Welcome to A Library in April!

Hi everyone! Well.. I hope someone is reading this lol

Last night, I published my new blog and now I'm here to say hello and introduce myself. Hey there, I'm April, and I have a passion for reading! Haha. I've been contemplating starting a blog for quite some time, but I never took the leap. There are numerous website options for creating a blog, some requiring payment while others are free. Then there's the aspect of customization - deciding how much I want to personalize it, what type of pages to include, and so on.

After much deliberation, I finally made a decision and went for it! I've been working on customizing two blogs simultaneously to compare them - one on Wix and the other on Squarespace - and I ultimately settled on using this one. I found it easier to customize this platform, so here we are.

Let me share a bit about myself and the story behind starting this blog. I'm April, a wife, and a proud dog mom! My husband is not only my best friend but also my biggest supporter, and my two dogs Butters and Batman are my beloved little troublemakers. 😄

During my childhood, I was always fond of reading, but my current reading habits surpass anything I did in the past. In the past, during the school book fair, I would typically acquire 2 or 3 books, and these, combined with the 1 or 2 books I received for Christmas, would basically be my reading material for the year, not counting the books assigned for school. However, as an adult, the number of books I would read in a year had dwindled to just one or sometimes none at all. You can blame adult life, we run out of time for our hobbies. Adults need to work, pay bills, and maintain relations with our partners, family, and friends. So reading takes a back seat, it's life.

So, when Covid hit, the gym I worked at closed down, and suddenly I found myself in the land of quarantine. But you know what? Something good did come out of that! 🌈

During that time, it felt like everyone was discovering new hobbies left and right. Some became crochet masters, others turned into painting pros, many started building their home gyms, some became chefs whipping up new recipes, and of course, there were the bookworms like me who finally had time to dive into those long-neglected shelves! 📚

For me, it was all about those books that had been patiently waiting for my attention. I dusted them off and started reading like there was no tomorrow. And when the library doors creaked open again, I was there, grabbing more books and diving deeper into the world of words. 📖

Despite the tough times, there was a spark of joy in rediscovering my love for reading, and I'm not letting that flame die out anytime soon! 🔥

Birth of A Library in April

In February 2022, something special happened - A Library in April came to life! It all started when my husband and I settled into our new home and I finally had a cozy spot to house all my beloved books. Determined to keep only the ones that truly sparked joy, I embarked on a decluttering journey. This led me to create an Etsy shop where I introduced the whimsical concept of "Blind Date with a Book." And just like that, "A Library in April" was born, along with its Bookstagram counterpart.

What began as a way to promote my Etsy store quickly blossomed into a warm and inviting online community of book lovers. Bookstagram was a hub where we could share our love for books without fear of judgment. It was really refreshing to enter into a space where we could connect with fellow book lovers, exchanging thoughts, and celebrating our diverse reading tastes. 📚💫

Although my Etsy shop had some sales, it ended up causing more stress than it was worth. On the other hand, being part of the Bookstagram community was enjoyable - taking pretty pictures of books I was reading and sharing them. Despite attempting to revive my Etsy shop, it only added to my stress levels, prompting me to close it and take a break. While I loved posting on Instagram, I often felt limited by the small caption box, wanting to delve deeper into the books I shared. The idea of starting a blog crossed my mind, but I hesitated, fearing it would bring the same stress as my Etsy shop or lead to burnout from managing both Bookstagram and a blog. However, the itch was there, and this summer, I decided to take a leap and JUST DO IT.

So here we are now! I hope so far it's all making sense cause I tend to be a rambler, and unfortunately for both you and me, I don't have a degree in English or Journalism. Yikes lol

What to Expect?

Let's chat about what you can expect from my blog.

It's pretty simple—I'm a huge fan of books, movies, TV, and anime, so you can definitely look forward to content in these areas. This is just the beginning, and I'm still figuring out where it will go. For now, expect book and movie reviews, updates on challenges, my reading goals, and wrap-ups of what I've been reading and watching, sprinkled with some personal stories.

On the Collections page, you'll find lists, challenges, and goals I'm currently working on. You'll see my journey to read all of Stephen King's books, the series I'm currently in the middle of, recommended book-to-screen adaptations, a page dedicated to my favorite books, and a fantasy readathon I'm taking part in.

This blog is like my personal library, filled with everything I love and enjoy. That's all I ever hope it to be.

My Approach to Rating

I'd love to share with you how I go about rating books. Everyone has their unique preferences when it comes to what they enjoy in a book. Personally, I don't have a formal background in English or Journalism, and I don't claim to be an expert on themes, subtext, or hidden messages. I simply read for the sheer pleasure of it. When I rate a book, I ask myself questions like: Did I have a great time reading it? Did it stay with me long after I finished? Does it make me ponder and reflect? Has it influenced my thoughts in any way? These are the things that matter most to me when assigning ratings to books. And remember, it's totally okay if my opinion differs from yours. We all have our own unique tastes, and that's what makes the world of books so fascinating. There's a book out there for everyone, and the fun part is exploring and finding the ones that resonate with us!

So, here's the scoop - right now, I'm aiming to share some awesome content with you once a week, but hey, who knows? That might just ramp up in the future! 🚀 If you wanna stay in the loop and be the first to know about all the new stuff coming your way, why not join my mailing list? Let's be book besties and make sure you never miss a post! 📚💖

Leave a comment below letting me know if you're in the middle of any book challenges, readathons, or if you just wanna say hi!