Why do I review books?

As I’ve started my bookstagram journey and really ironed out my processes for organizing how I read and review books, I’ve been thinking through WHY I review books.

In this article I want to outline a little of my back story and then overview the top reasons why I review books.

First off, if you search the hashtag #bookstagram on Instagram, you’ll see there are currently 20.4 million results.

With such a saturated market for book reviews, I had to really challenge myself and ask the question of why.

Firstly, I had to look back over my life and my own history with books. I grew up in what most would call a “broken home”. Divorced parents, drug use and I spent much of my childhood living with my grandparents. As a naturally quiet child, I gravitated towards books.

Our family didn’t have a lot of money and we never traveled anywhere or went on family vacations. Therefore, books provided my only opportunity to see the world and gain experience in the surroundings I grew up around.

As a young adult, things weren’t much better in my life, and I continued to seek out books that helped me to escape the realities around me.

Books had become that best friend with which I had developed a longing for and depended on to get me through hard times.

As an adult things calmed down and I began my undergraduate studies and then my masters degree, all while establishing my corporate career. During the last 10 years of college I was too busy with textbooks and homework and couldn’t dedicate a lot of time to personal reading.

Once I finished my educational endeavours, I started to get back into reading for fun. Much of my time is spent being a wife and mother to our three beautiful children, but I cannot deny the importance that books have played in my life and I feel a draw to share my experiences with any one who is interested in listening.

This is why I’m not discouraged by the amount of people who also review books. I will always be reading and writing about what I take away from books and those of you who want to experience this journey with me, will do so.

I thank every one who reads this and bid you all happy reading! 📚