Today is my five year blogiversary. I have a hard time believing I have been blogging about books for that long. I had no idea when I posted for the first time what it would become. I just wanted a place to talk about books where no one would think I was a freak for reading all the time and having teetering piles of books all over my house. And thanks to everyone who stops by, I have that place.
When I started blogging I told myself it didn’t matter if no one ever read a word. But then a few days later, someone did. I was thrilled and terrified all at the same time. And a couple days after that someone came by again. In a few weeks I had three or four people who came by fairly regularly and sometimes one of them would comment. Now I realize I was fooling myself when I thought it didn’t matter if no one ever found my blog. It did matter and it still does because I have found that book blogging is a communal affair. Without all you wonderful readers and bloggy friends I would not still be doing this.
Your book suggestions, insights, support and all around kindness means so much to me. You’ve made my TBR pile grow and grow. Through you I have discovered books and authors I would never have known about otherwise. Because of you I am better reader.
To celebrate five years and to say thank you to everyone who visits, I have been giving away books all week. I wish I could send a book to everybody. Maybe one day when I find the wining lottery ticket stuck to the bottom of my shoe.
but, in the mean time, to the week’s culmination, the grand woo-hoo thank you everyone I’m keeping the post office in business prize. One lucky person will receive the following:
- An autographed hardcover copy of Falling Man by Don DeLillo
- If This Be Treason: Translation and Its Dyscontents by Gregory Rabassa (hardcover)
- Written Lives by Javier Marias (hardcover)
- Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter (advanced reading copy paperback)
- The Voice of the Poet: Adrienne Rich, a 64-minute CD of Adrienne Rich reading her poetry.
Everyone is eligible, no matter in what country you may reside and no matter if you have won a book already this last week. To make this a bit of a game, to enter into the drawing, try to match the nickname with the author:
The Bard of Rydal Mount Emily Dickinson
The Belle of Amherst Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Good Gray Poet Ernest Hemingway
The Lexicographer Homer
Papa Samuel Johnson
The Sage of Concord Alexander Pope
The Swan of Meander Walt Whitman
The Wasp of Twikenham William Wordsworth
The drawing will be Monday night around 7 pm central time in the US.
Wow!!! Congrats on 5-years of blogging! That is really exciting and that is a cool idea to add games on here! I just started blogging for the first time last month. I am a Fitness Trainer/Nutritionist and I am wild about working out. My blog is here http://Awinningway.wordpress.com
I am also a Business Consultant here http://TeamClermontrocks.wordpress.com
I now enjoy blogging also. It definitely helps keep me writing!
Congrats Again,
Alicia
Congratulations. Five years as a book blogger is a tremendous achievement. I’m impressed that you have had the stamina to last that long and I have to think that five years makes you one of the pioneers of book blogging.
I’ll look forward to reading you for as long as you keep the lights on. Again, I offer my sincere congratulations on a job well done – for a long time.
Sam
Many congratulations and compliments!
Also – fun game, and awesome prize.
The Bard of Rydal Mount – Wordsworth
The Belle of Amherst – Dickinson
The Good Gray Poet – Whitman
The Lexicographer – Johnson
Papa – Hemingway
The Sage of Concord – Emerson
The Swan of Meander – Homer
The Wasp of Twikenham – Pope
Congrats! Drinks are on my next year
Nice site by the way!
Contratulations!! This is one of my favorite blogs, and I hope it continues to please you to write it.
Ok, let’s see:
Good gray poet – Whitman
Sage of Concord – Emerson
Belle of Amherst- Dickinson
papa – Hemingway
Lexicographer – Johnson
For the rest — what Mella said!!
Happy Blogiversary! So Many Books is a cornerstone of my blog world, and your many kind comments have helped make my blog go. So thank you and here’s to many more happy years of blogging!
There are thousands of bloggers out there including me who would love to read a post about the top ten lessons you learned about blogging after five years. You are one of the respected pioneers.
Congratulations on your anniversary!
I am in a whirl of cooking as I read this at the kitchen table, so unfortunately my brain isn’t in matchy mode, but I certainly enjoy your writing, your reviews, your wonderful book recommendations, and kitty pics! So glad you are writing this blog. Thanks!
IF this was more of a regular drawing, I would bow out, having been a fortunate winner earlier this week. BUT, it isn’t, so I won’t. Good luck to all as we await the name of the winner, and congratulations to Stefanie ..
The Bard of Rydal Mount William Wordsworth
The Belle of Amherst Emily Dickinson
The Good Gray Poet Walt Whitman
The Lexicographer Samuel Johnson
Papa Ernest Hemingway
The Sage of Concord Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Swan of Meander Homer
The Wasp of Twikenham Alexander Pope
The Bard of Rydal Mount – William Wordsworth
The Belle of Amherst – Emily Dickinson
The Good Gray Poet – Walt Whitman
The Lexicographer – Samuel Johnson
Papa – Ernest Hemingway
The Sage of Concord – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Swan of Meander- Homer
The Wasp of Twikenham – Alexander Pope
Happy Anniversary! It was a fun game. Hemingway’s nickname throws off the more somber sounding ones of everyone else in the list.
