It has been almost a month since my Year End survey closed, but I had yet to post results. I decided today, that if I didn't do it today, I might never. Sometimes it's hard to get back into something if you leave it too long. But, I felt I couldn't post on anything else if I didn't publish the results. I wish more people had participated this year; maybe next year I'll do something different. So, here are the results
1. Favorite book you read this year:
Wesley the Owl
Imperium (nonfiction)
Paper Towns (YA)
Chess Story (Short fiction)
Stranger on a Train, Jenny Diski
The Gone Away World, Nick Haraway
2. Favorite Blog you read regularly:
Bookfoolery and Babble
Tales from the Reading Room
"I have too many to play favorites"
"I can't choose one favourite. I keep my blogroll small because it is the people I look forward to reading".
"I have a long list of blogs I read. I can't keep up with all of them on a daily basis. What I read each day depends on how much time I have and what sort of blog I want to read. I read some blogs that are strictly book reviews, others more general topics, some criticism, so it really just depends on my mood and available time. The problem with not reading some blogs every day is that you lose out on the comments discussions as others have moved on to more recent posts."
3. What surprised you most about blogging this year?
"How international blogging really is."
"How wide-spread the blog phenomena have become."
"How I really have come to know some bloggers, and regard them as friends. Sure, I only have a limited perspective presented in their blogs, in emails, etc., but I only present certain faces in some public arenas. I'm not sure what to call them if not friends."
"I didn't expect to get to meet so many bloggers in real life and to have online interaction with them in places other than my blog (email, Facebook, Twitter)."
"What always surprises me is that anyone out there wants to read what I write! And also, that a fair number of people are very interested in shoes."
4. Did your blogging change this year? Why?
"More posts."
"Yes, I feel as though the character of my blog 'settled' a bit and that my writing became freer."
"I began to post less frequently than in previous years, mostly because I have less time than I used to and perhaps a bit less energy too."
"It reduced, because I have less time at home."
"I thought I had posted less frequently but I checked and I had the same number of posts last year. I wrote less about books this year, but I also read fewer books."
5. How many books did you read this year?
21 -50 1 respondent
51-75 3 respondents
76-100 1 respondent
6. How frequently do you post?
1 -2 times a week - 2
3 -5 times a week - 2
daily - 0
1 -4 times a month - 0
Randomly - 1
7. If you participated in any sort of blogging challenge, how did it impact what you read and what you wrote? Did it challenge any assumptions you had? Change the way you read or wrote? etc.
"I hosted the Southern Reading Challenge. It opened my eyes to the amount of readers a little Mississippi blog could generate. I did add more "southern" posts during the challenge."
"The only thing challenges end up doing is frustrating me. I say I'm going to read many things, but the nature of my reading is more impulsive and I really like it that way. I still ended up reading and blogging on whatever I felt like. I don't know why I bother to do challenges, but I will probably do a few more next year."
"I didn't participate in any challenges. I'm trying to keep my reading plans as open as possible."
"I tried to participate in a reading challenge, and realised they are not for me. Even though I just fitted what I already wanted to read into the challenge, as soon as I committed to reading those books, I didn't want to. But, I thoroughly enjoyed NaBloPoMo, even though it was a lot of pressure. It showed me that I could find more blogging time when pushed (although I have fallen back into my old ways since)."
"I am always tempted to join every reading challenge I come across, but I've learned not to make commitments, since I never seem to meet the challenge. I do follow some of them though, as I discover interesting books that I might want to read. "
8. Participants:
Maggie Blogging since 2005
Ted Blogging for 1.5 years
Dorothy W Blogging for 2 1/2 years
Becky Blogging almost 2 years
Thanks to those who participated and thanks to all of you who continue to stop by my blog to help blow away the cobwebs. I intend to be posting more regularly in Feb and beyond. It was good to be away -- but it's always great to return to home!
01 February 2009
19 January 2009
15 January 2009
The Absent Blogger
I haven't abandoned this blog - just snowed under (metaphoricallly, though it is cold & snowy here). Promise I'll be back here soon. For those of you in snowy climates: stay warm.
03 January 2009
3rd Annual Year End Survey
Updated: I'm up to my eyeballs in work stuff, so I won't be able to post until midweek. So, I'm keeping this open until Tuesday night if you're interested in completing. Click here to participate.
For the 3rd year, I'm doing a survey and asking for participants to comment on books and blogging. None of the questions are mandatory -- you don't even have to give your name. As in the preceding year, this is a survey of your favorite books and blogs, not a competition to see who is most popular.
Because Emily has written many times that there is an unwritten rule about memes being limited to 7, I've limited the survey to that number -- unless you want to indicate your name and blog name. Blogging alias are okay, of course.
Survey closes at 11:45pm (EST) on Sunday, 4-Jan. Results to be posted sometime during the week of 4-Jan. If you indicate your name/blog, you'll be cited here.
Stay tuned for what's coming up in 2009 at Cam's Commentary.
You'll find the 2008 survey here.
For the 3rd year, I'm doing a survey and asking for participants to comment on books and blogging. None of the questions are mandatory -- you don't even have to give your name. As in the preceding year, this is a survey of your favorite books and blogs, not a competition to see who is most popular.
Because Emily has written many times that there is an unwritten rule about memes being limited to 7, I've limited the survey to that number -- unless you want to indicate your name and blog name. Blogging alias are okay, of course.
Survey closes at 11:45pm (EST) on Sunday, 4-Jan. Results to be posted sometime during the week of 4-Jan. If you indicate your name/blog, you'll be cited here.
Stay tuned for what's coming up in 2009 at Cam's Commentary.
You'll find the 2008 survey here.
