close up shot of a book opening50 Best Western Literature Blogs

Ever get the inkling to discuss Flaubert, Twain, Proust or the other thousands of brilliant past and contemporary authors, but your friends and family just aren't interested? Don't worry - you're in the perfect place. We've compiled a list of the 50 best blogs dedicated to Western literature that reach all scopes: everything from book reviews and analyses to author interviews and what it takes to become a great writer.  So, grab your reading glasses (that is, only if you need them) and let's get to reading!

Top Five

  1. A Room of One's Own: This is our pick for the best Western literature blog and here's why: In addition to her insightful book reviews and giving the readers her own opinions about literature, the editor invites compelling discussion (there are over 20 comments for most of her posts). She also brings up great questions we can all ask ourselves, i.e., "Why is it that a person who looks for the good in a book is considered a weak reader, while a person who looks for the bad is considered a critical reader?"
  2. Maud Newton: This is a great online source for not only literature, but also news and the author's very funny rants. She also announces important events, like the "Girls Write Now's 2011 Chapters Lineup" that we might never have known about unless we stumbled across this blog.
  3. A Commonplace Blog: D.G. Meyers is an author, critic and literary historian at Ohio State University whose blog covers an entire spectrum of Western literature. He spends a good amount of time focusing on Jewish literature (he specializes in Jewish studies) but also writes about brilliant minds such as Sigmund Freud and Edith Wharton.
  4. The Elegant Variation: This blog has been chosen as a Top 10 Literary Blog and was even reviewed by NPR, and it's no accident -- insightful and updated almost weekly, this blog is a great source for book reviews, author interviews, and writing tips, among hundreds of other categories pertaining to literature.
    • Why We Love It: This is a funny, honest blog by a UCLA English professor.
    • Favorite Post: The Summer of Roth
  5. A Reader's Journal: The blog is simple and focuses all its energy on book reviews. It's a wonderful website for those who are always looking for the next book to read. A Reader's Journal can help to narrow that choice down.
    • Why We Love It: There's no beating around the bush, no advertisements or hidden agendas -- the author of this blog gives book review after book review upon completing a novel.
    • Favorite Post: Bury Your Dead

The Rest of the Best

  • 5 Minutes for Books: We love the idea behind this blog; we all know (or most of us, at least) that finding time to read can be difficult. This blog, headed by Jennifer Donovan, stresses that even if you're busy with your job, family, school, whatever, you can still allot five minutes a day to read. Donovan, along with her team, focuses on book reviews, giveaways, books on screen, as well as a monthly "What's on Your Nightstand" carnival post.
  • A Book a Week: In her About Me page, the author says she's read a book a week for over 25 years. That is an astonishing statistic. Thus, we can assume she knows what she's talking about having read enough books with which to fill a Barnes and Noble. Her blog concentrates mostly on literary fiction but she also discusses mysteries, fantasies and nonfiction literature occasionally. On the sidebar is a comprehensive index of all the books she's read since 2006 (that's over 260 books, folks!).
  • A Book Lover: Brittanie loves to read, and demonstrates that to us in her blog, A Book Lover. She gives us a list each Monday about what she read last week (sometimes it's up to three books in a week!), what she is currently reading (as many as 10 books at a time), as well as what she is going to read next. There's also the occasional post about cooking and baking.
  • All Things Literary. All Things Natural.: Under the blog title, the Page Lambert writes, "A blog for those who desire a more creative relationship with the natural world." We love this blog because of its goal to connect people, through books, with nature, which is often ignored in today's digital age. Lambert spends a great deal of time reviewing outdoorsy books or books about animals. This blog is for anyone who loves the outdoors.
  • Bianca's Book Blog: Bianca's Book Blog focuses heavily on writing book and author reviews. Our favorite post is "Sodom and Gomorrah" (Marcel Proust), and as any literary fan knows, Proust is always an extremely difficult author to tackle. Bianca does a great job, providing us with a summary, critique and analysis in all her reviews.
  • Blog of a Bookslut: The title says it all - Jessa absolutely loves to read, as is evident by the frequency of her posts. She gives us her honest opinions about books and authors, and she really knows her stuff. She even talks about independent bookstores you can visit if you're ever in, let's say, Greece (she recommends Atlantis Books if you happen to stop by the island of Santorini in Greece).
