Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This is one meme I can get on board with - I LOVE lists! I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

Top Ten Things That Make My Life As a Reader/Blogger Easier

1. Goodreads - The single most useful and important resource to me as both a reader and a blogger is Goodreads. It's helped connect me with other readers, helped me discover books I never knew existed, introduced me to people who have become the best of friends.

2. My laptop - I do most of my blogging at night from the comfort of my couch while my husband and I watch shows on Netflix. Our current obsession is Fringe (at least until season 8 of Supernatural is uploaded). Granted, my posts take longer to do, as I am frequently distracted, but it's much more comfy than sitting at our tiny computer desk.

3. My local public library - I read a lot of books. I mean - A LOT. Thanks to Goodreads, I know that, to date in 2013, I've read 135 books (another reason to love Goodreads). If I had to pay for all those books, I'd be in debt up to my eyeballs. Thanks to a free library card, I don't have to pay for all those books. I LOVE my local library and I use it often.

4. My Kindle - I do like to travel, and my Kindle has made it possible for me to take tons of books with me when I do very easily. As a reader, that is awesome! Plus, since I have an e-reader, it makes resources like NetGalley and Edelweiss available to me, which is important as a blogger. I do still love my hard copy books, but there is definitely a place in my life for my e-reader.

5. Lots of bookshelves - I'm a bit anal when it comes to my physical books. I like to organize them and pet them and stare at them - it's a bit of a sickness. But, you understand. I can't deal with random stacks of books lying around, so bookshelves are necessary. For my sanity.

6. Other bloggers - I've made some great connections with other book bloggers, and those connections have been valuable, not just to me professionally as a blogger, but personally too. There are tons of smart people out there writing about their favorite books, and I've appreciated their insight and guidance as I started my own blog. I've learned a lot from them, and I learn more every day.

7. Social media -  Without Facebook and Twitter, almost no one would see my posts. And, that would kinda suck. Facebook and Twitter help all of us in the blogging community spread our words. I think we all can agree that, as bloggers, they definitely make our jobs easier.

8. My smartphone - I've mentioned how invaluable online resources like Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter are to me as both a blogger and a reader. Even more useful is being able to access them on the go. I work 40 hours a week and am a mom to a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old. I'm on the go ALL THE TIME. Thanks to my trusty Droid Bionic, I can respond to comments, e-mails and Tweets from the middle of the stands at t-ball practice.

9. My day planner - I'm a bit old-school on this one. Rather than use Google calendar or something on my smartphone, I use a spiral-bound day planner from Target to keep track of all my blog tours and to try and plan out some of my posts ahead of time. Without my trusty day planner, I'd be so lost.

10. Starbucks - Almost nothing goes with a good book better than a grande salted caramel macchiato and the quiet, comfortable atmosphere that greets me inside most Starbucks. There's one only 5 minutes away from my office building, and I've spent many lunch hours there munching on a muffin, sipping a coffee and reading a good book while hiding from my office phone and e-mail.