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Recommend the Most Exciting New Book Blogs?

2012 at 5am     Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky

I’ve been realizing lately that my blog reading is getting stale. I’m still reading my longstanding favorites, and I’m discovering great new industry-facing blogs to read, but it’s been a long time since I dug in and spent time looking at new book blogs. It’s not for lack of wanting to, more like lack of time and reluctance to get attached to new blogs that could very well disappear quickly. The average lifespan of a blog is something like six months, so, you know, it could totally happen.

Also? There are a floppity jillion book blogs now, and I don’t know where to start.

Book blogging is growing at a ridiculous (and awesome) rate, and I know there are gems out there–blogs doing original, creative, fun things–that I would love if I just knew about them. What are the new blogs you’re most excited about? Please share them below. In the meantime, here are a few of my current favorites:

Brain Pickings–not all book-related, but always thought-provoking and almost always a new twist on the concept they’re discussing

Vol 1. Brooklyn–Miscellanea for the literary life, in Brooklyn and well beyond

Books Are My Boyfriends–Kit has enthusiasm like whoa and smarts to spare. This is the last blog I remember getting really excited about it when it started (it’s not quite a year old yet), and it has the kind of innovation I’m looking for in new book blogs.

Mr. Micawber Enters the Internet–Lots of good stuff to be found here, but the regular feature in which indie booksellers list their 50 favorite books to handsell is possibly my favorite thing ever

Emma Straub–An author blog done right, this is 90% fun stuff from the writer’s life. Straub’s short story collection Other People We Married was one of my 2011 favorites and was reissued by Riverhead Books this week. You should read it! Straub also works as a bookseller and shares insight from both sides of the line.

Bibliographing–This is sort of a cheat because it’s been a favorite of mine for a long time. Nicole and I started blogging around the same time, and where I’m all “Hey! This is shiny and new!” she is very “let’s think deeply about that sentence,” and I love it. Her close readings make me want to pick up more classic books, and I always learn something from her posts.

Shit My Students Write–Unbelievably ridiculous outtakes from real papers submitted to real teachers. Great for when you need a self-esteem boost or a good giggle.

Sociological Images–Hardly ever about books but an excellent way to fill that hole left by your college seminar in sociology.

And that’s just a sampling. Now it’s your turn!

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  4. Book Bloggers: Foxes of the Literary World [Beth Hoffman guest blogs]
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Filed Under Reading Life
36 Comments
 

Comments

36 Responses to “Recommend the Most Exciting New Book Blogs?”

  1. Jen on February 8th, 2012 6:45 am

    Please check out my book blog Chicks Dig Books!
    Jen´s last [type] ..She’s Such a Geek!

  2. Irm Brown on February 8th, 2012 6:55 am

    Thanks so much for the list. Being a list person, I’m always sucked in to them. As a reader, writer & librarian, I tend to the library side of bloggers. Of course, the techy side emerges then too since the new librarians are re-inventing themselves.
    Tame the Web
    Shifted Librarian
    Library Garden
    Stephen’s Lighthouse

    Hmmm. Not about books at all as I look at this sample. Mostly about access and connection; trends and formats. I am straddling both worlds. IB
    Irm Brown´s last [type] ..Basements and Birthdays

  3. Sandy on February 8th, 2012 7:07 am

    Thrilled to see you pump up Micawbers. My sister, who lives up there, is buddies with the owner, so I’ve been following them for years. They’ve got a lot of great things to share, and represent everything good about indie bookstores.
    Sandy´s last [type] ..Not So Wordless Wednesday: Krakow #4

  4. Rayna on February 8th, 2012 8:40 am

    Two of my favorite book blogs are Reading Rambo (http://reading-rambo.blogspot.com/) and The Terrible Desire (http://theterribledesire.blogspot.com/). Both are new, started in the last year, and are always making me laugh.

    And, of course, I’m partial to my own blog (www.libereading.com).

  5. Julie Merilatt on February 8th, 2012 9:34 am

    Hi Rebecca – I love your contributions to BookRiot and hope you’ll check out my new-ish blog (been around for a few months now): http://julzreads.wordpress.com. A little bit of everything, links, commentary, reviews, pictures… But all things literary.
    Julie Merilatt´s last [type] ..Shelf Lust

  6. Emma @ Words And Peace on February 8th, 2012 9:39 am

    One of my favorite is Caravana de recuerdos – if you don’t read Spanish, no problem his reviews are usually bilingual. Really good stuff: http://caravanaderecuerdos.blogspot.com/
    And of course I hope you follow mine, LOL!
    Emma @ Words And Peace´s last [type] ..Charles Dickens for our time?

