Sunday, January 15, 2012

TSS: The changing nature of this blog

This week has been a big one for me in bloggish reflection.  I think many of us in blogosphere have been mulling over where we fit in, how much of an impact we have and in what direction our community is going.  I have been blogging since May 2005, so am coming up on seven years very soon, though the first few years of the blog were pretty on and off in terms of me posting, and I didn't have many readers at all.

I also posted reviews that were almost exclusively in the historical fiction or fantasy genres.  Often, books that somehow fit both genres and were historical fantasy.  That was basically all I read, and I think that if one were to classify my blog up until probably 2009 or 2010, it would be classified as a fantasy or histfict blog.  And while I loved those genres (and still do, very much), I had a feeling that I was missing out on a big chunk of awesome reading.

So that's why I was so thrilled to receive an email from Kari this week that started with the words, "Hey Aarti, I know you're into non-fiction reading."  Seriously, she does not realize how excited this email made me.  Or actually, she probably does, because my response to that email had a copious number of exclamation points.  But hey, I was excited.  I am not sure when the transition happened, but clearly at least one of you out there thinks of me as a non-fiction reader, and that makes me really happy!  I am not sure why- maybe because none of us really likes to be pigeon-holed or to seem narrow in scope.  But also because I really have made an effort to read more widely and sometimes obscurely than I did in the past, and I'm glad to know that people have noticed.

I don't really know many people at all who have been blogging as long as I have (KailanaDaphne?) though I know many, many people who have blogged much more successfully than I have in a much shorter time frame.  But I started the blog to keep track of my reading and this week, I've really been reflecting on my reading.  And honestly, when you have kept track of your reading for almost seven years, you start to see trends and shifts.  I can trace my new-found love of non-fiction to the Women Unbound challenge that I co-hosted with Eva and Care.  I think that challenge really impacted the way I read, and I'm so grateful that we brought that together.  I think my interest in more obscure fiction stems from the now-dormant Spotlight Series that I co-hosted with Amy and Chris.  It was so great to find amazing books that just didn't get the attention they deserved.  And now that I have a Kindle, I can go back and find so many overlooked and forgotten books and journals and accounts that I never would have had access to otherwise.

I still love historical fiction and fantasy (though I admit the epic fantasy has not been thrilling me lately the way that it used to).  But I've also found that as I've grown older, my reading tastes have shifted.  I don't say that they have evolved, really, because I don't know that they are "better" now than they used to be.  But they're certainly different, and I look forward to seeing what direction the next several years of reading will take me, too.

In looking back over old posts, I've also been reminded of all the people that have been involved in my blogging life.  Many no longer blog, but several still do.  And it was so fun to go back and see the first time that so many of you commented on my blog, and how long you've been coming here.  I have done a lot of detective work both on my blog and other people's, trying to see how I first "met" some of you and all our interactions began, and it's been so fun!  I'm sad to report, though, that most of my first comments on your blogs were not particularly insightful or interesting, so I'm really impressed and delighted that you all made such an effort to come back my way and post here, too :-)

I realized, in revisiting old posts, just how rarely I make an effort to visit new-to-me blogs these days.  I don't know the last time I added a new blog to my reader, and I don't really know the last time someone new commented on my blog, either.  I honestly don't have the bandwidth any more to go discovering new people, but it makes me a little wistful, too, that I am moving to the periphery of a community that I've been involved with for so long.  I guess that's the nature of change, really.  I am not likely to give up blogging any time soon, but I am also never going to be at the center of it.

I'm okay with that.  As a very wise friend told me recently, books "are an escape from the world; a lens with which to focus on culture and people around us; and a way of forging strong friendships on the premise of loving the same set of printed words. If your blog still helps you do those things, then you should not stop."  And I won't stop because I've had such a wonderfully literary week.

I've really enjoyed my bookish interactions lately- the fabulous email from Kari that signaled to me that my blog is no longer very genre-specific, reminiscing about the first interaction I ever had with Zibilee, trying to figure out a buddy read with Kailana from our shared LibraryThing catalogs, getting back in touch with Amanda through her blog, chatting with previously quoted wise friend about books challenging the tired tropes of epic fantasy, and discussing the nature of feminism and racism with Ana.  And really, none of those conversations would have come about without the help of this blog, and my ability to interact with so many of you on a deeply personal and profound level.  And I look forward to so many more conversations that will help me discover new works and new perspectives and new readers. 

