I can't believe that my little blog has reached the one year mark! When I started this blog last summer I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that I loved reading books, loved talking about books, and wanted in on this wonderful community. It has been a tremendous amount of work (more than I ever would have imagined) but the rewards definitely more than make up for it!
I've also learned quite a few lessons this past year. Here are a few of them.
I've also learned quite a few lessons this past year. Here are a few of them.
- The importance of scheduling posts at least a week out so that I have time after work for something other than frantically preparing the next day's post!
- Not accepting every single review book offered and then having to pass over all my own books for months on end.
- Only requesting books I am dying to read on NetGalley because far more will be approved than I would have anticipated.
- The best way to get real readers and commentors (& find awesome blogs) is to read and comment on others.
- That twitter is a great place to talk books and meet awesome authors.
A big thank you goes out to all of the bloggy friends that I've made throughout this year. You have no idea how much your support and friendships have meant to me. And to all of my readers...here's to another great year!
Thanks for celebrating with me!!!
Please check back all week as I'm going to have lots of wonderful giveaways including Boxes of Books, a Signed ARC, Swag, etc!!! My shelves are getting very crowded with Swag, books I'll never read & ARCs I've read and need to pass along!
And don't forget to enter my other giveaways...all listed on top of my right sidebar!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Take my anniversary giveaway button and add it to your sidebar for extra entries!
Up for grabs to start off this anniversary celebration is a Mystery Box of YA books.
This may include Finished Copies & ARCs (of already released books),
both new and gently read. (US Only)
I'm sort of a recent follower so I can't be too suggestive, but my favorite thing to do on blogs is hop. I love when bloggers get together and do blog hops for whatever reason. Plus, I get to check out tons of different blogs.
ReplyDeleteWell, thanks for hopping to my site:)
DeleteHmm, I can't really think of something you need to improve! The layout of your blog is inviting and easy to navigate and you post twice as much as I even do each month. :P Happy blogoversary, though, sorry I'm not much help!
ReplyDeleteHappy Bloggy Birthday! :)
ReplyDelete(not an entry)
Thanks Mama Whimsy!
DeleteI really like the way you have arranged your blog with all the places people can follow you clearly listed on the right. Some sites have them listed all over the place and it's very difficulty to find them. In general I would say that your site is much clearer and more attractive than most other book blogs that I have visited. Right now I don't have any suggestions to improve it. I'm comfortable when I come here!
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
Deletethanks for this giveaway and Happy blogoversary! I don't know... I like your blog as you read different books than me. It's always interesting to see other books like that. thank you!
ReplyDeleteI agree...that's one of the things that I like about your blog...you introduce me to books I ordinarily would not pick up!
DeleteI actually find your site easy to move around & find things. Don't change what's not broken I say.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteCongrats, Melissa!
ReplyDeleteTY Mirjam!!
DeleteYay Melissa...congrats on a year of blogging, your blog is one of my favorites...:D
ReplyDeleteAww, Thanks Tina...likewise!
DeleteSince I'm a new follower I can't really suggest much.
ReplyDeleteYour blog looks wonderful and you have some really great content!
Congrats on your one year! :D
And thanks for letting us share it with you!
I love you list of things learned this past year. I so agree on all of them.
If you would like to follow me back that would be great ^^
http://littlehyuts.blogspot.com/
Thanks Jill Marie...I am going to check out your blog now :)
DeleteYour blog is lovely! Happy blogiversary! Suggestions....honestly can't think of any.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI don't have a suggestion, but I do want to give you a big happy one year!! Mine was the end of last month I think. (but I was lame, and didn't even mention the blogs one year.)
ReplyDeleteBeth ^_^
http://sweetbooksnstuff.blogspot.com/
Well, Happy Belated Blogoversary to you!!!
DeleteI'm brand new here and I see nothing wrong with your blog it is very eye catching and easy to navigate which is great! I will wish you Happy Blogiversary though! I am looking forward to getting to know you and visiting your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks Tammy and welcome:)
DeleteHmm....maybe a new banner. For a new year a blogging? :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion!
