The world of Twitter can be hard to navigate. We know that you’re already following us @flavorpill, but we decided it would be fun (and possibly helpful) if we rounded up some of our other Twitter favorites in a series we’re calling “The Followables.” The third in our series on Twitter all-stars spotlights the book critics/industry types who we love. Do us a favor and leave a comment with anyone who you enjoy who didn’t make our list.
Who: Carolyn Kellogg is a blogger for LA Times’ Jacket Copy.
Why: Because she’s equal parts smart and funny, and as she confirmed in a recent tweet, she seems to know something about everything (but not in an annoying way). Added bonus: Her first literary obsession was the Nancy Drew series. How can you argue with that?
Who: Sarah Weinman writes a monthly online column for the LA Times and a monthly online column for the Barnes & Noble Review.
Why: Because she’s a skeptic. While her passion is crime fiction, previous stints as the Baltimore Sun‘s crime fiction columnist and an editor for GalleyCat have given her a wide network of connections, and an M.S. in Forensic Science, the training, for digging up an interesting scoop (or verifying a wild rumor).
Who: Maud Newton is a freelance writer and the blogger behind MaudNewton.com.
Why: Because she posts some of the most interesting literary links around. Newton is also a fiction writer (an excerpt from her novel-in-progress received the 2009 Narrative Prize), which gives her industry coverage a unique vantage point.
Who: Ron Charles is the Washington Post‘s fiction editor and a weekly critic.
Why: Because he’s usually got the first word on new releases. It’s also fun to watch this brilliant book critic occasionally pull one over the old media institution he calls home.
Who: Ron Hogan is the director of e-marketing strategy for @hmhbooks and the blogger behind Beatrice.com.
Why: Because he’s a friend of lit underdogs. Hogan hosts Lady Jane’s Salon, a monthly romance reading series, and regularly tweets news about less popular genres like sci-fi and poetry. That, and he’s quick with a snappy one-liner. (See above.)
Who: C. Max Magee is the founding editor of The Millions.
Why: Because he doesn’t waste time on negativity. When Magee founded The Millions, part of his impetus was that life is short, and we have only so much time to read all of the good books out there. That’s a mission we can agree with.
Who: Richard Nash is a former indie publisher.
Why: Because he’s a self-proclaimed advocated for publishing 3.0. And until we figure out what exactly that looks like, he’ll be tweeting regular updates on all of the publishing industry’s failed attempts.
Who: Jessa Crispin is the editor-in-chief of Bookslut.
Why: Because her love (lust?) for literature always comes through. She also just seems like someone we’d like to be friends with. You know, in real life.
Who: Lizzie Skurnick, is the columnist for Jezebel’s Fine Lines and blogs about books at Old Hag.
Why: Because she gets you. Lizzie has read, loved, and still remembers every book that made you happy as a child — and probably most of the ones that you’ve enjoyed as an adult, too.
Who: Peter Smith is a UK-based science historian, and author of Doomsday Men . He’s also a reviewer for the Guardian and other publications.
Why: Because he’s also a photographer. The result: Smith’s Twitter feed is an awesome mix of industry news and links to amazing images.