I’m relatively new to blog world. Thank you for your example and for giving us your thoughts about books! I hope you keep on for another five!
Your blog has been on my ‘must-seriously-get-down-and-read’ list for ever!!…and was glad that when I finally got cracking, it happened to be your five year blogiversary!! Congratulations!…..’n’ you truly, honestly have a fantastic blog!
All the best!…..and Happy Blogging!!!
Happy Anniversary! I started blogging for the same reasons as you and thought I wouldn’t care if nobody noticed. But of course, it does make a difference – it makes it so much more real. There are other people out in the world who read what we write and that is amazing. I’m so glad I found your blog and always enjoy reading it.
What would I do without you? Nope, wouldn’t want to think about that. Five years is an amazing achievement and it’s really up to us and the thousands and thousands of people whose days have been made a little brighter with your lovely, smart, witty posts to be thanking you. Like Okie I wouldn’t put my name forward again having been a lucky winner midweek, but I’ll have a go because it is such a special draw and I can’t resist:
Belle of Amhurst – Dickenson
Sage of Concord – Emerson
Papa – Hemingway
Lexicographer – Johnson
Good grey poet – Whitman
Swan of Meander – Homer
Bard of Rydal Mount – Wordsworth
Wasp of Twickenham – Pope
Well done on your anniversary. Thats a real milestone. Thanks for all the posts, including all those I read but don’t comment on. You’ve added loads of books to my lists. Many of which I would never have heard of without you. You’ve also reviewed ones that have confirmed that I wouldnt like them – also very useful. You’ve also encouraged me in my own small book blogging way. Long may it continue!
I just started blogging in May and that’s how I felt at first….but you’re right, it is about being a community. I love visitors and I love comments.
Congrats on five years!
And fun game. Here are my guesses:
The Bard of Rydal Mount William Wordsworth
The Belle of Amherst Dickinson
The Good Gray Poet Walt Whitman
The Lexicographer Samuel Johnson
Papa Ernest Hemingway
The Sage of Concord Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Swan of Meander Homer
The Wasp of Twikenham Alexander Pope
Congratulations on your bloggiversary Stefanie! I’ve been reading your blog well, I guess since almost 5 years so all I can say is that I hope there are many, many more posts to come
I was going to try the game but I only knew two. darn.
Well, Mella nailed them right off the bat! Thanks for making the commitment to blogging. The blogging world IS a community (and communities within communities) and has been influential in my reading life– providing inspiration, titles, entertainment, and lots of ideas to consider thoughtfully.
Happy bloggiversary, and here goes with my guesses:
Bard of Royal Mount = Wordsowrth
Belle of Amherst = Dickinson
Good Gray Poet = Whitman
Lexicographer = Johnson
Papa = Hemingway
Sage of Concord = Emerson
Swan of Meander = Homer
Wasp of Twikenham = Pope
Congratulations on five years! That’s awesome.
Congrats on five years!
The blogging world wouldn’t be the same without you, Stefanie. Congratulations and happy 5th anniversary.
I’m glad I came back early enough to be able to wish you a very Happy Five Year Blogniversary! From what I’ve read I’m sure there were all very excellent ones.
Congrats on five years–that’s so impressive! You were one of the first book blogs I found, which inspired me to follow suit. Here’s to many more bookish posts!
congratulations! you are a blog champ.
Congratulations! I’m so happy you’re out there blogging — this blog is such an inspiration to me! And you really are the one who got me into blogging — yours is the first blog I stumbled across that made me want to write my own. Thank you!
Here are my answers, and I swear I didn’t peak at what everybody else said!
The Bard of Rydal Mount — William Wordsworth
The Belle of Amherst — Emily Dickinson
The Good Gray Poet — Walt Whitman
The Lexicographer — Samuel Johnson
Papa — Hemingway
The Sage of Concord — Emerson
The Swan of Meander — Homer
The Wasp of Twikenham — Pope
I am far too late for the contest, but wanted to say Congratulations! on five years of blogging. I have been reading only about 10 months, but have reaped the benefits: at least five great reads I would otherwise have missed.
Happy belated blogiversary Stefanie! — I’ve fallen behind in my blog reading lately. If I remember correctly, I’ve been reading your blog for about a year, and it’s consistently a favorite. Keep up the good work!
Wow! Five years – congratulations on this great achievement! This is one of my favourite stops in the blogosphere. Your interesting and insightful posts add to my own tbr lists. I recognise the feelings around the decision to start blogging though – it’s thrilling but daunting to think of others reading your posts…and fun game! Here are my guesses:
The Bard of Rydal Mount Wordsworth
The Belle of Amherst Dickinson
The Good Gray Poet Whitman
The Lexicographer Johnson
Papa Hemingway
The Sage of Concord Emerson
The Swan of Meander Homer
The Wasp of Twikenham Pope
I missed wishing you congratulations from underneath my pile of messy translation work this week – but wanted to leave a note anyway. Your blog is one of the first I found when I started blogging nearly two years ago. What good luck for me!
Belated congrats on your blogiversary! Thanks for your awesome posts and keep going! I’d never have read regular articles about Emerson if not for you!