01 January 2009
Blogging 2009 Goals: Posting with a purpose
Happy New Years!
January 2 marks the third anniversary of this blog. I had no idea when I started that I would still be doing this three years later.
While I've been consistent in the number of posts each year overall, I've always posted rather sporadically. Not sure if that will continue this year or not. I'm not setting any goals for the number of times I will post this year.
Something that I did in 2008 that I liked doing, was to have a tie-in between my blog and a charity. During NaBloPoMo, I donated $1 to Water Partners International for each comment left on my blog (71 comments).
This year, I've decided to start a lending team on Kiva. Kiva is a web-based organization that allows individuals (or teams of individuals) to help fund micro-loans to individuals in developing countries. By working with Kiva, you can actually do something about poverty. You'll know exactly to whom your money is loaned and what they're using it for. Most of all, you'll help someone
build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after the loan is paid back.
My goal is to have my lending team contribute $1000 in 2009. I challenge each of you who read this blog to join my lending team, Booklovers, and make a commitment to help alleviate poverty. Anyone can join. You decide how much you want to contribute and you get to decide who will be the beneficiary of your loan. When the loan is paid back, you can redirect your money to another loan applicant or you can get it back.
Today, I made a loan to an entrepreneur named Mary Nkrumah, a fabric retailer in Ghana, who is trying to raise $725 to grow her business. You can help Mary raise funds for her loans, or you can support another qualified loan applicant on Kiva. Just be sure to indicate that this is part of our Lending Team so we can track how much we raise in 2009.
Each month I will feature a different way in which my blogging will support microloans on Kiva. For this month, I pledge to donate $1 per comment, $1 per person who joins my lending team, and $1 for each new commenter on my blog. This money will go to Mary Nkrumah until her fundraising goal is met. Then, I'll find another entrepreneur to invest in on Kiva.
Won't you join me in this? Try it for 1 month! You can make a donation for as little as $25, and the Kiva site uses PayPal, so your transaction is secure.
I'm working on a badge you can put on your blog if you join the Booklovers lending group.
January 2 marks the third anniversary of this blog. I had no idea when I started that I would still be doing this three years later.
While I've been consistent in the number of posts each year overall, I've always posted rather sporadically. Not sure if that will continue this year or not. I'm not setting any goals for the number of times I will post this year.
Something that I did in 2008 that I liked doing, was to have a tie-in between my blog and a charity. During NaBloPoMo, I donated $1 to Water Partners International for each comment left on my blog (71 comments).
This year, I've decided to start a lending team on Kiva. Kiva is a web-based organization that allows individuals (or teams of individuals) to help fund micro-loans to individuals in developing countries. By working with Kiva, you can actually do something about poverty. You'll know exactly to whom your money is loaned and what they're using it for. Most of all, you'll help someone
build a sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after the loan is paid back.
My goal is to have my lending team contribute $1000 in 2009. I challenge each of you who read this blog to join my lending team, Booklovers, and make a commitment to help alleviate poverty. Anyone can join. You decide how much you want to contribute and you get to decide who will be the beneficiary of your loan. When the loan is paid back, you can redirect your money to another loan applicant or you can get it back.
Today, I made a loan to an entrepreneur named Mary Nkrumah, a fabric retailer in Ghana, who is trying to raise $725 to grow her business. You can help Mary raise funds for her loans, or you can support another qualified loan applicant on Kiva. Just be sure to indicate that this is part of our Lending Team so we can track how much we raise in 2009.
Each month I will feature a different way in which my blogging will support microloans on Kiva. For this month, I pledge to donate $1 per comment, $1 per person who joins my lending team, and $1 for each new commenter on my blog. This money will go to Mary Nkrumah until her fundraising goal is met. Then, I'll find another entrepreneur to invest in on Kiva.
Won't you join me in this? Try it for 1 month! You can make a donation for as little as $25, and the Kiva site uses PayPal, so your transaction is secure.
I'm working on a badge you can put on your blog if you join the Booklovers lending group.
28 December 2008
Poem
A guest post, a poem written by my friend David.
A Few Such Nights
Before the moon, a quarter, a smiling Cheshire quarter, rises in the sky to kiss the lower limb of the hickory on the side hill, we are out after dinner. Mid-to-late February, they call it; finally a snap in the cold spell; a foot or more melts at dusk in the high thirties.
We climb the hill, the one under the hickory, shovels put aside for a moment; velvety indigo blue darkening in the west, giving way to the lights around the back porch.
Our sleds sit hard on the sun compressed snow, snow made into balls easily just past the crispy outer shell. He refused gloves as we left the garage, not expecting play.
He grabs my hand to steady himself on the climb. I think of his small, chilled bare hands against my chilled, leather-palmed work glove. I excuse my hand for a moment, remove the glove and take his hand again. I feel my hand warm his, and think I hear an unconscious lift in his voice.
© David J Marsh, 2007
A Few Such Nights
Before the moon, a quarter, a smiling Cheshire quarter, rises in the sky to kiss the lower limb of the hickory on the side hill, we are out after dinner. Mid-to-late February, they call it; finally a snap in the cold spell; a foot or more melts at dusk in the high thirties.
We climb the hill, the one under the hickory, shovels put aside for a moment; velvety indigo blue darkening in the west, giving way to the lights around the back porch.
Our sleds sit hard on the sun compressed snow, snow made into balls easily just past the crispy outer shell. He refused gloves as we left the garage, not expecting play.
He grabs my hand to steady himself on the climb. I think of his small, chilled bare hands against my chilled, leather-palmed work glove. I excuse my hand for a moment, remove the glove and take his hand again. I feel my hand warm his, and think I hear an unconscious lift in his voice.
© David J Marsh, 2007
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