Bluestalking Reader: Thinking Blogger Awards

I have just read this post: Bluestalking Reader: Thinking Blogger Awards, and see that Petrona has been nominated for a "thinking blog award". Thank you, Bluestalking Reader, for thinking of me in this context. It is most inspiring to receive an independent affirmation that the topics I write about are of some interest.

Now I have to nominate five blogs myself, and each nominee can post the picture, but crucially has to nominate his or her own five, and so on.  I am going to follow the brief and highlight some blogs where I feel that the posts really do reflect the thinking and individuality of the blogger. These are not necessarily my very favourite blogs, but they are all on my "daily read" list. So, in no particular order:

Debi Alper is a vibrant, energetic woman who is 100 per cent engaged in whatever she is writing about, a commitment that makes her blog magnetic. A completely generous spirit, she writes involved, thinking posts on all matter of social issues that trouble her conscience. She has written several excellent books. Her blog is by no means self-promotional; it is more of a window into an author's life. But read her blog and you will be compelled to find Nirvana. Trade Tatiana. And, we all hope,  more.

It's a crime! Or a mystery.... is the blog of Crimeficreader, made in Wales. CFR is a generous commenter and linker -- I have discovered some excellent crime fiction blogs via hers. But the reason I highlight her blog here is because she is so supportive of authors, writing thoughtful reviews and articles about their books, tours and efforts. Above all, you can be guaranteed a thoughtful and individual perspective on the crime-fiction universe at this blog.

Keeper of the Snails, aka Clare Dudman, is a blog that has been "dark" for a while, but which I think will return to us. Clare is a thoughtful scientist-novelist, whose blog is replete with picture-essays and insightful observations.

The Deblog is a rather different "thinking" blog to the three above. Debra Hamel, from her famed subterranean lair (has she trademarked it yet?), solves the New York Times crossword, challenges us with the fiendishly simple Daily Set and provokes us with a scatological set of life-lessons. (Used toilet paper? Exploding bottoms? No problem.) And she reviews books too. Just go there, it is unclassifiable.

Sand Storm is the blog for you if you like your thinking short, punchy and funny.  Thankfully, he can't keep away from us, however hard he tries. The blogger with a big heart and a humorous twist -- don't be fooled by his brevity, this guy (aka Steve Clackson) has it sussed.

Comments

[Debi]

I'm running and wheezing at the moment but will come back to this soon as ...

For now I just very briefly wanted to say a huge and public thank you, Maxine, for the support you have given me over this last year.

I hope you know how very much it means to me!

[Euro Crime (Karen M)]

Congratulations Maxine! My email is dodgy today so just to say here that today's first Euro Crime blog post - actually the image - is for you :-).

[Susan Balée]

Hidey, Maxine-- You've turned me on to more good blogs. Just spent a fun hour last night at Debi A.'s and will soon check out the Deb(Hamel)log. I'm a reader, not a writer of blogs, so it's great to have more places to dip into that really interest me!

[crimeficreader]

Congratulations Maxine on another honour! Well deserved.
And many thanks for including me in your five. I feel very honoured and I see I'm in company in your five that I admire greatly.
(Also thanks for the tip off, as I've been so busy of late that I've managed to deal with only emails in the main and not all of them either! Hopefully things will ease up a bit for me in April...)

[Steve Clackson]

Thank you Maxine! I'm not half the Thinking Blogger that you are and I'm touched to be in your recommends for this. I have to say that you more than anyone has made it an enjoyable experience to be a blogger.

[Maxine]

Thanks, all, for the kind remarks -- Steve, don't be so modest. You cut to the chase like no other!

[Thomas]

PLEASE. These honours seem as cheap as the trophies we give to our our tennis school kids. All our kids get a trophy if the participate in an event. Eventually they have enought to give one to 5 different friends. But now as adults,.... lets try to talk about something with content. All this self congratulatory (look at me, I'm the queen of blogging) stuff is getting tedious.

[Maxine]

Thanks for your perspective, Thomas. I disagree, and with John Baker and Kimbofo of Reading Matters who have made similar points. This is nothing to do with trophies in the sense you mean-- it is about bloggers drawing attention to other interesting blogs. I've discovered several new-to-me blogs since following the "thinking" thread. You are welcome to your views, but they aren't mine; and in my opinion your analogy isn't appropriate.

[Thomas]

Thanks maxime. I read John Bakers blog.
Vanity and backslapping where just the 2 words I was trying to look for.

[Maxine]

OK Thomas, if that's the way you feel, why are you bothering to comment on this blog? Maybe you'd feel more at home elsewhere, among people who think the way you do, then you can all miss the point together?

[Debra Hamel]

I don't understand what the fuss is about, unless the entire objection is that this is called an "award" instead of a meme. Okay, maybe it should have been called a meme straight up. But once we're past the semantic issue, what we have is a meme wherein people mention blogs that have interested them, with the view of bringing the attention of a wider audience to that blog. Where's the harm?

[Isabella]

The other people who read this blog are probably too polite to tell you to take a hike, Thomas, so I will. Didn't your mother ever teach you that if you can't say something nice, don't bother to say anything at all?

[Susan Balée]

Maxine, I *love* this blog and I love the other ones you've turned me onto. Your recommendations mean the world to me and the Thinking Blogger meme inspired you to make a few more. I'm sure several people discovered Petrona thanks to Bluestalking (who is hilarious -- that girl's got me laughing outloud).

Keep up the good work and don't worry about the carpers. Like the poor, they will always be with us!

ton amie, Susan B.

[Susan]

Don't let 'em get you down, Maxine. Your blog is excellent and the blogs you recommend are all more than worthy. I suspect that some people simply enjoy spreading muck around the blogosphere.

[Maxine]

Thanks Isabella, Susan, Susan and Debra -- the blogosphere does have some mean streets in it, that's for sure. Time to move onwards and upwards, and leave the carpers behind!

[Frank Wilson]

Of course Thomas would doubt, would he not? But he should lay off out friend Maxine, by God!

[Frank Wilson]

I meant, of course, our friend, Maxine.

[Maxine]

Thanks for popping over, Frank. Always lovely to see you here.