Two years ago today, I posted my first review. I don't know what I was expecting out of this when I sat down to start this blog. I do know it's gone through several stages and it's meant something different to me at different points. Two years ago, I had just returned from a year in Spain and was living back at home in Northern Minnesota. Since then I've lived in St. Louis teaching Freshman composition and I took time off from my grad program and moved back home. I've gone to Denver to attend the Denver Publishing Institute and then moved to New York to work in publishing. Seriously, these last two years have been crazy.
And, as always, books are the common thread through all the different places I've lived and paths I've been down. I've met a lot of wonderful bloggers and authors and other bookish people over these last two years. The first year was a lot of figuring out this blogging thing and cultivating my own little space to talk about books. This last year has seen a lot of changes, both in my life and in my blog. I've had the lovely Caralyn guest blogging she did a wonderful job keeping things running while I was at the Publishing Institute. Then in the last couple months, I've taken on a co-blogger, Jackie, who's been posting fabulous reviews on Thursdays - so watch out for her posts. I've also been lucky enough to have the lovely, Emily Ritter from (YA)y Books! tossing some great reviews my way.
The biggest change on this blog in the last year has been the emergence of New Adult. I'd had Beautiful Disaster hanging out on my computer for a long, long time and then it was published and was brought back to my attention, so I finally read it and since then I can't get enough NA. I wasn't going to review it on the blog at first, beause I wanted to stay strictly YA, so I started out with posts briefly highlighting NA books I was reading. Then I decided, it's my blog, it's my place to talk about books, and this is what I was reading. So I started posting NA reviews (although, still not frequently) and I created a NA guide (still a work in process) and I will stick up for this controversial genre any chance I get. And I'm proud to say that I now blog about YA and NA.
I can't imagine not having this outlet now - I have no idea how I read before. This day totally snuck up on me so I didn't get a chance to pull together an event or really think about my goals in the upcoming years, but I had to write something to mark this occasion. I just hope there's a lot of life left in this blog and that it will open more doors and bring new people into my life as it has done in the last two years.
Showing posts with label blogoversary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogoversary. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 17, 2012
One Year Blogoversary + Giveaway
Yup. Today marks one year. Really, it feels like I've been doing this a lot longer. A year ago I thought, I've read all these books and I barely remember them. I read so fast and furiously, moving quickly from one book to the next, devouring whenever and whatever I can, so some books easily get lost in that frenzy. And then I thought of all the amazing book blogs I'd been following for months and thought I could do that, if only to keep a record of my thoughts and a catalog of the books I'd read.
When I started I'd just moved back to the States after living in Spain for a year. I'd just finished my first year of grad school and had the summer stretched in front of me before I started classes again and started teaching for the first time. I had every intention of following the Ph.D. track I was on. But the more I blogged, the more I read what I LOVED to read, the more I was interacting with authors and other readers, the more I remembered a dream I had when I was in high school.
And that was to work in publishing. In my senior year book I said that my future plans were to become an editor. I'd gone to school with that intention. But somewhere that track shifted. I went from wanting to know everything about contemporary authors, publishing trends, and publishing imprints, to disecting older works of literature and studying dead authors. All that was really great and I loved it for a long time. But I never loved it as much as I love what I do now - working with current texts and discovering the past, present, and future of a vibrant field.
I had no idea when I started this a year ago it would change me so much. I expected it to make a difference, but I didn't know that it would lead me back to a dream I held onto years ago. It's something I didn't know I still wanted. The teaching thing didn't work out (yeah, won't ever do that again. I was NOT meant to be a teacher) and I lost faith in my graduate program and where I was going with it. I wasn't enjoying my work, my studies, or even reading anymore. And then I met the professor who taught my Young Adult Lit class, and she encouraged me to pursue working with YA books. Between that professor and my blog, I feel like I've been led back to what I really want to do and where I want to go.
It's amazing what a year can do. It's amazing how something, so seemingly simple, as this blog led me somewhere unexpected. I'm amazed and blessed.
And you, my dear readers, I appreciate you more than you know. Thanks for caring what I have to say and letting me share my passions with you.
Here's to one year, and hopefully many more.
Because I appreciate you so much, I'm going to have a quick and simple giveaway. There are three books that released this week that I've highly anticipated. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below - you must be 13 or older to enter, giveaway is international as long as Book Depository ships to you. There will be one winner who will get his/her choice of one of these three books. I'll contact the winner by email. Contest will end July 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM.
AND! I've written down a number between 1-25. I have some fun swag - so for US only, if you guess the number I wrote down, I'll send you some swag!
When I started I'd just moved back to the States after living in Spain for a year. I'd just finished my first year of grad school and had the summer stretched in front of me before I started classes again and started teaching for the first time. I had every intention of following the Ph.D. track I was on. But the more I blogged, the more I read what I LOVED to read, the more I was interacting with authors and other readers, the more I remembered a dream I had when I was in high school.