So thank you, BookLust.  I think I'll keep you around for a while longer.

64 comments:

  1. Awesome post! And seven years...wow! Double wow!!

    I do enjoy reflecting on my journey from time to time, whether in my blog(s) or my reading itself.

    My first blog was "born" in April 2008, and I did almost nothing with it the first year. In 2009, I added another one; then another, until I had a little blog explosion for awhile. I still have a lot of blogs (eleven), but I'm down from my high point of twenty.

    What was that all about? Well, I think I was exploring different interests and aspects of myself; plus I loved creating and designing my blogs.

    Thanks for sharing your journey today; I checked out a few of your links, and now I'm going to want to go to those sites more often. Amanda is one I've visited, but then lost track of...she now has a new blog name.

    Here's MY SUNDAY SALON POST and here’s
    MY WEBSITE

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  2. Wow! Seven years! Good for you! I know what you mean about feeling you're moving to the periphery. I feel the same way, although I don't know that I was ever NOT at the periphery. :p

    I do wish I had more time for new blogs, and I try to add them to my Google Reader, but I feel like I am less good at making time to LOVE new blogs the way I love some of the ones I've been reading forever.

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  3. Aw, I can totally understand your excitement about that e-mail. I think people still mostly associate me with fantasy (which I of course LOVE and would never ever disown), but I read so many other things that the only definition I'm really comfortable with is "eclectic".

    I actually remember how we first met pretty well! You left me a comment about our mutual love of Terry Pratchett and said we should be friends. It was so friendly and it made me want to get to know you right away :D And all these years later, here we are.

    I think of you, Kelly, Andi, Bookarama Chris, Heather, tanabata and Marg as the grandmothers of blogging :P Having said that, I can't believe my 5th anniversary is coming up. It feels like only yesterday that I started.

    I can also relate a little bit to your wistfulness about moving to the periphery of the community. It's not about being "big" or "influential" (and I know it's not to you either), but about feeling like I'm missing out on making new friends. I had very little time to invest in forming new relationships while I was in grad school, but these past few months I've actually made an effort to get myself out there and try to meet people who seem to share my interests. One thing I noticed, though, it's that it's MUCH, MUCH harder than it was a few years ago. To me, anyway - maybe others have different experiences. But I've lost count of how many times I've tried to engage with someone by commenting on their blog or addressing them on Twitter and they just didn't respond to me at all. It's like I'm invisible. I don't resent these people; I don't think it's that they're unfriendly or that they hate me (well, hopefully not, anyway). It's probably just that they're in the same situation that I was in for so long - busy busy busy, with established friends and no room for new ones. It makes me sad, though, that now that the community is so huge it's so much easier for this to happen. I can't imagine being a brand new blogger today and trying to form connections for the first time. It must be so hard and daunting and discouraging. But this also makes me value the friendships I've already formed all the more.

    Last but not least, I'm really enjoying our conversation as well <3 I'll update the doc again after lunch :P

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    1. Grandmothers of blogging! lol.

      Not quite ready to take up bowls just yet though!

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  4. YAY for blogging! I think I started blogging in 2007 but didn't find you until a few years ago. But. I don't think I realized there was a girl reading in the banner until late last year.
    :)

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  5. I'm right there with you in the 7-year club, and I've been doing a lot of reflecting on my blog as well. I've also been investigating people's first appearance and when I commented on their blogs in the early days. Does this have something to do with 7 years as a reflective milestone? Maybe it's the 7-year blogging itch. Anyway, I have been making an effort to discover new blogs and it's been a lot of fun. Helps put some charge back in the old blogging habits.

    Here's wishing you another 7 years, Aarti. :)

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  6. Seven years - that's so impressive. I think I'm up to 4, probably 5 this summer, but I feel similarly to you. My genre allegiances have always varied wildly, and often I think I may have made a mistake pigeonholing myself into a historical fiction niche, especially as I now don't read nearly as much as I used to, and I don't really crave histfic any more (although I do of course still like it). Blogging has made tracking these shifts really fascinating in a way I couldn't manage before. But I'm definitely in the periphery of blogging, and I think I like it here.

    Here's to many more years in blogging for you! :)

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  7. I had to laugh when I read Ana's comment naming you as a "grandmother"! LOL But seriously, seven years - I don't think I even knew about blogging back then! My reading has definitely evolved because of blogging, and maybe just because of the effect of time too. I suppose it makes it hard for anyone who followed before because of a tendency to see certain sorts of reviews when those sorts don't occur very much any more! But most people who "follow" now are just "virtual friends" I think, rather than people who necessarily are there for the book reviews! And that's nice too, i.e., to have virtual friends!

