Thursday, August 18, 2016

My Blogiversary!

It's blogiversary time again!

Nine years!

I can't believe it. I think in 2007 when I started this blog I would never have believed I'd still be blogging nine years later.

I have been thinking about how to write about how blogging has changed my life, and it seems so obvious it's almost not worth saying, but I'll say it- in community. Before blogging reading was something that I did to escape the daily grind of working in corporate America, where I put on a skirt and makeup and pretended to be someone else. I wasn't very good at pretending, so I never did particularly well in that environment, but I kept my head above water and once in a while got to go to Harvard Square and get a coffee and a new book and feel like myself again for a while. There was no one I really got to talk to about books; I tried book clubs but never found a good fit, and my reading tastes differed from most people I knew.

Blogging changed everything. Blogging connected me to readers all over the world, opened my mind to new genres (somewhat, let's be honest) and put me in touch with the larger literary world in ways I would not have thought possible. My personal book collection ballooned alongside it as I heard about and got interested in lots of things I never would have otherwise. And getting to know so many booklovers helped validate my own love of books. I've been lucky enough to meet some of my favorite authors, interview them, get to know publishers, help them promote their work in whatever way I can and work in several bookstores where all this enthusiasm gets put to use even more. And I've made so many friends I can't keep track.

Thank you to everyone who reads and comments and who's stuck with me through my ups and downs. Nine years in and I'm so excited to see where it goes next.

6 comments:

bermudaonion said...

Happy blogiversary to you!!

Lisa C. Hayden said...

Happy blogiversary, Marie! It really is amazing, isn't it, how much a blog can change your life.

Serena said...

Happy blogiversary. My 9 years passed without a mention in June. I guess I was too busy, but I know what you mean about having no one to talk books with or using books as an escape from the corporate world.

Knitwit said...

Happy Anniversary! I don't comment,but I have followed and read with you for years. Thank you!!!

rhapsodyinbooks said...

Happy blogiversary to you!! I recognize the cake! :--)

Literary Feline said...

Happy Blogiversary, Marie! Nine years . . . It's hard to believe it's been so long, isn't it? Here's to at least another nine years of blogging and friendship!