10 years of book blogging

This blog changed my life.

I know, it’s been a while since I’ve been active. Long gone are the good old days – saying this makes me feel like 100 years old, but well, when you’ve been book blogging for 10 years, you’re not a dinosaur anymore. You’re like, neolithic or something. ANYWAY.

Long gone are the good old sparkling days of book blogging. Now this all feels rusty, not shiny enough, not fast enough, just plain not enough.

I don’t care.

Book blogging changed my life.

10 years ago, I was studying at university, really far away from home for the very first time. I remember that quote, hanging in my bedroom, that famous John Green quote everyone knows by heart -or at least, fans or the novelist.

“If people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”

Funny how a quote I love started this whole thing.

Funny how, here I am, 10 years later. Writing on a couch instead of my bed, as a full-time employed person instead of a student, AS A FREAKING PUBLISHED AUTHOR.

Excuse me. Pause because I’m tearing up right now.

Okay, I’m back with tissues, now.

I started this 10 years ago thinking this would be a fun venture. Talking about books with people on the internet! Finding new books to read and scream about!

It was fun. It’s been fun, but also, it’s changed my life. I’m probably saying this to be sappy, but it’s also so, very true.

Growing this blog made me more confident, in my writing, in my own self, in my passion. Growing this blog made me feel like I was actually good at something. Growing this blog made me want to write again, made me write one, two, three, four different books. Growing this blog made me the writer I am today, the person I am today, as well.

It’s not all sunshines and rainbows. Sometimes it’s thunderstorms, black holes of no inspiration I disappear into, heart shattered at writing for so long with no feedback, no page views, no comments. It’s hoping, foolishly, to somehow, someday, make money book blogging only to end up disappointed because some dreams can’t be real. It’s people leaving for brighter skies – read: faster skies, social media, hello. It’s losing touch.

Yet, and yet.

It’s also creating connections, meeting people from all across the world, some of whom I talk to on a daily basis, never, ever about blogging anymore, but somehow everything else. It’s connection sparkling from a love of books, blossoming into something else. Real friendship.

It’s falling in love with the process of writing, getting back to this little corner of the internet I made mine over 10 years ago, now. It’s finding sparkles for writing, it’s watching readers of a dumb old, dinosaur-like book blog buy my book, read my book, recommend my book.

It’s ending up, impossibly, at one of the biggest young adult book convention in the UK as an author. Standing there, all nerves and excitement, and hearing:

“I’ve been following your blog for so long.”

It’s tearing up while writing this post because, while my mind has been too busy trying to make it on these new platforms everyone is on, now (because they seem so necessary as a brand new author) ;

This place is, has always been and will always be one of the biggest parts of me.

I’m not sure how to end this, except with thank you. For reading, for following, for commenting, for supporting my author endeavors, for buying, reading, reviewing my book.

For the endless book recommendations, for making me discover new favorite authors, for making me fall in love with reading, over and over again.

For everything, really. Thank you.

🔎 10 years book blogging in numbers (just for fun):

• 1 304 blog posts
• 67 038 comments
• 668 371 page views
• 1 book published (!!!)

Sorry for the sappy post (and for disappearing so much). I hope you’re all doing well, feel free to chat with me in comments!? How do you feel about blogging, now?!

I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

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Against her mother’s wishes, Abby drops out of university to follow her dream: being a successful travel influencer.

Her sister by her side, Abby stretches herself (and her own mental health) thin for the likes.

But what, and most importantly, who, will she risk to lose on her way?

Us Against The Likes is a heartwarming college-aged YA book about how social media shapes us – and changes us. Perfect for fans of Amelia Diane Coombs and Kara McDowell.

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