My blog is two years old today. To the readers of my blog I can say only
.
My blog is a very big part of my life now. I have been so fortunate to have great readers from all around the world united by our love of books. (OK and a whole lot of students wanting home work help!)
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| Welcome to the start of year three-Charles- co-editor of The Reading Life |
I hope my blog will continue to gain more readers. Some bloggers say that they just blog for themselves and maybe a few friends but I think most of us want to feel someone is reading what we post. When I first began my blog a very experienced blogger told me in time my blog might take on a life of its own. I think somehow that has happened and I am grateful for it.
Odd blog fact-the city worldwide from which I have the most visitors is New Delhi, the top three countries are The USA, the Philippines and India. The most read post is one I did on a short story by Katherine Mansfield, "Miss Brill".
The readers I am most grateful to are those who take the time to leave a comment. I follow a lot of book blogs (500+). Some book blogs are beautiful works of art, some are as well written as the best of novels, some are like a free class in a top university in comparative literature, some are half book blog half something else. Some book bloggers tell you a lot about their lives, others never tell you their name or even if they are a man or a woman.
There has been some posts in the blogs I follow about professional book reviewers and academics trashing book bloggers as unqualified to give an opinion and not worth listening to. Of course I laughed to myself that they are just running scared when I read that. I know for a fact many book bloggers have a collection of advanced degrees in various fields and I know enough to realize that this does not much matter. One of the great things about book blogging if you think about it a bit is that it is a world without credentials. It is the truth of what you say that matters.
Some book bloggers love to read about Fairy Queens in paranormal romances, some are into The Faerie Queen. Some of us read mostly classics some only brand new free books from publishers. Some of us have 1000 + followers and are into every hop and meme in the book blog world and some people just post in a solitary way. We are all united in our love of reading. Some of us grew up in very bookish families but many of us felt isolated as children. Not long ago on one of the book blog hops the weekly question was "how many people in real life do you have to talk about the books you read with". About one third of the people said "no one".
If you have never left a comment, try it now!
Mel u
You are so right! The people who make up the blogisphere come from different backgrounds and yet we come together to make this wonderful space. Happy blogiversary!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your wonderful achievement.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ManOfLaBook.com
I've left countless comments over the past two years, and I'll leave yet another. Congratulations on your second blogiversary, Mel! I always enjoy reading--and learning--from your posts.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful and thanks for commenting about the wonder that is the wonderful blogs you follow...I love reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. And congratulations. I think that book blogger hop question was so perfect. Book blogging helped a lot of us readers talk about one of our greatest passions. It's not everyday you find someone you can have bookish conversations with after all. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your second year mark! You've made such an impression on me, and others, it seems hard to believe that you've only been blogging for two short years. Carry on the good work, Mel, and keep on teaching me about so much literature from such diverse cultures!
ReplyDeleteThere is much to ponder in your words, Mel. In two short years, you have made an incredible difference in my reading life, one that I am profoundly grateful for.
ReplyDeleteAs Bellezza writes, "carry on the good work!" We are all richer for your efforts.
Thank you--and congratulations!!!
Now this is an admirably ecumenical and generous birthday post. Congratulations on the anniversary!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogaversary! Thanks for the thoughtful comments on the State of the Book Blogosphere. I look forward to reading your posts over the next year!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary! Two years, that's amazing!
ReplyDeletexx
Happy blogoversary to you! Hope you have many more years of blogging ahead of you. =O)
ReplyDeleteHappy 2nd year of blogging, Mel! Thanks for sharing your reading life. Your passion for diverse literatures is infectious.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary, and congratulations! I've discovered some awesome books thanks to reading your reviews.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work, and I look forward to reading more of your posts in the next year! :-)
Congratulations and here's hoping you have many, many more years of book blogging! Your posts are well-thought out and informative and several things on my "to read" list are because of you, including Quicksand and quite a few short stories.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely post, which sums up something I hadn't given a lot of thought to before. Why did I start a blog, and why do I continue? It is the isolation; I don't know anyone who reads the books I do.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, hon! Two years is an amazing accomplishment, and I hope you keep blogging for many more to come!
ReplyDeleteI love your response to the 'professionals' and the issue of credentials. Three years of university taught me how to read for all of that academic nonsense, but a lifetime of reading is what taught me how to properly enjoy a book.
