From: Bridget Zinn <bezinn>
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 14:34:12 -0700

I don't think of blogs as something I read in addition to everything else in a How Do I Find Time to Do This sort of way, I use them primarily to procrastinate. Like if I'm tired and not ready to start the next project, I'll check my blog reader to see what's going on with someone else. Preferably someone who's life is more interesting than mine and who will either entertain me, recommend books I haven't read, or both. I get maybe half of my book recommendations from blogs and list serves and half from regular review sources. Online resources are especially great for book recs because I can just copy and paste interesting books into the online library catalog and voila! Constant stream of steady books.

Some of my favorites have already been mentioned. Sarah Dessen has a great online voice -- somehow very reassuring and sweet. Lots of pop culture and a surprising number of recommendations for adult books. Read Roger is always a good read. Fuse 8, of course. Libba Bray's blog is totally entertaining as someone mentioned, though she doesn't update much or make many recommendations for books.

Some that I don't think have been mentioned, though I might have just missed them: Meg Cabot -- super funny, has a mansion in Florida with a swimming pool AND a waterfall, plus she hangs out with Judy Blume. Very entertaining and fun to read when it's snowing. She recommends mostly chick lit books. Neil Gaiman -- he has cuddled panda bears in China. It is so much fun following his almost constant world travels plus all of the books he talks about are in that Oh I Probably Should Have Read That category
(for me at least). Maureen Johnson -- she is completely insane which is why I love her blog. She talks about books now and then, but this one is mostly pure entertainment. The recent YA Author Mansion post where all of the YA authors live together in different wings was especially funny. Justine Larbalestier -- v. funny and blogs a lot about writing and being a writer. And Australia. And some sport she follows that I can't remember the name of.

I don't know about other people, but I'm definitely more apt to read a book by one of these authors with entertaining blogs. Not just because I found them entertaining to begin with -- I started reading Sarah Dessen's blog before I ever picked up one of her books and I got so hooked on her blog, it made me want to read everything she'd ever written. Have other people found themselves being influenced this way?

Way back when I was a youth services librarian (one whole month ago) we reviewed books for a teen book blog and we never got a whole lot of feedback. Teens didn't post many comments nor did other children's lit professionals. We still felt like it had value -- maybe people were just getting book recommendations and leaving, but it was frustrating never knowing if it was effective or who the audience was. Were people using it as a reference or merely to procrastinate (like me)? Or a little of both (also like me)? Were they reading it at all?

Bridget

Bridget Zinn Writer, Ex-Librarian Portland, OR www.bridgetzinn.com/blog (of course)
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Received on Wed 09 Jul 2008 04:34:12 PM CDT