And that was to work in publishing. In my senior year book I said that my future plans were to become an editor. I'd gone to school with that intention. But somewhere that track shifted. I went from wanting to know everything about contemporary authors, publishing trends, and publishing imprints, to disecting older works of literature and studying dead authors. All that was really great and I loved it for a long time. But I never loved it as much as I love what I do now - working with current texts and discovering the past, present, and future of a vibrant field.
I had no idea when I started this a year ago it would change me so much. I expected it to make a difference, but I didn't know that it would lead me back to a dream I held onto years ago. It's something I didn't know I still wanted. The teaching thing didn't work out (yeah, won't ever do that again. I was NOT meant to be a teacher) and I lost faith in my graduate program and where I was going with it. I wasn't enjoying my work, my studies, or even reading anymore. And then I met the professor who taught my Young Adult Lit class, and she encouraged me to pursue working with YA books. Between that professor and my blog, I feel like I've been led back to what I really want to do and where I want to go.
It's amazing what a year can do. It's amazing how something, so seemingly simple, as this blog led me somewhere unexpected. I'm amazed and blessed.
And you, my dear readers, I appreciate you more than you know. Thanks for caring what I have to say and letting me share my passions with you.
Here's to one year, and hopefully many more.
Because I appreciate you so much, I'm going to have a quick and simple giveaway. There are three books that released this week that I've highly anticipated. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below - you must be 13 or older to enter, giveaway is international as long as Book Depository ships to you. There will be one winner who will get his/her choice of one of these three books. I'll contact the winner by email. Contest will end July 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM.
AND! I've written down a number between 1-25. I have some fun swag - so for US only, if you guess the number I wrote down, I'll send you some swag!
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Showing posts with label blogoversary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogoversary. Show all posts
Monday, June 17, 2013
2 Year Blogoversary
Two years ago today, I posted my first review. I don't know what I was expecting out of this when I sat down to start this blog. I do know it's gone through several stages and it's meant something different to me at different points. Two years ago, I had just returned from a year in Spain and was living back at home in Northern Minnesota. Since then I've lived in St. Louis teaching Freshman composition and I took time off from my grad program and moved back home. I've gone to Denver to attend the Denver Publishing Institute and then moved to New York to work in publishing. Seriously, these last two years have been crazy.
And, as always, books are the common thread through all the different places I've lived and paths I've been down. I've met a lot of wonderful bloggers and authors and other bookish people over these last two years. The first year was a lot of figuring out this blogging thing and cultivating my own little space to talk about books. This last year has seen a lot of changes, both in my life and in my blog. I've had the lovely Caralyn guest blogging she did a wonderful job keeping things running while I was at the Publishing Institute. Then in the last couple months, I've taken on a co-blogger, Jackie, who's been posting fabulous reviews on Thursdays - so watch out for her posts. I've also been lucky enough to have the lovely, Emily Ritter from (YA)y Books! tossing some great reviews my way.
The biggest change on this blog in the last year has been the emergence of New Adult. I'd had Beautiful Disaster hanging out on my computer for a long, long time and then it was published and was brought back to my attention, so I finally read it and since then I can't get enough NA. I wasn't going to review it on the blog at first, beause I wanted to stay strictly YA, so I started out with posts briefly highlighting NA books I was reading. Then I decided, it's my blog, it's my place to talk about books, and this is what I was reading. So I started posting NA reviews (although, still not frequently) and I created a NA guide (still a work in process) and I will stick up for this controversial genre any chance I get. And I'm proud to say that I now blog about YA and NA.
I can't imagine not having this outlet now - I have no idea how I read before. This day totally snuck up on me so I didn't get a chance to pull together an event or really think about my goals in the upcoming years, but I had to write something to mark this occasion. I just hope there's a lot of life left in this blog and that it will open more doors and bring new people into my life as it has done in the last two years.
And, as always, books are the common thread through all the different places I've lived and paths I've been down. I've met a lot of wonderful bloggers and authors and other bookish people over these last two years. The first year was a lot of figuring out this blogging thing and cultivating my own little space to talk about books. This last year has seen a lot of changes, both in my life and in my blog. I've had the lovely Caralyn guest blogging she did a wonderful job keeping things running while I was at the Publishing Institute. Then in the last couple months, I've taken on a co-blogger, Jackie, who's been posting fabulous reviews on Thursdays - so watch out for her posts. I've also been lucky enough to have the lovely, Emily Ritter from (YA)y Books! tossing some great reviews my way.
The biggest change on this blog in the last year has been the emergence of New Adult. I'd had Beautiful Disaster hanging out on my computer for a long, long time and then it was published and was brought back to my attention, so I finally read it and since then I can't get enough NA. I wasn't going to review it on the blog at first, beause I wanted to stay strictly YA, so I started out with posts briefly highlighting NA books I was reading. Then I decided, it's my blog, it's my place to talk about books, and this is what I was reading. So I started posting NA reviews (although, still not frequently) and I created a NA guide (still a work in process) and I will stick up for this controversial genre any chance I get. And I'm proud to say that I now blog about YA and NA.
