part of that and why wait til 2025 to get back into it when I’m finally feeling the fog lift?

That being said, I’m coming back! At the moment, I’m hoping to do at least a couple of posts a week. I’m trying not to push myself too hard as I jump back into blogging. I’m mostly avoiding commitments that have might bring back that feeling of reading as a chore, like blog tours, BBNYA (though I’m hoping to jump back in next year), and any new Netgalley reviews. I have enough of those to catch up with as it is, heh. I’ve signed up for exactly one (1) blog tour so far in 2024 and I think that was my biggest sign that I’m in a good space to come back.

I also gave the blog a little bit of a new look and that’s making me feel better already, haha.

Tell A Friend!

What kind of posts can you expect now that I’m dipping my toes back in? Beyond sporadic?

Welp, I’m going to be focusing on book reviews at the moment. I have a lot of Netgalley e-ARCs that I’ve read and never reviewed. Which is typically not the problem I have when it comes to Netgalley 😂 Those will be the majority of my posts going forward until I’m caught up.

I do love a good #TopTenTueday or #WWWednesday post, though, so those might start sneaking in every now and then. They’re fun and quick and easier to do when my brain feels a little fried!

I’d also like to keep these more chatty posts around, so expect more of these Bookmark Chats!

And, from, there… who knows! All I know is that I’m excited to be back ❤️