DeleteI love the way your site is set up. I just discovered you. *shrug* Sorry I'm not much help!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog Melissa and after filling out the rafflecopter I realized I stalk you every way to Sunday! It has been wonderful getting to know you and visiting your blog. I am honored to count you among my friends..here's to many more blogversaries! Happy One Year Blogoversary Cupcake!
ReplyDeleteHA! We are experts at stalking each other! So glad to have gotten to know you this past year! ♥
DeleteSo far, there isn't anything I'd suggest changing.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary!
Gosh, I don't have any suggestions for you blog! I do, however, thank you for not being Facebook-exclusionary. Sometimes I think I am the last person on earth without a FB account and often I feel like I'm missing out on info or opportunities because of that. I never feel that way when I visit your blog (which I follow in my Google Reader!).
ReplyDeleteI was looking around on your blog and honestly I really like your page. I think you have a great blog!
ReplyDeleteI really dont have a recommendation I love your layout, a lot!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary!! I can't actually think of anything that needs to be fixed on your blog. I think it's pretty great how you've got it laid out now : )
ReplyDeleteYAY!!! HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY MELISSA!!!! Woo hoo! I definitely learned that the best way to get followers and comments is to follow and comment on other blogs, and I'm so glad for that lesson because I've met some really awesome people (like you) who get as excited about books as I do. Best. Thing. Ever. Looking forward to another year as a follower of your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenny!!! ♥ Meeting other wonderful bloggers (like you) is definitely the best part of all of this!!!!
DeleteCongrats on your milestone. I absolutely agree with all your points. I have suffered the same problems and i am frantically trying to dig out from my NG pile. As far as improvements, have fun and blog for yourself!
ReplyDeleteLOL...sad when books are something you need to dig your way out of...but we both learned a valuable NG lesson and have tons of great reading ahead as a prize!
Delete*Hugs* & Congrats, Melissa!! I think your blog is beautiful, and lots of
ReplyDeletefun ... can't think how you could improve on awesome? lol <3
Mary DeBorde M.A.D.
Thank you! *hugs*
DeleteCongrats!. Honestly can't think of anything to improve. I love your site! Keep up the good work! :-)
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anything...keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary! I so agree with you about reviews and I really need to do some of those things myself.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary!!!! It's amazing what you've managed to build in just one year! Here's to many more blogoversaries!
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice blog, from what I've seen so far. I don't think it needs any work!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary once again! :) And here's to many more! (PS. don't change a thing. Your blog's great as it is. I know I'm not helping but I really do like it the way it is <3) xxx
ReplyDeleteI think your blog is pretty amazing, and I've just recently started reading, so I don't have very many suggestions. One think I love is participating in blog hops, so you might consider doing that.
ReplyDeleteI think your blog is great as is!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your one year. I love your banner, it is very relaxing to look at and is inviting. I can't think of anything. Well, if you could make your comment to be up top for new comments instead of going all the way down. I don't know how to do that, I have just seen it done. Just a suggestion.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the one year. I don't know what to suggest, your blog looks good easy to read and use. I can't think of anything.
ReplyDeleteI cna't think of anything you need to change. I like the blog, it's easy to follow, easy to read, etc. My only complaint with any blog is that sometimes they are slow to load because of all the content. LOL
ReplyDeletegosh, this is hard since your blog is so beautiful. I love that you include your currently reading books, so maybe you could also have a Goodreads widget that shows the rating you gave to your most recently completed books? I have one on my blog, so of course I'm a little biased. I'd love if you stopped by and took a peek though! ;)
ReplyDeleteI have just a quick suggestion for you. I have a widescreen pc screen and the background on your blog does not cover my screen. There is about 1 1/4 of an inch of white on both sides.
ReplyDeleteI know this is not something that bothers a lot of people but I thought I would mention it.
