I've always been a reader. I love reading to the ends of the earth and back. I was that kid that got caught reading in the middle of the night instead of playing with toys (and consequently was punished with threats of my books being taken away, which thankfully never happened.) The world has been coming up with loads of ways to read without actually holding a book, which I adamantly rejected for years, because how could a Nook possibly compare to the vanilla-y scent of and old book, to the soft sound of turning pages? It doesn't but I can't deny that I do an awful lot of reading via technology (I caved this past winter and got a Nook, by the way. It doesn't smell nice but you can't beat the convenience of buying a new book without getting out of bed.)
I've been developing a love for following websites for years now, which started at the tender age of 14 with a website all about the goings-on in Green Day (favorite band at the time). I've gotten a bit more cultured over time, don't worry. so without further adieu, here are my frequent online haunts.
Rookie is an online magazine aimed at teenage girls, and despite the fact that I am 22 and no longer in the throes of adolescence, I can't help but love this site. Run by the adorkably lovely Tavi Gevinson (her personal blog here) and a massive team of men and women of a wide variety of ages, Rookie provides a getaway full of fun tutorials, photo sets and informational articles made mostly for teenage girls (but really, at what age do we stop acting like teenage girls ladies?) It covers everything from making flower crowns to talking about sesssuality. Each month is given a theme which contributors bounce ideas off of, which is actually amazing for stirring up some creativity. This months theme is imitation, next month shall be thrills & chills. Rookie is unabashedly honest about what it's like being a teenage girl, young woman, experienced adult woman, what have you. I seriously wish this had been around during my angsty years, but luckily I have a 14 year old cousin whom I love dearly who gets to enjoy all of this wonderfulness at just the right age, so at least someone around me will benefit from the awesome creativity that is Rookiemag.com.
Rookie led me to what I think of as the grown-up version of Rookiemag.com: HelloGiggles. Founded by Zooey Deschanel, Molly Mcaleer and Sophie Rossi, it goes over similar topics: DIY projects, beauty, sex & relationships, etc. etc. I literally have spent hours perusing their DIY section (best resource for manicure ideas. Seriously.) HelloGiggles divides articles up into generalized sections such as Nails of the Day, Illustrated Tweet of the Day, Teaspoon of Happy, Hot or Not, and so many more. This is where I find my daily dose of cute, funny, deeply insightful or seriously sarcastic entertainment, and it is, in my humble opinion, much better than some of the magazines strewn about the stands at the local grocery store. I'll take HelloGiggles over Cosmo all day every day.
I literally just stumbled upon this one today, and I am so enchanted with it that it deserves recognition. I have yet to go through both available issues in their entirety (unlike the previous two sites, this one is actually presented in magazine format, kinda like an e-book) but I love it already. So far I've seen interviews with a few bloggers I admire, some seriously jaw-droppingly gorgeous photography, poetry, and book reviews. Everything I could ever ask for in a publication. Thistle also follows a monthly theme, the first was secrets, the second was freedom. It seems to be very young but I can't wait to see what this blossoms into. You can read the first issue here, and the second issue here.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the best thing about all of these lovely publications. ANYONE CAN CONTRIBUTE. You, me, your great aunt Mabel. Anyone. Naturally, not all submissions will make the cut, but why let that stop you from trying? Get your creativity flowing and see if you can become a part of any of these amazing websites.
One more small bit: Rookie and Thistle both offer printed content for any real-book lovers out there. Rookie made a year book (a compendium of their favorite articles from their first year) which you can get at your local book store or just get Rookie Yearbook One by Tavi Gevinson shipped to your door via Amazon.com. Thistle can be found HERE and since they are such a young publication, each purchase ensures their ability to continue creating beautiful magazines for us to enjoy!
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