Why we read blogs... and a winner

I've just spent a good hour going through the 65 entries to the $100 books giveaway. "Tell me why you read blogs," said I, off the top of my head, needing to make the giveaway a game of skill.

I got more than I bargained for.

Here is a small selection of the reasons that people read blogs. I found them illuminating, and hope you do too.

•"I read book blogs because I am a book nerd, I read mummy blogs so I don't feel quite so bad about my own parenting decisions and I read cooking blogs because I have 5 fussy eaters and meal inspiration died sometime ago." - ShelleyRae

•"To laugh and to learn, To peek and to ponder, To read and to writhe, To listen and wonder." - Kelly

•"...to find crafty crap I can make to fill my house with, because there's nothing on tv, because I should be doing the housework, because they make me laugh or because they make me cry!" - Kel

•"It's the voyerism. The chance to have a 'micro' holiday and live in France, Italy, by the beach, back in London, own a chateau,go hiking in Nepal, travel first class overseas etc, etc, etc." - LissaJane

•"I read blogs to try to figure out why people read blogs. It's truly fascinating to see the interaction on blogs. Some blogs are so specific (eg gardening) and I love to read the Q&As between blogger and bloggee and the exchange of information as well as plants and seedlings. I sometimes wonder why people read my blog too..." - Ambadambra

•"I read some blogs for the brain food. I read some blogs for the 'YES! That has happened to me too!' moments. I read some blogs for the 'YIKES! I hope that never happens to me' moments. I read some blogs to learn about things I don't know about. I read some blogs to learn about things I thought I knew about." - Emily

•"Choosing to read blogs is like creating your own perfect dinner party. I seek out the ones I like the most, where I can feel a connection to the author (even though they don't know me and probably never will!). I love to hear what they have to say, I love to see things from their perspective" - Becthewordsmith

•"I hope it's not that I'm nosey, but I do know I have an absolute fascination for reading about people's lives. I like to know how people think, what they think and why they think that way. My favourite blogs are ones where people just chat about their everyday lives honestly and openly. Though, sometimes it's hard to know whether they're being honest or telling a good yarn!" - NaturallyCarol

•"The blogs I tend to read are unmitigated, written from the heart and bypass any agendas. They are fresh, fast and may at times be furious however when it comes from the heart you can feel that energy." - Pixelrites

•"Each time I read a blog I feel like Alice must have when she fell down the the rabbit hole, immersed in new, unfamiliar worlds and absolutely curious." - Sharni Montgomery

•"I'm JUST starting to read blogs! I'm overawed that I've sat around reading novels for years, whilst there's a whole underworld of blog writing going on that I never even knew existed, until now. I feel like that archaic-behind-the-times-mum that still launders cloth handkerchiefs, makes her children say "Thank-you for having me" after playdates and has no idea of the names of the boys in 'One Direction!'" - colisf

And so on... seriously, thank you all so much for responding from the heart. You have given me so much to think about and reminded me of all I love about blogging. The beauty, the rawness, the people, the connections - the stickybeak factor!

Unfortunately, there can be just one winner and that winner is... drum roll please...

Anecdotal Anna for this lovely little piece of wordcraft:

"oh the possibilities of what you'll see
of what they know
how they say it so.

The connection
the laughs
the traversing of life's different paths.

It is for these reasons
I concede
many blogs I like to read"

Please email me at taitallison7 [at] gmail [dot] com Anna and I'll organise your Booktopia voucher!

Thank you all for joining in my little comp and for visiting the Fibro. I'm always so happy to see you.

[image from here]