{"id":39769,"date":"2021-08-01T23:25:43","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T03:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=39769"},"modified":"2021-08-01T23:26:31","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T03:26:31","slug":"20-years-of-sonderbooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=39769","title":{"rendered":"20 Years of Sonderbooks!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Twenty years ago I began writing Sonderbooks.<\/p>\n

It started as a sometimes weekly, sometimes biweekly ezine — an email newsletter. I think before the end of 2001, I’d figured out how to make it a website. I posted the back issues on the web and still posted them in “issues.” Here’s Sonderbooks #1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I like the tagline I used then: “Discover new books. Discuss old books. Order more books.”<\/p>\n

In 2007, I took a web design class while I was getting my degree in Library Science and decided it was time to revamp my website. A friend even made a new logo for me!<\/p>\n

My last “issue” was Sonderbooks #107, dated June 30, 2006 — the last one I posted while living in Germany. I didn’t post a lot that year when I moved back to America, went to library school, looked for a job, and was on the other side of the world from my husband, who was planning to divorce me. But when I started back up, the website had a new look, I added a blog, and I’ve continued on for twenty years — longer than my marriage lasted before he left!<\/p>\n

Once I started writing Sonderbooks, I knew this was just the right outlet for me. I got to write, I got to write about books, and I got to use a little bit of my computer skills. Besides, once I’d started working in a library, I couldn’t keep track of all the books I read, and writing Sonderbooks was a way to keep track. I have even made friends, starting back in 2001 and continuing through the present, by discovering a mutual love of books through Sonderbooks.<\/p>\n

Since I didn’t date my first few issues except August 2001, I think that means I need to celebrate all month! I’d like to do twenty posts about my favorite books from each year of reading.<\/p>\n

But I’m also hoping to rethink the look of the site again and (finally) make it more mobile friendly. I’ll probably choose a wordpress theme for my blogs, so may have to give up the way the look matches the pages. I need to fix the search box, which stopped working when I switched hosts a few years ago. I want to add a Teen Nonfiction category. And I’m going to think through if I want to change the format out of tables — which don’t show up as well on mobile devices. I might even do like I did in 2006 and just start new pages, with links to go back to the old. But one thing I need to figure out is how I want it to end up.<\/p>\n

So stay tuned!<\/p>\n

And to readers, old and new, thank you for letting me share good books with you! Writing Sonderbooks continues to bring me great joy!<\/p>\n

Watch for more 20th Anniversary posts this month!<\/p>\n

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