Blog Recommendations.

I'm in a writing kind of a mood tonight and in addition to working on my WIP, I decided some blog posts, other than reviews, might be in order.

I follow quite a few blogs and I am horrible about commenting. Sometimes I feel I don't have anything intelligent to say, so I just keep my mouth shut (or my fingers still). Commenting regularly is something I continue to work on, so forgive me if I randomly just stop commenting on your blog. I don't mean to.

But I do read a lot of blog entries. Generally speaking I am a very fast reader. While some classics challenge this skill, I can read at least 2-3 pages per minute, if not more.

In any case, there are a few blogs that I am loving, so I thought I would share some links and some info about the bloggers to steer you in the direction of some fabulous reviews (I tried to limit myself to only a handful, but I'll be sure to post more soon)!

• Amanda at The Zen Leaf: This is one of those blogs I read every post because the books she chooses are just so interesting. Amanda is very intelligent and that shines through in the way she discusses literature. I also like that she is open, honest, and reads a variety of things. Her blog focuses a lot on the classics, which is great, as not that many seem to. She is also hosting that Bleak House read-a-long that I should be up to date with (but I'm not), is home to Classics Blogger Directory, and let's face it, is an all around all-star. If she's not on your feed, she should be. Trust me.
• Jillian at A Room of One's Own: Jillian is a relatively new-to-me blogger who takes after my own challenge. She originally started with 100 books, and has progressed up to her own list of 250 books she wants to read. They are a combination of classics, children's literature, and contemporary fiction. Each of her posts is well-written and I feel a strong kinship to her. We both view our independent projects in the same light-the urge to read these important works as fast as we can. I admire her for her own project and wish her well.
  
• Pam from 100 Books. 100 Journeys.: The focus of Pam's blog is to read the Modern Library's 100 best books from the last century. It includes similar titles to my own, but Pam is reading them down from #100! I know that I have to pick and choose my own novels at will, so I love that she boldly reads each novel in order! I love that her own project started around the same time as my own. I love reading her posts and seeing how her thoughts compare to mine. She is an excellent writer-you need to go visit her. :)
• The Avid Reader's Musings: This is another favorite! She focuses on all kinds of literature: from contemporary to classics to young adult. You can count on her reviews being well-written and insightful. I read her reviews of YA books as a guilty pleasure, since I won't be reading the books any time soon. :) I also love that she has lists of the books she has read in past years (before blogging). It gives great insight into the kind of reader she is!
• The Literate Man: It is safe to say that most of the book blogger world is dominated by females, so when you find a guy reviewing books, its glorious. The author of this blog also reads a diverse mix-including many classics! I love seeing his views on these great works, and how they differ from my own. His reviews are well-written and thoughtful, which is something I appreciate!
• Kathy at The Literary Amnesiac: This is another blogger who likes her classics (are you sensing a theme yet?). Her posts are original and fun! My favorites include her "Words of the Day" which highlight those difficult words we all stumble over. She has a very effortless writing style and gives deeper insight rather than just another review.
  
• Park Benches and Bookends: This is a blog written by a couple (Jessica and Chris) and that is one of the main reasons I love it. They both write posts and share their blog as a common place to talk about the books they read. Jessica participated in my Cranford read-a-long, which is how I discovered their wonderful blog. They are both excellent reviewers and I love seeing how their reading tastes differ.
• Iris from Iris on Books: Iris is a blogger I discovered shortly after she started her blog. I have been reading for so long that Iris seems like a long-lost friend. :) Her posts are always beautifully written. She explores a lot of classic literature in addition to small-press novels. She's starting her own classics project in the new year, which will be really exciting to read about!

I hope that I have steered you towards some new blogs to read! Do you have any suggestions for me? I am always looking for new blogs!