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  8. Laurel-Rain - Wow, that's an amazing number of blogs! But great that you were able to explore so many different facets of your personality. And I'm glad you're going to visit the people linked above - they are great :-)

    Jenny - I don't think I was ever in the center, either. But if the circle is small, then by NATURE you are closer to the center, then when it continues to get bigger and you just keep moving farther away. And you are so right - while every several months or so, I try to find new blogs, I don't fall in love with them the way I have with the ones I've been following for a while. Probably because I just don't "know" the blogger personality as well as I could.

    Nymeth - I think we talked about this a couple of years ago! And I think you are a more eclectic blog, too, though I think because we share a love of fantasy, I often think of you (and Kelly) as my fantasy go-tos. And I was looking the other day and YOUR first comment on MY blog was for Terry Pratchett, too! I'm glad I made the big jump all those years ago to basically declare my immediate friendship with you :-)

    And you're right about how hard it is to connect with new people. Last night I did make a push to comment on new-to-me blogs, but I don't know whether it will work to really form a connection and friendship because, as you said, people are just really busy and it's easier to hang around people you already know than to find new ones.

    Can't wait for your email!

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  9. Care - LOL, I am pretty sure that 50% of the time you leave a comment on my blog, you mention the header ;-)

    Andi - Oh, I should have known that! I know Estella's Revenge was up for a really long time. And maybe it is the 7-year itch. We should look into that. I'm glad you stayed in the community, too- you're a favorite!

    Meghan - Yes, I remember a post you wrote in which you said you don't really read as much Medieval literature as you used to and you feel misleading in your blog name. I think that happens to a lot of us- it's easy to get burned out on a genre, and even if you continue to love it, that doesn't mean it is all you read. I feel like when I was younger, I was ok reading ONLY fantasy, but now I just need something more.

    rhapsody - Laugh? I thought you would cower at my matronly wisdom and the fear of being whacked with my ebony blog-cane! And you're right. Now, so many of the blogs, I follow them because I love the people and not the books they review. But I do still enjoy getting lots of recommendations from you guys, and I love reading books that make me think of my blogging friends immediately, like when I read Crow and thought of you :-)

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    1. REally?! Ok, I'll stop. wow. I mean I'll still comment! I will try not to mention that distracting header!!! oops, did it again.

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  10. I can't believe you didn't see how open you are when it comes to reading. I love visiting your blog and see what you're reading next. I also enjoyed our read-alongs in the past. Life has been busy for you lately but I'm so glad you're deciding to stick around a little bit longer, Aarti. :-)

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    1. Ooh, I just got embedded comments so I can reply DIRECTLY to this! I really loved our read-alongs as well- let's do more together! I would really like to read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee with you, if you're still up for it.

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  11. This is such a great post! Much of what I feel is here: about being a bit on the outside of the central core of book blogger superhouses, the difficulty of making new blogging buddies when there are just so many out there, and about changes in reading based on blogging.

    I have really enjoyed getting to know you, and I'm glad you are still around after 7 years! My fifth blogoversary is coming up this week. :)

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    1. I've loved getting to know you, too, Trisha. I remember first really being drawn to you because I love your gravatar - it's so vintage, I knew I'd like you, too! And I agree, it's SO HARD to make friends now in blogosphere, but I'm glad it's a little easier to KEEP friends at least!

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  12. Glad you are sticking around :)

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    1. I'm glad you're still here, too!

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  13. Seven years is serious dedication, and how incredible that you have that much of your reading life on record for you. I'm glad you'll be sticking around. :)

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    1. I'm so glad we started discussing Middlemarch on Twitter- it really is quite serendipitous because I am literally NEVER on Twitter, so I'm glad I actually checked my messages and saw that you mentioned me!

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  14. Hooray for seven years! You have a great body of work here on your blog -- complete with the kind of growth and change one would expect to see in any long-term work of art.

    I hope you'll join the Bloggers Alliance of Nonfiction Devotees now that you are outed as being into nonfiction. I'm hosting our discussion this month: Books to Support Goals and Resolutions — A question for the BAND.

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  15. Oh, wow! I didn't even know that Alliance existed, but I'll hop on over to that link and see what it's all about- thanks for inviting me.