  • Book a Week with Jen: It's in the title - Jen reads a book per week and posts a review about it afterward. We'll say it again just for more emphasis: She reads ONE BOOK PER WEEK! How many of us can't find the time to read more than a couple books in a year? Jen is a freelance writer who has been featured in the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Men's Fitness just to name a few. This blog is another great source for book reviews, and if you haven't got the time to read a book per week, at least you can feel somewhat ambitious reading a book review per week.
  • Book Dwarf: Book Dwarf is a blog devoted primarily to book reviews. The editor gets very detailed in his reviews, naming point-of-view along with other literary devices used in each book he's read. On the sidebar are comprehensive lists of every book he's read since 2006. He's also got a dog named Lucy, whose pictures are just too adorable for words!
  • Book Haven: This is a blog by Cynthia Haven, a professor at Stanford University. She delves deep into history and provides awesome videos of news, interviews, documentary clips, etc. of everything that can possibly relate to literature. The woman really knows her stuff and dedicates whole pages to esteemed authors like George Orwell (a must-read article!).
  • Book Lust: Patricia Storms is an illustrator and cartoonist specializing in children's and humor illustrations. This blog serves as a place for her many musings on books, cartoons, and everything else that art encompasses. A great blog for anybody interested in children's books, cartoons, or illustration.
  • Book Patrol: Book Patrol is a great source for all things books. On the top is a hilarious picture of Gustave Flaubert, author of the famous novel, "Madame Bovary" -- the picture actually serves as a great metaphor for the blog: serious but lighthearted. The editor posts interesting YouTube videos about National Library Week, Andy Rooney's take on e-books, and John Grisham on the value of libraries, to name a few. He reviews his favorite books and keeps us updated on current events.
  • Book Ride: This is a very interesting blog. Unlike the other blogs on this list, Book Ride is a guide to the most wanted and collected books. They evaluate the reason the book is wanted, what it's worth and a range of selling prices. For instance, they list the first edition (in jacket) of "Rogue Male," by Geoffrey Household, anywhere from $3,200 to $6,500. In addition, they give us some trivia and anecdotes about each book. Even if you don't have $5,000 to spend on a book, it's still worth checking out.
  • Book Storm: Book Storm is another blog dedicated to book reviews. What's great about this blog is the simplicity of its appearance as well as the actual content itself. He gives us bullet points many times, so it's easy on the eyes. He also includes excerpts from authors themselves.
  • Book Surfer: This is an awesome resource for poetry, prose, libraries, etc. Each post discusses a subject matter, let's say poetry classics, then links to another website where you can find more helpful information on that particular subject. It's a very straightforward, helpful resource for anyone looking for information on literature.
  • Book World: We love the mission of the blog: "One woman's attempt to read what's worth reading and say something about it along the way." She is definitely able to say a lot of worthwhile things in her blog. She digs deep into every review and provides us with interesting interviews, notes and everything in between of famous authors. On both sidebars are comprehensive lists of favorite books she's read by year.
  • Books, Inq.: This blog was featured on The Sunday Times' Top 100 Best Blogs of 2009, and it's no wonder: There is both outstanding quality and quantity on this site. Multiple editors and writers contribute daily, and there can be up to 30-40 posts in a single day. Sure, that would be a lot to read, but readers have so many options to choose from! They review books, cast interviews with authors, and discuss the intricacies that make literature so great.
  • Conversational Reading: Scott Esposito uses this blog mainly to scribble down his various thoughts on Western literature. Some of his reviews have been published by Barnes and Noble. He's got a great group of lists on the sidebar: 20 Must-Read Poetry Books, One-Paragraph and/or One-Sentence Books (what could possibly be better than that!), My Favorite Reads of 2010, etc.
  • Conversations with Writers: The blog is dedicated to interviewing writers, publishers and literary activists, which is awesome for any aspiring writer who's curious about other writers' techniques, their creative processes, how they handle rejection, etc. The organization of the blog makes it easy and accessible for all readers.
  • Crime Always Pays: This blog shares the "latest news, reviews, gossip and slander about the dicks, dames and desperados of (mostly) Irish crime fiction." If novels of simple romance or coming-of-age novels bore you, and what really stirs your imagination are crime stories, this is a great source for you! Declan Burke definitely knows what he's talking about, having written multiple crime novels himself.
  • Death by Killing: This blog is different from the rest on the list because it focuses solely on short stories. Many of us don't have time to read a 700-page "Harry Potter" book or any volume of Proust's "In Search of Lost Time." Therein lies a good reason (among plenty others) to read short stories, which many critics argue is harder to write than full-length fiction. Here's a blog where you can send in a review of a short story and if the editors like it, you could have a spot on the website.
