Prioritizing Blogger Safety | Why Writing Under a Pen Name is Perfectly Fine

From the first time I logged into a computer, I have been lectured about online safety. Parents, teachers, neighbors, signs in hallways, and TV commercials have all warned me about the dangers of the Internet, especially meeting strangers and giving them my information.

I am not saying that online friends are sketchy or not trustworthy, but the Internet has a lot of types of people and not all of them have your best interests at heart. For the most part, the book community has each other's backs and I have felt safe sharing about my personal life.

That being said, Tessa is not my real name. It's a pen name that my 8th grade self created in order to protect myself on the Internet (and so that I didn't get lectured again from my mom). I have always blogged under a pen name and I don't plan on changing that in the near future.

I have always been very open about my use of a pen name, but recently, a certain author has questioned the trustworthiness of bloggers who use a pseudonym. This event in the book blogging world, involving a case of stalking and invasion of privacy, is the reason that I chose to use a pen name so long ago.

Instead of getting into a debate about the specifics of the event, I would like to give a list of reasons why it is perfectly acceptable for bloggers to use a pen name.

I Can't Believe that I Am Writing This | Celebrating 500 Posts

Like Rome, Crazy for YA was not built in a day. Or even a year. This little baby is going on six years and I still don't think that it is completely built.

But, despite the never-ending pursuit of building the perfect blog, the process of writing, posting, reviewing on this blog has changed my life.

When I started this blog with my friends, I didn't think it would last beyond middle school, let alone to the 500th post milestone that I am celebrating right now. Writing a single review would take me hours, and they didn't have graphics, SEO, fancy fonts, or even a book summary. What they did have was an obnoxious pink font and a whole lot of love and care.

However, despite the obnoxious colors, middle school writing, and complete lack of design, I still haven't deleted any of my old posts.

There is literally an archive of my blogging journey (mistakes and all) still available for public criticism. This blog is me. This is me at my best and at my worst. These typos are me. These terrible graphics are me. These bad decisions, lack of knowledge, hurried posts, all led to where I am today. And all I can say is that the view is pretty good from here.

That being said, read on if you want to see a timeline of Crazy for YA throughout 500 posts and six years!

The Pros of Being in a Book Slump

Even though I find myself a pretty agreeable person, I do have a nemesis that I hate more than anything else in the world--book slumps. 

For those of you who are lucky enough to never have suffered through one (please tell me your secrets), book slumps are extended periods of time when reading just isn't fun anymore. There are many causes, such as lack of time or the after-effects of a five star book, but no concrete cure. 

When I am in a slump, all the books I try to read end up disappointing me. And then, if the case is severe enough, I stop reading altogether. 

However, in the spirit of mercy for my mortal enemy, the book slump, I forgive its wrongdoings. Grudges apparently aren't good to hold on to, so here are some benefits to being in a book slump. 

Ereaders aren't completely terrible | The surrender of a hardcover lover

I am a very traditional person who is stuck in many of her ways. I don't like change very much. I will wear one pair of shoes until they have too many holes to properly walk in and then I will go to the store and buy the exact same pair of shoes. I survived throughout middle school and high school solely on the consistency of the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that I had every day for lunch. Having the same lunch every day was a comfort for me in the ever-changing (and terrifying) jungle of high school. I even ate them on the weekends sometimes because I missed them so much.

The same applies to my reading habits; I prefer reading hardcover, physical books that I can actually turn the pages (and caress softly). Spine and paper books will always be my favorite (everyone knows that nothing bets the scent of a new book or the crack of the spine when you first open it). But...

I don't completely hate ebooks.

There was a point in time when I thought this was a divisive issue that I had to go all or nothing on. I thought that in order to love physical books you naturally had to hate ebooks. However (like most of the issues in the world) there is not a 100% right answer in the debate and both sides have valid arguments.

So, against my formerly stringent traditionalist views, I am going to share my reasons for liking ereaders.

How I Became a Rating Robber | Chasing the Nonexistent Golden Standard

I like to think of myself as a fair and honest person. I never cheat on tests. I never tell myself that I will only watch one episode of Netflix because I know it would end up being a lie. I always replace the roll of toilet paper instead of leaving an empty tube for the next unfortunate soul who enters the bathroom.

