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3 Bookish Things I’m Thankful For

October 18, 2020

In Canada, Thanksgiving happens in October rather than November. And, while the holiday itself is undoubtably problematic, the sentiments behind taking time to feel grateful and pay thanks to the people and things in your life that matter still feels worthwhile to me. (But not celebrating/romanticizing the brutalism of colonizers.)

I’ve been book blogging now for 5 months (almost half a year!) and there’s so much about this experience I never could have anticipated when I wrote my first post, and even more I’m incredibly THANKFUL for.

The Book Blogging Community

When I started this blog I never could have guessed how BIG the book blogging community was. Nor could I have guessed how KIND and WELCOMING it would be! 🥰 When I first started blogging – and quickly realized how MANY other incredibly talented book bloggers there were out there – I got a little overwhelmed. I was definitely worried about where my place was supposed to be in this huge chunk of the internet, if I’d be able to find it, and if I’d be able to make some likeminded friends along the way.

It seemed like everyone had already found their place, their niche, and their people. I was almost sure there wouldn’t be room for me.

But – luckily! – I was wrong. And I’m so grateful to have been wrong! The book blogging community is one of the nicest, friendliest and positive communities I’ve ever been a part of! 😍

All the Book Recommendations

Probably one of the BEST aspects of being part of the book blogging community is all the incredible book recommendations that come with it! Before I started blogging the majority of the books I read were only written by already super popular authors and published by the big 5 publishing houses. And most of them had been out for years! I don’t think I’d ever picked up a new release, let alone one by an emerging author of a less known publisher/imprint… 😵

Now, I’m constantly being recommended so many fantastic books I never would have heard of if not for the book blogging community! And I’m so grateful to have the chance not only to hear about them, but to get the chance to read them myself and compare what I thought about them with all of you!

Quality Representation

The added bonus that comes with receiving so many more book recommendations than I ever did before is that now I’m being recommended more than just the stories written mostly by straight, white men. Let’s be real, a lot of literary “classics” – and modern best sellers – are written by authors who fit that mold! And that’s not to say that some of those stories don’t deserve the hype they’ve been given – because they definitely do! – but, it’s also incredibly disappointing to feel like there isn’t any quality literature that represents you if you don’t exactly fit that mold.

As a queer woman I don’t think I’d read more individual books than I could count on one hand that features queer women protagonists. Let alone ones with good quality love interests and plot progression. I honestly didn’t know they existed, because they weren’t the types of books I was being recommended. You can imagine my – pleasant! – surprise when I realized not only were there already books like that out there, but there were even more being published!

Obviously there’s still a lot of work left to do and a ways to go before representation in books better reflects the multicultural diversity found in the world. But I’m grateful to be a part of the book community while we’re achieving this much. And it makes me hopeful for what more there is to come. 🧡

How about you?

What bookish things are you most grateful for?

Let me know!

Liza is a twenty-something book blogger who spends way too much time with her nose in books and feels way too much. She loves cooking, baking, reality tv show watching and, of course, reading. She can be found most often with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in the other. Her blog, Literary Liza, features bookish content like reviews, recommendations, and author interviews.

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