  • Dovegreyreader Scribbles: The author writes in her biography, "Sharing a love of good books is the plan, and I only write about books I've loved, books that have touched me, engaged me emotionally and captured my imagination." It's evident in her posts that this is absolutely true - there's a real tangible passion for literature that makes this blog very worthwhile. As of recent, she's spent a good chunk of time discussing Tolstoy (author of world-famous "War and Peace").
  • Emerging Writers Network: The goal of this blog is to create a community of emerging writers and help them as they work and struggle to eventually publish something for other people to read. It's a wonderful online community and recommends all types of prose for aspiring writers to study and critique so they can become better writers themselves. The blog also serves as a source for book reviews. We recommend this blog to anybody who wants to become a published writer someday.
  • Fiction Bitch: We love the name of the blog because Elizabeth Baines is, essentially, a fiction snob. This means she is extremely well read and knowledgeable about fiction. Baines is a published novelist published by a company called Salt. The blog is very personal; she talks about the awful truths of publishing, observations about women writers vs. men writers, the physical act of writing and the psychological problem that comes with it, among many other things. A must-read blog for any fan of writing.
  • Golden Rule Jones: This is another blog that covers all aspects of literature, from poetry to prose to grammar to spelling. There's actually a post called 19 Variations on the Spelling of "Mosquito," which we found incredibly interesting (who knew mosquito could be spelled with an 'r'?).
  • I've Been Reading Lately: This blog is straight and to the point: Levi Stahl reads a book then shares with the online world his thoughts and interpretations of the book. His tweets on the sidebar are also relevant to literature. "'Shakespeare--whetting, frustrating, surprising and gratifying.' -- F. Scott Fitzgerald notebook entry" is an example of one of his tweets. Well, if even Fitzgerald found Shakespeare frustrating, we can all remember that next time we struggle to read, well, anything. A great blog for any book lover!
  • Incurable Logophilia: We love this blog because it's very profound. "I read because storytelling and metaphor, symbolism and dialogue are all innately connected to who we are as human beings. And who we want to be as human beings," Michelle shares in her biography. This blog brings up great questions about literature and about how human beings relate to the literature and the world around them. Also, Michelle provides a comprehensive book list with links for the reader who is undecided about what to read next.
  • Inside Books: Simon Quicke's passion is literature, which is very evident upon just a glance at his blog. His reviews of crime dramas, fantasies, classics, etc. are compelling, honest, funny and provocative. He's got a great archive starting from 2007 of books he recommends. If you're stumped on what novel to pick up next, here's a fantastic source at your disposal!
  • Kate's Book Blog: Kate digs deep to find information most of us normally wouldn't be able to find. She has a post that will make any literature fan's heart race and eyes light up: "Edgar Allen Poe on Charles Dickens." Are you serious right now?! The post is a word-for-word excerpt by Poe himself, esteeming the author known best for writing "Moby Dick." A must read. Kate also spends a good amount of time reviewing her favorite books.
  • La Bloga: La Bloga ("The Blog" in Spanish) is written by Chicano/Chicana and Latino/Latina authors, novelists, essayists and poets. They concentrate primarily on Hispanic literature of all kinds. They post poems for their readers to enjoy (our favorite being "For the Capitol Nine," by Francisco Alarcon). This is a great website for those interested in literature with Hispanic backgrounds or subject matter.
  • Light Reading: Jenny Davidson, who teaches English and comparative literature at Columbia University, dedicates this blog to her lighter readings. No worries, though, she's still discussing Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway" and Camus' "The Stranger" plenty. Davidson has published three novels and two academic books in her career. She is incredibly knowledgeable about literature and every post always has something memorable to take away from it.
  • Literary Kicks: What's great about this blog is that the Levi Asher, the editor, delves deep into aspects of philosophy, history, and current events as well as modern Western literature. We love this blog for its honesty, introspection and level of thought put into each post, whether it be about egoism, the importance of Jay-Z, or a simple book review.
  • Loaded Questions: Loaded Questions is an all-literary-purpose blog, focusing on book reviews, author interviews and other literary news out in the world. It's very informative and insightful. The post Historical Fiction Evolves in the Digital Age by Robin Maxwell (printed first in the Huffington Post) is a must read for any fan of literature.