However, it has come to my attention that I may be the worst criminal of them all--a rating robber.

The Power of Memoirs | How a single voice can make a difference

In today's world, it can be hard to believe that one voice can actually make a difference. While the Internet has become a place for anyone to express themselves, it is also so full of people that it can be difficult to be noticed.

In a world of noise, distraction, and chaos, I did not believe in the power of an individual's voice. My jaded attitude caused me to give up on the power of an individual's story. The books I read mainly consisted of fantasy, science fiction, and a tiny bit of contemporary romance. In case you didn't notice, the genre that is completely missing from my reading diet is non-fiction.

Instead of learning about the real world through memoirs and biographies, I dove into the escapist distractions of fantasy and science fiction. I used to read more for entertainment and fun than for knowledge and understanding. 

However, my mindset completely changed when I started reading memoirs. By dipping my toes into the murky waters of non-fiction, I became invested in a new genre that not only taught me about the real world around me, but also how to be a better reader.

The Mustering of Motivation | New year, same problems

New year, new me. That's what everyone says, right? As if the simple change from one year to the next, which is really just the switch from one day to the next that we experience every 24 hours, could fundamentally change who we are.

Maybe that is just a pessimistic view. Maybe I am just a little bit cynical. Maybe I am wrong, but I don't believe in magic of New Year's resolutions. I don't believe that a kiss on midnight will automatically ensure romantic prosperity or that a decision made on a whim when the clock strikes midnight will create any change in your life.

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions, but I do believe in the power of everyday decisions and goals.

A New Year's resolution is a one-time decision, often occurring as the result of pressure from society to instantaneously become a better person, that rarely lasts beyond January 31st. Resolutions made on a whim lack strength, longevity, and effectiveness. If a goal is not backed up by resiliency and motivation, it will never survive.

But that is exactly the problem: motivation. In my inconsistent blogging life, motivation is the scapegoat for all of my problems. Motivation is the continuity of choices you make all-day, everyday, which is infinitely more powerful than a singular decision made on New Year's Eve.

I am a long-life procrastinator who is more often motivated by the panic of a close deadline than the ambition of getting things done early just for the sake of having them done.

As you can probably tell, this becomes an issue for blogging, especially since it is self-motivated for me. I am always motivated for schoolwork (because I am obsessed with my grades) and my actual work (because I like money), but blogging is more self-rewarding. Since there is no salary or grade for blogging (at least I hope not considering my less than stellar record), it can be hard for me to find the motivation to write a post, start a blogging project, or sometimes, even read at all.

Going back to my skepticism of New Year's resolutions. I could have made the New Year's resolution to finally make a blogging schedule, to read at least 100 books in 2018, or to double the number of followers my blog has. I could have come up with all kinds of crazy goals and desires to wish on at the stroke of midnight. However, I didn't.

Instead, I am working on increasing my motivation and making the decision EVERYDAY to be a better blogger, better reader, and a better person. If you are of the same mind set (or you just want some motivational ramblings), here are my top tips to get and keep your motivation.

My recommended required reading | AKA Books that I Read for School and Didn't Hate

Summer has finally come to an end. For many people this means going back to school, either as a school or a teacher, and facing another year of studying, learning, and stressing.

School is made up of many facets; horrifying geometry pop quizzes, a list of extracurriculars longer than your TBR, and late nights trying to catch up on what you should have done yesterday. But all of these struggles pale in comparison to the beast of required reading.

The nature of required reading is a double-edged sword, which is perhaps the topic of another blog post. For now, let's just recognize that while being forced to read may not be the most pleasurable literary experience, it doesn't have to be the worst either. As with any book that you read, the reader has power with the story. Even with required reading, you have the choice to make the most of the book, or to dismiss it as another worthless assignment that you are determined to hate.

Teachers too often get hate about their required reading choices, but the students' displeasure is misplaced. The teacher is not the author of the book, or even the person who decided it was popular. As a society, we collectively put value on certain books that survived throughout time. So, let me say it one more time for the people in the back, IT IS NOT A TEACHER'S FAULT THAT YOU HATED A BOOK.

