Monday, September 14, 2009

A few fave creatures of the blog world

Hey! What is going on here! I had my calendar wrong. Today is not the day to meanly discuss blogs that were shortlisted instead of me. Today is the day to talk about non-nominated favorite blogs. Okay. Ahem. Getting with the BBAW program.

I have so many blogs I love! I track them on my sidebar, so I always know what they're up to. Like Mrs. Kravitz of the blog world. Here are a few I'm greatly enjoying lately.

You know how great it is when you find a reviewer you can really count on to steer you right? That's Renee for me--part English Lit nerd, part urban fantasy/paranormal/romance/and more connoisseur. And on top of it, a wonderful and lovely person who I'm sure, if I lived in LA, I would be stalking her to make her be my gal pal. Some days she has posts where she does a lot of shortie recaps or a lot of previews on a whole string of books. Then other times, she'll go in depth to discuss just one book, usually with a fresh and insightful take. Her recent post on the romance-like arc within non-romantic male friendships in Kelley Armstrong's Men of the Otherworld was absolutely inspired.

This is a new-to-me blog, sort of. And another smart set of reviews that are a pleasure to read, because they mix personality with strong, thoughtful, often entertaining opinions. I almost like a Rebecca review best when I disagree with her, because she supports her ideas well, and makes me rethink things, makes me kick the tires of my own opinions. She also runs a book club, and does these video opinions on the books. I found last month's entry highly entertaining. This month the club is doing Agnes and the Hitman by Cruisie and Mayer.

I think it's safe to say that Tumperkin marches to her own damn drummer. She reviews a very unusual mix of books, a lot of historical, with some contemporary, UF and paranormal thrown in. She'll often discuss wider concepts, like this post on Outsider Heroines, which pulled in Patricia Briggs' Hunting Ground, Patricia Gaffney's To Have And To Hold, as well as books by Jane Austen, Kresley Cole, Judith Ivory (who she has a total thing for!) and others. And though she may not be familiar with this term, she is part of the slow blogging movement. Tumperkin will often go days without putting up a post. But then she'll often come out with something you can really chew on for a week. She also contributes to the infamous Racy Romance Reviews.

Leave a comment and let me know a blog you've been digging lately that I ought to be nosily watching in my sidebar.

13 comments:

Stacy~ said...

Wow, there are just so many! But if I have to choose one right now, I'm really into Mandi's blog: http://smexybooks.blogspot.com/

Btw, your's really rocks too, you know!

Renee said...

Awww, you gave me the warm fuzzies, CJ!

Thank you, so much. Right back at you!

I have to say, when I post one of my more off the wall posts like the non-romance romance one, I always know that you'll get what I'm trying to say.

BTW, can I keep that "part English Lit nerd, part urban fantasy/paranormal/romance/and more connoisseur" as my new tag line?

I'd have to say, I rush right over when I see a new review by AnimeJune over at Gossamer Obsessions:
http://gossamerobsessions.blogspot.com/

I love her review structure and wicked sense of humor.

Carolyn Crane said...

Stacy: Right! Smexy! I love Smexy!

Renee: Oh, AnimeJune's is one I'm just starting to read, and I really love it too. How did I not get hip to her earlier?

Mandi said...

Thanks for the love Stacy! It is so hard to pick just one. Stacy has been adding to my tbr quite frequently lately!! I keep telling her I am sending the bill. She just laughs..uh huh. ;)

One of my favs is Doug at scifi guy. Just a great blog.

Donna said...

I need go over & check these out.

Hm, I like going over TJ's place Book Love Affair, she feeds my love for Urban Fantasy. And I look forward to your posts, you seem to always think on the other side of the coin. Love that! :)

Anonymous said...

Infamous? Infamous?!

Tracy said...

Love Renee's blog and of course Tumperkin's as well. I'll have to agree with Renee's Gossamer Obsessions - she's got a great sense of humor.

Joanna Chambers said...

How very kind you are. You are a bright star in the firmament of the blogiverse; a cheerful ice cream van touring the streets of Romancelandia handing out ninety-nines.

orannia said...

Cj - you're not helping me manage my blog list, which, like my TBR list, keeps expanding! I love Renee's blog...haven't visited the others, but I will be changing that ASAP *grin*

Tumperkin - you so have a way with words :)

Hilcia said...

Aww CJ great post. You've already chosen some of my favorites!

There are so many wonderful blogs I enjoy, if I start to name them all and why, you'll have a post on your comments area. I'm that verbose.;P

KT Grant said...

if blogs were books, I would collect them all! :D

Rebecca @ DSB said...

CJ - What do you mean "when I disagree with her?" NO ONE disagrees with me - EVER. I'm like God passing out the manna on DSB.

Who needs BBAW when I'm shortlisted here on The Thrillionth Page? I'm going to have the biggest cowboy menage in November, when our book club theme will be "Ride a Cowboy, Save a Horse," so I'll probably be blacklisted next year anyway.

You are too kind to spotlight my blog, and I'll get to work writing some reviews that are chock-full of extra smelly bull-crap. Just for you, CJ.

Rebecca @ DSB said...
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