Summer Blogger Tour: The Book Bratz

Today we have Amber and Jessica from The Book Bratz. These girls are the masterminds behind The Summer Blogger Promo Tour and I for one am very happy they decided to do this! 

As this was all their idea I wanted to know and share why they got into blogging. We all have different reasons, whether it's a love for books, a way to write or maybe you started because you got a little bored. So this is why Jessica and Amber entered out big old blogging community.

WHY WE BLOG

Hey everyone, we're Amber & Jessica from The Book Bratz, and we're so glad to get the chance to guest post on The YA's Nightstand! Mily asked us to talk about why we blog, and we both have some different answers, so we decided to tell you all why both of us blog.

Jessica

Amber reached out to me about starting a book blog over a year ago, and I immediately said yes. Now that I look back on it, at first I wasn't expecting all of the hard work that ended up being required, but now, I've gotten used to all of the work that it takes to run a book blog and I love it. As for why I blog? I'm a complete book nerd--I go through three or four books a week. I have a soft spot for YA contemporary. The blog is just a fantastic way to talk about what I liked and/or disliked about a book and to have other people comment on my posts and agree with me (or sometimes disagree), debate and discuss. My job is practically just to gush about books on the internet 24/7, and then check out other blogs and gush about THOSE books 24/7. It's heaven. 

In my opinion, one of the coolest things about being a book blogger is the fact that believe it or not, the authors of the books you talk about actually DO read your reviews. It's becoming pretty common now for authors to Retweet our links to reviews of their books and Tweet us gushing and saying thank you...and the feeling is indescribable when you're a book nerd like me. I'll read an awesome book (one of my recent 5-star reviews was (Don't You) Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn) and then write a whole review about what I loved about it, and then the AUTHOR--the person who put a pen to a piece of paper and created the very book I'm holding in my hand and now love so much--will actually take the time to read what I had to say about his/her book and then will actually reach out to us and say thank you. It's a pretty unforgettable experience, and I have called Amber up on the phone and fangirled once or twice.

The blogger community is an awesome bonus to being a book blogger as well. Because of The Book Bratz, I have met so many kind and funny and fantastic people--especially the bloggers on the Summer Blogger Promo Tour! It's said that friendships are formed when two people start a conversation with "I like to do this," and "You do that too?" In the blogging community, that happens each and every day. You meet another blogger who loves the same kinds of books you do, you check out their blog, and you love it. It's a continuous thrill that happens pretty much every day. Being a book blogger is so, so worthwhile and I'm so glad that I did it. 

Amber

Jessica stole everything I was going to say. *Pouts* I reached out to Jessica in March or April of 2013 and literally said "Lets do a book blog?" thinking it was going to be easy. It wasn't. In August of that same year we stopped posting. It was a lot of work and we would have been starting school up in the next few weeks. There was no time. In May of 2014 I was at the mall thinking about the blog (I saw a girl with a book and we were talking, she said how she ran a blog and stuff) not even twenty minutes later Jess texts me that we should start is back up. I was 100% for the idea! 

Why I blog? That is like asking someone why they breath. I just do and I enjoy it. I especially like book blogging because I get to talk about what I love. Most of my friends don't read, they don't like too (The Horror!!) or they are too busy. I only had Jessica and Emily and they don't read the same things I read often (Especially since I don't have much a of social life. So I read more. If I was to sit down and just read for a week I could easily read 7+ books) With blogging I connected with people who enjoy the same or similar things. 

I also love the wow factor, people look at me and like "You run a book blog?" Yes, I will admit people also think I am crazy. When my family found out they asked if I need professional help (I am not lying, my family says stuff like that) but they came around to it. My friends laugh and think it is cool. (I don't think they ever visited the blog though *sighs* I will keep trying on that one) 

I met so many great people too! Seriously who ever knew that I would start chatting over books with people from all over the world! I even talked to a few authors (When I am at home I fangirl and text Jessica.) and met some too. A few even told us that they seen or been on our blog before! (We make and effort to tag authors in our review tweets) 

I don't regret making the decision to text Jessica about starting a blog. I love this, and this is my life. I consider this my job (I tell my dad that, he gets mad and tells me I need to get a job that pays. This job does, in books and new friends!) I love blogging and I hope we keep at it until long after we are married with kids! First though, we need to get through the rest of high school! 

Another huge thank you to Mily for having us on her blog! You can check out our blog and our Twitter to follow us along for the rest of the tour and also check out some of our new reviews. :) See you all during the rest of the Summer Blogger Promo Tour!