  7. Jessica @ Quirky Bookworm on February 8th, 2012 9:43 am

    Thanks for the list! The only one of these I’ve read is Books Are my Boyfriends, so I’m excited to check out a few of the others!

    On a sidenote, I love the oddity of book blog titles – so much more fun than home or mommy blogs! Do you read Necromancy Never Pays? It’s not new, but I enjoy it!
    Jessica @ Quirky Bookworm´s last [type] ..Love of Reading: Young Adult Dystopias

  8. David on February 8th, 2012 10:39 am

    A blog on the ever colliding worlds of books and digital.

    A nice change from constant reviews

    D

  9. Ingrid on February 8th, 2012 11:59 am

    What a great list! I just added a bunch of these to my reader. Thanks Rebecca!

  10. Melanie on February 8th, 2012 12:06 pm

    I’m in the process of redoing my Google Reader, so I’m searching for new-to-me blogs too! I’ve just recently discovered earlynerdspecial.wordpress.com; it’s not all books, there are movie reviews mixed in, and since I’ve been watching movies nearly as much as I’ve been reading books recently, it fits me.
    Melanie´s last [type] ..Tiny Stories: Book Review and International Giveaway

  11. Alyce on February 8th, 2012 12:12 pm

    It’s been a while since I’ve gone looking for new book blogs to read too. It’s completely overwhelming the amount of book blogs out there. Whenever I do run across new book blogs it seems like they are all focused on paranormal romance books – this is probably just my imagination.
    Alyce´s last [type] ..Best & Worst of Joyce Carol Oates

  12. Lizz on February 8th, 2012 12:22 pm

    Thank you so much for this list, several of these are already on my favorites tab. Here;s one that’s not about books, but what people put inside them. . .

    http://www.forgottenbookmarks.com/

  13. Rebecca Joines Schinsky on February 8th, 2012 1:30 pm

    I don’t know how much of that you’re imagining, Alyce. There are SO many new blogs, and so many of them (the new and the old) are all reviews, all the time. I have enough of that, you know? Now I want fun new takes on things.

  14. Rebecca Joines Schinsky on February 8th, 2012 1:30 pm

    I’m checking that out based on the title alone. Awesome!

  15. Michael on February 8th, 2012 4:13 pm

    This is a great idea. I’m finding that I idly scroll through my blog feeds without much excitement. I’ll be sure to check out your suggestions and those of other commenters.

    :)
    Michael´s last [type] ..Alison Jay: Alphabet and Numbers

  16. Phaedosia on February 8th, 2012 5:19 pm

    Thanks for posting Shit My Students Write. I nearly choked on my tea, I was laughing so hard!
    Phaedosia´s last [type] ..Vigils by Aline Kilmer

  17. Rebecca Joines Schinsky on February 8th, 2012 5:44 pm

    Glad to be of service!

  18. Lisa Eckstein on February 8th, 2012 6:25 pm

    A friend of mine is doing a neat project: Rereading Every Book I Own. She’s reading through her extensive collection of books, in order of publication, and writing amusing commentaries. So far she’s covered authors such as Shakespeare, Austen, and Dickens, and she’s up to Alcott now:

    http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/
    Lisa Eckstein´s last [type] ..Starting Tactics

  19. Kat Brooks on February 8th, 2012 6:26 pm

    Hi Rebecca, please check out http://www.IndiesUnlimited.com – we feature book excerpts, video trailers and interviews with Indie Authors from all over the globe. Thank you for this opportunity!
    Kat Brooks´s last [type] ..Sneak Peek: Linton Robinson’s My Funny Valentine

  20. Jessica on February 8th, 2012 7:41 pm

    Can I plug my own blog? The Hispanic Reader (http://hispanicreader.com) covers Latino literature. In addition to book reviews, the blog features interviews with authors, news items and features, such as today’s post on Afro-Latino writers. This year, I’m reviewing classic books by Latina authors. Of course, you don’t have to be Hispanic to join us. I encourage everyone to drop on by.

