Even though I've been dabbling in blogging/content creation since 2007, I've just recently "found myself" as it relates to what kind of blog I want to write as I've been preparing for an online blogging class I'm taking from Kim Postell of BlogWithKim.com that starts in January. I signed up for the class at the end of November, but I was so excited about what I'll learn in the class to overhaul my blog that I've been doing somewhat of a blog case study on blogs that are similar to mine to get a head start.
It's been pretty difficult to find other literary lifestyle/book bloggers of color, but most of the websites listed here do a great job of focusing on writers of color in addition to a wide variety of writers from various backgrounds. These are some of my favorite book-centered blogs and websites that have inspired many of the changes on this blog that you may have noticed and will notice in the future.
ForHarriet.com's The Culture
I've watched ForHarriet grow from a blog with a few contributors to a full media group that covers all things Black Girl Magic. ForHarriet's sister website, The Culture, covers music, film, TV, and other cultural topics in general, but although it does not solely focus on books, there's some great book lists, book reviews, and book news pieces on the site that will help novice readers and advanced readers develop reading lists full of quality literary works by black women. Just search "books" or "booklists" in the search bar.
Jouelzy's SmartBrownGirl Book Store
One of my biggest blogger role models is Jouelzy due to her ability to combine social commentary, pop culture, and literary discussion together with a bubbly, best friend-in-my-head type of vibe. She's gained most of her following from her YouTube page, from which she's written a book, launched her SmartBrownGirls brand, and now this bookstore gives us a look at some of the books that have shaped her into the personality that she is today.
African Book Addict
If you love to read books by authors from all over the African diaspora, African Book Addict should definitely be on your short list of blogs you frequent regularly. From graphic novels to cook books to young adult titles to literary fiction, this blog celebrates the rich literary tradition of African descended people.
Brown Girl Reading
browngirlreading.com
This blog covers a variety of different genres of books by authors from a variety of backgrounds, but the blog author's experience as an American who has lived in France for over 2o years gives a unique voice to her reviews about what she reads. If you are in charge of a book club, this blog is a great tool to use to discover new books to present to your club since this blogger frequently reviews books she's read for her book club.
Modern Mrs. Darcy
So, this blog doesn't necessarily highlight writers of color, but I had to include it because I've been so inspired by its design and execution. Anne Bogel, the creator of the Modern Mrs. Darcy literary lifestyle blog, seems to be one of the most popular literary bloggers I've come across with over 724,000 page views per month and over 51,000 people who follow her on her social media accounts. One of my favorite features of her blog is her Other People's Bookshelves series in which she interviews notable people through discussing the selections on their bookshelves. It's such a wonderful way to illustrate how a person's literary choices tell us a lot about who they are in ways that conventional interview questions can't. I'm working on a version of that series for this blog in 2016.
Are there any great literary blogs that I've missed that you think I should check out? Let me know in the comments!