Thanks so much!
Hmm... can't think of anything to improve, offhand. Congrats, and thanks for the giveaways!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! Wishing you many, many more!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't change anything! I'm not a blogger but I really like your layout as it is!
I can't think of anything to change! I love the layout and content and everything. Perhaps do something cool with all of the tour hosts things along the bottom, have them scroll to be better seen.
ReplyDeleteI think you do a great job, and congrats! I'd love if you included a post with guidelines for book review bloggers on how you make it work for you (i.e. time management, how to politely reject someone who wants you to review their book, etc). :)
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary, Melissa! I honestly can't see one single thing that would make your blog any better if it were changed. You are doing a great job in keeping it neat, orderly, navagatable, and clean of all distracting sidebar junk! Great job! *pats back*
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary! I have to say I love your blog - I love the back ground. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteKayswederski at yahoo dot com
I like that your blog is clean and easy to read. One thing I suggest is adding links to Goodreads and Amazon in your book reviews. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary! Everything on the site looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary! I can't imagine the community without you :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary! I really like your blog the way it is! I wouldn't change a thing!
ReplyDeleteI think the best advice or suggestion that anyone can give you is to just be yourself. If there's something a few people don't like, no need to worry. Just be as you are, and most people will like you.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I really can't think of anything to improve upon. I love your blog. So I suppose just keep doing what you do!
ReplyDeleteHappy one year blogoversary! I hope you're around for many more!
ReplyDeleteI think everything looks perfect. Nothing should be changed.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary!! I can't see anything that needs changed. Your sidebars are neatly organized and everything is clean and easy to navigate. :)
ReplyDeleteYay for a blogoversary! I can't honestly think of anything to improve. I love this blog. It is so creative and quite unique in terms of the layout.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I probably won't be much help because I'm a new follower, but I like it the way you have it now. The layout is easy to navigate, it isn't cluttered, and I adore the theme.
Lastly, thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
~Christina
The Book Hookup: Eat. Breathe. Read!
I actually really like everything on your blog - I'm new here so I'm probably very little help!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on one year! My 'advice' would be to keep it fun. When blogging isn't fun anymore then it's time to reevaluate.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your blogoversary, Melissa! :) I'm a new follower, so I can't really suggest any improvements. Also, I like it the way it is! Very clean, organized, and everything is easy to find.
ReplyDeleteWow One year! That's awesome. I cannot think of anything that can make your blog better. It's a wonderful, pretty blog. Also it's my favorite color, purple;)!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! No suggestions - I really like your layout!
ReplyDeleteMove the connect with me further up!
ReplyDeleteseyma_bennett@hotmail.com
I don't have any suggestions - I like the blog the way it is! Happy 1 year blogoversary!!
ReplyDeleteHappy 1 year blogoversary, congrats =) Don't really have any suggestions.
ReplyDeleteNo suggestions really. I like the clean look so i don't get overwhelmed looking at the blog. : )
ReplyDeleteI love the design of your blog and all that you do :)
ReplyDelete(Not an entry!)
I suggest you keep your blog as neat as it is now. Your blog is really nice and not cluttered with a lot of stuff!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary! No real suggestions here because I think your blog is fabulous the way it is. One thing I will ask is that you host your witches and wizards challenge again next year. I'm doing a month long event at Castle Macabre called Season of the Witch so my reading focus in October is going to be witches and catching up on your challenge. =O) Would love to have the chance to participate in your challenge every year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Happy blogoversary! I guess I have followed you almost since the beginning and it was probably because you commented on my blog regularly. I definitely agree that if you want regular readers and commenters you need to get out and do lots of commenting yourself.
ReplyDeleteI think your blog is great and I don't think I have any suggestions for improvement.
