Here We Go Again

Hello friends,

It has been a while. To be honest, I hoped I would eventually make my way back here, but I wasn’t sure if I could/I would. It has been a tough year, tougher for bloggers. All the reasons for why I left in the first place, well yes, they are still there; bloggers are underappreciated and the community refuses to do better. But I miss blogging, I miss writing and talking about books and I miss all of you. I have tried to keep up my bookstagram and I may need to accept that it doesn’t bring the same joy that blogging does.

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about what I want for 2021 and what I want for my space to be. I want to come back to blogging but I want to do it my way. And by that I mean, I want something low-key, something that feels honest and authentic to me (you know, talking more than books, for example) and I don’t want to stress about schedules and deadlines. Although I’m very thankful for ARCs and working with publishers, it definitely has taken a toll on me. And then I realized that I can just don’t do it? You know, I can not review ARCs or do blog tours and post at my own pace. I know this is a huge privilege, too, I can afford to do this because I can read from the library when many international friends cannot.

You may noticed the blog changed, this another thing that I have been thinking about for a long time. When I named this space Latinx Magic was with the idea of promoting Latinx voices, but I’m not sure I can do this anymore. Of course this no one’s fault, but I have felt this pressure of always talking about Latinx releases, Latinx problematic books, Latinx problems… And it’s not fair, it takes so much of my mental health having to scream about how problematic Woven in Moonlight is, or how frustrating American Dirt’s successes is to see. I know, no one actually asked me to do this, but I feel like I have to discuss and share and boost because I’m part of this community. And in part, I feel like it has become my brand and I don’t feel super comfortable about that. So hence, the blog renamed.

Of course, I will keep promoting and reading and loving Latinx authors, of course. But I’m so much more than my Latinx identity (and that’s a whole different subject to talk about, my Latinx identity) and I feel like Cande Reads, which it’s quite simple, reflects all of me.

So here I am again! All I have promised you has been not consistency, more random content (??) and a new image but what does it really mean? I’m not quite sure myself. I’m taking this slow and I’ll figure it out as I go, that’s my 2021 plan. For now, I’m just happy to be back in the blogging community.

Catch me on bookstagram and my new (!!!) bujogram, too.

Happy reading and happy New Year,

Cande