Blogging 12 Years

This blog is 12 years old today. I'm sitting here in class, waiting for students to filter in from the really terrible traffic, and I'm looking for the angriest, fiercest poem I can find because Donald Trump is still going after the National Endowment for the Arts and just about everything else that so many of us don't want him to go after.

I'm stewing with "Lady Lazarus":

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air.

I'm mad as hell and just trying to funnel that feeling into positive action.

I'm not reading much on paper, but I'm listening to Lincoln in the Bardo, and I love it. I'm stretching it out, savoring every word. I'm not usually much for old white guys who play with form, but I'm into this.

I love you all for being awesome. I'm glad I'm still here, limping along, knowing you good people, after more than a decade. 

Life Happens, Even at 11 Years Blogging!

Yep, 11 years today. I wish I had a really inspired post today, but it's been a busy week with another busy week ahead. I need to...

• Buy BEA and plane tickets
• Pay some bills
• Straighten the house and fold a mountain of laundry
• Finish up a tailored resume for a possible job opportunity
• Grade some papers for online classes

This week I have some bigger work and personal projects on tap, and I'm just feeling sluggardly and tired. BBAW was amazing and energizing, but with all this real life stuff stretching out in front of me, I think I'm gonna unplug for a few days to get my ducks in a row. 

But I can't not do any celebrating or reflecting on this blogiversary. One of the things I love most about blogging is the ability to look back over a good chunk of my adult life and see what was happening in my personal and reading life, so today we're celebrating by looking back at what I was reading and loving (and not) in 2005. 

• The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood - Loved it. Want to re-read. 
• Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner - Left no lasting impression. 
• The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf - One of those formative women's studies reads. 
• Bust Magazine - I would love to revisit this and see if I still love it. 
• Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie - One of my all-time favorite romances. 
• Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier - Another book I'd like to re-read. 
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt - Yet ANOTHER book I consider a fave and would like to re-read. 
• Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates - Favorite! Oates does the best creepy atmosphere. 
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - My least favorite of the series, but a less-than-perfect HP book is still pretty damn good. 
• The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman - I usually love Hoffman, but this one didn't stick with me much at all.
• Gilead by Marilyn Robinson - DNF!

Happy Sunday! Happy reading!

10 Favorite Posts from 10 Years of Blogging

I've already posted about my 10-year blogiversary (click that link to go win something), but after I drafted that post up, I started thinking about all of the things I've shared with you guys over the years. Favorite posts and whatnot..so this is a short retrospective of some of my favorite posts from the past decade.

In no particular order...

One of the most exciting interviews I ever had a chance to do...an illustrated one with Lucy Knisley.

An unlikely review and a story about the inexplicable that strikes so very close to my heart.

Don't let anybody make you feel like you HAVE to do anything you don't want to with your own
blog.

I never expected to be unemployed, and I really never expected to be grateful for unemployment.

Introducing...Greyson! This one doesn't need any explanation.

The post I (almost) never wrote about the wedding. Oops!

I could've included my review of The Sparrow, because THAT BOOK, but I'll choose something different this time.

That time I met Heather.

A slightly earlier iteration of "What Book Blogging Means to Me."

Finally, are book bloggers relevant? I think you'll know what I THINK.

What's your favorite thing YOU'VE written on your blog? 

What Does 10 Years Blogging Mean?

It's almost the day. This blog turns 10 years old on February 21, but I wanted to get the party started a little early. It's been a decade. 3,650 days. 2,367 posts. Over 1 million views. Innumerable good times.

I thought long and hard about how to approach this milestone...contests? Giveaways? Confetti and balloons? There will be some of that, but I want to take a few minutes to reflect on the past decade. What it's meant to me...how it's shaped me. What the experience has given to me and what I hope to give back.

First and foremost I treasure the friends I've made through blogging, and that circle of friends seems to expand overwhelmingly every year. That is the greatest blessing. To know that there are literally hundreds, thousands of you who care enough to read here, follow along with my snarkiness on Twitter, or give me a heart on Instagram. You send well wishes, virtual hugs. You indulge me when I want to talk about things other than books. You still care. You are kind.

