Today is my 500th blog post. And it seems a good time to reflect on the state of the blog: where I've come from, where I am, and where I'm going.
Unlike many other bloggers, I haven't traditionally marked blog anniversaries or milestones. Lately, I've seen posts from people who can't believe they've been blogging for five years--I've been blogging for almost seven now, and rarely stopped to contemplate that!
When I started blogging, I really didn't think about audience at all. Or rather, it was for an audience of one. Me. I started writing because I wanted a record of all the books I'd read over the years and what I thought of them. It was that simple. Sure, I thought a few of my friends might read my ramblings, but I didn't really think anyone else would be interested.
When I started blogging, I had no idea that there was a whole book blogging community already out there. The first book blog I remember coming across was Boston Bibliophile. And I think that was because I did a search on bookstores in Boston, where I was living at the time. I was so happy to find someone like me out there, and I found a few other blogs that I still read to this day: Adventures in Reading, Litlove @ Tales from the Reading Room, and Biblibio.
Still, I didn't think these lofty strangers would deign to read MY blog, so I just kept up with my thing. Numbering and naming each of the books I read, and giving a rambling review. Slowly and occasionally though, I got comments in return for those I gave, and I realized I might have an audience, however small. It didn't change my writing much, but it encouraged me to try to garner more readers, which led me to memes like Book Blogger Hop (does that still happen?) and Top Ten Tuesdays. The latter is where I was introduced to a slew of new blogs and realized how not alone in the universe I really was.
Today, I write for an audience of bookishly inclined strangers, and my parents (Hi Mom and Dad!). I've made a few book blogging friends (maybe?), but I've never really been a tight-knit part of the community. I was reading Jamie's post over at The Perpetual Page Turner about how she misses all the blogs she's seen come and go over the years. I guess I've seen my fair share of blogs come and go, but I wouldn't say it's had much of an emotional effect on me. Maybe I'm missing out. I am kind of a loner addicted to doing my own thing, but I would like to be more involved in the book blogging community in the future.
To that end, I've recently joined Twitter (@SpaceStation_M), and already found cool new bookish blogs and sites, and hopefully some of them have found me! And here's more of what's coming in the future:
1. More Pictures
One of my many bookcases
2. More Poetry. I read Liliana Ursu's Lightwall and Leigh Stein's Dispatch from the Future for National Poetry Month, and surprisingly might like some actual modern poetry.
3. More Me. I promise to share more tales of my bookish life. Maybe I'll even do a video. Maybe.
Me in front of Mansueto Library at UChicago. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS--the Erudite compound from the Divergent movies!
Thanks for reading the state of the blog! What are your suggestions for becoming more of a part of the book blogging community? How long have you been blogging? Do you miss blogs you used to read? Has your blogging changed over the years?
Unlike many other bloggers, I haven't traditionally marked blog anniversaries or milestones. Lately, I've seen posts from people who can't believe they've been blogging for five years--I've been blogging for almost seven now, and rarely stopped to contemplate that!
When I started blogging, I really didn't think about audience at all. Or rather, it was for an audience of one. Me. I started writing because I wanted a record of all the books I'd read over the years and what I thought of them. It was that simple. Sure, I thought a few of my friends might read my ramblings, but I didn't really think anyone else would be interested.
When I started blogging, I had no idea that there was a whole book blogging community already out there. The first book blog I remember coming across was Boston Bibliophile. And I think that was because I did a search on bookstores in Boston, where I was living at the time. I was so happy to find someone like me out there, and I found a few other blogs that I still read to this day: Adventures in Reading, Litlove @ Tales from the Reading Room, and Biblibio.
Still, I didn't think these lofty strangers would deign to read MY blog, so I just kept up with my thing. Numbering and naming each of the books I read, and giving a rambling review. Slowly and occasionally though, I got comments in return for those I gave, and I realized I might have an audience, however small. It didn't change my writing much, but it encouraged me to try to garner more readers, which led me to memes like Book Blogger Hop (does that still happen?) and Top Ten Tuesdays. The latter is where I was introduced to a slew of new blogs and realized how not alone in the universe I really was.
Today, I write for an audience of bookishly inclined strangers, and my parents (Hi Mom and Dad!). I've made a few book blogging friends (maybe?), but I've never really been a tight-knit part of the community. I was reading Jamie's post over at The Perpetual Page Turner about how she misses all the blogs she's seen come and go over the years. I guess I've seen my fair share of blogs come and go, but I wouldn't say it's had much of an emotional effect on me. Maybe I'm missing out. I am kind of a loner addicted to doing my own thing, but I would like to be more involved in the book blogging community in the future.
To that end, I've recently joined Twitter (@SpaceStation_M), and already found cool new bookish blogs and sites, and hopefully some of them have found me! And here's more of what's coming in the future:
1. More Pictures
One of my many bookcases
2. More Poetry. I read Liliana Ursu's Lightwall and Leigh Stein's Dispatch from the Future for National Poetry Month, and surprisingly might like some actual modern poetry.
3. More Me. I promise to share more tales of my bookish life. Maybe I'll even do a video. Maybe.
Me in front of Mansueto Library at UChicago. OTHERWISE KNOWN AS--the Erudite compound from the Divergent movies!
Thanks for reading the state of the blog! What are your suggestions for becoming more of a part of the book blogging community? How long have you been blogging? Do you miss blogs you used to read? Has your blogging changed over the years?
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