It took me a while to figure this out, since unfortunately, it is easier to blame a teacher than to blame yourself. But once you start at least trying to appreciate the required books, they will start to appreciate you as well. An open minds leads to understanding, connection, and eventually enjoyment while a closed mind only leads to disappointment.

I am not going to lie, I have read a fair amount of books throughout my education career that I did not like or downright hated. But I have read a ton of books for leisure that I hated too. So, in the spirit of trying to see required reading in a new light, I am going to share some of my favorite books that I was assigned to read.

The dangerous difference between unlikeable and intolerable

There is a fine line between annoying and intolerable. Personally, I have danced across this line so often that I am very familiar with the difference. Unfortunately, there are some characters who are completely unaware that there even is a line. 

All readers have met unlikeable characters sometime in their book adventures. These are the characters who make your blood boil and your veins bulge in frustration. For some reason or another, they get on your nerves. In fact, they are a common literary tool used to stir up emotion within the reader. Think about all of the romances that are hate-to-love. In the beginning, we all hated Rhys from A Court of Thorns and Roses (and even though some of us still hate him, you get the point), Will Herondale from The Infernal Devices, the Darkling from The Grisha series, even Haymitch from The Hunger Games. When I think about it, there are a lot of characters who started pretty high on my "I'd-love-to-watch-you-burn" list, but ended up on my list of favorite characters. I classify these characters as "unlikeable" since they rub me the wrong way sometimes, but have not completely lost their chance for my respect. 


But, there is another kind of annoying character. The kind that crosses the line between decent indecency and hateful scumbag. These characters are definitely unbearable, but sometimes it can be hard to discern when they changed from merely unlikeable to full-blown intolerable.

Is there still a blog here? | On my absence and plans for the future (again)

Is a three-month absence too long to blame on technical issues? 

Unfortunately, it was not a broken computer, slow Internet, or a three-month long blackout that prevented me from blogging. 

The Details

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For the last three months or so, I have attended two funerals, spent many long weekends consoling family, and tried to complete my last semester of high school without flunking everything. In between the crying, studying, and traveling, I have not had any time to read, let alone blog. 

While blogging has been an important part of my life (admittedly on and off) for the past five years, my family, and ultimately my sanity, were more important to me in the last couple of months. 

To be completely honest, there were times when I did not think I could ever return to blogging. The thought of writing a new blog post filled me with anxiety. There was a voice in the back of my head whispering that I was gone too long, no one would remember me, and that I was not even a good blogger in the first place. 

On that note, I would like to give the biggest shout-out to Roberta @ Offbeat YA and anyone else who had faith that I did not abandon this little blog of mine. It turns out you were right, even when I had doubts. I know my blog isn't the biggest, the prettiest, the funniest, or the most consistent, but it warms my bookish heart to know people care about my ramblings. You guys make everything worth it.

Anyway, I have learned quite a bit in the past weeks. Most lessons are painful and private that you don't want to hear about anyway. But, there is one that we all know, but we don't always appreciate. It is in the darkest times when books can be the most beneficial. In the past two weeks, I started reading again. Did reading fix all of my family's problems? No. But the real magic is that books don't have to fix everything. Picking up a book again made me feel like myself. In a world where our lives are chaotic, destructive, and sometimes downright depressing, books are a constant. The words on a page never change and characters never abandon their books. Even when life seems like a Hallmark movie that someone decided didn't deserve a happy ending, you can take comfort in your passions. 

Earlier in the year, I promised myself that I would never apologize for my blogging habits, no matter how sporadic they become. If you want to read the whole post about not giving into regret about blogging, click here. If you were too lazy to click the link, here is the quick and dirty: I am tired of being anxious, guilty, and sad about the state of my blog. Books have provided a safe place for me throughout my entire life, and I don't want blogging to erode that passion. So, I don't want blogging to become a chore to me, or else reading will as well. 

For better or worse, this means that I need to take breaks from blogging as needed. Over the last couple of months, I have definitely needed a break. I hope you can forgive me for my absence, but I have comfort in the fact that I have already forgiven myself.

Takeaways

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1. I am not dead.
2. I am not quitting. New posts will be up by the end of the week, and hopefully, pretty consistently after that.
3. Reading is not a cure-all, but books can go a long way in the healing process.
4. I appreciate each and every one of you who continue to follow my blog despite the sudden disappearances, silence, and craziness. 
5. I have some catching up to do, with reading, blogging, commenting, and getting back into the groove of things. (And let's not even talk about the state of my Goodreads challenge right now). 