As a community we gather, read, talk, explore, disagree, and hopefully try to be better.

Sharing my love of reading and a number of other parts of my life--my family, passions, endeavors, insecurities, ambitions--is an act of faith. I think most readers would agree that reading inhabits a part of our soul like few other things do. It seems sacred at times. Precious, always. To be able to share it with like-minded individuals--as well as other parts of life outside the interwebs--is a supreme blessing. One I don't take lightly.

So what do I hope for the future? That we can...

• Tackle big issues 
• Continue to explore our craft
• Expand the way we do things
• Read (and DNF) without pressure or guilt
• Write and share ourselves
• Strengthen our friendships

So now that I've waxed poetic, let's get on to some giveaways!!!!

Up for grabs:

• $25 Amazon or B&N Gift e-gift card OR if you're international, a $25 BookDepository gift
• $25 Sephora e-gift card since I love makeup! (interational...read about shipping here)
• $10 Comixology e-gift card (international)

Enter the Rafflecopter below, and I'll announce winners on Monday, March 2. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Fun! Blogiversary Giveaway Winner

The time has come for a drumrolllllllllllllllllllllllll.................

And the winner of the 9-year blogiversary drawing is Donna from AMindNeedsBooks!!! Donna is a prolific BookTuber from the UK, and you should definitely check out her channel.

Thank you to ALL of you who left wonderful sweet messages wishing me a happy 9-year blogiversary. And y'all left some great recommendations, too! Thank ya, thank ya, and I hope to do another giveaway soon!

Friday Fun! Blogiversary Giveaway Winner

The time has come for a drumrolllllllllllllllllllllllll.................

And the winner of the 9-year blogiversary drawing is Donna from AMindNeedsBooks!!! Donna is a prolific BookTuber from the UK, and you should definitely check out her channel.

Thank you to ALL of you who left wonderful sweet messages wishing me a happy 9-year blogiversary. And y'all left some great recommendations, too! Thank ya, thank ya, and I hope to do another giveaway soon!

NINE Years Blogging!

Woohoo! I didn't forget my blogiversary this year! Because NINE years, and these last couple have been some of the absolute best. Thank you, and you, and you, and ALL of you for reading and for your comments, letters, cards, gifts, and friendship. And book recommendations, of course.

In honor of longevity and gray hair, I'm giving away a $15 gift to the book retailer of your choice (Amazon, B&N or BookDepository).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NINE Years Blogging!

Woohoo! I didn't forget my blogiversary this year! Because NINE years, and these last couple have been some of the absolute best. Thank you, and you, and you, and ALL of you for reading and for your comments, letters, cards, gifts, and friendship. And book recommendations, of course.

In honor of longevity and gray hair, I'm giving away a $15 gift to the book retailer of your choice (Amazon, B&N or BookDepository).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

8 Today

My blog turns 8 years old today. Thank you for still reading. It means the world. 

Also, LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!! Our first event of 2013 over at The Estella Society is a read-along of OUTLANDER!!!! Be sure to join the convo on Twitter with the tag, #NakedJamie

8 Today

My blog turns 8 years old today. Thank you for still reading. It means the world. 

Also, LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING!!!! Our first event of 2013 over at The Estella Society is a read-along of OUTLANDER!!!! Be sure to join the convo on Twitter with the tag, #NakedJamie

Seven Years Blogging and No Itch

Seven years ago today, Estella's Revenge was coughed into digital existence after I deleted my first blog, The Waste Land. I was sitting in a run-down faculty workroom at my first (adjunct!) college teaching job with several hours to kill until the next class I had to teach.

It's something to sit back and think over seven years of blogging. While I always blogged about books because I was ALWAYS reading for school, it wasn't until 2007 that I really took a hard turn toward book blogging and let some of the miscellaneous fall away.  I went back through my archives today and looked over some of my posts and year-end favorites from those years. Many of the comments are from bloggers who still comment here now. The majority of those folks are still cruising by this site on a regular basis.

