Top Ten Tuesday 8/17

I'm very excited about today's Top Ten Tuesday. This week I get to highlight the top ten book blogs that I love to read!

I chose these blogs because I believe they are all intelligently written and each have something that makes them stand out.

Jane Doe at Dead White Guys: An Irreverant Guide to Classic Literature.
I recently had the honor of becoming Jane Doe's friend on Goodreads, and trust me, she's read a TON of great books. It definitely looks to me like she knows what she is talking about. Her blog has a ton of personality and every post is fun to read. She has also gained quite a following recently, so I would head over there as soon as possible and stake your place on her list of followers.

(I put Dead White Guys first because it was at this blog that I found the links to many of the other blogs on this list.)

Amanda at Desert Book Chick
Amanda is not only an avid reader and blogger, but also has a PhD in Anthropology and lives in central Australia. This blog features not only reviews, but also articles and discussion on book blogging and book culture. Last week Amanda declared "Classics Week" and I was able to semi-participate in some great discussion over there. Her posts are extremely informative and also fun to read.

Patrick at The Literate Man
"Throwing men a life preserver in an ocean of chick lit," The Literate Man goes a bit more in depth than your average book blog and focuses on literature for men. Patrick is wonderfully articulate in his posts and also has a very amusing sense of humor. This is great blog for those who are tired of chick lit/vampire stuff and want something a bit more serious.

Amanda at The Zen Leaf
This is one of the few blogs a read with a strong focus on YA literature. Amanda has an impressively huge collection of reviews. When it comes to literature, Amanda "gets it." She has a very particular taste (actually, quite different from mine) but fully backs up everything she says, and her reviews are detailed, honest, to the point.

Shawn at Book Worship
Shawn is a graphic designer and collects books to read based on their visual appeal. Most are from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and "graphically interesting." The coolest ones he features on this blog.

The girls at The Broke and the Bookish
I feel a sort of sisterhood to the girls who post here, as they are mostly all college students just like me and have a similar taste. This blog originated from the "College Students" group on Goodreads.

Mayowa at Pens With Cojones
This blog features articles and discussion on literary topics with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach. Mayowa does a great job at keeping her readers updated on what is going on in the literary world.

The Ape at The Reading Ape
The Ape is a professor of literature and writing - that pretty much says it all about The Reading Ape. His blog not only has a beautiful, simple design but also features "commentary, reviews, links, analysis, and variety of other bloggishness on literature and the reading life."

Sue at Whispering Gums
Whispering Gums is another great blog based out of Australia. This blog has a main focus on Australian literature and literary classics. Sue is great at responding to comments and requests. This is definitely one of my favorite blogs to visit.

Chris "The Lone Bear" at ProSe
Chris is an avid reader as well as an amateur landscape photographer. His blog feature reviews mainly of literary classics as well as scholarly works. Chris tends to focus his reading on one author at a time, reading all their works in the order that they were published--the most recent being Thomas Hardy.

What are some great book blogs that you love to read?