Anniversary

I suppose I should have some long, terribly profound reflection upon the fact that today marks the first anniversary of the blog (which started with a typically throwaway post about, well, not much) but that doesn’t seem to be the right way to go about it. All I know is that this has been, without a doubt, the best, strangest, oddest and yet most important year of my life thus far. I started blogging on a whim–and at the prodding of several folks, some of whom are better friends and others who are, well, not–and I had absolutely no idea that a year later professionallyI’d have a regular following, a dedicated group of backbloggers who have befriended each other and created their own community outside the confines of this space, that I’d have more free books than I knew what to do with, that industry people would seek me out or be eager to listen to my thoughts and honor my requests, that I’d form wonderful friendships with my fellow blogging comrade-in-arms, and that professionally, I’d see my first byline in a major newspaper (with another to follow), my first short fiction piece published (with three more to follow) an entire issue of a noted online magazine that I guest-edited, and get a monthly reviewing gig with another major newspaper.

I mean, bloody hell.

I still wonder if the bubble’s going to burst, that one day we’ll all wake up and wonder why we were all so obsessed with blogs. (I mean, now that the New York Times has officially discovered us–well, some of us, anyway–it’s all over now) But whether that happens, there’s still plenty of life in this one yet. Even though every day I wonder if this will be the day the links dry up, that I’ll stop finding things to talk about and that my overall interest will wane, but after a year, I still love it as much as I did when I started, if not more. So as long as that lasts, I’ll still be here.

Lastly, I’d like to say thank you–to the lurkers, the regulars, to anyone who’s ever emailed me, made comments here and elsewhere, or told me in person that they enjoy what I do, whether they read on occasion or several times daily. Because I never get tired of hearing from you (even if you have a bone to pick, a correction to make or a point to make) and I never will.

It has been, and continues to be, a crazy, incredible ride. And I’ve no doubt the next year will be just as eventful, if not more so.