What makes a blog worth reading? Which blogs have you hooked?

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Permalink Reply by Your Ill-fitting Overcoat on March 3, 2009 at 12:16am

There are a lot of blogs that I love-- my reader isn't consistently hovering around the 500 mark for nothing. I love bloggers who make me laugh, make me think-- who are relatable, but also interesting.

Here are four bloggers who I don't think have reached as large of a following as they deserve (YET) and who I really think raise the bar for bloggers in terms of quality writing--

Eric Shonkwiler from My Heart's Porch (a novelist with a gritty-but-beautiful voice)
Kate Horowitz from Things Written Down (an amazing poet)
Andrea at Miel et Cannelle (a design blog that's got as much substance as style- how rare!)
Peter at Great Great Grand (I don't even know how to descrbe what Peter does-- thought-provoking mini lectures interspersed with incredible short fiction?)
Harper & Beatrix from Friday I'm in Love (a dating and relationship blog that is hella smart-- I'd compare it to Bridget Jones Diary)

There are so many wonderful, brilliant bloggers who I haven't mentioned here, but these are just a few bloggers who I've discovered fairly recently and think deserve a much bigger following than they've found thus far.

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Permalink Reply by Je on March 3, 2009 at 12:32pm

I love funny writers who tell it how it is - who also get a little sentimental and real sometimes - and have their own voice or style. There are a million blogs out there, so what can you do to make your blog YOU, or different from all the rest? Sometimes it can be as simple as style - like how Chelsea Talks Smack capitalizes everything for emphasis, I love that. Or how Jacqueline from Miss Musing emphasizes the first sentence in each of her paragraphs. Anyway, things like that are small, but I like blogs that originate themselves from the crowd.

Oh, and one of my all-time favorites is Pretty in the City! Karyn Boznak is hilarious, she actually ran up 20K in debt when she was in her 20s then set up an Internet site, asking people to pay it off for her! And it worked! If you like to read, check out her memoir about her story - "Save Karyn."

Ok, that's my long-winded response. Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Matt Cheuvront on March 3, 2009 at 12:36pm

There are an endless number of blogs about all sorts of topics - it really depends what I am in the mood for. But, as most people have already stated, content is key - and those writers that can keep your interest even when it's a topic that may not be 100% interesting or directed toward you - these are the blogs I frequent and get involved with.

Life Without Pants

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Permalink Reply by Andhari on March 3, 2009 at 2:04pm

I too, love funny and inspiring writers. I love it when people write about their lives, the ups and downs, the varieties.

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Permalink Reply by Chelsea Talks Smack on March 3, 2009 at 5:50pm

Thanks for the shout out there 20-something.

I think the blogs I come back to are the ones that give you a peek into who they are personally....soemtimes I feel like the blogs I read all the time are telling me things they wouldnt necessarily tell their closest friends. I read blogs that evoke emotion, whether thats laughter or empathy...you like to feel like theres other you connect with, especially when it comes to topics you CANT necessarily connect with your 3-D friends on.

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Permalink Reply by Vanessa on March 3, 2009 at 6:02pm

Isn't that a little backwards? Maybe it's unusual and I'm very lucky, but I feel like there isn't anything I couldn't talk to my close friends IRL about, and if I couldn't talk about it with my friends I certainly wouldn't put it on a public for anybody to read. I suppose it's one thing if you're an anonymous sex blogger or something, but I don't particularly WANT to read most people's tmi/overshares.

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Permalink Reply by Queen N on March 4, 2009 at 6:06pm

I read blogs that are short, but well-written.

I like that it's funny, well-observed and something written with the audience attention span and entertainment in mind.

My favourite is www.suvivingmyselfblog.com - the guy's hilarious, and I never miss his entries!

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Permalink Reply by Muppet on March 8, 2009 at 12:26am

I fall for... charming.

I fall for blogs that are funny/charming/witty/unique, and I really fall for the funny-bloggers who are really actively involved with their readers.. Like people who add to their own notes, check up on their followers, blog often, etc.

I also fall for the ones whose lives I wish I had, or who at least satisfy some kind of curiosity - 'what would it be like to be a 20-something law-student in Jakarta' etc. etc.

OH. And writing style of course is that one common link between all my faves... Totally agree with Vanessa's comments - the ones that leave you wanting more.

But for me, mostly the charming/funny ones. That's the quality I like on a daily basis.

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Permalink Reply by Kendall on March 8, 2009 at 12:19pm

Thanks for the shout out, Tristan.

As for my own tastes, I tend to enjoy most blogs that make me think. Or just generally want to be a better human being.

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Permalink Reply by brandyismagic on March 8, 2009 at 3:06pm

Hmm.. I love questions like this! Blogs that I enjoy reading are ones that manage to weave humor and sincerity into every post. I tend to gravitate towards posts (and bloggers) who tell me something that I will remember, who write in ways that fill me with envy, who leave me wanting more when they've typed their last word. Thankfully, I read so many great blogs that do this for me that my google reader is always a triple digit whore who leaves me scowling. (I'm behind on blog reading, can you tell?)

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