Today I am five years old! Not personally, you understand, but as a blog. So crack open the champagne and have a slice of cake with me. I can’t remember any more what it was like not to write a blog: not to have a way of recording and thinking about the books I read and the films, plays and concerts I saw. Now, whenever I come across something wonderful, my first thought on finishing is to share my enthusiasm for it, and to hope that others will come to share their own thoughts and recommendations.
And so many of you have done that. To my loyal stalwarts, Heloise, Isi and Helen on the book front, and Dehggial for musical matters, I am ever grateful to you for taking a few minutes of your day to leave comments which brighten up my day, make me laugh and alert me to new and exciting things. A special hug to my mum, who is making her first foray into blog commenting as The Idle Mother. And, to those who’ve dared to leave a comment or two after months of lurking, thank you and please get up the courage to comment more often! This blog only works if people get involved, and that means you!
In real life the first six months of this year have been tough, but I’ve managed to claw my way through. Now the sun is shining again, the blog is all fresh and shiny in its new home, and I’m now looking forward (I hope) to a summer, autumn and winter full of wonderful new things. Come with me, and let’s discover them together!
With love,
x
The Idle Woman 
Happy Bloggy Birthday! I’m looking forward to following along through this shiny new year!
Thank you so much Sandra. It’s been great to make contact with you and I hope to hear your thoughts on many more of the books I stumble across – not to mention recommendations!
Happy fifth birthday……. looking forward to a light at the end of the tunnel!
Thank you Mum!
Happy birthday to my one of my favourite blogs!
Your blog looks better than ever, and I’m very happy I’m part of it 🙂
Lots of kisses!
Aw, thanks Isi! It was your lovely blog that gave me the inspiration for the design of the book posts, so the new appearance is largely down to you 😉 Sending hugs from London x
Happy fifth blog birthday! I always seem to forget about mine (it will be seven years in October). I’ve discovered some great books through your blog over the last few years – I’ve just finished Prince of Foxes, which I loved – and I’m looking forward to more recommendations in the future!
Seven years?! Goodness, well done you! Well, the discoveries are entirely mutual. Just think, I’d never have discovered Sabatini without your blog, and just imagine the void that would have left in my life!!! So happy to hear that you enjoyed Prince of Foxes, although honestly I didn’t think there was any doubt you would, as it’s such a wonderful story. Thanks so much for continuing to share your reading, both through your own excellent blog and your comments here. Maybe one day my path will take me north again and we can meet up for a cup of tea in person – didn’t you tell me once that there was a fantastic second-hand bookshop in Alnwick?
Oh dear, time does fly. 😉 Congratulations on five years of consistently informative, entertaining, witty, thought-provoking and generally fascinating blogging! Keep up the good work, and for my part I’m looking forward to many more great posts from you! 🙂
Time flies indeed! And you are all subject to my changing whims and enthusiasms, from Lymond to Baroque opera and ancient Persia. And you’ve suffered more than most, but you have always been there when I needed you to listen to my ranting, share thoughts on books and, most importantly, send me amusing pictures of squirrels. It’s stuff like this that keeps life going along smoothly. 😉
Although most of the books you write about in your brilliant posts are too mind-boggling for me to contemplate, I am always grateful for your recommendations. You know what? I really *am* going to read more Aubrey & Maturin in the next six months. Honest. Cross my heart. And we should do that wolf-Viking joint read at some point too. Really. Let’s just find a time that suits us both and then I can find out what I’ve been missing all this time. 🙂
Happy fifth!! I am a long time lurker and have always enjoyed reading your blog but never commented. Shame on me! Your (blog’s) birthday calls for something more than just a pleasant – on my part – reading of your wonderful reviews. I think I found you three years ago when I started reading Dorothy Dunnett for the first time and wanted to learn as much as I could about this amazing author and her Lymond (swoon), and of course to understand the chronicles in all their intricacies. So hi to a fellow DD fan! I hope you continue writing and I hope to get the courage to comment more often. All the best!
Hello Aneta – lovely to meet you at last! Thank you so much for commenting, and I’m very happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the blog. And I am *always* glad to meet another Lymond fan! 🙂 Isn’t it wonderful that this series gives us an immediate point of contact with people all over the world? If only Dorothy Dunnett knew what an impact her books have had on us all!
Yes, please do leave some more comments and thank you so much for taking the plunge today. I’d love to get to know you a bit better.
Happy 5th! You’re a fountain of knowledge, I’ve learned stuff from your blog even when I only lurked and it was beyond me to comment 🙂 To lots more blogging in the future!
Thank you, but I had to smile – ‘you’re a fountain of knowledge’ says the person who will know more about opera than I ever will! Dehgg, you are a musical inspiration and long may the discussions about the relative merits of mezzos and countertenors continue 😉
thank you right back 🙂 May they indeed!
Birthday smooches from me and Baroque Bird xxx
(Won’t let me leave you a photo but you can probably guess what it would be of.)
It was clearly only a matter of time… 😉
Congratulations on the anniversary, and many thanks for all your wonderful reviews and recommendations. This is my first comment here, and I look forward to leaving more.
Thanks so much Daniel and lovely to meet you. Please do give me your thoughts next time I write about something you’ve seen or read, and of course I’m always eager to be pointed towards new authors and books!