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  16. Oh yes, I do think you should stay around! I think the most pertinent information that I took form this post was all the amazing friendships that you have discovered through your blog and through reading. It's connections like these that keep me hungering for more when it comes to blogging, and make me really reflect on just what it is about this community that I love. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that sometimes there is some friction between people in this community, but overall, I think it's very cool that we all sort of gravitate towards those others who we know are like us, and who we feel we can build relationships with.

    I am also amazed at 7 years! I think my record will be about 5 or 6 in May as well, but you are truly one of the original bloggers, and are still around, doing the things that you do so amazingly!

    Looking forward to many more great years with you, my friend.

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    1. Ah, Heather, you know you're one of the main reasons that I love blogging! I am so glad we were some of the earlier bloggers - otherwise, who knows if we ever would have found each other?

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  17. I'm glad you'll be around for a while because you bring a lot to the blog world. I think the people are what make it so worthwhile.

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    1. Yes, definitely - it's a great community. I think it's important to realize that you can't know or be friends with EVERYONE, but meeting just a few amazing people is worthwhile in itself.

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  18. I like this post :D It's difficult to find time to blog as well as Tweet and comment sometimes, and new blogs appear without your knowing. I admire those who can balance everything effectively! A few of my favourite blogs have disappeared recently, so I'm glad to hear yours will be here for a time yet :)

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    1. I know, it's sad when really great people disappear and you have no real way of contacting them any more, isn't it? I wish they left some sort of forwarding address!

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  19. Wow, you have been blogging for long :D And yes when I first met you I thought of you as hisfic/fantasy, but not these days. You are non'fic Aarti these days :) And you were one of the first to ever comment on my blog, yay

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    1. Well, I'll continue commenting there as much as possible, though I think you've got LOADS of followers now!

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  20. Congrats on sticking to it for so many years! It took me a long time to figure out a focus for my blog, and once it became a book blog, all of a sudden I started reading more. Had to have material! I agree with you about losing folks over the years, too. I have made some friends through both my blog and other sites, and when they vanish, they just vanish utterly with no way to get back in touch.

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    1. Well, if it improved your reading habit, your blog is good for something! I don't know if I read more than I used to- I've always been a heavy reader, but now it's really nice to go back and know what I thought of each book.

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  21. Congratulations on your 7 years of blogging. That's quite an accomplishment. Maintaining a book blog takes quite a bit of time and the trick is to find the way that works for you. I was feeling bad about not spending as much time as I used to visiting new blogs and making new connections but then I realized I can't do that and read and review regularly, so for now I'm just focusing on posting on my blog and when I have more time I'll socialize again.

    And I think it's great that you review a variety of genres. I've started to do the same myself, though I just hope I don't turn all the SFF readers off.

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    1. I remember your post about that and I, for one, am very excited to see you blog about other books :-)

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  22. Wahoo! Seven years! I definitely feel like I'm outside that circle of bloggers. I don't always read the newest or the soon to be released books. It's getting harder to comment on all the blogs I want to lately too.

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    1. It's funny - I think many of the older bloggers are going to the other side of the bell curve and becoming much less enamored with review copies and new releases- seeing them as more a ball and chain sometimes than necessarily a huge perk. I hope I'm eventually able to find a balance that works for me, but so far...nope.

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  23. I'm glad you are sticking around! I never thought of your blog as any particular genre, just that you don't read the same old, same old as everyone else, myself included and i get good recs from your blog. I need to start looking for some new blogs to visit, too many have changed to less reviews, more filler. Though I've been super lazy about reviews myself!

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    1. Oh, thanks :-) That really makes me feel good! And I don't think you read the same old as everyone else at all. I also think that my blog probably has had a lot more filler recently than before just because I'm reading so much slower, unfortunately. But thanks for sticking with me.

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  24. I really enjoyed reading your reflection on blogging! Seven years is amazing; I think you have the longest track record I've heard about. I have been blogging a little over a year, but sometimes feel as if I am on the outside of the "in" circle of bloggers. There have been times when I wish that I had more readers or was more involved, but honestly, my favorite part is having an outlet for my feelings about books. When even just a couple of people share in how I feel about the books, I get a sense of fulfillment much stronger than if I had been reading and thinking about the book on my own. I think that is what blogging means to me at this point.