  • Midwestern Literature: This blog, which explores drama, poetry and prose in the U.S. heartland, is run by English professor Arvid Sponberg, who teaches at Valparaiso University in Indiana. It's a really cool site -- rarely does Sponberg post himself, but his English students are usually the ones who contribute to the blog's content. The blog, in addition to giving reviews and analyses, explains various literary devices, which is very helpful for us who can't tell the difference between metonymy and synecdoche (or who don't know what either of them is).
  • Nathan Bransford: Bransford is the author of the book "Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow," which is listed on his blog. Unlike most other literature blogs we've ranked, this one doesn't focus so much on book reviews as it does on the life of an author and what it takes to become a successful author. He gives tips on how to get your written work out there for the public to see, as well as advice for struggling writers who feel it just isn't in the cards for them to become full-time writers. This is definitely a great source for any aspiring writer.
  • Of Books and Bicycles: The author's goal for her blog is to share her love of literature as well as her love for cycling. "I'm a book lover, an English teacher, and an avid cyclist," she writes in her About Me section. Her blog focuses heavily on contemporary literary fiction and classic novels, but she delves into other genres like mystery, memoirs as well as non-fiction prose and poetry, too.
  • On the Writers' Road Less Traveled: Alyssa Goodnight shares in her About Me that she has "a bit of a crush on Jane Austen," which is always a plus when considering the taste of a reader. We love this blog because it's a depiction of the daily struggle of a woman who wants to become a successful writer. Goodnight writes about the ups and downs, ins and outs and every turn in between as she tries to get her work published. In addition, she writes plenty of book reviews that focus on the woman. This is a wonderful blog for any aspiring writer.
  • Pete Lit: Pete Anderson, whose blog is about "Literary rants, off-the-cuff insights and the occasional rant," absolutely loves literature and writing. He got his first short story titled "Mahalia" published in April of 2011, in the debut issue of Midwestern Gothic, a journal out of Michigan. His conviction shows in his posts, as he celebrates deceased authors' birthdays, shares wonderful quotes from novelists and poems he finds captivating.
  • Reading Matters: Reading Matters emphasizes book reviews of mostly modern and contemporary fiction. It's a great source for readers who can't stand to read the classics (or have read all of them they're ready to move on), because here they'll find countless exciting new reads to choose from.
  • Reading to Know: At the top of the page, the headline reads: "Everywhere I have sought rest and not found it, except sitting in a corner by myself with a little book." That quote is from Thomas Kempis, medieval monk and author of "The Imitation of Christ." It's such a great quote, especially for this blog, because Carrie, the site's editor, does just that: She's a stay-at-home mom who loves to read and review books. There's a real sense of joy in each review she posts, and not only does she review our typical novel but also children's novels, too. This is a great source for book reviews of all types of literature (there's even a sidebar that lists genres of book reviews to make it easier for the reader).
  • So Many Books: Stefanie Hollmichel's blog is a great resource for book reviews. It's also ridiculously funny! She writes, "This blog is about what I'm reading and not reading (as sometimes happens), what I want to read and what I am considering reading. There is also occasional agonizing over reading, not reading, what I want to read and what I am considering reading." Her blog has been in various top literary blogs lists.
  • The Age of Sand: This blog focuses mostly on contemporary arts and current events. The editor ponders the reliability of the ebook and the Kindle as they relate to poetry (the structure of "Vision 1948" by Allen Ginsberg looks different in its original print from its current print in the Kindle). He reviews books and takes a look at the art of filmmaking and craftsmanship as well.
  • The Drowning Machine: Not only is this blog a place for book reviews, but it's also a place where writers can submit their stories to be judged and awarded. At the end of each post is an assignment for anyone who wants to partake. It's a fun, book-loving online community for aspiring writers and avid readers.
  • The Mumpsimus: This blog, written by published novelist and English professor Matthew Cheney, focuses primarily on reviewing books as well as providing readers with anecdotes and tips by other writers. Every now and then he injects his own opinion about what he's excited to read or of his favorite books ever.
  • The Official Blog of the Western Literature Association: Here's another great blog devoted strictly to literature from the Midwest. The blog does its fair share of book reviews, but also focuses heavily on the culture and pop culture in the U.S. heartland. What's really cool about this particular blog is that anyone can submit a post, and as long as it checks through with the editors, it will have a chance to go up on the actual website.
  • The Page: The Page is a very simple yet compelling blog. Each day new poems, quotes, essays and ideas are listed for all the fans of literature out there to enjoy. The archive dates back to 2005, so if you have an extra moment, it's worth perusing this blog for great works of literature.

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