I’m so excited to be participating in this linkup, and a HUGE thank you to Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales and Hazel @ Stay Bookish for coming up with the idea and hosting it for all of us! Today in the United States is a day for giving thanks for those things we’re thankful for (as if we shouldn’t be doing that everyday anyway….but I digress). I feel like it’s especially important to show gratitude, especially since the world is basically going to hell in a hand basket. So I decided to participate in this linkup and get a few of my ‘thank you’s out there into the world!
Family (genetic and otherwise):
My mother, who usually doesn’t even try to see things from another person’s standpoint, at least tries to understand where I’m coming from on some days. On top of that, she always tries to be supportive as best she can. We may not see eye to eye (most of the time), but I know I’m lucky to have a mother who at least tries.
My chico! (You know who you are..) He’s always been there for me and gotten me through so much, especially in my teenage years. He’s one of the few people who simply gets me and I’m so glad to have him in my life.
My friend Amber has inspired me again and again not to settle for anything less than what I really want. She’s an excellent sounding board when I need it (and when I don’t). We may not speak very often, but when we do it’s like we never left off.
My friend Jen is always there when I need to vent. She’s an excellent listener and tells me what I need to hear, even if it’s not always what I want to hear. I really miss wandering around London with her!
My friend Angel is one of those wonderful people who supports me no matter what I’m going through. She’s not afraid to speak her mind, even in situations where her opinion isn’t the popular one.
And my Asshole who is always so supportive of me and somehow puts up with my wild shenanigans.
Online:
I’m still relatively new to the bookish community so many of you won’t know who I am but I have been reading your blogs, watching your blogs, and following you on social media. I take such inspiration from how this community comes together and stands up for each other and anyone else who might need it. I love that I’m a part of this community, albeit a small part. I’m certain I’ll miss AT LEAST one person so I’m sorry! Here goes:
Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek : Yours is among the first blogs I followed and I still read every post you put up, if not on the day you post it. I love your deep and honest poetry and how willing you are to share it with the world. Your reviews (I know it’s a struggle) are always written like you’re just talking with a friend about the book, which is perfect! Talking with you in the comments is always a pleasure.
Cait @ A Page With A View : Blogging. Reviewing. Giveaways. Bookstagram (which I have discovered I fail at). Cait is one of those personalities who I’m always happy to see something new from, even if it’s just that I’ve come across one of her reviews on Goodreads for a book I’m thinking of readin
Redd’s Reads : Your blog is actually the first I ever followed because Redd is a name I went by briefly (for some reason people think I’ll answer to it because of the hair…) and because you’re bookish. I love how your blog has so much variety to it, from reviews to memes to sharing books you have or want to have (which generally adds to the list of books I want to have).
Carrie Hope Fletcher @ ItsWayPastMyBedTime : I know you aren’t part of the bookish community, but I’ve been following your vlog and social media for years now. You’re such a positive person that it rolls off you and into the work you do. The fact that you’re willing to share so much of yourself with the world is amazing to me but look what you’ve done with it! You stand up for the arts, positive body images, and so much more. You acknowledge that life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows while still putting a positive spin on it. You deserve all the success that you’ve worked so hard to achieve!
The bookish community as a whole : While I would consider WordPress to be my main platform, a lot of my interaction with the community happens on Twitter. There, I’ve seen bloggers, vloggers, bookstagramers, authors, publishers, and performers all come together and defend each other and our collective beliefs. Being a part of this community, it’s almost impossible to feel alone because I know you are all with me.
You all stand up for what is right. You stand for diversity and community, for the environment and those who do their best to protect it. You stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. I heard a story recently about the trickle down effect of not standing up for those who need it simply because it doesn’t affect you and having no one to stand up for you when it did. The bookish community isn’t like that at all. When they come after one of us, everyone stands up. Everyone confronts the problem head on. Together.
And when there’s cause for celebration, the bookish community celebrates the same way. Together. I love you all and I’m so overwhelmed, proud, and grateful that I get to be a part of such a wonderful community as this. Yes, we have our flaws, but it’s obvious that we will deal with those the way we deal with everything else.
Together.
Authors:
Ahh the list goes on and on and on and……. Let me try to narrow it down a bit for this though…
J. K. Rowling will probably know exactly how much it means to me (and millions and millions of others), but the Harry Potter series saved my life. A few times. While I’m not sure how I feel about the expansion of the Wizarding World, the original seven books are brilliant and I reread them almost every year.
I’ve discovered so many wonderful authors since I started interacting with the bookish community. Each of them has given me a new world to explore, new characters to love (or hate), and hours of entertainment by putting themselves out there and giving their work to the world. Some have even altered the way I see the world around me. Jeff Wheeler, Roger Pulvers, Jessica Sorensen, Peter R. Stone, Emily Carpenter, Lynne Matson, Chris Speck, Helen Harper, Jeanette Winterson, Leigh Bardugo, Jojo Moyes, Chloe Neill, Charlie N. Holmberg, Juliet Blackwell, Gae Polisner, Jodi Picoult, David Arnold, Peter S. Beagle, Ransom Riggs, Timothy C. Ward, Michael Scott, Khaled Hosseini, Gwenda Bond, Meg Elison, Sarah J. Maas, Vic James, Han Kang, Katarina Bivald, Thaddeus White, Nicola Yoon, Zoraida Córdova, Marissa Meyer, Adam Silvera, Tahereh Mafi, Stephen King, and so, so many more…
I’m extremely grateful for each of you! (And bad at narrowing things down…)
Vicarious Bookworm 