Literary blogs and websites.

It might be due to her ancient Greek background, but Peirene struggles with a lot of websites and blogs: too loud, too much information or indeed too little relevant information, too chaotic. Here are some blogs/websites she enjoys.

A Common Reader

Tom Cunliffe is a blogger who enjoys reading books in translation and specializes in European literature (although not exclusively). The perfect match for Peirene. His reviews are detailed and well structured and give great insight into the books discussed.
www.acommonreader.org

Amy Reads

A young Canadian bibliophile. Peirene loves her honesty. And she covers lots of foreign fiction too, including the Egyptian Nobel Prize winner Naguib Mahfouz.
amckiereads.wordpress.com

Andrew Blackman

Author and Wall Street reporter, Andrew blogs about the books he's always wanted to read, he had on his bookshelf for a long time and some new ones too. Fantastic eclectic mix, incl. Salinger, Borges, Kundra and many more.
andrewblackman.net

Asylum

John Self, the Dublin book blogger that is, has become a bit of an institution. And rightly so. His blog features brilliant reviews - insightful and thoughtful and extremely well written - a wonderful range of books and some fab authors' interviews too. The Greek nymph is impressed.
theasylum.wordpress.com

Booklit

Anyone who likes the Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, one of Meike's favourite authors, gets Peirene's attention. Steward McAbney has a wonderful eye for good books and his reviews are a joy to read.
www.booklit.com/blog

Book Snob

Rachel is a young Londoner who writes beautifully long, eloquent reviews. When she wrote about Stone in a Landslide she initiated a great discussion about the art of translation.
bookssnob.wordpress.com

Cardigangirlverity

Verity loves books and baking. Delightful book reviews and delicious pictures of her home-made cakes. Indulge.
cardigangirlverity.blogspot.com

Caribousmom

A book and dog lover from California. A blogger who takes pride in supporting new, up-coming authors.
www.caribousmom.com

Chasing Bawa

Half Japanese, half Sri Lankan, culturally mixed Londoner who studied astrophysics and loves books. The blog presents a fascinating choice of authors of various ethnical and religious backgrounds, such as Ameena Hussein and Tahmina Anan. Beautifully written, enticing reviews.
chasingbawa.wordpress.com

Cornflower

If you want to give a present - and hopefully you're thinking of a book - but lack ideas, then you really should visit Karen Howlett's lit blog. Reviews and beautiful photos of cooking books (tried and tested), knitting books (tried and tested), literature (tried and tested). Better than any magazine you can buy.
www.cornflower.typepad.com

Desperate Reader

Desperate Reader adores books from the 19th and early 20th century. But she made an exception for Peirene's "Stone in a Landslide". The nymph was delighted.
desperatereader.blogspot.com

Dovegreyreader

A fantastic lit blog on all sorts of literature - new and old, indigenous and foreign. The German Irmgard Keun und the Brasilian Clarice Lispector among them! Witty, intelligent and honest. Peirene is in awe.
www.dovergreyreader.typepad.com

Eve's Alexandria

Five young bibliophile women who met at St Andrew's University write detailed, eloquent reviews that read better than many books out there.
evesalexandria.typepad.com

Farm Lane Books Blog

Opinionated, enthusiastic book lover who loves completing lists of books (such as all winners of Booker, Pulitzer, Orange Prize). But best of all, she gives stars for the books she's read, and not all come out top.
www.farmlandbooks.co.uk

Follow the Thread

A book blog about predominantly new, contemporary English writing. However, it doesn't shy away from the odd classic and literature in translation review.
davidhblog.wordpress.com

Gaskella

Annabel Gaskell subtitles her blog with a wonderful Latin quote - Noli domo egredi, nisi librum habes - Never leave home without a book. Meike studied Latin for seven gorgeous years. So when she saw this quote, she knew Annabell's reviews would be well worth a read.
gaskella.wordpress.com

Inside Books

Simon Quicke, technology business journalist in London, does most of his readings while commuting. And he then sits down and writes beautifully tidy, clear reviews.
insidebooks.blogspot.com

Iris on Books

A young blogger from Holland. Fantastically enthusiastic, outspoken and pro-active in the lit blogger scene. Moreover, her reading list is great, including Dante, IanMcEwan and the Swedish children author Astrid Lindgren.
irisonbooks.wordpress.com

Just William's Luck

London based actor William Rycroft blogs about books, films and plays. Eloquent, detailed reviews. A very good read.
justwilliamsluck.blogspot.com

Laura's Musings

Laura lives in Pennsylvania and loves books by and about women. Short, sharp, focused, to-the-point book blog entries.
laurasmusings.wordpress.com