Would love to see a new blog design. :)
ReplyDeleteI just found you but like the layout of your blog. Easy to find everything and visually interesting! Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI love the look of your blog and it is easy to navagate. The colors are easy on my eyes.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary! and thanks for the giveaway
Happy anniversary! I'm pretty new to your blog, but it seems like you've been doing a great job so far. 1200+ followers in a year in a year is great! But I think it's a great idea to ask for suggestions on something you can do better. That's a great sign of being open and willing to grow. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThis may just be me, but the site tends to load slowly and is hard to scroll through (very jerky and slow). Otherwise you do a great job.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary! _^ The blog archive is a little hard to find in the middle of everything, but other than that I really like your blog!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary! I totally love your blog just keep doing what you do best! :)
ReplyDeleteNo suggestions. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHappy first year!! I am new to your blog and to be honest, haven't had a chance to look through everything yet. I like that you have a lot of content on your blog, but I also find it a bit intimidating with so much content to look through for a new follower. Simplicity is something I look for more and more as a busy Mom and wife. So, my one suggestion would be to make things simple and easy to follow for newbies. Thanks so much for the great giveaway opportunity!
ReplyDeleteI love the design on your blog. Since I'm rather a new blogger myself, I don't have much to recommend, but if I think of something, I'll let you know.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest suggestion would be in terms of making sure you keep good track of when you are supposed to post. That has been my biggest pitfall this first year.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog. I cant think of anything to change.
ReplyDeleteI love this blog (new reader) so I don't really have any suggestions. Maybe switching up the layout every now and then? Variety is fun :)
ReplyDeleteLove ur blog have no suggestions on how 2 make it better :)
ReplyDeleteEverything looks fine to me.
ReplyDeleteYour blog looks great. I don't have any suggestions since I am new to blogging. Thanks a bunch!
ReplyDeleteI'm new to your blog, so I don't feel I can suggest anything.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on surviving the first year of blogging. Best of luck to you and the blog. =)
Happy Blogerversary! Dont have any suggestions, it looks great!
ReplyDeleteI still don't have any suggestions, sorry! I think I answered that question in another giveaway... I said your blog is GREAT the way it is :D BTW, great advice on not taking every review or else I'll never get to MY reads!!! I must remember!!
ReplyDeleteI think just being yourself and making sure blogging is fun is something that you always should be aware of. But I don't think you need to change anything!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Don't change anything. I find it quite easy to search. I wonder what's in the box 0.0
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can't think of anything you need to change.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary Melissa! Keep up the good work on your lovely blog.
ReplyDeleteLindsay x
Again, I have nothing to add for change because your blog is already how it should be :)
ReplyDeleteThere is honestly not one thing that looks bad!
ReplyDeleteYour blog is gorgeous! You are very thorough and I love how it is set up. I like the reading challenges so you could do something like that. I don't know I am in love with your background.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the milestone. As for suggestions, idk, there really isn't much to improve. I like it the way it is.
ReplyDeleteCongrats! What a milestone! I'm a new follower so I don't have much experience on your site but I really like all the links to follow you in one place, I think that makes it easy. So keep that for sure!
ReplyDelete--Markella
I don't know if you have this, because I can't find it. But I think you should add an E-mail subscription, because I like subscribing by email :)
ReplyDeleteI'm a newer follower, so I don't really have any suggestions, but I do like how easy your blog is to navigate. I hate not being able to find what I'm looking for on unorganized blog sites.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary!
I don't think you need to change anything. You're blog is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI think your blog looks great, so far...
ReplyDeleteI haven't really seen a lot.
But...I dunno.
I don't really have any suggestions.
Maybe the blog design? I have no bad reactions to it, but perhaps some changes would be great. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteIt would be cool if you could put in some moving fairies :)
ReplyDeleteYour Email Subscribe button is all the way at the bottom and I spent some time looking for it up top, especially in your sidebar list of ways to contact/follow you. Maybe put it in 2 places?
