Yes that’s right, three whole candles on my birthday cake to celebrate Cleopatra Loves Books birth three whole years ago!
Who could have predicted that when I started uploading my reviews onto this blog that it, and of course all you lovely readers, would become such a huge part of my life. It is no exaggeration to state that blogging has been a focus during difficult times, and the enjoyment I get from the interaction with other book bloggers is enormous. So this post is my thanks to all of you – your support, encouragement, warm wishes and of course all those lovely book recommendations has been outstanding.
Blogging has also allowed me to ‘meet’ some of my favourite authors on social media and I would like to thank them, and the PR companies that write me emails offering me books to read which I might never have discovered. My reading has been truly enriched by blogging and I have a TBR mountain to show for it!
Please all help yourself to a virtual slice of cake!!
When I wrote my post to celebrate my first birthday I listed seven bloggers who I particularly enjoyed interacting with and I’m delighted to say all except one blog, are still going strong and still providing wonderful posts to delight me. Were you on the list?
Of course there are many more blogs that I follow and love to read, these range from long-established blogs to newer additions and boy do you all test my willpower!
So now to the facts and figures:
This is my 1,016th post over the three-year, although it should be said that the posts that go back to the beginning of 2013 were those I’d previously posted on Amazon for that year having been reviewing on there since 2010. So I should by now, know what a good review consists of – I’m not sure that I do, but I have a lot of fun writing them and I do hope you enjoy reading them.
The top five reviews on my blog over its entire life are… dum dum dum… in reverse order:
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins from January 2015
Burnt Paper Sky Gillian Macmillan from August 2015
Disclaimer by Renee Knight from April 2015
Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott from March 2014
The Book of You Claire Kendal from February 2014
The Book of You continues to get almost daily views and has clocked up nearly 850 in its lifetime as can be seen in the next list
The top five reviews on my blog over the last year, again in reverse order are:
Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard from April 2016
My Husband’s Son by Deborah O’Connor from June 2016
The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish from April 2016
Burnt Paper Sky by Gillian Macmillan from August 2015
The Book of You by Claire Kendal from February 2014
Of course I don’t just write reviews I participate in memes, tags and the yearly Reading Bingo in December where I look back over my books that have made an impact (or merely just fill one of the squares) which fear not, will be back again later this year.
One of the cleverest tags this year was the Book Spine Poetry which I found fiendishly difficult but I decided to have another stab at it. So I present a birthday poem for you all – thank you for being simply fabulous!
Year of Wonders
White Nights, plain truth,
Atonement
A fatal inversion
In the dark, raven black
Monday mourning
Hidden lives, bad blood.
Thank you all for making the decision to start this blog such a rewarding experience.
Congratulations! I really enjoy your blog & I’m always so impressed at the frequency of your posts – I don’t know how you do it! Here’s to many more years 🙂
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Aw thank you for your support – I’ve noticed that you are an early bird like me 😊
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Congratulations Cleo on your 3rd blog anniversary, I’m a huge fan of your blog and here’s to many more 🍾🍾
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Aw thank you 😘 😘
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Congratulations on your third blog birthday. I love reading your reviews and here’s to many more to come
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Thank you so much Karen 😊
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Since it’s a poetic post, I did you a poem in return for the cake… 😉
Here’s to Cleo, she’s so cool,
With books that tempt and make us drool
Now she’s three, the tantrums past,
Toddling through her book-pile vast.
Here’s wishes fond and full of cheer,
Happy birthday, Cleo, dear!
Just off to check if I was on the first birthday list. There’s going to be big trouble if I wasn’t…
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That is simply brilliant- than you so very much for both the poem and the huge support over the last three years 😊
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Congratulations, Cleo on your blog anniversary. Yours is one of the first ones I look out for each day. That’s a very touching poem!
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Aw thank you Margaret – it sounds trite but I really do appreciate all of you who visit so regularly 😊
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Congratulations Cleo, your blig is so great. Here’s to many more years!
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Thank you Cathy – I really do appreciate all the support😊
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Congratulations Cleo, keep it going!
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Thank you Jose!!
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Congratulations and Happy Birthday. Yours was one of the first blogs I started reading and I value your reviews. I know you help to add to my tbr! Here’s to many more years of reading and blogging.x
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Oh Jill thank you – I love your blog too and I have to admit my TBR was tiny in those pre-blogging days 😏 x
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Congratulations, Cleo! I’m glad to have discovered your blog over the last few months, and it’s been fun to compare perspectives on books. Here’s to many more years of blogging ahead. 🙂
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Thank you Jaqui – I look forward to plent more comparisons 😊
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Congratulations for your birthday blog. I am still very new but love looking at and reading all the blogs. Have a great day and good luck to this new year for you xx
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Thank you so much – I’m glad we have connected it’s good to have new book bloggers join the party!
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Congratulations Cleo! I love reading your reviews as you often read books I hadn’t come across. I’m looking forward to that bingo – must have missed that last year!
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Thank you – and likewise your blog is one that I make sure I read a it’s always interesting. The bingo is my favourite yearly post!
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Congratulations Cle . I always look forward to reading your posts, they are always so thoughtful and interesting. Xx
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Thank you so much Sandra xx
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Yaaay, congrats 😀 😀
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Thank you 🙂
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Yay! Congratulations o your gorgeous blog reaching three! x
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Aw thank you 🙂
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Congratulations, Cleo. I’m in awe of the number of posts you’ve achieved. I haven’t yet managed 500 and I’m roughly the same ‘age’ as you! Here’s to many more.
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🙂 I think I’m far more economical with my words than you! I like that everyone blogs and talks about books in a different way and always enjoy my visits to yours.
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Thank you – that’s lovely to hear!