While there is occasional drama in the blogosphere I suppose what I want newer bloggers, or even just disillusioned bloggers, to focus on is the very real relationships that come about because of blogging. All of the swirling angst is irrelevant. It doesn't matter what authors and publishers say or what they want. It doesn't matter if you write "reviews" or "reactions." It doesn't matter what anyone's opinion of blogging may be. It doesn't matter if you're getting paid or not. We do this for us and we do this for each other. We blog because we love books and we love sharing what we read.

Estella's Revenge has been through some distinct phases. Including a name change. While the address was always Estella's Revenge, the original blog title was Tripping Toward Lucidity. As I was working my way through my Masters degree I felt as if I was just stumbling along trying to accomplish whatever was right for me. I was saucy then, bordering on angry, and just finding myself in the world.

I've been through successful and failed relationships on this blog. I've had a baby. I've accomplished many of the things I wanted to do professionally like being an English professor. And I even went one step further to be a Program Chair--something I love but I never foresaw being an administrator.

And many of you have been with me the whole time. Reading, offering support by way of comments and e-mails, gifts and tokens of friendship. Kind words, most of all.

The next time you feel pressured to blog or beaten down by the number of review books on your shelves or pressured to do this or that: just stop. While I get caught up in those feelings from time to time, taking a moment to reflect on the last seven years has reminded me that all that stuff is just extra baggage. I blog for me. I blog because of you. And I thank you so much for being with me whether it's been seven years or seven minutes. Any time you spend reading and becoming a part of my life is appreciated.

Now, let's get on to the really good stuff: the "Spread the Love" giveaway results!!!!

The winner of La Perdida by Jessica Abel is Emily O from Reading While Female!!!


The winner of The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Agawa is Alley from What Red Read!


Last but certainly not least, The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt goes to...Brooke from The Blog of Litwits!!!

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. It's my pleasure to pass along some books I enjoyed and I hope you enjoy them, too.


Now, let's all drink champagne and eat cake. 

Seven Years Blogging and No Itch

Seven years ago today, Estella's Revenge was coughed into digital existence after I deleted my first blog, The Waste Land. I was sitting in a run-down faculty workroom at my first (adjunct!) college teaching job with several hours to kill until the next class I had to teach.

It's something to sit back and think over seven years of blogging. While I always blogged about books because I was ALWAYS reading for school, it wasn't until 2007 that I really took a hard turn toward book blogging and let some of the miscellaneous fall away.  I went back through my archives today and looked over some of my posts and year-end favorites from those years. Many of the comments are from bloggers who still comment here now. The majority of those folks are still cruising by this site on a regular basis.

While there is occasional drama in the blogosphere I suppose what I want newer bloggers, or even just disillusioned bloggers, to focus on is the very real relationships that come about because of blogging. All of the swirling angst is irrelevant. It doesn't matter what authors and publishers say or what they want. It doesn't matter if you write "reviews" or "reactions." It doesn't matter what anyone's opinion of blogging may be. It doesn't matter if you're getting paid or not. We do this for us and we do this for each other. We blog because we love books and we love sharing what we read.

Estella's Revenge has been through some distinct phases. Including a name change. While the address was always Estella's Revenge, the original blog title was Tripping Toward Lucidity. As I was working my way through my Masters degree I felt as if I was just stumbling along trying to accomplish whatever was right for me. I was saucy then, bordering on angry, and just finding myself in the world.

I've been through successful and failed relationships on this blog. I've had a baby. I've accomplished many of the things I wanted to do professionally like being an English professor. And I even went one step further to be a Program Chair--something I love but I never foresaw being an administrator.

And many of you have been with me the whole time. Reading, offering support by way of comments and e-mails, gifts and tokens of friendship. Kind words, most of all.

The next time you feel pressured to blog or beaten down by the number of review books on your shelves or pressured to do this or that: just stop. While I get caught up in those feelings from time to time, taking a moment to reflect on the last seven years has reminded me that all that stuff is just extra baggage. I blog for me. I blog because of you. And I thank you so much for being with me whether it's been seven years or seven minutes. Any time you spend reading and becoming a part of my life is appreciated.

