Jun
I’ve been blogging for over a year now. I started Maureen’s
Books because I simply adore reading, love books and love talking about books.
I’ve been reading books for as long as I can remember and I honestly can’t remember
a time I didn’t read. I grew up in a house filled with books and my favorite
way to shop is going from one bookstore to the next. Although my mom and I can
always talk about books, there aren’t many other people around me who love
reading and talking about books. So when reviewing the books I read on
Goodreads just wasn’t enough for me anymore, I decided to take the jump and
start my own book blog.
on my blog, talking to other bloggers, making my blog posts and adding books to
my incredibly long To Read List. And I love it. This blog is more than my
hobby, it’s my passion and I can’t imagine ever getting bored of it.
perfectionist I always try to think of things that could improve my blog. I
surf the web a lot and try to read all the tips out there for new blogging
ideas. Since I also work full time as a Nurse it’s definitely hard work at
times. But I really love it, so it never seems as too much work.
a book blogger. Since I live in The Netherlands and only read English books, I didn’t
expect to have a lot of review requests. But my mailbox has been filled with
review requests from almost the beginning. And I’m so grateful and honored
about that.
At first I said yes to every author that asked me for areview. I read everything I could get my hands on and at times it began to
really stress me out because I wanted to read so much and just had to little
time. So slowly on I learned that I just needed to say no to some review
requests. I still find this very hard, but it’s necessary and it keeps me more
relaxed and enjoying the books I do read more since I’m not on such a tight
schedule.
me about a review. I had some bad responses to the reviews I wrote about books
I didn’t like so much. This really bothered me in the beginning because I
always made clear that I would write my honest opinion. I never wrote a review
with the intention to tear the book apart and I always try to be honest without
being hurtful. But still some people really react badly. Nowadays I just try to
think to myself that I did my best and was just honest. I don’t try to think
about it too much and this definitely helped me out.
post something every day and just be myself. It’s okay to have days without a
post. I still don’t really like it but I also don’t want to make something up
really fast just because I wanted to have a blog post.
every day of being a blogger. This place is about the books I love, the genres
I love to read and the authors I love to help out. It’s my little sanctuary in
a very busy and sometimes a little crazy world.
visiting!
What are the lessons you learned as a blogger? Do you
have any tips to improve Maureen’s Books?
Thank you for visiting Maureen’s Books!
Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always! Facebook | Instagram
Wow…I just love your blog Maureen and can't think of any changes yet.. 🙂
Isn't the blogging journey just wonderful and you have really enjoyed yourself which is the most important part. Keep reading and keep enjoying! 🙂
-Nikita @Njkinny's World of Books & Stuff
Thank you! I really love the journey I had, and I'm looking forward to keeping my blog a place you love to visit. It's so much fun to get in contact with people like you, who also love reading. 😉
Thank you for sharing your journey, Maureen – it's very inspirational. It sounds like you're finding the right balance for you, so that your reading and blogging is a pleasure, not a chore. And hooray for your honesty!
I'm glad you liked my post. My journey in blogging will go on and I'm glad to have had a chance to read your books and review them.
Thank you so much for stopping by 😉
I loved reading about your journey. I think it is so important to realize your blog is for pleasure and not a chore. I definitely understand the whole not wanting to go a day without posting, that's something I'm learning.
Tina @ Tina, The Bookworm
I think that's definitely the hardest thing a blogger.needs to learn. But I'm glad I'm finding my way in it.
Thank you so much for stopping by 😉