Thinking Blog Awards

While it's the Height of Gauchery to participate in a tagged meme without being tagged, that's precisely what I'm about to do here.

The Thinking Blog started a meme about posting a little something about blogs in recent memory that have greatly influenced your present life.

To participate in the "Five Blogs That Make Me Think" meme, here are the rules...

1. If you get tagged, write a post with links to five blogs that make you think.
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Proudly display the "Thinking Blogger Award" image on your blog with a link to the post that nominated you. (Here are the silver and gold versions of the award.)

My nominations for the award go to...

Zen Habits focuses on simple productivity. It's about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives. It's about clearing the clutter so we can focus on what's important, create something amazing, find happiness. It's one of the Top 100 blogs in the world, uncopyrighted, and goes well with anything chocolate.

Teach Me Tonight first opened my eyes to the fact that scholarly studies in popular romance is alive, well, and kickin'. That the blog contributors are brilliant and witty is icing on that academic cake.

Word Wenches is run by a group of highly acclaimed historical romance writers who have amassed a huge number of writing awards in the collective and as individuals.

Janga is an aspiring writer, moderator of the Eloisa James-Julia Quinn message board, researcher, reader, and friend extraordinaire. She has been the biggest influence in my romance reading. Thanks to her I've been introduced to sub-genres and writers I would otherwise not have picked up.

Dear Author by Jane Litte and Robin, Monkey Bear Reviews by Sarah Tanner, Promantica by MagdalenB, and Racy Romance Reviews by JessicaT cover social, historical, cultural, and technological issues tackled by and pertaining to romance novels and the romance publishing industry with intelligenc, verve, and style.

So...I cheated and snuck in eight.

If you were to nominate your five thinking blogs, which ones would make the cut?