The A Side ✔

18- A World With Books

Reading has been prominent in my life since birth. I learned at the age of 11 that I am a distant relation of a famous Scottish author from the 1700s and it wasn't until my early 20s that I started to pay attention to it. No one else in my family really writes creatively so maybe it was fate and destiny that the skill for that landed on my lap. As with every writer and their blocks during their project process, there are times of many weeks that I can go without reading anything as my mind jumps and wanders onto other things. Most of my old school classmates may be married, living in fancy homes, and partying most weekends. I use my version of partying with EDM music blasting through my AirPods and reading my latest borrow from the library.

Joining Goodreads was when I discovered the community of book lovers for the first time. It was so much fun seeing all the new things being added, including the section where you could upload creative writing pieces. They've sadly taken that down now but that was a good distraction from the stresses of the world. Being a book reviewer since 2015, my only regret is still having a massive TBR pile and missing deadlines for reviewing. That is sadly what happens when personal issues take over your life. It feels bad trying to request new titles now as I know I've let others down with my lack of promptness in replying to business matters.

Bookshops are my thing. I can easily drag someone into them with me for hours. My past boyfriends have all had to deal with this and most were not as understanding as others. I've been on a physical book-buying ban since January 1st of this year since there is genuinely no more space for anything new whoops! Getting my life back on track has to happen this year as turning 25 is no walk in the park. There are many changes that I want to try and tackle with my bookish world being one of them. Book haters are a thing of the past! I know that one of those book haters that I was in a brief relationship with years ago is now married to someone else so I don't think they are still a fan of reading one bit.

Working in a bookish environment as my day job is fun because you get to handle hundreds of stocked items each shift you do however it can also be dangerous as most of the stock I truly want to read so... I really can't have it both ways right?

I have always loved literature and history growing up, so my ideal career is almost there for me. There is something at work called the rolling stack which is always interesting to browse during quiet periods and see the older editions of books quietly tucked away off the frontline. In my anxious moments where I feel my heartbeats triggery and my head aching hard, I hide away in the rolling stack until I hear the shouts of one of my colleagues warning that I'll end up being squished like bread if I don't move!

Since my hiatus away from Wattpad, more published books a year have started to include better representation and more diverse topics. This is hugely encouraging for us writers who want to get their voices out to the world but more can still be done. I'm hoping that the rise of bookish social media and events at bookshops and writing workshops can help with this. My home city holds two festivals a year and in the past, they have run specialist events for aspiring authors. I have always wanted to go to one but the cost was far too expensive at the time. Possibly in the future once funds allow, that is something I will consider again.

Networking is another priority for my writing right now. As we no longer have access to the Wattpad forums, many of us have had to turn to other places for outside help to get reviews on our work. I am planning to get my Pinterest going again as well as a brand new Twitter page. My Instagram and TikTok are already live and good to go which I do see as good progress.