Final Post
As you might know, about a month ago I set up a blog focused on writing and personal reflections over at wordpress. I did this knowing that I probably wouldn't have time to update both that blog, and this blog, and the events of the last month have pretty much verified that. This is a symptom of just how busy I've been this year, as I've really focused my attention on writing, and publishing. When you add in my other commitments (my day jobs, my relationships, planning my upcoming wedding), I have come to realize that temporaryworlds just isn't a priority for me any more. It's become something I have to squeeze in, instead of something I look forward to. And when I make time for the book blog, that ends up taking away from other hobbies, including reading!
The second reason for closing down this blog is I've begun to think of the ethical issues of keeping up a book review blog as I'm trying to become a published author myself. Call me over sensitive, but something about that just doesn't fit. Perhaps it's because I don't see book blogging as just as place for people to gush their favorite books, or trash the ones they hate. Book blogs, and reviews from the public in general, are a way to keep authors, publishers, and the rest of the book world on their toes. In a world where the industry often seems more interested in jumping onto the latest trend (vampires, dystopias, etc.), a good book reviewer never forgets that whether the purpose of a work is to enlighten, educate, or just entertain, a level of quality should be expected. A book is more than a collection of tropes and trends. It is a tiny universe contained in a neat little package, designed to engage us as readers in a way which makes us FEEL ALL THE FEELS. And by rewarding the exceptional, calling out the mediocre and everything in between, reviewers make sure that the people on the other side of the fence are kept honest. And if I'm planning on one day standing on the "author" side of the fence, can I continue to be depended on to write fair reviews? Maybe you can, but it just doesn't seem right for me.
For these reasons, I've decided to shut the place down. In a lot of ways, this feels like a big deal for me. I know that temporaryworlds has never been a big blog, but I've been posting since December of 2008. Over a hundred people find my reviews worth at least glancing at, if not reading. It feels strange to be putting that all to rest. If you're interested, I can still be found on the internet, talking about books. I will use my goodreads as a way to share my informal thoughts on books. Seeing as my new blog is pretty open (I mean, I talked about the Laundromat once on there), I suspect that I will post about the books, movies and comic books I read from time to time, just not as regularly as I would here. I also have a pretty active twitter account where I yammer on about everything (usually in large chunks at the end of the day).
For those who have been there, whether you've been a vocal or silent participant, thank you for everything. And for all of you book bloggers and reviewers out there, I hope that you will be the ones to keep me on my toes if my work ever is found in print.
The second reason for closing down this blog is I've begun to think of the ethical issues of keeping up a book review blog as I'm trying to become a published author myself. Call me over sensitive, but something about that just doesn't fit. Perhaps it's because I don't see book blogging as just as place for people to gush their favorite books, or trash the ones they hate. Book blogs, and reviews from the public in general, are a way to keep authors, publishers, and the rest of the book world on their toes. In a world where the industry often seems more interested in jumping onto the latest trend (vampires, dystopias, etc.), a good book reviewer never forgets that whether the purpose of a work is to enlighten, educate, or just entertain, a level of quality should be expected. A book is more than a collection of tropes and trends. It is a tiny universe contained in a neat little package, designed to engage us as readers in a way which makes us FEEL ALL THE FEELS. And by rewarding the exceptional, calling out the mediocre and everything in between, reviewers make sure that the people on the other side of the fence are kept honest. And if I'm planning on one day standing on the "author" side of the fence, can I continue to be depended on to write fair reviews? Maybe you can, but it just doesn't seem right for me.
For these reasons, I've decided to shut the place down. In a lot of ways, this feels like a big deal for me. I know that temporaryworlds has never been a big blog, but I've been posting since December of 2008. Over a hundred people find my reviews worth at least glancing at, if not reading. It feels strange to be putting that all to rest. If you're interested, I can still be found on the internet, talking about books. I will use my goodreads as a way to share my informal thoughts on books. Seeing as my new blog is pretty open (I mean, I talked about the Laundromat once on there), I suspect that I will post about the books, movies and comic books I read from time to time, just not as regularly as I would here. I also have a pretty active twitter account where I yammer on about everything (usually in large chunks at the end of the day).
For those who have been there, whether you've been a vocal or silent participant, thank you for everything. And for all of you book bloggers and reviewers out there, I hope that you will be the ones to keep me on my toes if my work ever is found in print.