As I hinted at the beginning of the year, this site is full. I have two options. I can a) retire gracefully or b) grow old disgracefully. 🤔 Anyone who knows me in IRL knows within 5 minutes that option a) is about as likely as my ever completing the TBR. So, as I still have lots to read and more to say, I’ve launched Lizzy’s Literary Life (Volume Two), which you can find (and subscribe to if so minded) at http://www.lizzysiddal2.wordpress.com.
For the last post of Volume One let me share some stats.
1st post was published on 15/01/2007, which means this notebook contains 15 years, 1 month and 1 week’s worth of ??? (Complete the sentence as you will. Be nice, now.)
In that time I’ve read ca. 1500 books and written 1665 posts which averages at 2 posts per week. Word count? Not a clue. Do I regret not having written a book instead? Well, I don’t have a book in me, so that’s a no.
Most popular posts? I’ve no need to look because my review of Maggie O’Farrell’s The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox has featured in the top 2 most viewed posts each year since 2008. Occasionally Esme is knocked off the top spot by Goethe’s poem about Gingko Biloba, which I published in 2013.
Which brings me to my greatest pleasure – German Literature. I’m enormously proud of German Literature Month, which I’ve co-hosted with Caroline for 11 years. I’m delighted that #ReadIndies, which I’ve co-hosted with Karen for the past two years is so popular. (Long may both events continue.)
Has the blogosphere influenced my reading? In 2007 87% of my reading was anglophone. In 2021 only 35%. So many worlds have opened up in the last 15 years, and that’s down to you lovely lot. Thank you fellow readers, not forgetting the translators for making that possible.
And finally, because I’m curious and have been meaning to ask:
- Looking at my TBR I see a multitude of titles which have been recommended by fellow bloggers. Just wondering if you’ve ever acquired something on my recommendation? More importantly, did you enjoy it?
- Will I see you on the other side, so to speak? I do hope so.
P.S This blog will remain online and open for comments.
Lizzy's Literary Life (Volume One) 
I did. I read Berlin Alexanderplatz in a group read with you and I bought and moe recently read the two Thomas Bernhard’s from your review.
Look forward to vol2
You will see me on the other side of your blogging adventure and I’m not sure about whether I have acquired anything on your recommendation, but I have been encouraged by your response to books I already own (or want to buy) but haven’t gotten to yet.
I have definitely read a few books on your recommendation but can’t remember what at the moment. Will follow the other site!
Good luck with Vol 2 Lizzy – will look forward to following you there (and hopefully continuing with ReadIndies… ;D)
I have read your pieces with pleasure over the years and have definitely read some overlapping books with you. Good luck with the new one, which I will go and subscribe to now!
Of course I’m going to follow you to part 2. I don’t always comment but I do read your posts and plan to continue.
I’m curious though why you say your blog is “full”. Is that something connected with the storage limit of your wordpress plan? If so, have you looked at optimising your media library to save space?
I’ve been messing around with the media library for months. Deleting photos from early posts, wondering what would happen if I optimised, would the images degrade, etc. Decided it was all too much of a bother. Better starting afresh, with improved taxonomy too.
Do you make sure your images are the right size before you upload them? It’s worth using a file compression tool. I don’t think you need to worry about the image quality to be honest.
What’s the right size?
It’s the size of the file you want to pay attention to. You should be aiming for less than 100k an image – if you’re just using a small image like a book cover you can easily manage with just 50K. I did a post on this a while back – see if this helps but if not, feel free to come back to me https://bookertalk.com/save-media-storage-on-your-blog/
Wow, I didn’t realise that you can come to the end of the line and have to prepare a sequel! Will of course join you in the second phase of the journey – it has been a pleasure travelling with you in the… not sure, 8 years or so we’ve known each other?
It’s the media library that’s causing the space issue. So I get another 3GB for free with Lizzy Mark 2.
Of course you’ll see me on the other side 🙂
See you on the other side and congrats for filling a whole wordpress site!! Impressive!