    The point of that long rambling was, amen to your second to last paragraph. I feel like blogging is such a great way to process and understand what I read. And I love experiencing other people's reactions as well. This is my first time to your blog but I will be back! Thanks for your insights!

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    1. It's so funny- if I've learned one thing from all the reflective posts out there in book blogosphere, it's that NO ONE feels "in" on the book blogging circuit. We all feel very peripheral, which in a way is good - I like to think that no one really dominates, but maybe I just don't know the dominant players at all. And you're so right- the nature of a blog is to engage with other people on a topic, and book blogging, for all the difficulties that come with it, really does help us do all that. Thank you for coming and commenting!

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  25. Anonymous1/15/2012

    I'm always impressed when people can remember how they "met" on blogs...I have a horrible memory when it comes to stuff like that!

    I've had a blog of some sort for 12 years (I started with LiveJournal), but my current blog's only been around for 5 years, and I'd say I was a book blogger for about 4 years before I hit the wall, so to speak. 7 years is quite the accomplishment, and I'm glad you're sticking around!

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    1. I started on LiveJournal, too! I am glad I switched to blgoger, though- much more user-friendly, from what I recall of LJ. I don't think you've hit a book blogging wall at all, though- do you think you have? Your reviews always seem full of the same humor as they used to be.

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  26. I enjoyed reading about your blog and how it has worked for you. There are two facets of blogging that work for me: one is he one you mentioned - the wide variety of fellow book lovers I've met. The other is the deadline aspect of blog posts. Challenging myself to write about books, etc. on a regular basis is a good mental practice. I also feel another benefit of blogging is how my attitude toward life has become more positive and creative. I'm interested in unusual things around me because it's all fodder for my blog.

    I'm glad you came to visit my blog. It's what I needed to come by and say Hi. I'll be back.

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    1. Yes, the deadline aspect is very important and often overlooked. It's great to really hone in on your thoughts about a book and try to understand why you felt the way that you did. And I'm so glad I stopped by your blog, too! It's so nice to meet you :-)

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  27. I've come to your blog late, but glad I've found you. Congrats on seven years of blogging. From the number of comments, I see you've attracted quite a readership, and deservedly so. I look forward to more mutual visits in the future. Count me in as a newcomer then. ;)

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    1. Well, I think there is a larger number of comments because now I have the ability to reply directly to people so the comments number gets way bigger because of that. But I'm glad you'll be coming back and that we found each other!

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  28. Seven years! Wow! Not sure if I'll be around in seven years time - I've nearly made two years.

    Your reading tastes do change over time in the same way that you gradually change over time. I read a much more eclectic range of books now than I did when I was younger, and some of that is down to reading reviews of books on other blogposts and deciding to try them.

    As for not checking out new posters comments, followers etc, I must admit I don't follow that many people (but not many people follow me, either :) ), but if I follow a person, I will comment on their blog fairly regularly, regardless of whether they comment on mine. The idea of following a 100+ blogs or something is mindboggling? 20 is about my limit.

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    1. I know, it can be really overwhelming to follow a lot of blogs and read all of them. I often mark a bunch as read without getting through the posts :-(

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  29. Wow, I didn't know you had a blog that many months before me. I only started mine in December. I have to admit that names and faces are starting to blend together in regards to who has been around how long. It still surprises me when I think about how long I have been blogging myself.

    My reading is WAY different than when I started blogging. I never used to read young adult books. I used to be obsessed with epic fantasy and that now resides on my TBR pile for ages. I am starting to really neglect historical fiction, which I used to love reading. And, the last couple years I am reading less non-fiction. I think, for me, it is a combination of bloggers influence (getting me to even think about young adult books, for example) and the fact that my books are mostly in my mothers basement, so I am forced to change to suit my library or not read at all.

    I enjoy our buddy reads, too. I am looking forward to our pending one. :) I never worry too much about being in the 'centre' of blogging. Some years I am a bit of an explorer, but other years I stick close to what I know. It just seems to depend on how much time I have or what my mood is.

    What I do now is that I have enjoyed getting to know you over the years, so I am glad you continue to stick around. :)

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    1. I've so loved getting to know you, too! I just keep remembering the Fantasy and Historical Fiction forums we were on together :-)

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  30. Women Unbound was so great. It really did challenge me to read non-fiction as well, something I am grateful for.

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  31. Great post! You have me beat by about 18 months though since I didn't start blogging until December 2006. My blogging has definately changed over the years and especially the last few months as I tried to regain some balance in my life. I plan to continue with it though and i'm glad you are too!