So, what did I miss? What books have you been reading lately? What are the latest releases I need to catch up with? How has your life been in the past three months? Tell me everything!

My quirks are not for your entertainment | How quirky gets in the way of diversity

In today's world, there is nothing more important than diversity--accepting people as they are. It is not a choice to include everyone, regardless of race, sexuality, gender, disability, but a duty. Diversity has two main components, inclusion and respect. This is an all-or-nothing game so you cannot claim to respect someone without including them in your lifestyle, art, and literature. The reverse is also true: there is no point in including someone if you misrepresent or diminish their existence and struggles. 

One of the biggest offenders of polluting diversity is inclusion without respect, which can be seen in the sudden influx of "quirky" YA characters. There are a lot of characters who have some kind of defining characteristic that is not normal, therefore, it is a quirk. 

Many books nowadays are trying to pass off quirks and "cute" abnormalities as diversity. They take a complicated, complex, and meaningful topic like depression or suicide, and then trivialize the meaning by making it a "quirk" instead of a real issue.

Excuse my excuses | A story of blogger regret and recovery

I have made a lot of excuses since I started blogging five years ago. I have blamed my problems on my lack of time management, co-bloggers, laziness, fear, forgetfulness, cute puppies who just want me to sleep with them, etc. Some of them were blatant problems that plagued my life, while others were just lies and excuses to make myself feel better. But, every time an excuse slipped out of my mouth (or from my keyboard) I instantly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. 

Every missed post, every unanswered comment, every blank email made me feel like I was drowning in my responsibilities as a blogger. I felt as if I was letting everyone down, especially myself. 

I started this blog in the beginning with two of my best friends in the world. We were naive little bookworms who thought that blogging only consisted of writing posts. HAHAHA, right? Soon enough, we realized that there was a lot more that we did not account for when we gave life to our project. In fact, both of them have decided that blogging is not the right path for them anymore, leaving me the sole owner of Crazy for YA. This proves that bBlogging is so much more than just writing and posting, but that is a discussion for another time. 

The point is, I could continue to blame my naivety, my lack of time, my personal life and the many other things that seem to make blogging impossible, or I can own up to the fact that my blog will not be perfect. 

Being Together and Running Apart | An Ode to 2016

2016 was a year of contradictions. 


We said goodbye to many artists who made the world a better place, including but not limited to Prince, Carrie Fisher, George Michael, and Alan Rickman. 

We said hello to great movies and entertainment, like Stranger Things, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Moana. Also, Hamilton the Musical continued its streak into fame. 

We got an American Authors album that rocked my mind. 

We got a president-elect who is pushing the boundaries of our nation. 

The book blogging universe exploded several times from scandal, fraud, and dishonesty. Racism and poor representation burned through social media. The call for diverse books, authors, readers, and editors was met with strong disagreements. 

The book blogging universe exploded with support for one another. Events like DiversityDecBingo and Loveathon shared the blogger love. Countless bloggers campaigned for diversity and representation on every platform available. 

The highs and lows were reflected in every area of life, especially in my reading goals and accomplishments.

How to Make Your Wallet Cry | A Gift Guide for Bookworms

Sometimes it can be hard to find presents for the people that you love in your life. Sure, you can always stick a gift card or some cash in an envelope and call it a day, but where is the fun in that? I am of the mentality that every person is unique, so everyone should get a unique and personalized gift. 

Fortunately, bookworms are extremely easy to shop for. There is no guessing what we want, I mean the word "book" is literally in the title. 

The Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection | Crit Your Faves

This post is a part of the #CritYourFaves event Aentee from Read at Midnight.

(P.S. There will be spoilers for the Divergent series by Veronica Roth in this discussion. You have officially been warned.)

Perfection is abundant in YA, or at least at first glance, it seems so. There is always the stunningly handsome love interest who is somehow smart, funny, popular, and well, perfect. There is always the "flawed" main character who can ace her classes, fight monsters, all while still getting the boyfriend at the end. Perfection has become a standard in YA, and one of my favorite book series is a major culprit. 

