The Book Blogging Firsts Tag

This tag was created by Kristen@ Metaphors And Moonlight. Since Read All The Things! turned 5 in mid-August, I thought this tag was a perfect way to celebrate. It’s time to cast my mind back to 2013 and reminisce about how this bloggy mess got rolling. It’s been a long, peculiar journey. I’ve honestly enjoyed (nearly) every minute of it.

If you haven’t heard, I’m hosting a giveaway to celebrate my blogiversary. Click here and enter to win a book of your choice.

The Blogging Firsts Tag

First blog name and design?

Even though I started Read All The Things! in 2013, it didn’t have a name until late 2014 or early 2015. I don’t remember exactly. The first design was blue and white. Then it changed to red and cream. Then it changed to gray. Now it's still gray. For a long time, the blog’s header was just a blank red rectangle. I discovered the book blogging community on Goodreads in late 2014 and decided to change my blog from a personal blog to a book blog. That’s when I finally gave it a name. After approximately 3.16 seconds of thought, I slapped Read All The Things! in the header. A book blog was born.

First blog post?

I don’t actually want to look back at my first post because it won’t be good for my self-esteem. I guarantee that it was terrible. I’m pretty sure it was a recap of a writing conference I attended. I was working as an associate editor for an anthology series and had to sit in a room and listen to nervous authors pitch their story ideas for the anthology. The badge I wore at the conference said Editor, and all the authors were terrified to talk to me. It was weird. Usually I’m the one who’s scared of other humans.

Blurry cell phone photo of the room where I traumatized authors. Also, the first and only time I've had my name on a door.

First book review?

I deleted it from the blog and Goodreads shortly after I wrote it, but it was a long, scathing review of Twilight. I think everything that needs to be said about that book has already been said. I decided that the review was mean and unnecessary. Let’s just say that I have issues with everything in that series.

First meme participated in?

It was a Valentine’s Day Top Ten Tuesday. I didn’t post it on a Tuesday because somehow the Tuesday part of the title didn’t sink into my thick skull. I posted it on Valentine’s Day.

First discussion post?

I was writing discussion posts long before I knew what they were called. For the first two years of the blog, it was just a place where I sporadically posted my thoughts about random stuff. Those random stuff posts were discussions, even though I didn’t know it. A lot of my posts weren’t bookish. I deleted those when I decided to make this a book blog.

I think my first bookish discussion-type post was about a conversation I overheard in a bookstore. A mother wouldn’t let her son read Eragon because the author is an atheist, and therefore the book must be dangerous atheist propaganda. That was news to me. I didn’t think the author was talented enough to write propaganda. He could barely manage a derivative dragon story. (Sorry, Paolini lovers. I don't understand the appeal.)

First book blog I followed?

This is tricky because I was reading book blogs long before I started using social media consistently. I found them through Goodreads and linkups. I just clicked, read, and occasionally commented. I think Cornerfolds and Rebel Mommy Book Blog were two of the first I followed. Does anyone remember the meme Feature & Follow Friday? (Is that still around?) That’s what forced me to use social media. I followed most of the bloggers who participated in that.

Remember this?

First follower?

It was probably someone who linked up for Feature & Follow Friday. The only way I could get followers in the beginning was by spending my Fridays begging Internet strangers to read my blog.

Actually, there might have been someone before that. I think her screen name started with a C, and she lived in Scandinavia. We bonded by talking about fictional car accidents. Her blog was pink and yellow and had a long title. She quit blogging because she got married and started traveling and moving around a lot.

A graphic I made for Feature & Follow Friday

First book I read because of other bloggers?

Most of the books I read in 2015 were because of bloggers. That’s the year I started reading blogs every morning instead of watching the news. That’s the year my TBR list exploded. It has never been the same again. (RIP realistic and sensible TBR list.) I think the first book I read because of blogger hype was Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. It didn’t sound like my kind of book at all. I read it only because of the hype. I really liked it. The hype was real.

Do you want to do this tag? Consider yourself tagged.