DISCUSSION: two years of magical reads

WOWOWOW I cannot believe it's been two years since I started this blog! It really doesn't feel like that long, but oh the time has passed. I've been a lifelong reader, and had recently decided to actually write full-length reviews. Well, by full-length, I mean more than two paragraphs. A few months after that, I decided to turn it into a full-out blog, and here we are!

Two years ago, I was in a bit of a bad place; I wasn't completely unhappy, but I was dealing with a lot of stress because it was my junior year, which meant a lot of thought of college and my future and all those scary things. My English class that year was also . . . putting an undue burden on me. So Magical Reads started as a bit of stress relief, and honestly, it still is a creative outlet for me even after all these years.

I wish I could do a giveaway or something to help celebrate, but alas, I am a poor college student and can't manage anything. I also thought about doing something like a graphic giveaway (I do them sometimes on Tumblr), but that has sometimes proven to be more work than I've anticipated. I also am really busy with school right now, and any time I'm not drafting a post for this blog, I'm reading. So I've decided to share some lists! Everything should be a top 2, for 2 years, I suppose, but where's the fun in that? Here's a top 3 in miscellaneous categories (and some shameless self-plugs sorry not sorry).

⚞REVIEWS⚟

1. the gilded wolves
2. tess of the road
3. foolish hearts

⚞DISCUSSION POSTS⚟

1. ya adaptions we don't talk abt anymore (look out for part 2...soon)
2. my (complicated) thoughts on the TATBILB movie
3. a deep analysis of the grishaverse

⚞BOOK REC LISTS⚟

1. if you like the cruel prince
2. soc characters and book recs
3. releases you might have missed in 2018

⚞TIPS TO BEING A BOOK BLOGGER/BOOKSTAGRAMMER⚟

1. don't fixate on your follower count! it's easy to only focus on it, I know, but remember that it isn't everything.
2. try not to get too stressed — you're doing this for fun! everything is on your schedule, so you get to choose when you post and when to take a break. alternately, if you're feeling it, I totally recommend scheduling your posts when you're feeling it. I recently fell into a bit of a blogging rut, but thankfully, I'd scheduled enough posts so that I didn't feel the need to write something when I wasn't feeling it.
3. arcs aren't everything — review what you want! it's also easy to obsess about being approved, but remember that the book will come out eventually.

⚞PEOPLE WHO'VE HELPED ME THIS FAR⚟

(in no particular order, and, of course, this isn't everyone)

1. charlotte, who blogs at both inkslippers and readsrainbow. thanks for all the book recs and for being salty/annoyed/angry at the same things as me!
2. eri, over at airyreads. we have the exact same taste in books, and I'm forever grateful that we can talk about all our faves together.
3. mana, who designs the most gorgeous bookish graphics and merch. thanks for blessing us with your designs and for including me on the gilded wolves street team!

special shout-out to mariana for talking about books with me and lending me books and going to bookish events with me!