6 years old - blogiversary time!

   Well, I almost made it.  I almost posted on my blog birthday!  I missed it by one day; Sept 30 was my last post, Oct 1 is my blogversary.  On Oct 1, my blog turned 6.  6 years ago  I started out on the wide world of blogging, taking my first baby steps into the community where other people talked about books.  Would I be welcomed?  Would I be able to participate?  Yes, a resounding yes to both.

It's been a bumpy 6 years for me.  Both personally, and in my ability to blog regularly. After year 2,  I seemed to lose interest for a month or so fairly often, and blogged intermittently.  I try not to, I want to be consistent, and I know this has affected how my blog is followed.  I have had to come to terms with the fact that if I 'm blogging, I'm reading less, so sometimes I have to go away and just read for a while.  Introverts are like that, you know.  Even here.

I'm not sure why blogging cuts into my reading time.  I think it's because my life is full, with kids and family and working and trying to squeeze in some kind of a social life, which blogging falls into.  It's always the first to go when I feel squeezed in other parts of my life.  And I love reading even more than I love blogging.  Much more.  However, I do know now that blogging is my way to you, my dear readers.  I do it so I can talk to other people about books.  Whenever I am away, I return because I miss you, and seeing what books are being read and what is being said about them.  So though times may change, my love of books does not, and my desire to talk about them.  It just comes and goes in a cycle.

 Thanks so much for everyone who has stuck with me through my silences, and always had a cheerful word when I came back.  It wouldn't be the same without you, my Gentle Readers.  You and your comments and shining intelligence and thoughtful attention to what you read, and love of books, make it all worthwhile.

Thank you too for all the books you have raved about over the years.  Thanks to you, my to-be-read list is now a journal almost completely full of books I want to read - only partially gotten through, I always feel satisfaction when I do look to see how much I have read because of you.   The books I want to read is an actual mountain.  Or would be, if I could get them all in one place.  A mountain of books to go through, sounds like heaven, doesn't it? Thank you, Gentle, dear readers!

  Happy 6th blogversary to me! 

Blog Survey
Don't worry, this is not a precursor to leaving my blog!  I have noticed in the past several months a distinct change in blogging, from bloggers who used to blog all the time suddenly not being able to blog, to other bloggers just stopping, to the huge amount of bloggers out there, so following blogs is much more time consuming than it used to be.  Over at Literate Housewife, Jennifer has developed a survey along with Kim at Sophisticated Dorkiness and Shannon at River City Reading.  It's a short survey about your blogging habits. Here is Jennifer's post, which has a link to the survey.  It's very quick to do, so if you are curious, it will be a good way for us all to find out how the book blog world in general is doing.

Here are some books I've read because of you, Gentle Readers, over the years:
Skellig - David Almond (Staci at Life in the Thumb, Mariel at Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops (no longer active)), my original post here.
Clubbing - Andi Watson (Joanne at the Book Zombie, no longer active)
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel - Louise Murphy (Wendy at Musings of a Literary Feline) my original post here.
- Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise deserves a special mention, since she has single-handedly gotten me reading several mystery series that I love: Fred Vargas, Jo Nesbo, Johan Theorin, Peter Temple, Peter James, and especially Peter Lovesey, to name a few.  All highly recommended mystery series.  Her blog is a fabulous resource for all things mystery.

and because they have recommended way too many books I want, and because they are delightful, warm, thoughtful bloggers who I am always happy to see post:
- Jodie at Geranium Cat's Bookshelf, Cath at Read-Warbler, Pat at Here, There and Everywhere  , Christine at Bride of the Book God, Chris at Stuff as Dreams are Made Of, Daphne at  where there is joy, Wendy at Musings of  Literary Feline, Eva at A Striped Armchair, and Ana at Things Mean Alot, always add to my book list.  They just have to mention a book and I want it.   I have many books waiting to be read/bought because of their blogs.
 ***These are some of the bloggers whose reading tastes have greatly influenced mine, in that we are always adding to each other's lists.  Very similar reading tastes.  Many other bloggers have interesting books and blogs that I visit regularly,  and love to visit. But we don't necessarily add to one another's books to be read.  Please see my sidebar. 
 - A very special mention to Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, who runs to two best challenges (for me anyway) in the blogworld:  Once Upon a Time in the spring, and RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) in the autumn.  I love these two challenges, and they get me reading books that I would otherwise put aside for another day (because there is so much to read).  His not-a-challenge Sci-fi Reading Experience in the winter months has quadrupled my science fiction reading.  AND he is a lovely gentle man who has a kind word for everyone, and promotes  just about everything fantasy and sci fiction.  Another fabulous resource on the book blog community.
- and just because it's so cool to have one, my book-twin over in South Korea, at Blue-Hearted Bookworm.  It's awesome to say I have a book-twin.  That you have the same name and we sometimes agree on books and you have a lovely snarky sense of humour, always makes me smile.   

Everyone, all of you Gentle readers named and not named, if I have come to your blog and left a comment it's because you have touched me with your post, because you made me laugh or think or really desperately want to experience the book you just read, too.

Thank you.