6 Literary Bloggers You'll Love
[image description: a black and white photo of a woman with dark, curly hair, wearing a white dress while sitting on a couch and reading a book. She’s holding the book up so that it covers her face and a lamp shines overhead.]
I’ve been thinking a lot about labor lately. Not just because, as I write this, yesterday was Labor Day here in the US, or because workers in my city are unionizing in droves, or because I’ve had the privilege of writing about these union organizing efforts for local publications. Yes, all that is part of it, but the main reason I’ve been thinking about labor is that I can’t help lamenting what is lost when people get burned out doing something they love.
I started Off the Beaten Shelf in 2014 and have been keeping it up consistently. But in the years I’ve been blogging about books, I’ve seen blogs older and more established than mine shut down when their creators got burned out. And more recently, I’ve seen book blogs that got started during the pandemic shut down because their creators now have less time and more responsibility than they did while the coronavirus was at its most frightening. I’ve seen so many blogs I enjoyed and admired suddenly stop publishing one day, and it breaks my heart. (Though of course I support the creators in doing what’s best for them!)
Blogging can, at times, be a thankless job, so that’s why I want to shout out six literary bloggers who are doing amazing work that I think you’ll enjoy too. I say “literary bloggers” instead of “book bloggers” because not all of them write about books; some write original poetry and others talk about the craft of writing. All in all, they’re books and literature-adjacent and have inspired me in my writing, reading, and blogging life.
Without further ado and in no particular order…
Strong Sense of Place
Melissa Joulwan and her partner, David, are living the dream! They left the US with their cat, Smudge, to be ex-pats in Prague and have countless adventures. Together they run Strong Sense of Place, a website and podcast all about literary travel. They’re delightful and I’ve picked up so many fantastic book recommendations from them. And did I mention Melissa literally wrote the book on flat-track roller derby?! Just another reason to love her.
Christopher Couch
Poet, friend, dapper gent with a fabulous beard, and all-around lovely human, Christopher Couch is a poet who generously shares his work on his blog, CLCouch123. I don’t know about you, but it takes me FOREVER to write a poem, so I’m in awe of how he manages to crank out beautifully written pieces every day. I appreciate his eye for detail and finding the extraordinary in the everyday. He’s also great to talk to, so don’t be afraid to reach out!
See Jane Write
I’ve been in See Jane Write, a writing group for women (and nonbinary folks) since 2011 and I’ve learned so much about writing. The founder, Javacia Harris Bowser, taught me that keeping a blog can help improve my writing, as well as my time management and consistency around my craft. Javacia knows this from experience, having started her blog like 15 or so years ago now and gotten freelance work, speaking gigs, and more because of it. It’s full of helpful tips for writers at any stage of their career.
Keeping Up With the Penguins
I’ll admit, I’m not 100% sure what the phrase “keeping up with the penguins” means, but the creator of the blog, Sheree, lives in New South Wales, Australia, so I imagine it as the Australian version of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Either way, her blog is super fun and makes me see the classics in a new light. Even though I have a literature degree, there are so many classic novels I haven’t read, and even when I feel too burned out to engage with anything that might have been something I should’ve picked apart in the classroom, Sheree’s perspective makes me reconsider. Thanks to her, I’ve got a whole pile of classics I’m planning to read. Even better: classics aren’t the only books she writes about! She’s incredibly well-read and enjoys a variety of literature.
Bookish Wanderess
I recently found Sofia’s blog and I love how she highlights Latinx authors! I found Bookish Wanderess because I wanted to read more books like Mexican Gothic and The Hacienda, and Sofia really delivered. She’s extremely well-versed in Latinx literature and hosts Latinx Book Bingo and the Latinx Book Club. I appreciate her commitment to reading diversely and sharing her knowledge so that others can do the same.
Alexa Loves Books
Another blog I recently rediscovered (because it turns out I’ve been coming across her posts on and off for years!) is Alexa Loves Books! She’s been blogging since 2011 and I appreciate her dedication and consistency. She also reads widely and I think it’s cool how she and her husband tag team on posts. I’m a little jealous that she lives in NYC with so many fantastic bookstores but thrilled that she also shares her adventures around the city so I can live vicariously from my little house in Ohio.
There you have it! These are just six of the marvelous literary bloggers I follow. I hope you’ll decide to check them out too and if you know of a literary blogger I should follow, let me know!
