How do you choose and pick your books?

Heeya!

As most of us have been readers since we were younger, thus having a distinct “before” and “after” we started book blogging in terms of how and what books we decided to read, I decided it’d be quite interesting to compare the two!

So here we go! 😄

Related; “What makes me pick up a Book” Tag

My “Before” ;

I didn’t knew much about books by then, genres and stuff were not as expended as it is today – then again, it was in the 2000s, so i’m not even sure what there truly was back then either xd

I didn’t knew what was popular either, except for Harry potter and later on the hunger games, as it were movies and such.. the only other reader that I knew being older adult (my godmother), I knew what books she enjoyed like Agatha Christie, but definately not something more “my age”.

As I wasn’t bilingual at all back then (only started to really grasp it in 2012/2013), most of what I was picking were books written in Quebec.. or bigger publishers translations.

I had no other way that just browse the library or book store and figure what book looked good for me to read.

My “after” ;

Now? Although i’m still quite confused on genres (especially YA..), i’m now aware of things that I didn’t before: diversity, reps, etc.

I do know what’s popular books now!! Although it doesn’t mean that i’m that attracted to read them 🤣 as they are mostly fantasies.. I also do have so much more reader friends; around my age or even younger/older, my godmother and mother aren’t the only ones I can talk books with anymore !! ❤️

With the progress that I made within my bilinguality, I now have the opportunity to read books in both my languages – opening so many new doors to books I would’ve never had gotten to read, as i’m not even sure they would get a translation in the future!! (Eliza & her monsters being one)

Added to the casual way of browsing and picking what I find interesting, I now have a LIST of thousands of books i’d wanna get my hands on.. as I am now aware of my peers talking and gushing about them! Goodreads is also a tool I didn’t had back them – which allow me to browse even more books with themes that i’d wanna read (like Organ Donation, or dachshunds)

What are your Before & Afters?

Is it more gradual, or a high jump like mine did?