Haven’t written since June 2016 and all of the sudden there’s this urge to be back. Maybe not exactly in my own blog, but within the book blogging community. I’ve started visiting feedly regularly and was happy to see some old friends still going strong (hi Tasha, Jay, Kailana, Lisbeth, and everyone out there!).
2017 was a really meh year book-wise and I’ve noticed that my best years were the ones I spend blogging. Blogging it seems, helps me make better reading choices and read more in general.
So, I’m looking forward to meeting you here and at your own sites. Meanwhile, let me know about any interesting challenge I should join!
Reading in Tbilisi, Georgia (October 2017)
David among the phone-gazing commuters
The Sleepless Reader 
24 comments
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January 12, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Christina
Alex, I was just on your blog yesterday wondering how you were doing and here you are! I love that picture of David reading on the subway. I admit, I’m often one of those phone-gazing commuters so it’s nice to see people pull out a book and engage without a screen.
I haven’t really been keeping up with all the challenges out there, except maybe reading Ulysses for #FebBloom. I took a blogging break for most of 2017 (and 2016 before that) so I’m trying to ease back into it.
January 15, 2018 at 11:37 am
Alex
Hi Christina! Thank you for dropping by 🙂 You might have tempted me with a lot, but Ulysses… I’m leaving that one for retirement!
January 24, 2018 at 5:25 pm
Christina
Ha! That’s when I’m leaving War and Peace for.
January 12, 2018 at 4:05 pm
Debbie Rodgers @Exurbanis
I’m glad to see you back, Alex. BTW – what takes you to Peru?
January 15, 2018 at 11:38 am
Alex
Hi Debbie, might have to go there for work later in the year. Meanwhile going to Costa Rica next week. It’ll be my first time in Central or South America!
January 12, 2018 at 4:46 pm
Claire (The Captive Reader)
Alex, how exciting to hear from you! I’ve had a very similar experience regarding how the quality of my reading varies when I’m blogging vs when I stop so am also trying to blog more/be involved more in the community this year than in the past. I’m doing that by committing to an overly ambitious reading challenge (A Century of Books) so we’ll see how that goes!
January 15, 2018 at 11:39 am
Alex
I hear you were one of the one TWO people to actually read all the years in the Century challenge last year!! I will join this year, but only one per decade…
January 13, 2018 at 1:56 am
Kristen M.
Welcome back! I hope that you find your reading groove again. I can definitely understand the partnership between blogging and reading!
January 15, 2018 at 11:40 am
Alex
Right?! It’s as close to as reading silver bullet as I can get 🙂
January 13, 2018 at 7:42 am
heidenkind
Hi Alex! Tbilisi looks gorgeous
January 15, 2018 at 11:40 am
Alex
… and the food!!!
January 13, 2018 at 6:04 pm
Kailana
Welcome back!!
January 15, 2018 at 11:41 am
Alex
Hi there! Thanks 🙂 Glad to know you’re still around and blogging!
January 13, 2018 at 10:48 pm
Helen
It’s great to see a new post from you, Alex. I definitely agree that blogging makes us think more about the books we are choosing to read. I love the picture of David too!
January 15, 2018 at 11:41 am
Alex
You get the whole community to curate for you!
January 14, 2018 at 12:19 pm
Claire 'Word by Word'
There is indeed something energising about getting back into blogging after a quiet period, it’s like reigniting the flame and hoping it’ll take, because when it does, everything else seems to run more smoothly as well. Happy Reading!
January 15, 2018 at 11:42 am
Alex
I hope I can maintain the flame! I’m also doing a masters degree, so maybe the timing was not ideal, but it absolutely felt right!
January 16, 2018 at 6:33 pm
Lisbeth Ekelöf
Hi Alex, glad that you are back. I visited Tbilisi in 1985, I think. I am sure there are a lot of changes since those days.
I have a few favourite challenges, mostly connected to reducing the books on my TBR shelves. You can see them here: http://thecontentreader.blogspot.be/p/challenges-2018.html
I must admit I am not able to finish them all, but it is always nice to try.
January 17, 2018 at 11:54 am
Alex
A Room with a View in February?
January 17, 2018 at 12:27 pm
Lisbeth Ekelöf
You mean “A Room On Ones Own”? Yes, I am on.
January 31, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Lisbeth Ekelöf
Hello Alex, time for our read along and A Room of One’s Own. I put out a post in case someone else was interested, but did not get any replies. So, it is down to you and me. I have never done a read along so don’t know the rules if any.
I have just downloaded the book and see that there are six chapters. What about the following reading:
1-11 Feb – chapter 1-2, 12-18 Feb – chapter 3-4 and 19-28 Feb – chapter 5-6.
I found some questions to guide the reading and you can find them here:
https://www.shmoop.com/room-of-ones-own/questions.html
On, on!
February 8, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Alex
It’s a small book, so I might just do chapters 1-3 by 18 Feb and chapters 4-9 by 28 Feb.
January 19, 2018 at 7:11 pm
Ti
i started the new year off well with my reading but it’s funny how one slow-paced book can derail you. That is where I am now. Welcome back!
February 8, 2018 at 3:16 pm
Alex
Thanks Ti!