Thursday Thirteen #8

The Thirteen Best Blogs You're Not Reading

TV Guide used to give a yearly award for "The Best Show You're Not Watching." The premise was to highlight a great TV Show that wasn't getting the press and ratings it deserved. So here I present to you "The Thirteen Best Blogs You're Not Reading." Bloggers like Dooce, Her Bad Mother, and Mom-101 are all great - and I highly recommend them - but everyone already knows about them. So I'm going to highlight some of the lesser-known blogs - you are missing out if you are not reading these gems:


1. 8 Centimeters Deluded
I only started reading Domestic Slackstress about six weeks ago, but I am so impressed with her candor and wit. She often includes video clips in her posts, of cute adorable kids or just herself, speaking her thoughts. Once, for her mom's birthday, she put pantyhose on her head and let us all point and laugh. Plus, that whole blogularity concept? I got that from her.

2. The Caffeinated Librarian
Ah, the variety. CL's got something for everyone: sports, music, TV recaps, philosophical discussions, snarky mocking, complaining, rejoicing, and just generally being silly. Plus, if you like finding new blogs and expanding your mind to new ideas, she does a "Tour de Blog" once a week, where she gives her readers a list of good articles and posts to check out from the week. She's also a great lady, and this totally comes out in her posts - you just want to be her friend, and I like that in a writer.

3. California Teacher Guy
This man's posts are a bit black-or-white, but fortunately for me, I like both the black and white. On some days, he posts cute and silly (but in a good way!) limericks about the profession of teaching. They make me smile and snicker with understanding and/or commiseration. Other days, he writes longer and more thought-provoking posts, and they make me reflect upon my teaching practice in ways I would never have considered. I appreciate both types of posts, which is what keeps me coming back every day.

4. Hobo Teacher
If you're a teacher, you NEED to read this blog. If you're not a teacher, you'll still find this stuff hilarious. This snarky site puts a whole new shine on the reality of being a teacher. From the most recent post: "You guys know that story about the band of the Titanic playing music to keep the passengers calm as the ship went down, right? That’s what it felt like today." If you're a teacher, you've probably experienced this multiple times in your classroom. If you're not a teacher, don't you feel like laughing at those of us who are? Go, read the wonder of Hobo Teacher.

5. Lady M
Okay, I realize that because she is a dear friend of mine, I link to Lady M quite a bit. However, I've never really explained in any depth why you should *click the link* and visit her site. Lady M is yet another blogger with some great versatility. Many of her posts qualify as "short and sweet," with beautiful pictures of Q (aka Bubbers) and cute stories to share. But she has often written deep and thoughtful posts about a number of important subjects - those daily interactions and events that we often forget to consider once the moment has passed. She is a wonderful lady, and a wonderful writer.

6. Lilit in Stereo
Lilit and I were best friends way back in elementary school. When we were attending colleges on opposite coasts, we somehow reconnected briefly. I found out she had published a book of poems, and I was in awe (and more than a little jealous). We had a few emails exchanged over the next few years, and even met up once in SoCal, but we didn't really start talking again until we found each other's blogs some number of months ago. She is an AMAZING writer. Everything I read by her makes me want to be better. And I GET her, and when I read what she's written, I feel somehow like she GETS me, and she's writing TO me. For words on a screen, that is *really* damn impressive.

7. Little Shot
Ah, Little Shot. Such a cutie. Made even more so by his "go get 'em" attitude about global warming and his ambition as a photo-blogger. His photos are good for anyone, but especially so for a six-year-old. I feel sometimes like he notices the simple things that we (adults) often ignore, and when I see them in his photos, I remember to appreciate them. Anything that can make me notice the world around me a little more deserves a shout-out. Go give the kid a comment or two.

8. Major Bedhead
Julia is a wonder - really and truly. She writes so eloquently about her love for her children, and helps a lot of people by talking openly about how she struggles in dealing with her daughter's diabetes. She makes me laugh with her sassy wit, and she makes me want to reach out and hug her when I hear in her my own pain. She's a *real* woman, in so many ways, and I really admire her for that.


10. So Fast Away
Jen wrote me my first fan letter EVER (well, I think of it as a fan letter), and it made me so happy. But even more than just appealing to my low self-esteem, it introduced me to her and her blog. She's a wonderful lady, and writes beautiful poetry. She and I have found that we have much in common, and because of that, we are of great support to each other (or, at least, she has been to me). She writes so eloquently, no matter what the topic - I'm constantly impressed.

11. Sunshine Scribe
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this lady. Sandra is one of the kindest souls I've maybe ever known, and yes, I will say that I know her. I've never met her, and of course there is much I don't know about her, but I fully believe that I know her in the ways that matter most for now. She's beautiful and generous and caring, and that comes across in every word she writes. She's funny and smart and brings me a fresh perspective with every post. You *must* check her out.

12. Tense Teacher
Another one that teachers should definitely check out. She shares wonderfully inspiring stories about the classroom - sometimes they inspire sighs and commiseration, and sometimes they inspire hope and renewed dedication to the career. She's friendly and welcoming, and often goes out of her way to include her readers in her thoughts, which creates nice discussions at times. I'm always learning from her.

13. The Wink
And last, but certainly not least - just last because I went in alphabetical order - is Amanda. She also writes at Tumble Dry, but I've really known her through The Wink. She has made me cry on many occasions, both from laughing at her embarassing escapades and from the beautiful emotion in the posts about her daughters. I love her and her whole family, simply because of knowing them through her words. That's some powerful writing.


So go, visit, read, and comment. These people are amazing, and you owe it to yourself to check them out.


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