5 Years! & Some Changes!

A (belated) mini celebration . . . Happy 5 years, Enjoy A Book!

I started this blog back in 2008 . . . that's about 5 years ago! During that time I've shared my thoughts on books that I've enjoyed . . . or maybe not enjoyed. Hey, I don't blame you if there's a book you didn't enjoy. There are lots of those out there for each of us. But hopefully you've gotten something out of the ones I've shared with you.

You might have noticed some changes around here. After hitting the 5 year anniversary of Enjoy A Book, we are kicking things into a higher gear. It isn't just going be book reviews anymore . . . I'm going to be sharing a more rounded view of what reading really is. Because it's not just about book reviews, it's about finding that book that you think you'll enjoy, sharing it with others because you enjoy it so much, and now also fun apps you use, websites you visit, and other little quirks that readers share--whether you're a reader who has read one book, or a reader who has read many, or a reader who hasn't read any (yet)*. This is about the "reader's lifestyle."

An especially striking moment happened recently-- in which I realized I wanted to shift the focus of this blog from simply book reviews to encompassing more aspects of the reader's lifestyle. My husband told me (after carrying my purse for 2 seconds), "You know the crazy cat lady? Well, you're the crazy book lady." (I guess I do buy purses based on their capacity to hold multiple books/e-readers in addition to my wallet, lipstick, etc. So glad that big purses/totes are fashionable!)

Have you ever had a moment like this? Not necessarily one where your shoulder starts to ache from carrying too many books in your purse/bag/backpack...... But a moment when maybe you put off doing something important because you have to finish this part, or when you're reading along and all of a sudden something clicks and you get it, or when you've bought tickets to see the midnight movie premier of a book and are a little anxious to see how much they stayed true to the book, or when you feel that little thrill of nostalgia when you see that one book that you just loved to pieces as a kid. Etc., etc. There are many individual moments like these that make reading special, and really, that's what this blog is about. Those moments.

So welcome (again) to Enjoy A Book, a blog about the reader's lifestyle, in which we share enjoyable books, remember those golden (perhaps cliche) moments curled up with a book that you couldn't put down, get excited about all the cool technology that accompanies print nowadays, and many more things.

*A Note to the Reader Who Hasn't Read Any (Yet): 
However, I realize that not everyone comes from a background of books. I worked for a long time with students in middle and high school that, for all intents and purposes, were allergic to reading. Through lots of research, experimentation, tears and anger, I came to know that the way you get those who proclaim, "I'M NOT A READER AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME" to read is to make it enjoyable.

It's not new information that reading is part of what makes someone successful in school, and helps them lead a more enriched life (more on this later . . . ). so how do you get the "non-readers" to read? The same way many of the readers started reading: find something they enjoy reading, read lots of it, then gradually branch out from there.

So as part of sharing the reader's lifestyle, I'll be sharing "remedies" for those reluctant readers who think that reading isn't, for the most part, an enjoyable way to pass the time. Because, please, that kind of thinking needs to be remedied quickly!

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