So, blogger buddies. How’s your #bookish conscience? You know what I mean. Anyone running away from this question yet?

This time I’m here to talk about 5 Hopefully Not Deadly Sins of Book Blogging (I mean, I’m sure there are more, but that’s where you all come in.) I know I must confess of at least a few! And no, I’m not talking about spilling your coffee on your book or filling the spine up with crumbs (you monster!) Those are awful, we will all agree, but they’re merely #bookworm sins. We are talking about #bookblogger sins today!

Sin #1. I’ve Downloaded ARCs And Haven’t Read Them

Okay, so we’ve all said Oh my god, I’ve got so many unread ARCs once or twice a lot of times.

But trust me, when I say I’ve got tons of unread ARCs, it’s not the same. When you say overdue ARCs, you’re really saying “I have like two books I should read but haven’t”. When I’m saying it? I mean, it’s in the double digits. Sometimes I look at those numbers, but today?

Nope, not looking at them today. I don’t want to feel those #feels today. There’s an evil special day in the month for that and it’s called wrap-up time.

So basically, I probably have more overdue ARCs than you do. (I probably have more overdue ARCs than the entire world…) That’s except for 2 or 3 bloggers that I know! I’ve even started a meme to help handle this situation! So if you feel like it’s a sin you’re guilty of, join the rest of us sinners. They say it’s better in numbers.

Sin #2. I’ve Posted Reviews On Goodreads Instead Of Blogging About A Book

That’s a GIF of me. Escaping my responsibilities.

Most of the time when I get an ARC, I both blog about it and post my review on Goodreads. However, sometimes… Sometimes the book is boring as hell not at all what I expected. Sometimes I kind of regret reading it, but it’s not really bad enough to receive a scathing review?? (Re: We are getting to that sin of blogging) So what I do is I’ll just post a Goodreads review, leave the link on NetGalley/Edelweiss and just… scuttle off and hope for the best.

Sin #3. I’ve Written Mean Reviews

You know I have. I know you have. YOU KNOW YOU HAVE. We all have. (Is this that point where you say a verb so many times you forget its meaning..?)

What is it about a mean review that feels so bad though? I know I always juggle between “Should I really say what I mean?” and “But what if it is mean to the writer”, and also “But what if it isn’t true to the readers of my blog and the other good books I’ve read?”

I know I always try to cater to the reader of my blog, and nobody’s just going to read a negative review for the sake of it. It’s gotta be a fun post to be read! And fun often means scathing, if the book is really bad. So I confess: I’ve written this scathing review. And this one. And this… Woo. Off my conscience!

Sin #4. I’ve LOVED an ARC… And Didn’t Post A Review For Months.

In fact, my biggest heartache with this one is All Day. I loved that book more than I can say, it dealt with so many important issues – Black Lives Matter, the commercialization of American prison systems, the inequality in society, the way teaching can make or break someone’s life… Many things! I loved it, it made me cry, I was going to champion it to the ends of the world. And..?

What happened is that I chickened out. I believe I will still write that review, but I just can’t. The book was just too good! I feel so pressured to write a review that’s as good as the book, and I fail.

Instead, I hope to make up for it by mentioning it time and again, so you’d still know how awesome it was and how much you need to read it. So go read it. Really, PLEASE DO. Go put it on your Goodreads. Go buy it.

5. Are We Even Going To Talk About Shelved And Unread Books We’ve Bought?

Thought so.

UPDATE!!! We have a Goodreads group now to help you deal with at least part of these problems! It’s called #ARCsAnonymous and it’s there to help you cope with your hopeless NetGalley and Edelweiss addictions. Come join! You’ll find it here.

So do you have any bookish sins of your own? Confess them to me! Misery looooooves company.

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