At the end of the day, that's what matters to me in a review - did the reviewer enjoy it? I could care less about whether or not they appreciated some esoteric subtext that 98% of readers will never pick up on, and which the author likely never intended anyway. :)
congrats on your blogoversary! All you say is just right. Isn't it great we can all find someone to talk books with thanks to the blogosphere!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your two years of blogging, Mel. I enjoy reading your posts even if I don't always have time to comment as often as I would like to. Happy blogiversary!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on two years of blogging, Mel! I always enjoy my time here :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to yourself & your chief editor on this landmark in your blog-life, am hoping you have loads more, so I can find more writers. Also in total agreement concerning your comment about people who blog. I'm not short of friends in my life, just short of friends that live The Reading Life.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary, Mel!
ReplyDeleteEm
I'm sad that I'm just catching you now at the tail end of those two years...I look forward to being with you for next two - and many more after that!
ReplyDeleteVasilly-thanks so much-it is the great diversity of the book blog community that is part of why it is so great
ReplyDeleteMan of la Book-Thanks so much
Suko-thanks for your great support for the whole two years-it means a great deal to me
Stepanie Hasty-thanks so much
Jillian-thank you for your kind remarks-connecting with other readers is very valuable
Bellezza-your blog is one of my inspirations-the Japanese Lit Challenge changed my reading life forever and greatly enriched me for it
D.S.-thanks and I am very humbled by your remarks
Amateur Reader-thanks very much!-I loved the Jerry read along
Anna-thanks so much
Belle-I am thankful for your visits and your comments
Michelle-thanks so much
ReplyDeleteRise-thanks very much-I draw a lot from your posts-
Tesni-thanks very much
Brooke-I hope you like Quicksand and look forward to reading your comments on it-thanks so much for your comment and visit
Karyn-a lot of book blogging is about overcoming isolation
Sally Saphire-thanks so much for stopping by-I visited your web page and like it a lot-I am glad you are in sympathy with my remarks on credentials
Rebecca Reid-thanks very nuch and thanks for your hard work on the classics circuit
ReplyDeleteHelen-thanks very much
JoAnne-I always love reading your posts and looking at the lovely pictures of the lake
Em-thanks as always-
Bibliosanctum-good luck with your blog-appears you are off to a good start to me-I am glad we are mutual followers
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 2 years; hope you continue for many more.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people who have very few friends or coworkers to discuss books with -- non readers everywhere it seems (and I work in a library)....sad.
Diane-thanks very much-it is said to think library workers are not readers
ReplyDeletewell done on two years mel love your blog ,all the best stu
ReplyDeleteI think we start almost the same time. Did you mean 3 years old? You start year 3 but you should already be 3 years old right? :)
ReplyDeleteI agree we are all bound by the common love of reading. Happy Blogoaversary Mel. May there be many many years more to come.
Well said Mel. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI too don't have anyone in real life to talk books with, so I really appreciate all the bookish conversation with book bloggers. Well, actually, bookish or not. Love this bunch. Happy bloggiversary!
winstonsdad-Thanks so very much
ReplyDeleteJoV-to me day 0 begins year one, day 366 year two, and so on-some would say day 0 begins year 0-yes I think we did happily begin about the same time-I am glad we are mutual followers
mee-thanks so much-book blogs have really helped a lot of readers to feel lesss isolated
About one third of the people said "no one".
ReplyDeleteAmazing, isn't it, how fortunate we are to have this medium? And such fellow bloggers! Congratulations on three years—I'm just floored by how much you've read and written about in that time. You put me to shame, and I hope you keep it up!
Happy Blogiversary to you! Here's to at least two more years of book blogging
ReplyDeleteHappy Bloggiversary! I also enjoyed your synopsis of the book blogging world, I love the diversity of it and am so glad I started blogging too :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy blogiversary!!
ReplyDeleteNicole-thanks so much for your kind words
ReplyDeleteMarg-thanks very much
mummazappa-thanks very much for the kind words
Anne-thanks!
I missed this! Congratulations on completing two years, Mel! I completed one year on July 6th.:D
ReplyDeleteI love popping in and reading what you have in the short story world. And though I don't comment to often, I, every now and then click on of those links to online texts you provide, and have a good read.
Thank you!:)
Oh! And the only people I talk books with offline are my mom, sister and best friend...:)