How much I look forward to reading a blog
If I distinctly recall visiting a blog recently, or noticed that the blogger visited me
If we have conversations via comments or email
If I added a book to my TBR within the past two years, from reading their blog
Blogs that I haven't felt compelled to read frequently or gotten book recommendations from, for the most part got moved off my reader. Not to mention blogs that haven't posted anything new in the past six months or more, going defunct themselves (it happens).
I was rather surprised to find that 25 of the blogs I've followed for a long time and am quite familiar with, haven't actually interacted with me in months, or mentioned any books I'd like to read. I had not really noticed that our reading interests no longer converge...
These changes will be reflected in the list of book blog links posted on my sidebar. Please, if you feel you've been unjustly shuffled off my list, do let me know!
I did realize that I'm discovering new blogs in a different way now. I used to go through other bloggers' link lists, but it's been a long time now since I've done that. What I have been doing lately, is searching for other reviews of books I've read to link to when I make my posts. Often I find new blogs that way, with more similar reading tastes.
I need to do the same thing!
ReplyDeleteI do this occasionally too. It is amazing how quickly book blogger's taste seems to change. I know my taste in books has changed a lot over the past few years and is slowly moving in a non-fiction direction. I wonder if we'll see a cycle effect after a few years where peoples tastes go back to where they started?
ReplyDeleteI never have time to get through my reader either, but I always feel the day after I delete a blog is the day they'll post a review on a book I have to read.
ReplyDeleteI try to get through some of my reader, but never get through it all in one day. I kind of like your idea and have occasionally deleted someone off who I haven't been to see for a over a year (or two), as that means they aren't reading what I'm interested in. I find it's more they do post what I like, I just don't have time to answer them all every day, so have to pick and choose.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't help that I went silent for the last two months, though I did blog about it today, at long last!
Hope you don't mind a tangential comment: How did you get a nice menu up top? I've been reformatting my blog lately, but all I can manage is side links!
ReplyDeleteBermudaonion- I've been feeling the need to do this for a long time, actually.
ReplyDeleteJackie- I know my reading interests have shifted over the years, which is reflected here on the blog. It will probably cycles through more changes in the future, too!
Carol- What an awful thought! I think with two years' running that isn't as big a worry with me, though....
Susan- I've been quiet on the blogging front a lot lately, too, so I wouldn't be surprised if other bloggers have quietly dropped me off their readers.
Bookwyrme- It's a gadget called Page List; I think normally it makes a link list in the sidebar or you can drag it to the top (in Layout) to sit right below the header and become a menu.
Jeane: Thanks! Bookwyrme's Lair has needed some changes for a while. I'm really thinking of switching to Wordpress, but this may make my good old blogger blog stay functional!
ReplyDeleteI need to do this. I have a fairly rough organizing system for my feed reader, but it would make a lot of sense to go through and eliminate blogs that haven't posted in more than a year.
ReplyDeleteIt does make me a little sad when a blog I've read and interacted with in past years no longer has similar reading tastes to mine -- but such is life eh?
I've been trying to do the same thing but it's tough. I subscribe to WAY too many blogs and with work and everything else going on it's hard for me to give a lot of time to reading them. So I just keep everyone and hope for a few minutes here and there--one thing I've had to drop is responding to comments--I only respond if someone has email included in Blogger profile. But I think it's natural for tastes to change over the years--such is life!
ReplyDeleteJenny- It took a bit of work to organize and cull it all, but I do feel that now I spend less time scanning posts I'm never really going to read.
ReplyDeleteTrish- I understand about it being daunting just to face the task of organizing your reader! I tend to add all the blogs that look interesting, and then forget to scrutinize my actual engagement with them. Things cycle in and out; I'm expecting to do this once every few years, now (if I actually continue blogging for that long!)
I hope you don't mind a comment on an old post, but "What I have been doing lately, is searching for other reviews of books I've read to link to when I make my posts." is how I found you! I read and reviewed The Animal Wife, and then I went looking for what other people thought of the book, and found your post. I've been reading backwards since then. :)
ReplyDeleteThistle- No, I don't mind at all. What did you think of The Animal Wife? (where do you post your reviews I'd like to read them). Always glad to 'meet' another reader!
ReplyDeleteMy general blog is here: http://thistle-chaser.livejournal.com/ , though it's only about 75% reviews, the other 25% is random blog-like stuff. My review for Animal Wife is the second one down, or here directly: http://thistle-chaser.livejournal.com/1510281.html
ReplyDeleteI felt just like you did -- I even quoted your post, since you summed it up better than I had. I had liked the first book so much, but Animal Wife just didn't work for me.