Two Year Blogiversary: Looking Back and Giveaway

Two years ago, on Tuesday November 17th, I published my first post. It was a Top Ten Tuesday topic I really wanted to take part in, which is the only reason I can remember the day without needing to look it up. I’m not that pedantic.

Six hundred and five (this being the six hundred and fifth) posts later here I am. Today marks two years of me blogging at Reading Every Night, and I can’t believe I actually managed it. I am aware of my tendency to procrastinate more often than not, and of my habit to give up way too easily, and neither of those are things that would lead to me being a dedicated blogger but I guess I proved myself wrong there.

Last year I did a Q&A, and earlier this year I wrote about what I’d learnt over the one-and-a-half years I’d been blogging for, so to celebrate my two year blogiversary today I’m going to look back at the past two years.

There will also be a giveaway, but more about that at the end of this post.

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Over the Past Two Years…

…my blog has received 62,199 views and 26,812 visitors, which are completely insane numbers for me to comprehend. How are that many people interested in what I’m posting on here?

…my most popular post was a Top Ten Tuesday topic. Since being published my Top Ten Favourite YA Book Covers; UK Edition Vs. US Edition post has had 493 views.

…my favourite post to write was a tie between The Character Dating Profile Tag, which gave me a chance to showcase a little of my writing style before taking part in NaNoWriMo, and The Book Aesthetic Tag, which allowed me to combine an old love (books) with a new love (aesthetics).

 

 

…I’ve read 245 books, and probably added hundreds more onto my to-read list.

…the longest book I’ve read was Winter by Marissa Meyer, at 823 pages

…my favourite book to read was—

Sorry, I still can’t pick just one favourite book. Honestly I don’t think I could even pick the top five.

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Over the Past Two Years, Thanks to Blogging, I…

…discovered that YALC, a YA book convention in London, exists. For the past two Julys I’ve spent one hectic and insane but unforgettable weekend surrounded by fellow bookworms and some of my favourite authors.

…started writing again thanks to some of the amazing posts on their WIPs I saw published by May, Marie and Esther. I am actually currently taking part in NaNo for the first time in two years and now I’m writing again I don’t know why I ever stopped.

…met some of my favourite authors, both inside of and outside of my weekends at YALC, and next week I am going to be seeing Sarah J. Maas when she comes to London.

…got promoted at work. While this isn’t strictly blogging-related I would have never had the confidence to apply for a new job if it hadn’t been for the confidence I developed while posting on Reading Every Night over the past two years.

…fell in love with the magical realism genre, and rediscovered the contemporary genre.

…branched out and started posting discussions. I even recently launched my own feature; Reading Around the World. Both of these I was incredibly nervous about publishing but the response from the community has been amazing. Just one more reason I love you all on here.

…received my first physical ARC from a publisher for review. It was for The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon which was one of my most anticipated releases from this year so just another reason why that first ARC was a very special one for me to receive.

…made some incredible and amazing friends through WordPress. The community is one of the best parts of blogging, and I know I’ve said this before and it could really be considered cliché, but it’s true. Overall I’m just thankful that I started blogging because it gave me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.

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So what does the future hold for my blog? Honestly, who knows.

Next week I will be talking a little about NaNoWriMo, and I may even be convinced to share some snippets from my current WIP.

Next month I will be taking a leap and joining Twitter, because really it’s about time.

And then next year my plans aren’t set in stone, but I’ve been playing around with an idea for a new feature that’s been stuck in my brain for a good few months now and I’m even thinking about re-designing my blog one day as well.

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There are some incredible books being released next year, so to celebrate my two year blogiversary one person will be able to win a hardcover copy of one of their most anticipated January 2018 releases and a surprise gift.

The gift is surprise both because what it is will depend on the person who wins and because there needs to be some element of surprise for the winner when it comes to this giveaway. There are no rules or restrictions and you can pick any book you like as long as it’s a January 2018 release, you just have to be OK with giving me your address if you win.

To enter is simple, because even a year on from my first giveaway I still don’t know how to do the Rafflecopter thing, just comment on this post and let me know; looking back at your own blogging journey, the experiences you’ve had since you first started posting, what advice would you give to a newbie blogger.

The giveaway will be open until I post my November recap on November 30th. I’ll be emailing the winner the following day and will announce it on my blog within the next week.

Good luck everyone.