I’ve been scheduling posts to appear at various times, and have a few drafts waiting, but I hope and I think I’m right in saying… this is my 1000th post!
When I started my blog, back in April 2007, I thought it would be good fun and I’d have a dozen or so readers. I never dreamt that I’d be offered review copies of books, or get to meet so many wonderful bloggers in person, or even that I’d still be bothering with it in a year’s time. Here we are, over three and a half years later.
I’d love to give you all sorts of stats about number of comments, or word count, or whatever – but I don’t think I’ve any way of doing that. I can tell you there are about 290 book reviews up – see the lot here – and far more lovely readers than I’d ever imagined.
I’ll use this celebratory post to announce the winner of Debo Devonshire’s Wait For Me! which is going to… Mistress Cynica! Do send me your address, and I’ll get the book off to you…
Congratulations, Simon! Cheers!
That is quite a milestone…well done, Simon!
Always an interesting place to drop by and that line you wrote once about feeling like a 1950's housewife still cracks me up all these months later.
Congratulations Simon, what an achievement!
Congratulations Simon! What a feat! It's always such a pleasure to read your posts and I am so glad you are here to delight us! You do a brilliant job and it's a joy to know you!
Wow…this is a massive achievement and certainly puts my measily 40 odd posts to shame!! Congratulations and may there be many more thousand to come.
Congratulations! I am SO excited about Wait for Me. Address on its way to you.
1000 posts, very impressive! Congratulations!
Anne Boleyn lasted 1,000 days! Mind how you go today… and avoid the Tower of London!
Ohhh well done! I am so enjoying your reviews so please keep it coming.
Claire – thanks very much Claire :)
Darlene – aww, thanks! Only the other day someone asked me what my blog was like, and the best image I could come up with was 'Imagine something written by a 1950s housewife' – so it has stuck!
Lyn – thanks Lyn! I wouldn't be here if you hadn't introduced me to the doves, who in turn introduced me to blogs… so big thanks to you!
Rachel – aww, Rachel, that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said (/written) to me!
Reading Habit – thanks! And here's to your next 960 posts!
Mistress C – lovely :) It's all parcelled up now, and will be posted off tomorrow…
Spangle – thanks very much!
Mum – Haha, I think I'll manage to avoid it…
Julienne – thank you! I don't plan to stop any time soon…
Very impressive, Simon. And congratulations, Mistess Cynica.
Congrats, Simon! I love your blog, and I'm glad you've kept it going strong for 3.5 years. I haven't been reading it for anywhere near that long, but you have definitely given me some good reading ideas since I have started following it. I wish you continued success with it.
Quite the achievement, Simon! Congratulations.
Yours was one of the first blogs I started to read months before I began blogging and I so pleased that I came across you and your lovely posts. You are as delightful in person as your blog represents you to be and I look forward to further meetings and posts (sadly not this coming Saturday, sniff).
Wow! Congratulations to you, and may you continue for another 1000. :)
Happy 1000th post from one of your newest readers… thanks to Persephone Secret Santa.
Congratulations Simon and thank you for being such a wonderful blogger!! You mean a lot to my daily blog-fix :-) There is nothing quite like Stuck in a Book.
Congratulations on reaching this milestone, Simon. Your blog is a pleasure to read and you come across as a thoroughly decent bloke.
I gather that UK academics will now be measured on the impact of their work, one measure of which will be the extent to which it reaches audiences outside academia.* So, if your studies eventually lead you to a scholarly career, this blog could be a very useful thing to have on your CV.
*There's more on this here, in a piece you may find interesting:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/29/cutbacks-leavis-english-impact-literary-criticism
Congratulaions, Simon. Yours is one of the blogs I turn to every day when I have access to my computer. Thank you for all the interest & enjoyment you have given me.
Wow! I'm new to blogging, and I'm feeling quite inspired after reading your post.
Well done, Kiddo. It's only still flourishing cos you do it so well :)
Big congrats Simon, thats quite a milestone!
Susan D – thanks very much! I do hope Mistress C will enjoy it :)
Virginia – Thank you very much Virginia, that's very kind of you to say :) I hope you continue to enjoy the books recommended!
Claire – If my blog played even a tiny part of you starting yours, then I am delighted! You know I love your blog – and you! So sorry you couldn't join Sakura and me at the weekend… next time :)
Susan in TX – bless you! I'll carry on as long as people'll have me ;)
Joan – thanks! And thanks again for the Persephone book, that whole thing was such fun.
Willa – bless you Willa! Yours is one of those names I love to see pop up in the comment box. Well, I love everyone's names, of course, but yours is on my list of people I look out for!
David As is yours, David! (see above) Thanks for the link, that's interesting. I've not spoken to many acadmemic types about blogging, but I always have to break it to them that book bloggers tend to be readers rather than academics – MUCH more fun!
Gill – you're very welcome, that's very kind of you! I'm always so amazed that people I don't know read my blog – such a joy to me.
Mindy – welcome to the blogosphere! Long may you continue :)
Mel – thanks sweetie :)
Simon – thanks! You can't be all that far behind, right? Or maybe you've done your 1000th!