A YEAR in the Books
A look back on one year of blogging at Mind Joggle, with a round-up of some of my favorite posts.
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I mentioned earlier this month that I was coming up on one year of blogging here at Mind Joggle. I wasn’t sure a year ago where this thing would go. I just knew that I wanted a creative outlet outside of work and family; something that allowed me to spend more time doing things I loved and connect with others who loved the same things.
It didn’t take long to find other like-minded people–and to realize that running this blog quickly became something I really love doing.
Something else I quickly learned? It’s a ton of work and incredibly time consuming.
There is always something new to learn, fix, update, re-do, and try…the list really goes on.
I want to continue to grow and improve this blog, and to make it a useful resource for all of you who visit. In addition to books and reading, I’ve wanted to write more here about creativity, writing, and learning–and doing all of these things while managing busy work and family lives.
In short, I have a lot of future plans for this little space. And in order to make them happen, I’m feeling the need to step back and take a break from regular posting. It won’t be a long one–probably just a few weeks while I recover from a bit of end-of-school burnout and transition into a new summer schedule.
This break will also allow me to learn a few things that have been on the backburner, fix and update some things that need it, and make plans to try those things I’ve been considering but haven’t been able to squeeze in.
I’m not sure exactly what this break will look like on the blog. I may still post weekly link roundups, as well as a few things already in the queue. Or I may be pretty silent here for a few weeks, but visitors to the blog and my social media may see various things being updated. I’ll be playing it by ear as far as posting, but rest assured that I’ll be back soon.
While I know a brief absence doesn’t make a lot of difference to most readers, I have blogs that I look forward to reading each week and I know I’d be concerned if they suddenly went silent. So, I thought I’d share my plans and give you a little look back at some of my favorite posts from the last year.
In case you missed them the first time, enjoy!
Reading Bucket Lists
50 Books on My Reading Bucket List
How to Create a Reading Bucket List that You’ll Actually Finish
30 Historical Fiction Novels for Your Reading Bucket List
30 Memoirs and Nonfiction Books for Your Reading Bucket List
30 Contemporary Fiction Novels to Add to Your Reading Bucket List
Favorite Books
The 12 Best Books I Read in 2017
The 10 Best Books I’ve Read in 2017 (So Far)
Other Book Lists
6 Non-Fiction Books that Read Like Novels
2018 Read My Shelf Challenge – The Master List of Books
5 Thrilling Books (That Aren’t Mysteries)
10 Great Books Featuring Endearing Misfits
The 10 Best Books I Read in School: K-College
10 Books I Want My Kids to Read
10 Books (and Bookish Things) I’m Thankful For
20 Must-Read Books to Build Your Empathy and Understanding of Real-Life Struggles and Tragedies
Books with Characters So Strong They are Named in the Title
Reading Life and Discussions
How to Love Watching Movie and TV Adaptations of Books
Books Have Made Me a Soap Hoarder
Harnessing Personality Type for Writing, Reading, and Relating
Living a More Grateful Life: The Gratitude Diaries
What Makes a Nonfiction Book a Favorite?
How to Plan a Trip with Coffee Table Books
The Discomfort of Enjoying Books Inspired by Real-Life Tragedies
Rereading Books
Why You Should Reread Your Favorite Books and How to Make It Worth Your While
10 Books Worth Reading Again (Or for the First Time)
Story of the Story
New Feature: The Story of the Story
The Story of the Story: Everyone Brave Is Forgiven
The Story of the Story: 15 Things You Didn’t Know about A Little Life
Writing and Creativity
How to Write with the Abandon and Confidence of a Child
Here’s Why We Have an Art Room (and Not a Playroom)
If you’ve enjoyed the Reading Bucket List series, I’ll be back with more in a few weeks, as well as more Story of the Story posts. There are more great things to come, and I look forward to returning full of new ideas and energy!
Thanks for reading!
Congrats on a year! I can’t believe you’ve only been doing this for a year – you seem like a pro! And, I totally understand about not having the time to try new things or update things, etc. I should probably take a similar break at some point. I have my own list of things I’d really like to improve (including my blog design). I’ve now had it a few years and am in the mood for something fresh.
Thank you! I do actually manage websites for my day job, so there’s a lot that I didn’t have to learn from scratch. I’m in the government space, though, so blogging for myself is pretty different: so much more freedom in many ways, but also more limiting without a whole team of designers and tech people behind me! It’s kind of hard to take a break, but summer feels like the right time for it.
Enjoy your break, and we’ll all be excited to see what you have for us when you come back all recharged and fired up!
Thank you! I think figuring out how to recharge will be key 🙂
Congratulations on your one-year anniversary! I’ve loved reading your blog and can’t wait to see what you do when you get back from your break.
Thank you!
Congratulations on making it a year! A break can be a really good thing; a chance to rest and reset. Looking forward to continue reading your posts when you return!
Thank you!
Congratulations and enjoy the time off. It’s nice to take a break, step back, and gather your forces. Your blog is beautiful, but self-hosting is an ongoing shell game- where is it going to break next? How do I deal with this? Or that? After 6 years I’m still learning and still way behind those of you who are so well versed on social media and design.
I’m looking forward to seeing what you do next and what you read next!
Thank you! You’re so right about all the self-hosting issues. I usually manage to figure things out, but it’s definitely frustrating to have to spend the time when blogging time is already limited. A break will definitely be a good thing!
Congratulations on making it a year. I think you blog is wonderful! I’m coming up on two years soon and like you, I had NO real idea how much work it would be! The list of things to do and learn just never seems to get shorter, and that can be a bit frustrating at times. May your break be relaxing and refreshing!
Thank you! And congrats on two years! I hope you’ve reached the end of your school year and have a relaxing summer ahead of you.