Technically, the challenge for Blogging 101 today wasn’t to publish a post.  It was actually to find and follow five new blogs within the Blogging 101 community.  However, I’ve been doing just that all week, and I think I’ve followed a few more than five…my WordPress Reader is going to change a lot!

Today, instead of seeking out and following EVEN MORE blogs (which honestly I’m bound to do anyway), I thought I’d share with you some of my tried-and-true favorites (in alphabetical order even!).

1. Bitches with Books —  Just by the title you know you can expect sass.  I love the way the authors, Claire and Nicole, review books with complete and often funny honesty.  They review books from all sorts of genres, which is great for expanding my horizons!
2. Go Teen Writers —  This blog was my very first favorite.  It’s a fabulous community of budding writers, and it’s great for anyone trying to get published for the first time.  Jill and Stephanie post writing tips as well as tips for querying, creating a writing schedule, and so much more.  They also have a book!
3. Humans of New York — HONY is a photography blog.  Brandon, the photographer, finds interesting people on the street and posts portraits along with interviews.  Though it did begin in New York, he has photographed people from all over the world.  The stories he shares can be funny or heartbreaking and everything in between.  Recently he spotlighted the underprivileged Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brooklyn and created a campaign that raised over $700,000 to send the students to visit Harvard.  And, he also has a book.
4. Never Stationary —  Catherine, the author, describes her blog as an opinion column, and she blogs about writing, music, and life in general.  I love this because we are in similar stages of life and it’s inspiring to see such a successful blogger my age!  Plus, I just adore the way her blog looks.  It’s gorgeous.
5. Post Secret —  Post Secret began as a project by Frank Warren where he gave out post cards and encouraged people to write their secrets anonymously and mail them back to him.  Now, it’s a worldwide organization that connects people in a way no other blog can.  Warren receives thousands of secrets and posts a select few every Sunday, and has several books about the project.
6. ReFashionista —  Jillian, the author, wears clothes bought almost entirely from thrift shops, but you would never know.  She finds incredibly creative ways to refashion ugly, outdated clothing and transform them into gorgeous wearable works of art.
7. write meg! —  Meg is the kind of person I aspire to be.  She posts about writing, book reviews, and life in general, and her blog is one the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, both in content and aesthetically.  I admire her extremely positive outlook on life, and her blog most closely resembles what I want mine to be like someday.  Her posts are always a bright spot in my day.

I can’t say enough about all of these blogs.  People and blogs like these are what made me fall in love with the blogging community in the first place.  And there are so many more that I love but just don’t have time to highlight — scroll all the way down my sidebar to check out all the blogs I follow!  Spread the love!

BONUS — A Gastronome’s Closet —  This blog is gorgeous and amazing.  The author makes her own sewing patterns and sews herself dresses that are beautiful beyond belief.  I wish I could hire her as my personal stylist.  The only thing is, her posts are extremely few and far between.  (Which I am guilty of as well…)  I wasn’t going to include it on the list, but I adore her posts so much I highly encourage you to go read through the archives!

What are your favorite blogs?