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  32. I have to tell you that what most impresses me is that you're able to change and be so fluid with your blog. As you already know from my history, I have a tendency to scrap-and-rebuild, which isn't healthy! :)

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  33. I'm one of those people who doesn't respond enough, but still really enjoys the conversations with established book bloggers and, like you, doesn't look for new ones very much any more. I'm so glad to hear you're not giving up blogging anytime soon!

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  34. 7 years?!? Congrats! The blogging world does seem to be in flux, and sometimes I feel out of the loop, but I'm happy with my little bookish space. So glad you're going to stick with it. I so love your blog!

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  35. 7 years blogging is amazing stuff. And this was such a nice post - a celebration of blogging and a reassessment of where you are now. So thoughtful. Like you I never find myself looking for new bloggers, although I'd like to, because of time constraints. It is strange and can make you feel less part of that community vibe, but it's necessary because none of us live on our computers.

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  36. That is impressive, 7 years! I think blogging is what you make of it. If you want lots of followers or high traffic, there are ways to get that. If your goal is to find new books and connect with fellow readers, a lot of those other things can fall by the wayside. I think that as long as you enjoy it or find aspects you love about it, it's worth your time.

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  37. I am glad you're sticking around. That is all. :)

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  38. I think it is an accomplishment to stick with blogging for 7 years! That is such a long time in the blog world! I've only been blogging for 3 years and I've seen many blogs come and go in that time. I relate to a lot of what you wrote about. I think that book blogging exposes you to more types of books that you wouldn't have read otherwise -- causing your tastes to change and expand. I know I've found that to be true for myself. As far as "success" in blogging, I think the key to lasting a long time is to do what makes yourself happy, to keep it at a manageable scale and develop your own little community of people that you interact with regularly. "Growing" a blog is a lot of work and takes so much time. I was obsessed with it for a while but have relaxed now and I enjoy it so much more. What fun to explore your history of blogging!! Anyway, I've rambled on enough -- congrats on sticking around. Continue having fun with it!!!

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  39. I think this is a great post, and so true! Our tastes change as we get older. For example, I'm reading a lot more non-fiction than I used to, and I notice these reviews receive fewer comments and are generally less popular. It's something I've come to accept, but it doesn't make me want to stop branching out.

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  40. Wow, you've been around forever :) I had a blog early, but uh... it was quite personal and embarrassing and I took it down and deleted allll posts associated with it in 2005 or so I think. Thankfully no record of it exists ;) but at the same time, wow I wish I'd thought to start book blogging then. I can't imagine how much I've missed out on, as book blogging is so much of my life now!

    I definitely consider you a non-fiction reader too! Love what you do, and how you do it, so do hope you keep it up :)

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  41. I can barely keep up with the people I already read much less anyone more but I do miss those days!

    My reading tastes have probably changed over the years but the way I read has changed even more. It's so much harder to sit and read lately, which is somewhat unnerving.

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  42. I am behind on blog posts but as I am going through them now I am seeing quite a few where older bloggers are looking at the changing face of blogging and their own blogs.

    I can totally see how my reading and my blogging has changed over the years but to me that is a good thing because I would have given up years ago if it hadn't. I never used to read fantasy or YA and now both of those form a large part of my reading menu!

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  43. (I know I am so behind on reading/commenting, but I do what I can!)

    This is so eloquently put, and you nail a lot of things I believe about my own blog and personal little blogging community. I'm like you, both in that I haven't expanded the blogs I read in a long time, nor has my blog's audience seemingly expanded. Sometimes, that is frustrating because part of the reason we blog (or, at least, I blog) is to foster a discussion and get as many people involved in that conversation as possible. And when the conversation remains limited, it can be...well...meaningless, to a degree. But it's sort of like the "lots of acquaintances" vs. "few close friends" situation, where maybe it's better to have those few people you know you can depend on for a good discussion.

    On another note, I've been keeping a running list in a notebook of the books I've been reading since the 8th grade, and that is REALLY fun to see how my reading tastes have changed. I went through a phase of reading old movie star bios my junior and senior years of high school. One summer in high school I read a ton of chick-lit and got so burnt out of it that I don't think I've read much of it since then. I went through a really literary phase in mid-college to impress a boy I liked (now boyfriend, so it worked!). It's fun to see how your tastes have changed. And blogging about it is even better, because you get to see how your use of language and your interactions with books have changed.

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