10 Years of Rachel's Random Reads! Happy Blogiversary to me! #RRR10thBirthdayCelebrationWeek #Giveaway

I can't believe it, but 10 years ago today, I made my first post on Rachel's Random Reads, totally terrified as to what anyone may say about my thoughts on a book.  Initially I didn't even tell anyone in real life that I had become a blogger, as I was convinced I would give it up within a month or so, as was predicting negative feedback. 

Well my fears were unfounded, and what I did find is one of the most supportive communities of people about - both on online and in real life too.  The book community rocks, and if you are reading this, then you are part of that community and all I can say is THANK YOU!

This has to be the first time in my adult life I have stuck at anything solidly for 10 years, and I'm honestly not sure I'd ever be able to go back to reading books and not then trying to write some thoughts about it.  It's become part of me. 

It's thanks to the blog that I now have an awesome job organising blog tours, so its really safe to say that over the past decade my life has definitely changed. 

And because I think 10 is a big number, a big milestone and something worth celebrating, well this week on the blog I have extra posts each day, where I have resurrected old features from the first few years of the blog (when I had more time to be creative), and there are all sort of fab interviews coming over over the rest of the week - and each 10th Birthday post also has a giveaway attached to it, including this one a bit further down.   

Don't forget to check out yesterday's giveaway and post for my Rachel Reads Randomly feature which was part of my life for 98 weeks (plus a few weeks off for holidays and such) - so definitely over two years, and I'd love this new edition to get some love! 

In the past 10 years:

I've read over 3100 books

This is post 3544 onto the blog

I've set up my own business Rachel's Random Resources

I've met numerous authors and bloggers and been to a large number of book events, book launches and tonight will be at Waterstones Piccadilly for Paige Toon in conversation with Beth O'Leary. And its always a joy to see Paige (my review of her new book is scheduled for Thursday which is publication day!). 

I have people that I count as friends, and I'll never ever forget Alison Daughtey-Drew (Ali The Dragon Slayer) who was one of my biggest supporters for at least the first half of this blog's life, until her health unfortunately declined). 

I'm very grateful to Laura Bambrey who was the person who finally persuaded me to set up my blog in the first place. 

And I'm immensely grateful to each and everyone one of you that has ever read any of my blog posts, and even more so the occasional person that interacts with them, ensuring that I know I'm not talking into a black hole! 

And I'm also continually in awe of all authors and the simply amazing job they do coming up with amazing stories for us all, even when there are totally rubbish things happening in book world. 

It has been an absolutely amazing 10 years.... let's hope I'm making a similar post in another 10 years time! 

And for those of you who saw the word giveaway higher up and have skimmed to find it... here you go! 

The lovely Colette Kebell has kindly donated a prize bundle of...

Win two sets of Hotel Chocolat chocolates, a fancy notebook and your choice of these Colette Kebell books (UK Only)

• The Retail Therapist
• Blue and Green Should Never be Seen! (Or so Mother says)
• I Don't Do Mondays!
• Arbitrage
• Confessions from the Cotton Fields
• Confessions of an Italian Priest
• Confessions of a Lustful Lawyer
• Wings of Eros

Giveaway open to UK, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 14/4/25. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone!