This month: our favorite online reading communities.
This is a tricky one for me because I have next to no time these days. When I do have time, I tend to use it to interact on writer boards.
When I do have those rare moments when I can interact as a reader, I think the only place I really do that is Tumblr.
Tumblr has a plethora of fanart, fanfiction, fangirling and squealing and OH MY GOSH I JUST CAN’T BECAUSE REASONS type stuff. Granted, it tends to be more for movies and TV, but there are books in there, too. I follow people who mention John Green and other YA authors. Tamora Pierce blogs pretty regularly and has a lot of interaction.
But me? When I go Trekkie, I’m all about manga: fantastic artwork and great stories combined in a beautiful package.
The key thing to keep in mind about Tumblr is that it’s a volatile place. So are some other communities, but not like Tumblr. I haven’t seen anyone anywhere else rip into someone about the deficiencies of their cosplay costume, or browbeat someone into explaining why they can’t stand a particular character, or imply that someone hates [insert minority group here] because they don’t think a certain couple work well together or ship a character with someone else.
(Then again, maybe I just don”t hang around those other sites enough.)
But when it’s at its best, it’s a fantastic place to be, a place where music, movies, books, and art all come together, all influence each other, and all celebrate the complexity of storytelling, no matter what the medium may be. So yeah, when I have any time at all, that’s my favorite reader community.
This post is part of the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. Please check out the blog for more posts by other writers.
Amy Keeley 