| By Lynn on Book News During the last several years (and still gaining momentum), the blogosphere has exploded with incredible richness and variation. Included as a subculture of the World Wide Web are explorations into the bookish experience, from reviews on modern literature to opinions regarding book fairs; from glimpses of exquisite incunabula to discoveries of fine and unusual bindings. These book blogs are a marvelous mix—entertaining, well-written, and encompassing all facets of book-oriented lives. I’ve listed below (in no particular order) five such sites, which I enjoy. As a matter of disclosure, I have corresponded with all save one of the originators of these blogs. They are a mix, but it is obvious to me that the authors of these blogs enjoy their association with books and others in the book world—such joie de vivre, such enthusiasm, such interest. - Bibliophile Bullpen: J. Godsey covers a broad spectrum of books and includes personal notes too. The result is an engaging peek into the life of a bookseller and book reader. Book fairs, interviews, discovered books, and book events are all covered. Every day is a sumptuous smorgasbord.
- StarDotStar Books Blog Space: The originator of this new blog, Bruce Tober, writes principally about books and the Internet book world, and his impressions of them. While never at a loss for an opinion, his writing is engaging and forceful—definitely compelling. I don’t necessarily agree with all his views, but I do find them thought-provoking, and he is willing to back them with examples and documentation. He is across the ocean, but next door in the wonderful wide world of the Web.
- Grumpy Old Bookman: This blog and the originator, Michael Allen, also hail from across the ocean. He posts nearly every day, on mostly all-things-British, including books, theatre, film, music, authors, events, and other blogs. The Bookman provides a completely different and enchanting perspective of the book world. He is a scholar with a scholar’s command of the English language and a broad understanding of the world around him.
- Fine Books Blog: Scott Brown, the very fine editor of the magazine Fine Books & Collections, maintains an almost daily blog of interesting book and book-related topics. The writing in this blog is crisp and sharp, much like the magazine. He finds such interesting book topics; it’s almost like reading the magazine on a daily basis, and I like reading the magazine.
- Cuppa Joad: Although this blog is a relative newcomer, it covers many interesting books and events, and works toward a universal approach toward books. It maintains a light touch while covering such heavyweight topics as the British Library’s marvelous Web inventions. It’s fun and interesting reading, and I usually check daily for items of interest. If you are reading this commentary, you have obviously found this site.
Editor’s note: We at Cuppa Joad enjoy Lynn’s frequent posts, which not only give us writing breaks but also make our blog a better place. If you’d also like to blog about books, please join us! If you have discovered other interesting book blogs, I encourage you to drop a line in the comments section of this post (which you’ll find if you click its heading above). Try reading these blogs; they are a blast—a breath of fresh air, so to speak. The book world is quite exciting, and it’s changing all the time. There is nothing quite like watching history being formulated. |
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