Mini-Challenge #4 Blogging History

For this mini-challenge it is asked that we write a letter to our blogging self be it past, present or future.  I thought I would do all three.

Pre-Blogging


So I thought my past reading/writing history would be as good a place to start as any.

I was so incredibly proud of myself when I first learned to read.  We have a video, when I’m about seven of my brother’s birthday, I am snatching his birthday cards out of his hand as soon as he opens the envelope just to read them aloud to my little bro.  Watching it now, I think I come off a little smug. But I like to think it’s in an endearing way.

My first grade teacher set up a writing lab for her class to write little stories and volunteer moms would type them up and put them in a book which was made out of cut up cereal boxes, covered in wallpaper and sewn together.  I believe this is where my affinity for writing began, because I soon after started writing stories in a journal.  I recently looked through them and they mainly consisted of variations of Little House on the Prairie (my favorite books at the time).

In middle school, with legible handwriting I began keeping a journal, giving it up a few years ago when I realized I was using them to vent and didn’t want future generations to look back and see me as a mean, bitter person.

In high school, when my mom would go to the grocery store she’d just let me be in the magazine/book aisle and continue shopping.  I didn’t need much encouragement.  I have always been drawn to books and am able to seek them out like a metal detector to gold.  I have always loved to read, it doesn’t matter if its fiction, non-fiction or even the back of my State ID.  Why else would I start a book blog?

The Beginning 
Finally we get to “the beginning”.  I didn’t follow any book blogs I did belong to Goodreads but was very inactive on the site.  My mom suggested I should start a book blog, as I read so damn much.  I listened.  I got online, read a few book blogs (can’t remember which ones now) but mainly read how-to blog articles.  I was completely intimidated at first, I realized how many book blogs were already out there and they all seemed established and tidy with a million comments and followers.  I learned later that the numbers game isn’t everything.  Its about quality not quantity.  Overall, I’m pretty happy how it turned out, but I do have three regrets.  One is that I didn’t set up a separate email for She is too fond of books, the second is that I put so many hyphens in my url,  The third is that I didn’t do it sooner.

The Present
I’m into my third year of blogging, go me! (tooting my own horn) I’m really pleased how it turned out and am still on cloud nine that anyone reads my blog.  Each time I get a new follower or comment it makes my day.  I’ve established my own blog and grove.  What works best for me be it the way I blog or what I read doesn’t work for another blogger, and that’s okay.  Better than okay; because it adds diversity and I think that’s what makes the world go round.  I’ve figured what I would like to include or add to my blog.  When I first started, I felt like I had to post every day which involved a lot of memes, now I hardly participate in any, just the occasional Top Ten Tuesday.  I now keep the focus on book reviews and have also learned that too much of one genre or style can put me into a slump and keeps me shaking things up.

My Future Goals
I started a blogging schedule at the end of 2012 and want to keep that up as it makes blogging a lot easier, elevating any pressure that comes with keeping up She is too fond of books, and therefore holds it as a hobby not a chore.  I want to write my reviews in a timely manner when they are fresh in my mind; rather than my brain going all foggy with Homer Simpson’s “Duh” look upon my face.  Yum Donuts!  Not to sound smug like my seven year-old-self, but I just want to keep up the good work.