Blog Roll Part 2

Since I've received positive feedback from my Thanksgiving post, I thought I would do a part 2! This time, I'm going to include review sites/blogs and important writer sites. If you have any other great links that I haven't posted, please post them in the comments section! I'm always looking for great blogs/sites to read.

Book Review sites:

• Big A little a- Great blog for children's lit. If you're looking for interviews, reviews and even a link to Poetry Fridays, this is the blog for you. Currently, there is a great interview with literary great, Judy Blume.
• Readers' Rants- If you're looking for a blog that reviews children's/middle grade/YA books, look no further. New reviews are posted almost daily.
• Teen Tuesday- This blog has several members who participate. Each Tuesday, the members post reviews, their TBR pile and what books they're looking forward to. Great blog to just see what's out there in the world of teen books.
• Readspace- The link posted is for the Teen Lit section, but they review/discuss book in Children's/Teen/Adult Lit and Fiction. Their tagline is 'We read books, and then tell you about them!" That's the site in a nutshell.
• The Compulsive Reader- Love this review blog. Reviews, contests to win free books and links to book trailers. I've discovered a lot of great books from pursuing.
• The Story Siren- Great review site that also includes interviews. I really like that the reviews are starred so that I can get a quick idea of if the review will be positive.
• Want My YA- This review blog is only a few months old, but shows great promise. I went through and read all the reviews the other day and loved the insight. I really enjoy the Tuesday posts with what books catch her eye.
  

Writing Sites:

• AgentQuery- I had to start with this one. If you're a writer looking for an agent, this site is a must! Make sure to do your research when searching for an agent that is right for you.
• Wikipedia- I know this isn't necessarily a writing site, but I thought I would include it. If you need a quick answer, this is for you. Just make sure you varify the research done here because anyone can edit/post information.
• NaNoWrimo- Most of you know NaNoWrimo and participate during November. If you've never checked it out, it's a must. The forums are great, as well as the podcasts.
• SSA Popular baby names- Looking for a site to help with naming your characters? This is great because it lists the top baby names by year run by the US Social Security Department.
• Writers BBS Forums- A great set of forums for writers.
• Novel in 90- Great community to kick you in the butt. Once the 90 days are over, they start again. The goal is to write 750 words a day (about 3 pages), every day for 90. In the end, if following the "rules" you will end up with a 67,500 page manuscript. Post your word count each day, or a quote of inspiration.
• Sunday Scribblings- Each week (on Saturday), a new writing prompt is posted. Create a piece of writing (short story, flash fiction, etc) based on the writing prompt. Just post your story on your own blog and use their permalink system to share it. Organized and awesome!
• Write or Die- I wasn't sure about this at first, but used it in the last days of our 1k-a-day challenage. I LOVE this site. As long as you continuously write (you can set your word count goal and time), there is no penalty. Stop and watch out! Annoying songs, sounds, colors and on the most butual mode, words deleted are what you have to look forward to. If you can't focus and write for a certain period of time, this is the site for you. Just make sure to copy and paste your writing before clicking that you're done, just in case. Talk about a serious kick in the butt!
• The Zokutou Word Meter- looking for a word meter for your site/blog to keep track of your word count? This is a great word meter that is easy to update. It even has several different options in look.
  

Misc. Sites:

• Literature Map- This is just plain fun. Enter an author's name and it will map out authors who write similar books. The closer the names are to your original author, the more alike their work is. I believe there is also a music section.
• PaperBackSwap- Have a bunch of books lying around you'll never read again? This is your solution. I've been a member for over 3 years and have saved over $450 (they keep track based on the average price of a used book). Fast and easy. I can't say enough about this site. If you have any questions about it, just post your question in the comments section or email me at our YAedge@yahoo.com address.

Don't forget! Have a blog/site you'd like to share? Post it in the comments section!

