You, like me, are probably weeping into your tea at the announcement Google Reader is heading off on the rainbow journey/gone walkabout/returning to the earth/insert hippy synonym for “died up the butt” here.

So I’m here to tell ya who I’m turning to, who I’ve tried and not adored, and why I’m never ever giving up on my beloved blog subscriptions!

Who I’m Using Now Instead of Google Reader

BlogLovin. You’ve probably seen their ridunkulous cute logo before:

Anyhewsles. It was pretty much the easiest transition EVER.

Sign up with a free Bloglovin account using your Facebook login (holy DINGER I love it when websites offer that option now!)

It automatically comes up with a screen asking which Google Reader account you want to import.

You click a button. And BAM.

All done.

All your beloved, favouritest, most inspiring blogs all ready to be read.

SO MUCH EASIER than downloading weird files using Google Takeout and importing to a new service.

Bloglovin’ looks bloody gorgeous too.

And truth be told, I was thinking of converting to Bloglovin’ a couple of years ago because their interface is so pretty – but just couldn’t do away with all my services being at Google. Now Google is no longer my meta-cloud of everything under the sun… It’s time for some Bloglovin!

Who I Tried And Didn’t Love At All.

Tried NetVibes. Liked they had a Facebook login option. Didn’t love that it is so complicated – I just want a simple reader. Also didn’t love that it didn’t pull all my subscriptions across properly, and missed a whole bunch of new blog posts overnight. I don’t love missing reading my favourite blogs at all!

Tried others from the crowd of options. Didn’t get past the ones that had no Facebook login. Sorry websites of the world, I just can’t remember another username and login! #braintoofull

Why I’m Not Relying On Facebook/Twitter/Social Media For Blog Posts

You’re pretty much never going to be able to see every single post that your favourite blogs produce, regardless of whether you follow them on Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest/Google +/Instagram/insert-the-latest-hottest-social-media-trend-that-I-haven’t-jumped-on-the-bandwagon-of-yet.

Plus, it’s crazy-making. Your attention goes in a gazillion directions on social media – from the photos of that girl-from-high-school-that-you-didn’t-really-know’s new kitten pictures to the swampland of inspirational motto photos.

You just can’t rely on other people to tell you what’s interesting to read all the time either.

I’ve always treated Google Reader like reading a newspaper. It’s a quiet place on the internet where I get to select what I read, and can filter out all the things I don’t want to see. It’s inspiration corner at soul replenishment o’clock. Interesting, invigorating, smart. It’s my own personally curated piece of the internet, filled with everything I want to hear about.

Blogs have been my favourite invention of the millenium, and I’m not giving up my dedicated love of reading them.

So dat be me.

Hope this helps, possums.

I’m sending you commiserations on ze loss of our dear Google Reader. And lotsa hope + goodness for the next decade of inspirational blog reading at Bloglovin.

peace and love but definitely-not-mungbeans-because-I’m-apparently-allergic-to-legumes,