Book blogger spotlight: Books for a Delicate Eternity
Chiara Sullivan blogs about YA books, with a particular focus on diversity and LGBTQIA+ representation. Blogging since 2003, she is a passionate believer in the importance of young members of the LGBTQIA+ community being able to see themselves reflected in the books they read. She spoke to Books+Publishing for our ‘Book blogger spotlight’ series.
Describe your blog in under 50 words.
Books for a Delicate Eternity is a young adult fiction blog with a focus on LGBTQIA+ books. Diversity is celebrated and championed through reviews, discussion posts and a range of recommendation lists.
What makes your blog unique?
My frank openness regarding LGBTQIA+ diversity. I’m not afraid to say a book needs more or could have done better, but I am more than happy to shout from the rooftops about the amazing LGBTQIA+ YA fiction that is out there. Books need to represent the people who live in the world so that everyone can see themselves in fiction, and my blog is dedicated to making that happen for everyone, especially teens and young adults in the LGBTQIA+ community.
When and how did you get started?
I started my blog back in June 2013 after I had posted a few reviews on my old Tumblr blog. When I realised that there was a whole community dedicated to sharing thoughts on books and celebrating how amazing they are, I knew that it was the place for me.
How do you find out about new books?
I mainly find out about new books through Goodreads, which is a staple for avid readers and book bloggers alike. Reviews of books from other bloggers certainly put new (and sometimes old!) books on my radar, as well. I have been approached by several publishers to review their YA titles, and I’ve found some of my favourite books through these interactions.
What audience do you reach?
My main audience is YA readers, of course! They range from teens to adults, which I think is amazing because there was a moment when I turned 18 and I thought I would be too ‘old’ to read YA books anymore. I dismissed that thought once I realised that we can read whatever makes us happiest—and I’m very glad I did.
Over the years, the readership of Books for a Delicate Eternity has grown, which makes me incredibly proud. My blog reaches over 3000 followers across traditional subscribers via email and Bloglovin’, as well as social media accounts associated with Books for a Delicate Eternity (eg Twitter, Goodreads and Instagram).
What other book blogs do you regularly follow?
I follow too many wonderful blogs to list them all, but I make a point of consistently keeping up with Loony Literate, Let’s Get Beyond Tolerance and Topaz Winters.
What has been your most popular post?
My most popular post to date has over 8000 views, and is a review of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas. In the review, I detailed the lack of diversity in the book and how it was problematic. For a long time, mine was one of very few reviews that mentioned this, which is probably why it has been so popular. With the release of the third book in the series, the review has started to get more attention again, which will hopefully open the eyes of some readers to how flawed books can be when it comes to representation of marginalised identities.
What’s your favourite social media platform, and what recent trends in social media have you noticed in book blogging?
My favourite social media platform would have to be Twitter, mainly because I have met amazing people on there, and have truly learned so much. In terms of trends, I have noticed that more and more people are openly talking about the need for diverse books, and are speaking up when books have harmful content. I am incredibly happy for this change as it is important for everyone to see themselves in the books they’re reading—as the hero, the love interest, the person that saves the world or just your average teenager getting through life.
What are you reading now?
I am currently reading A Conjuring of Light by V E Schwab, which is the last book in the ‘Shades of Magic’ series. It hasn’t taken me this long to finish a book in quite some time, but I am savouring every moment of it. The diversity in the book is on point, and I’m glad to see a bisexual prince, a gay pirate and a gender fluid thief brought so vibrantly to life.
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