Things to be thankful for in writing

Since it is Thanksgiving weekend here in the US, I decided to write a list of what I’m thankful for as far as writing is concerned. The normal list is the typical. I’m thankful for my family, friends, job and house. But I wanted to put a spin on it and thought I would include links to the writing websites and blogs I’m most thankful for.

• First off, I’m thankful for my writing crit group. I know my post last week was about how great you are, but I just had to say it again. You guys have helped me more than you could ever imagine. So, Tracy, Tess and now Kitty, I thank you.
• I want to thank all the people who have been participating in our 1k-a-day challenge. It's been a bumpy ride for me, but you've made my November fun. My husband also thanks the winners for the books that you have chosen from my bookshelf. I thank you for making room for more!
• Thanks to all the people who read our blog every day. To all the lurkers out there, please comment more often. It lets us know you're out there.
• Thanks for all the agents and editors who blog. You've taught me so much about the industry that I would never know otherwise. Here's a list of a few that I read daily:

• Miss Snark- Though she no longer blogs, I used to check this daily...and sometimes more. All of her posts are archived and tagged. I'd recommend reading them for industry information. This is a no bullshit look at the publishing industry from an agents POV.
• Pub Rants- Agent Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency. This blog is amazing. She gives good pointers and has great stories about her clients and the industry in general. She will give updates to what different houses and editors are looking for. I can't say enough about her blog.
• Janet Reid, Literary Agent- This blog is exactly what's advertised. She explains the ins and outs of her daily life as a Literary Agent. Love when she talks about queries she's gotten recently and what went wrong with them (of course she doesn't tell you too much about it, but just enough to get the point across).
• The Knight Agency- This blog combines agents who work at the Knight Agency. Love the news and info they give the reader as a whole. If you want more detailed look at certain agents, there are links on this blog to each agent's personal blogs.
• Et in arcaedia, ego- This is Agent Jennifer Jackson's blog. Love the question and answer posts, as well as the info regarding queries.
• Writer Beware- I know I've said this about almost every link above, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog and can't say enough about it. When doing research into publishers/editors/agents, check this site first. They uncover the scams and more. Excellent.

• I'm thankful for all of the author's blogs who let me into their writing life. These blogs make me laugh on a daily bases. Best of all, I know I'm not alone when I sit down at my computer and stare at the blank screen. Here's my list of favorites:

• Meg Cabot's Diary- Hilarious on a daily bases. She doesn't talk a ton about writing, but I love her pop culture talk.
• Ally Carter- I've loved watching her career grow. I started reading her blog from the start. It's amazing to watch the comments go from a few a day to now in the 50s +. Her books are great (if you haven't read the Gallagher series, you must) and her blog is just as good.
• Jennifer Lynn Barnes- Another YA author who's career has grown before my eyes. Amazing to think she's still in her early to mid 20s.
  
• Sarah Dessen- one of my favorite YA authors and my favorite YA author blog. She posts every day (Monday-Friday) and give her readers a glimpse into her writing and even normal life. I love how down to earth she is.
• Megan McCafferty- I love her book recommendations and even her daily chatter about life. The great thing about this blog is her retro blog posts where she shares her journals from her early career. I could get sucked into this blog for hours, even days.
• Wolfy Chicks- I'm not just including this one because they are my critique partners. I love the interviews with YA authors. Great job, girls!
• E. Lockhart- Great blog all around. I love that she gives props to YA authors with reviews and interviews.
• Maureen Johnson- This blog has to be tied with Sarah Dessen's as my all time favorite. I LOVE Maureen Johnson's books and I LOVE her blog. She makes me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants. I love the rambling nonsense of each post and love when she posts hilarious videos.
• There are a ton more author blogs I read, but seriously, this post is getting long. Perhaps I'll continue with the YA author blog roll at another point.

Those are just a few blogs I'm thankful for. I'll do a part 2 soon! I still have to share the writing sites that I love, as well as the message boards I frequent. I hope you enjoyed the insight into my daily internet surfing.

What are you thankful for in writing?