Lizzy's Literary Life

Lizzy is the first - and so far only blogger (March '10) who contacted Peirene because she was intrigued by Title No 3 "Portrait of the Mother." For this alone she deserves a special place. But not only that. Her reviews - not least on translated German fiction - are astute and Meike often finds herself in agreement, such as on Laura's view on Julia Franck's The Blind Sight of the Heart.
lizzysiddal.wordpress.com

Love German Books

The translator Katy Derbyshire has single-handedly taken it upon herself to blog in English about German books, translation issues and Berlin. Wonderfully informative, delightfully opinionated and very admirable!
lovergermanbooks.blogspot.com

Me and My Big Mouth

Scott Pack's great talent is to write wonderfully short, simple reviews without missing anything or being shallow. Entertaining, quick reads.
meandmybigmouth.typepad.com

New Books in German

The bi-annual English review magazine of new German, Austrian and Swiss books was originally intended for English publishers only. However, their revamped online version with detailed reports on each recommended book has turned into a veritable informative read.
www.new-books-in-german.com

no man's land

no man's land features first-ever translations of fiction and poetry by some of the finest writers working in German today. And under it's link page there is a fabulous extensive list of lit magazines specializing in translation (from all languages).
www.no-man-land.org

Novel Insights

This young, London based book lover adores dark fiction and the Classics. Infectiously enthusiastic.
novelinsights.wordpress.com

Paperback Reader

Her tagline: Just a girl who lives on books. Thoughtful, enthusiastic reviews by a blogger who also embraces young adult fiction.
www.paperback-reader.co.uk

Pechorin's Journal

Brilliant. The nymph bows to Max Cairnduff's blog. Fab choice of books, fab thoughts about them, fably written.
pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com

Random Jottings

Elaine is a retired PA, book and opera lover, and a grandmother. Her blog is a lovely personal mixture of chat about all that matters in her life.
randomjottings.typepad.com

Reading Matters

Kim wrote book blogs before the blog era. She published her first reviews on a personal website. The Norwegian Per Petterson is among her favourite authors.
kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters

Ready Steady Book

The premier British literary website deserves every single world of praise it has ever received. "Serious writing about serious writing." Peirene is in seventh literary and philosophical heaven.
www.readystedaybook.com

RobaroundBooks

A beautiful blogsite - both to look at and in regard to content - Foreign Fiction, Foreign Fiction, Foreign Fiction. Five stars from Peirene!
robaroundbooks.com

Sasha & The Silverfish

Sacha is another blogger from the Philippines. She writes fiction herself and thus engages with the texts as a reader AND a writer. Great, strong voice.
silverfysh.wordpress.com

Savidge Reads

Simon Savidge, London magazine editor, is a ferocious reader, who covers a lot of the must/should-read ones, from Stieg Larsson to Will Self, from Salman Rushdie to Herta Mueller.
savidgereads.wordpress.com

Stuck-in-a-book

Simon Thomas is a young, English doctorate student who writes witty, extremely perseptive reviews. And if he feels inpired enough, he delights you with great sketches of his own too. Fab!
www.stuck-in-a-book.co.uk

The Book Whisperer

Boof is a self-proclaimed bookaholic, with a serious book-buying habit. Music to the ears of any publisher! Meike spotted "Before I Die" by Jenny Downham among Boof's many reads. "It reminds us to live" -she can't agree more.
boofsbookshelf.com

The Literary Stew

Mrs B blogs from the Philippines. Her reviews posses a lovely light and easy touch. She is a huge fan of women writers.
theliterarystew.blogspot.com

The Mookse and Gripes

Meike came across this litblog because it has a brilliant review of a wonderful contemporary German novella, Kevin Vennemann's Close to Jedenew. A beautifully clear website with extensive quotes from the reviewed titles.
www.mookseandgripes.com

This Book and I could be Friends

Eileen lives in New York. She writes very articulate, insightful reviews. And she loves foreing lit. Fantastic.
tselfoninternets.blogspot.com

Three Percent

Litblog might be a too flimsy word for this very classy review website of the University of Rochester. Thorough academic reviews of international literature by various authors, about 8 each month.
http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent

Vulpes Libres

The Book Foxes are a group of writers, journalists, libarians, actors, wildlife painters and doglovers. They write insightful, interesting, daily reviews on a huge and fantastic range of books, from Brockes - a 17th century romantic German poet - to Cherie Blair's "Speaking about myself."
vulpeslibris.wordpress.com

Winstonsdad's Blog

In Peirene's world this blog is another five-star winner. Because it's foreign lit, foreign lit, foreign lit. Moreover, it's a fantastically strong, very personal voice. Just great.
winstonsdad.wordpress.com

Words without Borders

This monthly online magazine, featuring regularly new selections of contemporary world literature, is beautifully organised and provides many interesting articles.
www.wordswithoutborders.org