I can't imagine not having this outlet now - I have no idea how I read before. This day totally snuck up on me so I didn't get a chance to pull together an event or really think about my goals in the upcoming years, but I had to write something to mark this occasion. I just hope there's a lot of life left in this blog and that it will open more doors and bring new people into my life as it has done in the last two years.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
One Year Blogoversary + Giveaway
Yup. Today marks one year. Really, it feels like I've been doing this a lot longer. A year ago I thought, I've read all these books and I barely remember them. I read so fast and furiously, moving quickly from one book to the next, devouring whenever and whatever I can, so some books easily get lost in that frenzy. And then I thought of all the amazing book blogs I'd been following for months and thought I could do that, if only to keep a record of my thoughts and a catalog of the books I'd read.
When I started I'd just moved back to the States after living in Spain for a year. I'd just finished my first year of grad school and had the summer stretched in front of me before I started classes again and started teaching for the first time. I had every intention of following the Ph.D. track I was on. But the more I blogged, the more I read what I LOVED to read, the more I was interacting with authors and other readers, the more I remembered a dream I had when I was in high school.
And that was to work in publishing. In my senior year book I said that my future plans were to become an editor. I'd gone to school with that intention. But somewhere that track shifted. I went from wanting to know everything about contemporary authors, publishing trends, and publishing imprints, to disecting older works of literature and studying dead authors. All that was really great and I loved it for a long time. But I never loved it as much as I love what I do now - working with current texts and discovering the past, present, and future of a vibrant field.
I had no idea when I started this a year ago it would change me so much. I expected it to make a difference, but I didn't know that it would lead me back to a dream I held onto years ago. It's something I didn't know I still wanted. The teaching thing didn't work out (yeah, won't ever do that again. I was NOT meant to be a teacher) and I lost faith in my graduate program and where I was going with it. I wasn't enjoying my work, my studies, or even reading anymore. And then I met the professor who taught my Young Adult Lit class, and she encouraged me to pursue working with YA books. Between that professor and my blog, I feel like I've been led back to what I really want to do and where I want to go.
It's amazing what a year can do. It's amazing how something, so seemingly simple, as this blog led me somewhere unexpected. I'm amazed and blessed.
And you, my dear readers, I appreciate you more than you know. Thanks for caring what I have to say and letting me share my passions with you.
Here's to one year, and hopefully many more.
Because I appreciate you so much, I'm going to have a quick and simple giveaway. There are three books that released this week that I've highly anticipated. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below - you must be 13 or older to enter, giveaway is international as long as Book Depository ships to you. There will be one winner who will get his/her choice of one of these three books. I'll contact the winner by email. Contest will end July 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM.
AND! I've written down a number between 1-25. I have some fun swag - so for US only, if you guess the number I wrote down, I'll send you some swag!
When I started I'd just moved back to the States after living in Spain for a year. I'd just finished my first year of grad school and had the summer stretched in front of me before I started classes again and started teaching for the first time. I had every intention of following the Ph.D. track I was on. But the more I blogged, the more I read what I LOVED to read, the more I was interacting with authors and other readers, the more I remembered a dream I had when I was in high school.
And that was to work in publishing. In my senior year book I said that my future plans were to become an editor. I'd gone to school with that intention. But somewhere that track shifted. I went from wanting to know everything about contemporary authors, publishing trends, and publishing imprints, to disecting older works of literature and studying dead authors. All that was really great and I loved it for a long time. But I never loved it as much as I love what I do now - working with current texts and discovering the past, present, and future of a vibrant field.
I had no idea when I started this a year ago it would change me so much. I expected it to make a difference, but I didn't know that it would lead me back to a dream I held onto years ago. It's something I didn't know I still wanted. The teaching thing didn't work out (yeah, won't ever do that again. I was NOT meant to be a teacher) and I lost faith in my graduate program and where I was going with it. I wasn't enjoying my work, my studies, or even reading anymore. And then I met the professor who taught my Young Adult Lit class, and she encouraged me to pursue working with YA books. Between that professor and my blog, I feel like I've been led back to what I really want to do and where I want to go.
It's amazing what a year can do. It's amazing how something, so seemingly simple, as this blog led me somewhere unexpected. I'm amazed and blessed.
And you, my dear readers, I appreciate you more than you know. Thanks for caring what I have to say and letting me share my passions with you.
Here's to one year, and hopefully many more.
Because I appreciate you so much, I'm going to have a quick and simple giveaway. There are three books that released this week that I've highly anticipated. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below - you must be 13 or older to enter, giveaway is international as long as Book Depository ships to you. There will be one winner who will get his/her choice of one of these three books. I'll contact the winner by email. Contest will end July 1, 2012 at 12:01 AM.
AND! I've written down a number between 1-25. I have some fun swag - so for US only, if you guess the number I wrote down, I'll send you some swag!
Subscribe to:
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