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Many congratulations! Yours is my favourite blog of all the ones I follow! Great books featured!
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Oh Diane that is such a lovely thing to say – I’m overwhelmed thank you so much 🙂
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Congratulations! Isn’t it amazing how soemthing that didn’t exist before can become such a part of our lives, those quiet inner thoughts about books have bust out onto the page and there
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I love blogging, my reviews on Amazon had far less ‘personality’ as I feel like I’m talking to an audience on here and I really do enjoy being able to share all of those thoughts.
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Many congratulations 🎉 🎈 🎉 and here’s to many more! Lovely cake btw 😉
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Aw thank you 🙂
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are no rules or requirements, such your own style of writing about a reading experience. Oops, pressed Enter by mistake! Long may your motivation to share your thoughts on books continue.
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Thank you – I knew this comment came in two parts and still answered on the first part – sorry!
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Congratulations and here’s to many more years of great blogging and books! 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Happy 3rd blog birthday Cleo xx
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Thank you so very much for the comment and your support!
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Always welcome! X
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Your blog is so well organised and your social media activity so prolific that I was sure you’d been at this game for much longer than 3 years. Congratulations on this landmark – long may the site continue
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Aw thank you – I love blogging and even more so the book blogging community with the variety of interests and ways of posting – thank you for your support 🙂
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Happy 3rd Blog Birthday Cleo! An amazing achievement ❤
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Thank you Chrissi for the comment and your support 🙂
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Congratulations Cleo. I love your blog – here’s to many more years of CleopatraLovesBooks 🎉🍾🎂
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Aw thank you so much 🙂
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Congrats and here is to many more!
Lainy http://www.alwaysreading.net
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Thank you Lainy 🙂
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Congratulations👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Although I don’t comment a lot I always enjoying seeing what you’ve read.
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Thank you Diane 🙂
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Congratulations, Cleo! May you have many more fabulous years of blogging. Your blog is one of my must-reads. I always enjoy very much what you share here, and I’m looking forward to learning from you for a long to come.
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Aw thank you Margot – and please excuse the tardy response, I didn’t expect quite so many lovely comments and although I read them as they arrived I have been squeezed for time this week. You really are too kind as I’m in awe of your posts which I love reading.
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*Blush*
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Happy blog birthday! Over 1000 posts in three years is amazing. Here’s to many more.
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Thank you so much Annabel, I really didn’t realise I’d written quite so many!
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Congratulations, Cleo! I always look forward to your posts and have read many a great book on your recommendation:-) Happy reading and many more years of successful, enjoyable blogging!!
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Oh Malia thank you so much those are very kind words 🙂
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Cheers to three years!! Congratulations and keep on blogging! 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Happy 3rd Blogoversary! Love the poem….and I’m going to check your reviews again, although I know I’ve read them all since I first found your blog.
I always love seeing an e-mail to one of your posts in my inbox, and can’t wait to come here to find out what you’re sharing.
Enjoy Year Number Four…and more.
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Aw thank you Laurel, I love seeing your posts too and you are one of the bloggers who has an almost perfect match with my tastes in books. 🙂
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Congratulations, and happy anniversary! Best wishes for many more years of terrific blogging!
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Thank you so much Lisa 🙂
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Congrats Cleo and thanks for all the recommendations.
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Thank you Guy – and that goes both well you gave me a real winner with This House of Grief and I have several others stashed on your recommendation.
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Congratulations! You’re setting a great example to others with some great posts.
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Aw thank you 😊
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Congratulations on your milestone. I look forward to reading your posts.
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Thank you so much for your kind words Don
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You’re welcome
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Congrats!
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Thank you
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Here’s wishing you a very happy 3rd blog birthday! 🙂
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Aw thank you for support Wendy
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Congratulations! Book Club Mom turned 3 in June so I share some of your experiences. Happy blogging!
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Aw thank you – and I’m glad I finally found you 😊
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Same!
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Happy Blogoversary, and congrats on three years blogging! That’s fantastic. I really love your book spine poetry. I like reading them; I need to try it sometime!!!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
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Thank you Lauren – I like the poetry but my book titles don’t lend themselves too well!!
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Happy birthday!
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Thank you 😊
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A woefully tardy big HAPPY BLOGVERSARY from the feathered one! Thank you for your consistently thoughtful and fair reviews and for drawing my attention to brilliant new books for the TBR mountain. Big love xxx
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Thank you for your exceptionally kind words. I’d say sorry for the TBR but you’re equally bad for mine!! sorry for the tardy response too –
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Happy belated blog birthday, Cleo and congratulations on keeping going. Here’s to many more years.
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Aw thank you Naomi – another of my favourite bloggers😊
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Happy (belated) third blogiversary, Cleo! You were one of the first blogs I found when I discovered the community and you have made my TBR grow too fast for my eyes 🙂 I admire you a lot and your blog is among my favorites. Here’s to many more years! 🍸
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Oh thank you Donna that is so kind – I grow my TBR with all the contributions from other book bloggers and love seeing what everyone is saying about books and life 😊
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Congratulations and I hope to see you for a very long time. 🙂
sherry @ fundinmental
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Thank you 😊
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Happy blogoversary! May you celebrate many more. Thanks for the cake 😀
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Why thank you Daisy 😊
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Happy 3rd Anniversary Cleo! I enjoy reading your blog because it is so diverse. The book spine poem idea was pure genius.
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Still room for another congratulatory comment! Happy 3rd birthday, and look forward to many more posts from you. Always enjoy visiting your blog.
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Wow, that is impressive! I am a total newbie to the virtual world. Given that as a fledgling soon- to- be- published author, I am already reeling under my TBR pile, just to try and stay current, I honestly don’t know how you bloggers do it but you have my total respect!! Congrats!
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