Literary Websites

A list of literary websites from a 2018 blog post by Karla J. Strand.

Literary Websites
Photo by Ugur Akdemir / Unsplash

This was originally a blog post from Feb. 14, 2018. It has been lightly edited.

Looking for a few good books by women, international authors, trans/gender nonconforming writers, or other historically underrepresented populations? Take a look through some of my favorite websites for the latest in literary news, author info, and reviews.

  • African American Literature Book Club https://aalbc.com/
    AALBC is the largest and most popular website dedicated to African American and Black Literature from around the world.
  • Arab Lit https://arablit.org/
    Arab Lit is a site dedicated to Arabic literature and translation.
  • BookRiot https://bookriot.com/
    Book Riot is dedicated to the idea that writing about books and reading should be just as diverse as books and readers are.
  • Electric Lit https://electricliterature.com/
    Electric Literature is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making literature more exciting, relevant, and accessible. It is committed to publishing intelligent and unpretentious work, elevating new voices, and examining how literature and storytelling can help illuminate social justice issues.
  • Emily Books https://www.emilybooks.com/
    Emily Books is a project that publishes, publicizes, and celebrates the best work of transgressive writers of the past, present, and future.
  • The Free Black Women’s Library https://thefreeblackwomanslibrary.tumblr.com/
    This is the virtual site for The Free Black Women’s Library, a mobile trading library and interactive biblio-installation that features a collection of 900 books written by Black women. The library creatively uses books to build community and explore the intersections of race, class, culture, and gender while creating space to center and celebrate the voices of Black women in art, film, and literature. This mobile library pops up monthly and mainly in unique and radical spaces throughout Brooklyn, NYC.
  • Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/
    Goodreads is the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations. Launched in January 2007, Goodreads' mission is to help people find and share books they love.
  • Haymarket Books https://www.haymarketbooks.org/
    Haymarket Books is a radical, independent, nonprofit book publisher based in Chicago, a project of the Center for Economic Research and Social Change.
  • IndieBound https://www.indiebound.org/
    IndieBound is a community of independent local bookstores.
  • In Tori Lex: Judging Books Beyond the Cover http://www.intorilex.com/
    Among other genres, Tori offers insightful reviews of YA, sci-fi, dystopian, and thrillers on her blog.
  • Johannesburg Review of Books (JRB) https://johannesburgreviewofbooks.com/
    The Johannesburg Review of Books publishes reviews, essays, poetry, photographs, and short fiction from South Africa, Africa and beyond.
  • Lambda Literary https://www.lambdaliterary.org/
    Lambda Lit is the nation’s leading LGBTQ+ literary organization.
  • Lit CelebrAsian https://litcelebrasian.wordpress.com/
    Lit CelebrAsian is a group of bookworms and #DiverseBookBloggers dedicated to uplifting Asian voices in literature. They host  #AsianLitChat and #AsianLitBingo.
  • Literally Black http://www.literallyblack.com/
    Literally Black is a review site dedicated to the exposure and promotion of Black literature, including but not limited to books written by African Americans.
  • Literary Everything https://literaryeverything.com/
    Literary Everything is a blog that reviews books written by Nigerian authors.
  • Monlatable Book Reviews https://www.monlatablereviews.com/
    Monica reviews an eclectic mix of fiction to spread her love of reading.
  • Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian https://www.library.wisc.edu/gwslibrarian/
    The Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian (GWSL) at the University of Wisconsin provides topical bibliographies and resource guides, lists of feminist and LGBTQ+ publishers and bookstores, and one-on-one research consultations to activists, scholars, and citizens around the world.
  • Shelf Awareness http://www.shelf-awareness.com/
    Shelf Awareness is a free e-newsletter about books and the book industry.
  • Trans Book Reviews https://transbookreviews.wordpress.com/
    Trans Book Reviews reviews books featuring transgender or non-binary main characters.
  • Well-Read Black Girl https://wellreadblackgirl.com/
    Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a Brooklyn-based book club and digital platform that celebrates the uniqueness of Black literature & sisterhood.
  • WOCreads https://wocreads.wordpress.com/
    Bina reviews books by women writers of color, non-binary people of color, and Indigenous women and non-binary people at all intersections.
  • Women’s Review of Books https://www.wcwonline.org/Women-s-Review-of-Books/womens-review-of-books
    Since 1983, the Women’s Review of Books has provided a forum for serious, informed discussion of new writing by and about women.
  • Women Writers, Women’s Books http://booksbywomen.org/
    Women Writers, Women’s Books is an online literary magazine by and about contemporary women writers from around the world. It was launched in 2011 to provide another platform for worldwide contemporary women writers and authors writing in English.