Every literature lover knows it’s more than just reading and listening.
You have to appreciate the art, the beauty that lies within it. Sometimes, you need to express how you feel about the book. Sometimes, you want to enjoy more of it.
In that regard, I have brought you 10 places to enjoy literature. If you wish to learn about literature or read some of the most profound essays ever written, this post is for you.
10 Places to Enjoy Literature Online…
These are the best places where good literature is celebrated and shared:
1. Tor.com
Tor is a place for lovers of fantasy and sci-fi literature; you can read and explore creative stories about aliens, spaces, wild imaginations, new technologies, and everything in between.
You can read literature or reviews of books and movies. Read interviews of some of the greatest minds who have imagined another world, another planet, and created an imaginary life there.
You can start with the excerpt of Nnedi Okarafor’s Binti.
2. The Electric Typewriter
The Electric Typewriter is the home for moving essays about lots of topics. The essays are grouped into categories, which include big and existential topics such as life, death, suicide, writing, nature, etc.
Usually, these essays are not published in The Electric Typewriter, but they serve as a curator. You will find the links to the sources on their website.
I have read much of what they have under ‘writing.’ You can filter by your favorite author’s name and read. I think you will enjoy reading some of the great essays of Annie Dillard, Joan Dillon, David Forster Wallace, and Zadie Smith.
3. New Yorker
The New Yorker is one of the biggest and most popular magazines to read about anything worldwide. Although it’s about ‘original journalism,’ you can find sections about fiction, essays, and cultures.
I have reviewed some of the ones I read on the website, such as The Lottery. You will enjoy Cat Person, which went viral in the year 2017.
Check the fiction and Poetry section and dive in.
4. The Marginalian (formerly Brainpickings)
The Marginilian started in 2006 as a newsletter to a couple of friends, featuring one woman’s admiration for literature and philosophy. So far, it has grown to millions of monthly views after 17 years. It was all the work of Maria Popova, and this proves that if you enjoy something and work at it diligently, the world will listen and reward you.
Looking for what to read on the website? You can start with The Surprising History of the Pencil or Virginia Woolf on The Courage to Create Rather Than Cater and The Remedy for Self-Doubt. (By the way, I heard about Virginia’s essay, The Death of The Moth, on The Marginilian.
5. The Atlantic
The Atlantic magazine covers many topics, such as culture, art, foreign affairs, and literature. You can read deep dives about trending topics or scroll through the archive to read something that hasn’t aged, though it was published years ago. You can read this interesting history: How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring.
6. BrittlePaper
The Brittle Paper focuses on African literature and news around this same topic. It publishes interesting essays and stories from African authors. When you click on the ‘explore’ button on their homepage, a wide range of options open to you.
You can start with this book, Excerpt: The Gilded Ones, by Namina Forna.
7. Lightspeed Magazine
Lightspeed is a place to read science fiction and fantasies. It has featured stories from popular names such as Neil Gaiman, Tanarive Due, George R. R. Martin, and others.
You will enjoy Patient Zero by Tanarive Due.
8. Paris Review
Paris Review started a literary magazine in Paris. It used to publish works of famous authors, but over the years, it’s focused on a broader range of topics, including interviews, quotes, and Biography.
Like some of the names mentioned already, you have to subscribe to the Paris Review to enjoy full access.
9. r/literature (Reddit)
Reddit is a forum where you can meet other people who are passionate about the same type of topics. So, if you love literature, you will find r/literature engaging. This is like a big haven for literature lovers. A million other people like you follow the subreddit. You can ask questions, contribute to other people’s ideas, or share something interesting you discover.
10. One Story
As the name implies, One Story publishes a story per month, which means they only publish 12 stories in a year. The magazine is all about short fiction. So, you can find interesting short stories.
As a literature lover, I understand what it is like to want to express how you feel about the art. I write about the books I read and review some of them. You can start here.