Diversity is not a bad word

I know a lot of bad words. Words that would make your grandmother blush and have your mother wash your mouth out with soap. Words that destroy, devastate, and hurt. Four letter words that cannot be said on television or public radios. Most of us know some, if not all, of these words. They are imbued in our society so that everyone recognizes these words of hatred and pain.

But in the plethora of curses, insults, and swears that exist in our cultures, diverse is not a bad word.

Diverse is a word that uplifts and gives voices to the quiet. It gives hope to the hopeless. It has the power to change the book publishing industry, and hopefully our world, for the better. A single word can make our community better and improve us as readers and people.  

There are so many ways that diversity improves our world, and I am not just talking about in literature. Films, music, and every field should be diversified to represent the real people. The world is not full of the same type of people, so why does our media suggest that? 

Diversity is a big and heated topic in our community and world right now, and one post and one opinion will not do it enough justice. I plan on writing many more posts to campaign for greater representation for all people in literature through a series of blog posts.

But for now, I have complied some inspiring tweets, posts, and other resources to show that we are not alone in the fight for diversity.

     

What do you think about diversity in literature? How do you campaign for diversity? What are your favorite diverse books and authors? Are there any posts about diversity that you would like to see from me?

How I Conquered Mount Everest (Also Known As My TBR)

I started my Goodreads account many, many moons ago. This was before I decided to start a book blog. Before I got a Twitter account. Before Divergent was published and the world went dystopian crazy. Before I knew the dangers of accumulating a massive TBR pile. 

Once I got over the novelty of a website solely for book lovers like myself, I decided to start adding books to my shelves, mostly my to-be-read shelf. I quickly learned how to use Goodreads nefarious recommended reads feature, as well as the thousands of interesting lists in the listopia page. I added anything and everything that even sounded remotely exciting to me in the first few weeks on Goodreads. And I am currently paying the consequences. 

I currently have shelves full of physical books that have been on my TBR for years and do not even get me started on my digital ebook shelves *cringe*. 

I have finally admitted to myself that my TBR is a bit out of control (which is the first step to recovery, right? At least I hope...). I started to tackle the source of the issue: my Goodreads to-be-read list.

In Defense of Reading Multiple Books at Once

I am not one of those people who systematically eat their meals in order. (I hope we have already established the fact that I am far from normal, if not, here is your first clue.) For example, if I were to have a hearty and delicious meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas, I would not eat anything in order. I would probably start with the meatloaf, and eat a couple of bites of the surprisingly delicious protein yes, meatloaf can be amazing. Then, I would take a couple of scoopfuls of mashed potatoes, maybe even mixing the meatloaf and the potatoes. I would then rotate to taste the peas. This process would repeat until I finish the whole meal.

I read exactly like I read. I love to nibble on one book, then snack on another, then return to the first one. (See, there was a point to that intro besides making you incredibly hungry.)

I read multiple books at one time, and there is nothing wrong with that. 

Classic Conversations | The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Disclaimer- These are just my thoughts on a classic novel. They are not intended as a study guide for an English test that you forgot to study for. My opinions may vary from other people's, even yours. Please respect my opinions as I will respect yours. 

Also, this is a discussion of the entire novel, which includes the ending. Basically, there will be spoilers about everything. Read at your own risk.

The Scarlet Letter is one of the classic classics. Almost every high school (or even college) student has (or should have) read it at some point in their English career. It is a story that teachers frequently use as examples and is the topic of a plethora of essays.

It is idolized in the literary world due to its blatant symbolism, dominant themes of religion and hypocrisy, and its revelations about human nature. 

Students know it better as the book that is way to obsessed with a stupid red letter. 

But, that is the magic of this book. The scarlet letter is so much more than a piece of fabric. In order to fully understand and appreciate the novel, you have to look past the superficial appearance of the novel and dive a little bit deeper, which I know is daunting. But with a little bit of guidance, this book could become one of your favorites.

The Woes and Rewards of Being a Slow Reader

Recently, the wonderful Cait @ Paper Fury talks about the woes of being a fast reader in her post on the dire agonies of being a fast reader. I want to even the playing field and show that the slow readers are in the same boat of sorrow (and maybe give a few perks about reading slowly too).