Well, the time has come to reveal the rest of the list. As I mentioned before, I love to read. And a huge amount of what I read each day comes from blogs on the internet. I pointed out the richness and methods of reading blogs before (go here to read what I wrote), while also introducing the list of my 75 favorite blogs, beginning with #75 to #51 followed by #50 to #26. Out of the roughly 180 blogs I’m “subscribed” to, these 75 are the ones I most look forward to reading each day. So concluding the list, here are my 25 favorite blogs on the internet:
25. Brian Schmitz’s Magic BasketBlog (Other-Sports)
Behind the scenes stories on the Orlando Magic from the Orlando newspaper beat writers.
24. Fallible Blogma (Christian-Catholic)
The personal blog of a young-adult Catholic on the forefront of the intersection between New Media and the Church.
23. Third Quarter Collapse (Other-Sports)
My favorite blog covering my favorite sports team, the Orlando Magic.
22. Busted Halo (Christian-Catholic)
An online magazine geared towards spirituality-seeking young adults. Plenty of great articles for 20-and-30-somethings.
21. Googling God (Christian-Catholic)
Written by Mike Hayes, who is one of the experts on young adults in the Catholic Church. He offers articles, links, and commentaries all geared towards the spirituality of young adults.
20. Why I Am Catholic (Christian-Catholic)
A series of daily articles that each list a separate reason for being Catholic; most are profound explorations of different Saints, doctrines, or practices.
19. The Art of Manliness (Other-Life)
A blog on all things related to being a man; offers skills, tips, and advice on embracing and enhancing masculinity.
18. Don Miller’s Blog (Christian-Personal)
The personal blog of popular Christian author Don Miller. His most famous book is his spiritual memoir “Blue Like Jazz”. He also wrote “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years”, which I reviewed here.
17. Catholic Vote Action (Christian-Catholic)
One of the most popular Catholic political blogs on the internet, formerly known as “American Papist”; can at times be scathing, so beware.
16. Happy Catholic (Christian-Catholic)
Written by Julie, a convert from agnosticism to Catholicism, the blog is heavy on book reviews, quotes, and links, all of which are good.
15. Kingdom People (Christian-Baptist)
Plenty of daily links, book reviews, and articles from a Baptist perspective.
14. Justin Taylor’s Blog (Christian-Reformed)
Solid Christian articles and links from around the internet, specifically written through the lens of Reformed Christianity.
13. 10 Million Words (Christian-Books)
Tim Challies, blogger at Challies.com, aims to read every word every book that appears on the New York Time’s Bestsellers list during 2010; he’s writing reviews of each book from a Reformed Christian perspective and details his experiences throughout the year.
12. True Hoop (Other-Sports)
Undoubtedly the most insightful blog on all things related to the NBA; full of behind-the-scenes stories, video, and statistical analysis.
11. The Ignatius Press Blog (Christian-Books)
Features mostly clips and previews of current and upcoming books published by Ignatius Press, as well as short commentaries on current events from a Catholic perspective.
10. Purify Your Bride (Christian-Catholic)
Articles probing the logic and theology of Catholic and Protestant beliefs; definitely one of the most intellectually stimulating blogs I read.
9. Hearts and Minds Books (Christian-Books)
Bookstore owners who each month review dozens of popular Christian books. They read and review more books than anyone else I know of. Also, their blog/site is setup to offer the best books on a particular subject (social justice/vocations/etc.) which allows you to find their recommendations easily; the best site for Christian bibliomaniacs.
8. The Deacon’s Bench (Christian-Catholic)
A Catholic deacon’s personal blog which features videos, links, and short articles on the Catholic faith.
7. Divine Life (Christian-Catholic)
The personal blog of Eric Sammons, a Catholic author–and fellow convert from Protestantism–who is getting his Master’s degree in Theology; well-written articles on Catholicism.
6. Challies (Christian-Reformed)
The third-most popular Christian blog on the internet according to ChurchRelevance; Tim Challies writes articles and posts links daily, all from a strongly Reformed Church perspective. He is also a heavy book reader so he offers many reviews and snippets from books, flavored with a handful of daily links.
5. Lifehacker (Other-Life)
All sorts of tips, tricks, and products to help you “hack” your life (to perform daily tasks more easily and efficiently); really focused on technology with links to tons of free, helpful, downloadable programs.
4. Conversion Diary (Christian-Catholic)
A popular blog written by an atheist-turned Catholic who offers insightful experiences as a mom and a women of faith.
3. Standing On My Head (Christian-Catholic)
A blog by an Anglican-priest-turned-Catholic that features many good articles and commentary on current events from a well-formed Catholic perspective. He is also an author who wrote “The Gargoyle Code”, which I reviewed here.
2. Aggie Catholics (Christian-Catholic)
The blog for the Catholic campus ministry at Texas A&M; multiple posts per day with videos and links to other articles; fantastic blog for college-aged or young adult Catholics.
1. Stuff Christians Like (Christian-Humor)
One of the funniest writers I know, Jon Acuff writes satirically about the Christian life. See my review of his upcoming book here.
Whew. So there’s the whole list. I must add the caveat, though, that rarely a week goes by when I don’t find a new blog to “subscribe” to, while also finding another to “unsubscribe” from. Reading blogs is pretty fluid, rarely stagnant. Like I mentioned in the opening paragraph, if you want to learn a little more about “blogs” or the best ways to efficiently read them, check out a previous post I wrote on “Blogs and RSS Basics”. I hope my list of 75 opened you up to new writings and helped you to find at least a couple of new blogs to “subscribe” to. And like last time, if you’d like to list some of your favorite blogs, then feel free to leave a comment below, even if it’s your own blog (permission is hereby granted for unbridled self-promotion)!
May we all recognize that we are all tour guides on this journey, ones who must point out to others greatness, beauty, and value wherever it is to be seen or read.