  21. Christine @ BookishlyB on February 8th, 2012 8:09 pm

    I have a hard time finding new ones too, since my feeble attempts at searching for new ones end up with YA, which isn’t really my thing. Shit My Students Write is hilarious- as a teacher I appreciate finding humor in forehead slapping mistakes (one of my kids wrote “The author writes with parts of speech” in an essay today).

    I love Book Riot and the blogs the contributors write, but those aren’t new for you.

    And then there’s mine, but it’s tacky to suggest your own. Crap.
    Christine @ BookishlyB´s last [type] ..Word Vomit/Lack of Focus

  22. Brooks on February 8th, 2012 8:58 pm

    I like Devouring Texts (http://devouringtexts.blogspot.com/) and Sarah Says Read (http://sarahsaysread.com/)

    And then there’s always my blog too :)
    Brooks´s last [type] ..Why I Review

  23. Rebecca Joines Schinsky on February 8th, 2012 9:43 pm

    Okay, that is an impressive undertaking. Definitely checking it out!

  24. Jillian on February 9th, 2012 9:40 am

    Hey Rebecca,
    Thanks for the list! I have a book blog, although sometimes life events and random reflections sneak in there as well. It’s called Musings of a Bookworm at http://www.musingsbookworm.blogspot.com. Thanks!

  25. My New Favorite Book Blog | Reading for Robin on February 9th, 2012 10:04 am

    [...] I’m always on the look out for something new. That something new appeared today. A post on The Book Lady’s Blog pointed me towards a blog called Books are my Boyfriends. With a name like that, I had to like [...]

  26. Lizz on February 9th, 2012 11:15 am

    I’m also starting a new idea where I come up with a fashion outfit for each book I read. It’s just starting, but I think that it’s a fun idea.

    http://daleyupdates.weebly.com/dress-to-read.html

  27. Laura on February 9th, 2012 9:40 pm

    I’ll second someone else by saying that Reading Rambo rocks. As does Nylon Admiral.
    Laura´s last [type] ..My Thoughts on Eleanor Brown, The Weird Sisters

  28. Kerry M on February 10th, 2012 12:31 pm

    Can I recommend a non-book blog, or is that cheating? Seth Godin’s blog (aptly called “Seth’s Blog”). He posts almost every day, sometimes a few paragraphs, sometimes just a few words. Today’s entire post: “It’s never too late… to start heading in the right direction.” It’s technically a marketing blog, but he often has posts that expand outside the strict realm of marketing and are more inspirational in nature. Although I hate to call them inspirational, because it just sounds cheesy.
    Kerry M´s last [type] ..Audiobook Review: The Illumination, by Kevin Brockmeier

  29. nicole on February 10th, 2012 3:31 pm

    Thanks so much for the mention—especially since you had to cheat to include me!
    nicole´s last [type] ..“That’s what Arturo Belano was like, a stupid, conceited peacock.”

  30. Jennie on February 10th, 2012 5:32 pm

    Aside from my own, my two favorite book blogs are: http://www.lovelylittleshelf.com and http://www.bookhookedblog.com

  31. Sheila (Book Journey) on February 12th, 2012 7:14 am

    Can I live through you on this one? I used to be really good at getting out and seeing new blogs but lately if you don’t come to me first I don’t find them…. sad but true. :)

    I hope to break that habit soon as I love visiting blogs new and old and seeing what everyone s reading ;)
    Sheila (Book Journey)´s last [type] ..The Eyre Of My Ways…

  32. Joan on February 24th, 2012 10:03 am

    I love your blog and get many of my next read here, thank you for a wonderful review. I also go to The Book Report , to listen to Elaine Charles, you can find it here – http://bookreportradio.com

  33. Book Blogs Showcase | Second Hand Books Online on March 30th, 2012 5:34 am

    [...] Recommend the Most Exciting New Book Blogs? | The Book Lady’s … [...]

  34. Rita on July 29th, 2012 3:42 pm

    I second http://www.lovelylittleshelf.com/ :)
    Rita´s last [type] ..Распродажа гаджетов

  35. du hoc on November 20th, 2012 9:49 pm

    Can I take a portion of your post to my website?

  36. Rebecca Joines Schinsky on November 26th, 2012 3:12 pm

    No.

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