Blogging pal Stephanie in Creuse has kindly nominated me – among others – to carry on the torch for the seven-links blogging challenge. This is where you have to nominate seven of your own blog posts that fit particular criteria. Thanks, Stephanie. This has been a good opportunity to review my blog, identify what has been popular – or less so – and get ideas for improving it.

I’m afraid I have nominated more than seven of my posts, which probably disqualifies me. But it was sometimes difficult to choose between them.

The most beautiful: I’m not sure any of my posts qualifies as beautiful but the one that comes closest is A crèche with a difference. This describes a crèche with life-sized figures set up every year in a cave at the small hilltop village of Loze.

The most popular: the posts that outstrip the rest for the number of hits are the two on French novels (No 1 here; No 2 here) – really one post but split into two to make it more digestible. They are followed by my post on French superstitions.

The most controversial: this can only be measured by the comments people have left. The ones that have generated a few irate or offended comments are Sexism is alive and well in France and What do the French talk about at dinner parties? More often, I suspect that if people don’t like what I write they just don’t come back.

P.S. I have had to close comments on all posts 90+days old because of SPAM so you can no longer comment on the sexism post. But you can leave a comment about it elsewhere if you want to.

The most helpful: this has to be Ten top tips for surviving in France, where I describe 10 things people need to think about before taking the plunge.

Whose success most surprised me: my post about walnut wine seems to be perennially popular. When I wrote it I thought it would be of interest only to a restricted audience. I’ve noticed that people are looking at it a lot right now, probably thinking that it’s made with ripe walnuts. Alas, this is not the case – you make it in June when the walnuts are still inside their green outer shell.

Which didn’t get the attention it deserved: I was a bit disappointed not to get more hits on What a hoot, about owls and their antics. I thought that was quite a good one myself. Maybe the title was off-putting.

Most proud of: it’s very difficult to say. My blog ranges fairly widely and I can’t identify one post in particular that I was pleased with.  Some of my photographic posts about places in SW France might fit that description, e.g. Toulouse or Montauban. Please click on ‘Places’ under ‘Categories’ in the right-hand sidebar to see more.

The other part of this task is to nominate five other bloggers to do the same. This is such a difficult choice that I’m afraid I’m going to chicken out and throw the challenge open to anyone who has a blog and happens to read this. Consider yourself nominated. Please let me know if you do take it up and I’ll come and take a look.

New life in France book

Since we’re talking about blogging, I want to mention a new book self-published by Doreen Porter, a fellow blogger and colleague on online writers’ group Writers Abroad. Doreen has lived in southwest France since 2007 and has collected her experiences of French life as related on her former blog – An A to Z of Life in France – into a book. You’ll like Doreen’s dry humour, often directed at herself.  

I is for Illuminated Salt and Pepper Pots (and other everyday essentials) is available as an e-book on amazon.co.uk, amazon.com and amazon.fr.

Copyright © 2011 Life on La Lune, all rights reserved