Now, let's get on to the really good stuff: the "Spread the Love" giveaway results!!!!

The winner of La Perdida by Jessica Abel is Emily O from Reading While Female!!!


The winner of The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Agawa is Alley from What Red Read!


Last but certainly not least, The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt goes to...Brooke from The Blog of Litwits!!!

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. It's my pleasure to pass along some books I enjoyed and I hope you enjoy them, too.


Now, let's all drink champagne and eat cake. 

Spread the Love Giveaway

Next week is my 7-year blogiversary and I'm giving away books! Click HERE to enter my Spread the Love Giveaway and win one of the following beauties...

Note: Comments on this post WILL NOT enter you into the giveaway!

This giveaway is only open to US residents (Sorry! I'm too broke for international shipping!) and I'll draw the winners on February 21st!

Spread the Love Giveaway

Next week is my 7-year blogiversary and I'm giving away books! Click HERE to enter my Spread the Love Giveaway and win one of the following beauties...

Note: Comments on this post WILL NOT enter you into the giveaway!

This giveaway is only open to US residents (Sorry! I'm too broke for international shipping!) and I'll draw the winners on February 21st!

Belated Blogiversary!

Good morning one and all! I missed a very exciting day! How could I? February 21st was my 5-year blogiversary, and I can't believe how fast it's all gone.

I started my first blog, The Waste Land in 2004, but due to some life issues at the time, I erased that blog and started over in February of 2005. Estella's Revenge (and all her legs) was born. First it was the blog, then the 'zine, and then the Bibliobuffet column. Now it's back to just a blog since my life has taken over the everyday and pushed more and more projects aside.

It's amazing how much has happened in five years, and you can document a good deal of that in this blog. It wasn't all about books when I started. I ranted about life, love (or lack thereof), family, the news, politics, and graduate school. However, as I went along and began to find myself deeper in the book blogging community, things changed.

Obviously, I still write about my personal life here and occasionally even about issues that fire me up (politics and environmental issues, hello!), but it's mostly about books and reading. Things have evened out a great deal in the last couple of years in my personal life, so I have much more time to spend with my books instead of fretting about the everyday ups and downs and hits and misses.

For those of you who are *still* reading, or for those of you who are new, thanks so much for taking part in this blog with your perusals, your comments, and your friendship. It's so good to have a community of people who understand the book obsession and who take an interest on a personal level as well. The community is the bestest part of blogging--especially book blogging.

Here's to another five years!

Note: Image from http://www.danzfamily.com/archives/blogphotos/09/260-5th-blogiversary.jpg

Belated Blogiversary!

Good morning one and all! I missed a very exciting day! How could I? February 21st was my 5-year blogiversary, and I can't believe how fast it's all gone.

I started my first blog, The Waste Land in 2004, but due to some life issues at the time, I erased that blog and started over in February of 2005. Estella's Revenge (and all her legs) was born. First it was the blog, then the 'zine, and then the Bibliobuffet column. Now it's back to just a blog since my life has taken over the everyday and pushed more and more projects aside.

It's amazing how much has happened in five years, and you can document a good deal of that in this blog. It wasn't all about books when I started. I ranted about life, love (or lack thereof), family, the news, politics, and graduate school. However, as I went along and began to find myself deeper in the book blogging community, things changed.

Obviously, I still write about my personal life here and occasionally even about issues that fire me up (politics and environmental issues, hello!), but it's mostly about books and reading. Things have evened out a great deal in the last couple of years in my personal life, so I have much more time to spend with my books instead of fretting about the everyday ups and downs and hits and misses.

For those of you who are *still* reading, or for those of you who are new, thanks so much for taking part in this blog with your perusals, your comments, and your friendship. It's so good to have a community of people who understand the book obsession and who take an interest on a personal level as well. The community is the bestest part of blogging--especially book blogging.

Here's to another five years!

Note: Image from http://www.danzfamily.com/archives/blogphotos/09/260-5th-blogiversary.jpg