Hey yall! So, let me present my first every guest blogger- Iris. Feel free to go to her blog and interact with her! She is totally amazing! irisjexx.com

Tiffini was one of the first authors I met through my blog, or actually a rather awkward email back from when I still thought authors were these scary beings. That first awkward email aside, lots of laughing and emails later, Tiffini and I became pretty close. So when she asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I said yes in a heartbeat.

As we’re talking about awkward first emails and thinking authors are scary beings, I thought it would be fun to tell you about how I started blogging and what it has brought me in the long haul. March 10th I celebrated my first blogaversary, even though it has been over a year ago since I published that first review, it feels like it was yesterday that I decided to start my blog.

Before my book blog, I had a travel blog for a while. It was a way for me to show my friends and family what I was up to during the time I was traveling America. It was a fun time, and my posts consisted mainly of pictures and a little diaries entries.

So how did I go from a blog about traveling to a book blog? Well, that happened when I got back from traveling… Because once I got back, I found there was little to write about and so I didn’t. Until I found myself rereading Pride and Prejudice, again. And writing a post about it. Which I then found out I really, really liked doing.

I’ve always been a huge reader, so writing about books wasn’t really a hardship. So I started reviewing books I was reading at the time, and then I got introduced to the Awesome Book Blogging community. And I was hooked. One of the best things about book blogging is being part of the community, because it rocks. The bloggers are the most awesome and sweet people you’ll ever meet, and get this, they LOVE reading! And talking about reading! And squealing about fictional crushes!

So after I found out how much I loved being a part of this community, I started blogging more actively. I figured out what an ARC was (because, frankly, I had no idea and googled it the first time I came across the term). I started requesting ARCs, which was super scary. I began to have actual conversations with authors, which I told you about already… Honestly, it was scary and half of the time I had no idea what I was doing. But it was always fun and it felt good.

It was a journey. Complete with awkward mistakes and embarrassing typo’s in emails (typo’s like autocorrect changing the title of a book I am requesting by one letter and giving it a completely different meaning… It truly was as embarrassing as it sounds). But boy, do I love talking with authors, receiving these shiny ARCs in the mail (which really is a privilege) and above all the writing and the shameless fangirling with other readers.  It’s fun, and it’s me.

Which is really what it all comes down to. I love blogging and I am having so much fun along the way (so much fun that I’m going to be studying English Language and Culture next year at University). I love being able to talk to others about my latest read, something that’s quite hard to do when most of the people I hang out with don’t read.

- Iris

irisjexx.com

Go check her out! Her blogs are amazing and we always talk about books and compare what we thought! Love you Iris!!