New Year, New Beginnings!

Hello, dear glorious readers! It’s us, Sarah and Faith at Sublime Reads  

Happy New Year! It’s been a wonderful six months since we’ve been introduced to the world of book blogging and from it, we have had so many new experiences! That being said, there’s always room for improvement. So, we’ve written down some of our goals and then by the end of 2016, we’re planning to reflect on them. You know that they say that New Year’s resolutions are never actually seen through until the end: but this year, we’re determined to accomplish these tasks, or at least try our best!

RESOLUTION #1: Be more consistent.

S: I think that means posting to a schedule… or at least regularly. When it comes to book reviews, there are so many I want to write… but I never get around to doing them.

F: Oh stars. This one, is sometimes hard. There’s school work, then there’s extracurricular activities, then there’s parents who tell you to do stuff and trying to get an adequate amount of sleep. Time management is just a tool in life that we’ll have to master.

I should also point out that at times, I Google encouragements for motivation because when your name is Faith, often times people will tell you to “just have FAITH in yourself!” (They consequently believe that they are the most ingenious person to have ever walked on Earth… trust me. Or should I say, have faith in me. I’ve heard it more times than I’ve procrastinated.)

RESOLUTION #2: Comment more.

S: This might just be me, but I feel really shy when commenting on other people’s blogs. It’s even worse when the posts I want to talk about are old. 😥 So this year, I want to be more outgoing and I want to participate even more XD

F: Commenting is a pretty big part of blogging because it helps give feedback and it just gives you a nice fuzzy feeling to know that people are actually reading your stuff, no matter what it is. Of course, it also helps you to engage in the blogosphere so this year, I’m going to try to read and comment more on other blogs.

RESOLUTION #3: Carpe Diem

S: We should definitely seize any bookish opportunities in 2016. That includes going to book festivals and asking for ARCs 😉 (No ARC envy though… that’s what we’re leaving in 2015)

F: Basically, we’re going to take more initiative to just do more. More bookish things and activities. Such as updating (and remembering) our Goodreads account more and especially, our Instagram account. (Yikes, we should definitely do something about that!!)

RESOLUTION #4 Quality, not Quantity

S: Cutting back on the books we read isn’t necessarily bad… as long as the books we read are interesting and diverse. We should probably branch out to other genres 😀

F: This is exactly what I’ve learned from book reviewing. Before, I would try to read more so that I could review more… instead, I’ve realized that reading less material doesn’t mean reviewing less. It means taking the time to review more on the books that you have read! 🙂

RESOLUTION #5: Branch out.

S: I have yet to review a middle grade novel… or a manga. Although, I swear, that will change!

F: In terms of trees and branches, we’re practically still a sapling. Luckily for us, trees are always growing! As for me, I was thinking about reviewing the occasional Korean drama and more book-related movies and DIYs! Just a more diverse array of blog posts. (But don’t worry, we’ll focus first on the book reviews!)

RESOLUTION #6: Find the right design for us.

S: We need to find a theme and a look that we like. And we need to figure out our aesthetic. Something with watercolours….

F: Although our blog is ever-changing, we’re going to try to find a style that suits the both of us, and one that you will also hopefully enjoy!

RESOLUTION #7: Refine our writing.

S: While our skills, whether it be critical thinking or just English in general, have improved, there’s still a long way to go 😀

F: We’re always trying to find ways to streamline my writing. But sometimes it’s a STRUGGLE. Usually I know what I’m trying to say, but don’t know how to say it. Then, I try to find a balance between finding my own voice while generally improving my English skills. It’s a pain when you’re done and you’re still dissatisfied with your writing… I guess I’ll also have to appreciate my own work more!

RESOLUTION #8: Give back to our followers.

S: We recently reached over a 100 followers, which is quite amazing. We really don’t deserve you guys, so thank you to everyone ❤ Your support means the world to us!

F: To be honest, it’s easy to be envious of others’ follows but I’ve really recognized that their followers exist because of their hard work and effort that they’ve put into their blogs! This year, we would just like to take the time to appreciate everything we have achieved through book blogging and it’s really thanks to you. 🙂 It never gets old seeing a nice comment or getting a new follow, which really encourages us to write more! In the future, we would love to do a giveaway… one day it will happen. Thanks for a great six months of blogging!

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If any of our resolutions apply to you, comment below! We’d love to hear about your new goals.

We’ll see you in the new year! 🙂