ReplyDeleteThe only improvement I can think of would be to include more pictures of cute cats! =) lol
ReplyDeletepixiesprinkles@hotmail.com
Thanks! =)
Congrats:)
ReplyDeleteI found you on a hop! great page
elliott2668ATyahooDOTcom
Congrats!! I think the blog is great!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! :) I don't have any suggestions your blog is great just the way it is.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anything I'd change. I really like your blog the way it it -- clean, easy to read, easy to navigate!
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary!
elizabeth @ bookattict . com
I really can't think of anything to improve. Maybe more giveaways.
ReplyDeleteAdd an email subscription.. you can use feedburner
ReplyDeleteI would love to follow via e-mail but didn't see that as an option
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I just found you through the Back to the Books hop, so being brand new I'm not really sure I can offer any suggestions on improvement. I can say that your blog has a great, clean, easy to navigate layout.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaways and Happy Blogoversary!
I'm a new follower so I don't really have any suggestions to make so far. I like the way your blog has been set up. It's easy to get around on here!
ReplyDeleteNever really check my rss feed always my email ..thanks for giveaway =)
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary, Melissa!! I'm really late in coming to tell you this - I get your posts via email and was seeing your posts the week of your *actual* anniversary, but am just now having a chance to come and comment :) Do you know, as many book blogs as I follow now (and I follow a ridiculous number, considering I only started what is now an obsession in January of this year!!), YOURS was the first one I ever officially followed! And one of the first 3 or 4 I ever even read :) I have enjoyed it greatly the past 8 months - and it's so hard to believe that in January your blog was only 4 months old! Wow. I think you're a pro at this already. I have gone back and forth and back and forth with myself over whether or not I should start my own blog, and I have learned so much from you and your posts since January. You are always so honest and give great tips, like those above, about what to do and not to do!
ReplyDeleteOn to your actual question :) What would I suggest you change about your blog? Well, the main thing is actually something that you've already done, and that was going from three columns down to two. I think it makes things much cleaner and easier to read. You've also got a lot less going on in the right-hand column now, so that your pages are actually shorter than they were before, even when you had two side columns. I like that you've made the font in the right-hand column much smaller, yet at the same time easier to read (using the sans serif fonts). For example, the list of your current giveaways is (IMHO) easier to scan to see if there's something that interests the reader. Finally, one thing I've liked ever since first following your blog is, as another reader above mentioned, that you have the *one* list of how many people follow you through each method along with the link to each method, which makes it so much easier to connect with you in the various ways one chooses. I know other blogs accomplish this with just the follow icons (eg, for Google+, Twitter, FB, etc) and I do like that clean way of doing it...but at the same time I also like knowing how many folks follow you in each way :) Of course, all of that having been said, I think your blog has always looked great! And while a blog design that's particularly attractive to me may catch my eye and draw me in, it's really all about the content for me, so even if it's pretty I might choose not to follow if I don't enjoy the blogger's voice or, especially, their reviews.
Again, huge congratulations on your one-year blogoversary! I still can't believe you were a relative newbie when I started following...I was (and am) so in awe :) I hope you are able to get to your OWN list of TBR books soon and can start taking your own advice to not accept every review request. Good luck and much continued fun in reading!!
I really like how your blog is! It seems well organized and the font and colors are easily readable and don't clash!
ReplyDeleteI can't think anything to change. The pictures are nice and don't block the words. Easy to navigate. I love this blog.
ReplyDeletetinyauthor at yahoo dot com
Happy blogoversary! I like that it's pretty easy to use.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary to you what a great blog and thank you for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know that I think the blog is fantastic, but I do think incorporating more giveaways would be amazing.
ReplyDeleteI think that you're blog is awesome! I think that your blog is awesome and easy to understand. maybe more events like the one that's coming up in october!
ReplyDeleteI am a new follower. Congrats on the Blogoversary! I really like your images and it looks like you are doing a Great job especially for one year young! My suggestion (which I think you are doing from my read of your tips) don't let it be more work than fun. :-) Enjoy!
ReplyDelete