Top Ten People Who Make Book Blogging Awesome

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

The topic this week is supposed to be things that make blogging easier, but I'm changing that to people who make blogging easier, but I mostly went with who has the biggest impact on me as a blogger. Whatever, deal with it. Because, sure, a lot of things help me blog, but the community is what makes it so worth my time. It is time for me to throw some love out into the blogosphere. The whole community is just amazing, and my life is so much richer for having you guys in it. Seriously, you are all my kindred spirits.

But since I have to name 10....

1. Steph of Cuddlebuggery
Without this girl, I do not know where I would be. She gives such great blogging feedback, and we talk a lot throughout the week about books or whatever. As I transition to Wordpress, she will be an invaluable resource. Also, she's my BEA buddy (and totally awesome to team up with to hold spots in lines and run the floor). Oh, and we totally have this mutually beneficial cover hunting thing so I can get Cover Snark done and she can pull together Hot New Titles.

2. Jenni of Alluring Reads
Jenni is another person that I talk to several days a week. We discuss what we've been reading, maybe argue if we've read the same thing and had a difference of opinion. Actually, we do agree a lot though, so that's fun. BUT we remain true to how we got so close (she hated The DUFF and I loved it), and have definitely had some serious, but never angry, arguments about books behind closed doors. When we read the same things, it's sort of like having a mini, impromptu book blog. Jenni definitely helps keep me sane and focus on the happy aspects.

3. Lenore of Presenting Lenore/The Memory of After
Lenore's an author now more than a blogger, but she still updates her blog a few times a month, so she counts. We chat a bunch as well. Lenore's totally like my blogging fairy grandmother (and, no, I'm not trying to call you old), because she gifts me Harper ARCs that I have been wanting for forever. *hugs* Also, I went on a bookish vacation to Asheville to see Lenore and that was good fun, even if I saw snowflakes and thought I might die on the mountain.

4. Kara of Great Imaginations
Kara's both a bitch and a sweetie, so obviously she's my kind of person. Seriously, she's an amazing friend and will always have your back/be ready to support you emotionally. It's all the more impressive since Kara struggles with migraines and such. However, she's been doing a crazy health diet thing and that's apparently been making her feel great so YAY for Kara, even if I am a bit worried about what I'll eat when I visit her in a month. Also, I visit her in a month. Expect a vloggy chat. Maybe. If we feel like it. Just fyi, Kara's coblogger Lyn is awesome too, but I don't know Lyn quite as well yet.

5. GIllian of Writer of Wrongs
Speaking of visiting people, Gillian's letting me crash at her place in L.A. for almost a week and it will be OFF THE HOOK. What I mean by that is Disney-tastic. Also, I'm going to introduce her to kdrama and we will flail with the feels together and it shall be amazing. None of that is about blogging, but whatever. Actually, to tie it together, the reason Gillian is on this list is because she is a giffy wizard and we totally share opinions on flaily romance reads, and it's nice to have someone to fangirl with over things like Fangirl.

6. Bekka of Pretty Deadly Reviews
Bekka is actually one of the first bloggers that I met in person, and I also got to see her briefly in Asheville at the aforementioned bookish event. Anyway, Bekka's one of those blogger friends where we totally disagree like 75% of the time, but I still totally respect her opinion and enjoy her reviews even if I'm like "girl, how did you even get there?" except that generally it makes sense, but she's coming at it from such a different angle. It's just cool. Like, even when I don't agree, I respect her opinion and the way she supports it, and I think having blogger friends like that is important, because it reminds you to be open-minded and that your opinion isn't the only valid one. Oh, also, Bekka got me to give Francesca Lia Block another try and it went very well, so yay for Bekka!

7. Kat of Cuddlebuggery
Kat Kennedy is a freaking institution in book blogging, amirite? I seriously cannot believe that Cuddlebuggery's just barely over a year old, because the world must have been a much sadder place back then and I'm glad I didn't know what I was missing. Kat totally waves the snarky, dick-joke-cracking flag and I love it. When weird shit happens, Kat will be there to write this ridiculous but perfect post about it. I've even seen her turn a post about how she didn't have anything to post into something brilliant.

8. Renae of Respiring Thoughts
Renae falls into the camp of reviewers I totally respect and trust, but with whom I often disagree. If I loved something, odds are, Renae's going to give it one or two stars. Of course, recommending her things and seeing what she rates them is a fun fun game I like to play, of which Renae is maybe not a huge fan. Also, the way Renae handles the absurd amounts of trolls she gets (seriously, why does that happen?) is pretty inspiring.

9. Lili of Lili's Reflections
This girl may be seven years my junior or something insane like that, but she totally bosses me around. Basically, every so often, she's like HEY LET'S DO A READALONG. And I'm like BUT I DO NOT HAVE TIME. And she's like YEAH YOU DO. And I'm like WELL OKAY THEN. Also, when we're not doing readalongs for either something atrocious or something mindblowing, she's putting books in Sadie Hawkins and then poking me for updates. I was supposed to be talking about how these people make my life easier, wasn't I?

10. April of Good Books and Good Wine
Oh oh, April. She's the awesomest. This girl is too cool and she has an amazing sense of style, which I know because I've seen her at BEA two years running and her clothes are so pretteh. Her book reviews sound like no one else's and it's totally a feat. She really inspired me when I first got involved with the blogosphere to write like myself and not worry so much about being too weird or swearing like a sailor or whatever. April's totally the book blogger poster child for being yourself.

11. Jamie of The Perpetual Page-Turner
So, cheating, but I couldn't not include Jamie on this list, because she's perhaps the most creative person in book blogging. For one thing, she came up with TTT, but she also creates all these surveys and features and I am just endlessly impressed. She also has a sweet sense of style and is about the sweetest person ever. Jamie makes book blogging better for everyone, because she has ideas to share and will greet you with a smile at all times.

I super love those people, but I also really would not want to live without so many other people. Seriously, anyone I talk to on an almost daily basis on Twitter is totally someone I love, and you all make my blogging life better by being in it. These peeps get priority, because they've been in my life so long (with the exception of Lili and Gillian) who it's hard to believe I ever didn't know. Even though I'll still forget people and feel like a jerk, here are a couple more shout-outs: Kat of The Aussie Zombie, Kayla of Bibliophilia, Please, Pixie of The Bookaholic, Christina of Christina Reads YA, Gaby of Queen Ella Bee Reads, Debby of Snuggly Oranges, Judith of Paper Riot, and Amber of Books of Amber. Gah, I know I am forgetting people, but it is late and I am exhausted, so just HUGS FOR ALL OF YOU PEOPLE WHO MAKE MY LIFE BETTER.