Monday Musings: Why Do You Blog?

I recently read Born to Blog: Building Your Blog for Personal and Business Success One Post at a Time (I'll be posting a complete review later this week).  This is not something I typically read, but my sister and I have been engaged in an on-going discussion about blogging and I thought this particular book might be useful to both of us.  My sister, Betsy, recently started a blog, Betsy Between The Miles to share her passion for running and offering tips to others.  She is currently on assignment in Suriname and has been showcasing some of the local flavor as well as how she finds time to continue running amid a busy schedule.  This has been a wonderful way to stay connected to family and friends while she's gone and my boys are just loving the photos she shares.  Eventually, she would like to launch her own business as a personal trainer and hopes to utilize her blog to achieve that goal.  If you have a moment, please stop by and say hi  (I may be prejudiced of course, but I think her blog is off to an incredible start!)

In Born To Blog, the fundamental question is why do you blog? For me, it was simply a means to encourage myself to read more; to hold myself more accountable.  After years of academic study followed by the loss of someone very close to me, I found it difficult to simply read for pleasure but I knew I missed it a great deal.  And when I discovered how many authors are turning to bloggers as an alternate means to promote their novels I knew this would be a great opportunity to meet some very talented writers as well.  With the vast array of book bloggers, I'm also able to keep up with the latest reading trends in various genres and see what others are reading as well.  For me, this is simply a hobby and one that I enjoy a great deal!  So tell me, why do you blog?