Rambling Reader: Appreciation August

This isn't really a "why I blog" post even though it might seem like it. It's more of a thank you post.I started my book blog as an off-shoot of my personal blog because a) I thought it might be easier to keep track of my books that way and b) my friend Monkey was doing it and I thought it seemed like a cool idea.So on July 19, 2007 I started a book blog. I originally hosted it on the free Wordpress site but then at some point moved it back to my own server and self-hosted like I do with Beyond Elsewhere.  None of that is the point though.Like my personal blog, this book blog was more of a journal of my thoughts on books. Why I read it when I did. What happened in my life as I was reading. What I felt about the book. And so on. I didn't keep this blog in order to professionally review my books, I kept it to keep track of what I thought and felt about the books I was reading - AND to keep track of what books in a series I had already read. (I didn't even know about LibraryThing or Goodreads back then).I would be lying if I said I didn't care if people read my book blog or not. I mean, if you're keeping an online journal you aren't really writing JUST for yourself because it's out there in public for the world to see. However I didn't care if many people read the blog, after all it was only about books how many people out there would even be interested.Enter Book Blogging Community. Good heavens, I had no idea how many people had book blogs. One person would comment on here and I'd follow their link which would introduce me to a whole slew of other links. Imagine! People who read a lot writing a lot about books! Wheee!I have never really given much thought to the way I blog and why I blog. I still write my book posts as journal entries and I never really think about the people who read the blog (as I am writing, I mean). I have not changed my blog for others. I change it often enough because it'll suit my mood and I like to keep the theme seasonal. I don't ask for followers, I don't care if you follow me or not on the blog, twitter, whatever.This is not to say I do not appreciate every single person who reads my blog either from a reader or the blog itself. I totally appreciate you.This summer I have had some very complimentary comments on the blog and I wanted to address that - THANK YOU SO MUCH. You probably have no idea how much those comments have meant to me. It's the best feeling to read a comment that says someone has picked up a book because of my review. I feel even more excited when that person actually loves the book as much as I did. Somehow I feel all proud for the book like I'm the author or something. ha! Yes, I am pathetic.Some of those comments have surprised me and made me go back and read what the heck I wrote in the first place. You see, I tend to write the blog posts as soon as I finish the book. I am generally on a reading high and I will write that "review" completely and totally stream of consciousnessly and then never actually read what I wrote. I spell check, but I tend to not view the post and read it from start to finish. Therefore I am always pleasantly surprised when someone compliments my post. ha! I also write like I speak in real life (only in real life you can't tell that I have a serious comma fetish) so whether or not I tell you about the book in text or in voice, you'd get pretty much the same reaction!So thank  you to those of you who read me and enjoy what I write. I know not all books appeal to everyone and I am not a One Genre Book Blog so it's nice to know that I have people reading me even if they focus on the fantasy titles, or the young adult titles or the middle grade ones.And because today is the start of a brand new month, and because I absolutely adore August I thought I'd start it off on a positive note with this thank you.I enjoy writing about the books that I have read. And I appreciate every one of you who has enjoyed what I have written.