“Uuuuugh, everything on the internet is just listicles and reaction gifs.”
“Nobody uses punctuation anymoooooooore!”
“If I see another pale pink or gold anything I’m going to dig my eyeballs out with this spoon.”
Such were the complaints leveled against blogging at my most recent Internet Lady Brunch.
As we sipped our overpriced lattes, my ladies and I opened up our RSS feeds and tried to recommend blogs to each other.
Were any of us reading anything the others should know about? Was anyone writing interesting, hilarious, weird, personal stuff? Was there an oasis of good writing somewhere among the Buzzfeed lists? Not that we could find.
I realize, of course, that I’m just as guilty of listicles and caps lock as anyone else. And if you hire me to help with your blog, I’ll tell you with a sigh that, yes, you should probably be writing how-tos and list posts BECAUSE THAT ISH WORKS.
Be that as it may, I miss the joy of discovering a new blog or Twitter feed or Instagram account that I immediately tell my BFF about. I miss becoming so emotionally involved in a blogger’s life that when they break up with their boyfriend I send them a pep talk email.*
So in the name of refreshing our RSS feeds, making new online friends, and finding new reading material for this, the back-to-school season, here are my five favorite ways to find awesome new blogs.
1. Go to a blog you know/like/trust and click through their sponsors and ‘friends’ tabs
In a perfect world, every blogger is intentional and selective about the sponsors they accept; they (hopefully) choose sponsors they know will resonate with their readers. Take advantage of that curation and click through! I discovered some of my favorite blogs because they bought ad space on Yes and Yes!
2. Click through the comments on your favorite blogs
Do you love the DIYs and recipes of A Beautiful Mess? So do all the commenters - and I bet a lot of them have sweet, DIY-filled blogs. Do you like the motherhood, family vibe on Bleubird? Her comments are probably filled with other mommy bloggers.
3. Use Feedly’s ‘You Might Also Like’ tool
I looooove Bitches Gotta Eat and The Toast. Feedly was kind enough to point me towards The Bloggess, Waiter Rant, McSweeney’s (dur, Feedly. I know.) and Reductress. Into ’em. Every last one.
4. When you read something you particularly love on a big site, see if the writer has their own blog
Many of my favorite writers at Xojane have their own sites as do the writers at Jezebel and Ravishly!
5. Click through link roundups and then subscribe in an RSS feed
If I had a nickel for every time I found an awesome blog through a friend’s link roundup and then forgot about said blog … I’d have like 85 cents. If you find something or someone awesome, follow along somewhere - on Twitter, Facebook, in an RSS feed or subscribe to their newsletter. Do something so you won’t lose them in the shuffle of Buzzfeed lists and photos of lattes.
My favorite blogs/Instagram feeds/Twitter feeds you might not know about:
1. Bitches Gotta Eat
Hilarious, moving essays about dating, food, race, family.
2. Adulting
EVERYTHING KELLY WRITES IS SO SMART AND USEFUL.
3. Hommemaker
If David Sedaris wrote about interior design this is what it would sound like. His Instagram feed is also spot on.
4. Dallas Clayton’s Instagram feed
Sweet, funny, inspirational illustrations all the live long day.
5. Ruby etc_’s Instagram feed
Funny, awkward sketches of daily life. (One of my favorites is ‘Foods that are lying about being food and their real names.’)
6. Kate Henning’s Twitter feed
Sample: “Does anyone know which Godard film this is from (picture of Cookie Monster)”
7. Kara Haupt’s Twitter feed
Sample: “Either your life is falling apart or you’re dehydrated, so drink some water before you decide.”
Anyway! How do you find new blogs? Where do you read them - in your actual browser? Feedly? Blog Lovin’? And pleeeeeease tell me what you’re reading and following that I need to know about!
* which I’ve totally done. Twice.
P.S. If you want to befriend any of your favorite bloggers, here’s how.
photo via death to the stock photo // cc
This post couldn’t have been timed better! I was just looking for some more awesome blogs to follow, and I’ll have to check these out. Thank you!
So glad you liked it! And if there are any you particularly love - tell us about them!
Thanks to your tips, I found Head Elsewhere and I’ve been enjoying reading it. Off to find some more!
I find new to me blogs all the time by checking out the commenters on blogs I like (since most commenters are bloggers) and have discovered some real fan pages I now stalk regularly. I’m happy you chose some of your faves, going to check them out now and maybe add 2 or 7 to my feed.
Tell me/us about the other blogs you love! The comments section can be such a gold mine!
Yup! I’d say most of the blogs I’ve found that I love were found because I decided to just start clicking through sidebar ads and comments of blogs that I liked…. and more recently, using BlogLovin’s Find Blogs section.
Ohh! I don’t use BlogLovin but that section sounds awesome!
One of my favorite Sunday past times is to mine for new blogs. Thanks for the extra tips I’d never considered! & made the capsule wardrobe relatable and easy. Decision fatigue is a real thing. has beautiful interiors and sounds like my best friend. makes raw/vegan food less “crunchy” and more interesting. And I love for when feeding myself seems overwhelming. I’m mildly obsessed with other people’s daily routines and adore Yes & Yes’s Mornings In.. series which is why I never miss a post on . Can’t wait to see what’s in everyone else’s RSS feeds!
Ohhhh! I can’t wait to click through all your links!
Thank you for this post. Love the honesty here. Will check these out. - Therese
Wow this post couldn’t have come at a better time. I was just thinking about how, in the process of building my business, my “on-brand” blogging felt limiting. We read a lot about how you should really focus your blog nowadays, which is true, but too much focus and infoblogging can take the joy and life away from your blog.
Thanks so much for this post! You’ve reminded me that being real is the reason we all love blogs in the first place…!
-justine (justineariel.co)
So glad you liked it Justine! Earlier this year I started writing this series of posts just for fun! No ‘actionable items’, they’re not monetizable, they’re not ‘Pinterest-friendly’ AND IT FEELS SO GOOD.
This is so timely because earlier in the week, I was part of a discussion about whether anyone reads blogs anymore, and lots of us said “yes!” But it can be hard and overwhelming to find the good-quality writing that speaks to you enough that you want to sift through the noise to return. This guide will help me find the next great set of writers to add to my feed. Thanks!
I’m in the middle of an “expat bloggers interview series” and one of the questions I ask is, “Which bloggers do you like to read?” It’s been a great way to expand my reader. Thanks for share. I like your list idea (at least it wasn’t in gold and pink, eh?).
[…] How To Find Thrilling, Interesting, Awesome New Blogs To Read: If you’re like me, maybe you’re feeling a little uninspired when you browse through your Feedly reader. Sarah from the Yes and Yes Blog offers up tips for finding new blogs to kickstart your love of Internet wandering again. […]
I was literally thinking this morning, “I need new blogs as my feed is SO stale (too many listicles and boring SEO-driven stories)” and voila! You read my mind =)
Yay! Let me know if you find anything awesome!
Great call - I love changing up my blog list. I love 20yearshence (http://20yearshence.com/) and read Hippie In Heels too (http://hippie-inheels.com/) as I love travelling. The Daily Wisdom and Benefit blog is great for daily motivational quotes (http://www.balancedview.org/en/blogs/daily-wisdom-and-benefit/).