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Monday, January 22, 2024

#MicroblogMondays: Busted?

Yesterday, I finished a year-long group read & discussion of Jody Day's classic book for the childless-not-by-choice community, "Living the Life Unexpected" (reviewed slightly more fully on this blog in my most recent post, here).  After I wrote the review here, I posted abbreviated versions on both Goodreads & StoryGraph, as I do with all the books I read. 

I was, by turns, taken aback, somewhat amused -- and then touched -- to see that a family member -- not a close one, but a relative by marriage -- someone I've known since they were a baby, from the younger generation (who does not have children themselves -- at least, not yet) -- had left a comment -- and so had obviously seen & read -- my Goodreads review. 

I had to dig around to find the comment. It was simply a heart icon. :)  Awwww.  

Knowing that someone I knew "in real life" had seen something as personal as this would have sent me panicking 10 or 15 years ago (as it did here) -- but I do have a couple of family members among my followers on Goodreads. I know it's possible they'll see when I post reviews of books that are obviously about childlessness (in which I sometimes mention my own experiences, albeit not in quite as much detail as I do when I review the same books here on my blog). 

I know it's also possible this person might tell other family members what they saw.

I'm (still) not sure I'd be quite so blase if I knew this person (or another family member) was reading my blog...! But I've decided I'm okay with a Goodreads review. ;)  

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here

3 comments:

  1. I love this. Both the fact you are so much more relaxed now than 10-15 years ago about people reading your words (on Goodreads, not here! lol), but also that you have a family member who is kind and loving. You should feel safe and able to mention your own experiences, in reviews, or in real life. But yes, it gets easier as we get older.

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  2. How interesting, and the heart icon is both "aww" and also perhaps "I'm not sure what to say, I don't want to say the wrong thing, so I will send love in an emoji." Which is very lovely. Hopefully it stops at Goodreads! Are there enough updates to warrant buying the newer edition if I have the original?

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  3. That sounds so affirming to see that simple heart!

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