Further Thoughts on Creating a Nonfiction Book Blog

When I first started blogging, I simply began with what I was then reading, which happened to be a novel.  As time went on, I jumped on the YA bandwagon, and started adding these books to my already rather lengthy TBR list.  This took me down a rather long stretch of time in which I mostly read fiction, albeit slowly, since I'm by no means a speed reader.  Besides, my two jobs take up quite a bit of my time.  Of course, I do need food and other necessities in order to survive; hence, I am in no position to quit either job.  Anyway, during my first year as a blogger, I did tend to read more fiction, with a nonfiction book here and there as I went along. 

 After a while, I began to feel that my own blog, as well as other blogs I was reading and following, were exerting an unintentional pressure on my reading habits.  I then realized that, slowy but surely, I had stopped reading nonfiction altogether.  Now, let me hasten to add that I enjoy reading fiction tremendously!   I'm especially fascinated by strange new worlds, as well as romance.  Thus, my favorite fiction genres are fantasy, science fiction, literary fiction, classics, Christian fiction, and three romance sub-genres: paranormal, historical and contemporary.  However, I have an equal need to analyze and probe certain topics in the intellectual realm, namely philosophy, theology, and psychology.  I also love art and literary criticism, not to mention poetry, on occasion.  So I turned my thoughts to adding such books to my blog, eventually building up to a more or less equal amount of fiction and nonfiction books. 

I briefly toyed with the idea of creating a nonfiction blog, but decided that I wouldn't have the time to keep up with two blogs.  So I then tried mentioning a nonfiction book here and there on the fiction blog.  Finally, I ended up posting the same two book reviews I have posted on this blog...

The result?  Not a single comment!  Absolutely none.  I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.  After all, I had been emphasizing YA books on my original blog, with occasional ventures into fantasy and science fiction.  The audience I had therefore built up consisted of people who love young adult novels, and perhaps some adult romance.  I was mortified to have to admit that the reviews I had posted would not interest such an audience. 

So it was that, after much cogitation and inner debates, I finally started my nonfiction book review blog... 

Although I'll be promoting this blog through the usual avenues -- Book Blogs, Facebook, Google +, I am aware that my readership will probably be rather small.  That saddens me, but then, I suppose it's to be expected.  I think the majority of readers gravitate toward fiction, whatever genre they might prefer.  Nonfiction is, perhaps, assumed to be rather dull.  Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.   It all depends on which nonfiction genres one happens to like. 

I have already mentioned the genres I love, in both fiction and nonfiction.  In regards to nonfiction, I would consider a book pretty dull if it dealt with anything related to business.  As for political topics, it depends.  If they have some connection to other topics I'm interested in, such as psychology, then I'm in.  If not, then absolutely not.  Math is another nonfiction subject I find incredibly boring.  I would like it to be otherwise, though, because then I could read books about the latest discoveries in physics, for example.  I especially like the relationship between physics and spirituality.

So...here I am, having finally created my nonfiction blog!  Although I know it probably won't be as succesful as my fiction blog, I'm sure it will meet a need.  Those who are meant to find it, will.  Those who enjoy reading nonfiction as much as I do, will hopefully become followers, comment, and bring their like-minded friends along. 

As much as I enjoy fiction, I need nonfiction, as well.  After all, my intellectual/spiritual/speculative lives need to thrive just as much as my imaginative/creative ones do!