The Sunday Salon: My First Blogiversary

I thought that my blogiversary was sometime in October; I may or may not have confused it with my brother’s anniversary. On Wednesday, I went back to double-check what day my blogiversary was actually on–I have a handful of posts backdated before the blog was established, so it’s a little iffy. Imagine my surprise when I realized that Wednesday was my blogiversary! Yes, The Literary Omnivore turned one year old this week, and I almost missed it! But, luckily, I caught it in time, and this morning I’d thought I’d share how my blog and the book blogging community has enriched my life over the past year, as well as get some ideas on how to improve it.

During the last months of my senior year of high school, I had a sudden and paralyzing realization; if I went into entertainment law, as had been my plan since I was eleven, I was going to suffocate. After some soul-searching, I discovered what was right in front of my eyes–books. When I decided that editing and publishing was what I wanted to do with my life, I started writing book reviews. That was when I started my reading list–I’d go in early to my high school library, sit down with Nancy Pearl’s Book Lust, and write them all down in the book you see below, which I still do with every book I add to my digital reading list (which gets bigger every time I turn around).

But those book reviews were posted in a fannish outlet I’ve maintained since I was a wee lass. Last year, around this time, I was taking a biology class well above my level. My school was also encouraging its students to create electronic portfolios. In that biology class, I doodled ideas for a blog until, one day, I decided to actually do something about it and started The Literary Omnivore. (I already knew WordPress was the way to go; I’d run blogs for organizations before.) And since then?

Well, I’ve become addicted to Post-It notes, so I can put down passages in my commonplace book. I’ve got a stack of notecards I’ve used for bookmarks covered in notes and words I need to look up. I read a greater variety of books than ever before, and I got through more books in the past year then I think I ever did in all of high school. My critical eye is sharpening and it’s definitely helped my writing. And this isn’t just because I run a book blog; it’s because of the book blogging community. Reading other people’s reviews, discussing books and their issues, protesting and protecting books, thinking critically about what we consume, and generally hoisting the standard of books high into the air… I can’t really imagine my life without it now. Not only are books so important, but readers who think about what they read are so important. Not to get mushy, but thanks, guys–I love all of you.

So, what next? Well, I have spruced up the blog a little bit–I now have a shiny Review Directory to help anyone looking for a specific review, and The Literary Omnivore now has a delicious account! Margaret Atwood and Scott Westerfeld are coming to Atlanta this month, so I’m going to do my best to try and go to those events. But for the most part, I think I’ve settled into a good rhythm for my reading life. (I’ve finished three books in the above picture this week, if you’re keeping score.)

HarperCollins is giving away a copy of the 60th Anniversary Edition of The Chronicles of Narnia until January 1st. Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books is giving a way a copy of The Man Who Read Too Much until Friday. TJ at Dreams and Speculation is giving away an audiobook of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms until Saturday. Alli at Hist-Fic Chick is giving away a copy of The Jewel of St. Petersburg, which will end tomorrow, a copy of Come Again No More (I can’t find an end date for this one), two copies of The Mistaken Wife, which will end on October 7th, and two copies of Dark Moon of Avalon until tomorrow. Night Shade Books is offering Butcher Bird and Grey as free downloads at the moment. Vertigo Comics is offering free downloads of the first issue of several series, including Fables, The Unwritten, and Y: The Last Man. (And you will go download The Unwritten.) If I’ve missed your giveaway or freebie, drop me a line!

My question for you this Sunday is a technical question–should I, when reviewing movies for Page to Screen, consider films that are loosely based on a book or adapted from a book, such as The Social Network or Tangled? Plainly, should I include films you wouldn’t at first glance realize was based on a book? I’m leaning towards yes, but I’d like to see what you guys think.