Eight Years of Blogging!

So I'm racing against the clock a bit to get this posted while it's still officially this blog's eighth blogoversary, lol. OK, so I spent a good chunk of my day playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, OK? I think we can all agree 2020 has been suck-tacular thus far, and we all have our coping mechanisms. Mine has turned out to be fishing, collecting bugs, picking fruit, and constantly owing money to a raccoon. In that strange way that the universe works sometimes, I played the OG Animal Crossing on the Nintendo GameCube during an extremely stressful time, and it seems we've circled back around.

But enough about AC: it was eight years ago today that this blog launched! It's gotten quieter over the past few years as Ally, Melissa, and I have all gotten busier with our non-reading and non-blogging lives, but popping in every once in a while to post and chat books still brings me joy.

I'm really proud that I didn't recycle the same graphic for like the fifth year running, lol. Melissa very kindly agreed to utilize her artistic gifts to create this new, snazzy graphic for this year's blogoversary post. Thanks again, Melissa!

I hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy and that books are bringing you some much needed comfort during these very uncertain times. ♥♥♥

Seven Years of Blogging!

So today is officially Blogoversary Number Seven, which seems impossible, and I've been here for all seven years, hahaha! In all seriousness, that number still seems unreal, especially to someone like me who struggles with sticking with anything. I've sort of become unstuck with both blogging and reading over the past two years and this post almost didn't happen, but I really am proud of how long the blog has been around, even if I'm not around it as much as when it first started.

I say this in every blogoversary post, but I don't think it ever gets old: I really do appreciate every one of you who stops by and every one of you who takes the time to leave a comment. Thinking about the wonderful bookish chats I've had here, on Twitter, etc. is what still motivates me to pick up a book or hit that New Post button. So thank you for an amazing seven years in the book blogosphere!

Six Years of Blogging!

It's hard to believe, but this little blog started six years ago today! So much has changed in six years. When the blog began way back in 2012, my cousins Ally and Melissa and I averaged reading probably 50 books a year each and posted on the blog at least three times a week, sometimes more. Those were the days! Now we're all busy with things like school and work and other adventures in adulting.

We don't read or post nearly as much as we used to, but I think we can give ourselves some credit for at least still being here, lol. Thanks to everyone who's stopped by to chat with us over the years. Getting to connect with you has been the absolute best, and we're going to keep on reading and blogging away, even if it's at our current snail's pace, lol.

Five Years of Blogging!

Five years ago today, this blog began with a five sentence post that didn't even have a graphic, lololol. I remember how sad and empty the Review Archive page looked because, well, it had no reviews. There are now over 300, which makes me think, wow, there was actually a time when Ally, Melissa, and I all had time to read? XD

As happy as I am to notch another year of blogging, I've always felt that there's something a little extra special about reaching an anniversary that's a multiple of 5. Because I'm weird like that. In all seriousness, though, I can't think of any other endeavor I've undertaken in the past five years that I've managed to stick with like I have with blogging. It's been challenging to keep at it, especially with adulting taking up more and more of my time, but there's no other place where I can gush about all things bookish and connect with equally avid readers.

You guys really are the best. I can't tell you how much your comments brighten my day and how much I LOVE chatting with you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such wonderful bloggy friends! ♥

Four Years of Blogging!

As much as I'm a planner addict, I'm not the greatest at thinking about the future and scary things like long-term goals. Oh, the irony! So four years ago, I totally didn't foresee myself still at this blogging thing. At the time the blog began, I didn't have a specific plan in mind, like, "I'm going to try this for three months and if it doesn't work out, I'll pick up another hobby." Blogging has always been a day-to-day, week-to-week sort of thing for me that has since grown into a year-to-year thing, apparently, LOL.

I've heard other bloggers who've also been doing this for a while say that as the years go by, coming up with fresh ideas can become a challenge. I do feel that way sometimes, like— I got nothing! Plus I'm really bad at adapting to change. Status quo represents safety to me, but I also realize that it can lead to stagnation. Finding a balance between the two is tough, especially when trying new things terrifies you just a tad. But I'm working on finding that balance: continuing with what's familiar while also occasionally venturing outside of my comfort zone bubble.

And now to my favorite part of writing the annual blogoversary post: thanking each and every one of you for the time you take to stop by and comment or chat on Twitter or give me post-book hangover therapy on Twitter. Getting to know you over the past four years has been the greatest reward blogging has given me. I don't have many bookish friends outside of blogging, and being able to have this space to geek out over books with other readers who experience the same joy from books and reading makes me feel incredibly lucky to be a part of this community. ♥ ♥ ♥

Three Years of Blogging

Today marks three years since Rally the Readers began, and that's kind of hard for me to believe. When Ally and I first got it into our heads that we were going to start a book blog, we didn't have a long-term plan in mind; it was more of a let's-see-how-this-thing-goes endeavor. To still be here three years later feels pretty awesome because I'm really bad about following through with ideas most of the time, lol.

And this blog wouldn't still be here without all of YOU. I've been chatting with some of you for three years or so now, and that has absolutely been the best thing that could have happened because of blogging. Every comment and every tweet mean the world to me. That I can shamelessly gush on here about a book that I loved and you guys totally understand where I'm coming from means the world to me. THANK YOU with all of my heart for all of the love you've shown this blog for the past three years! ♥♥♥