One of the reasons I began writing this online journal is because I enjoyed reading others. And throughout the entire time I've kept this thing, I've continually sought out new reads - adding to my list as often as I can whenever I find someone else I enjoy. What is most important to me is the quality of the writing, not the quantity, and with journal-writing rising in popularity as the latest fad, it's getting harder and harder to sort through the piles to find the ones that are worth going back to day after day.

If you're like me, you probably have stumbled on most of your regular reads by accident, or by hitting that 'random' link on some journal-related web ring. So let me take this moment to pimp one of my favorite resources for new reading material, to give a little free advertising to something entirely new that's being put together for next year, and also let you all know that I'm going to do my best to make up for my sparse posting last month (even though I really did have a good excuse!). And all three of the links below should give you (and me!) lots of exposure to new reads.

Lives Online:

Every month Al puts this together, highlighting entries from as many new journals as he can find. Ever since I found this marvelous compilation, my reading list has grown significantly. I highly recommend taking a peek at the archives (although you should be warned that some of the older entries he's linked to are no longer active), book marking it, and then setting yourself a reminder to check it once a month and see all the new gems he's managed to find.

A-journal-a-day:

This won't actually start until January 1, but I'm going to tell you all about it anyway, just because I think it's that cool. Lisa has undertaken a rather unique project, and plans to post one entry per day every day of the year. However, each entry will actually be an entry written that day, but any year in the past, submitted from journalers archives. I know she's still looking for submissions, so if you've got entries you'd like to see in a-journal-a-Day, or know of other journalists who'd find this interesting as well, pass the information along.

Holidailies:

Jette, in an effort to try to get herself to write daily at least through the month of December, created the Holidailies ring, and then challenged the journaling world to join her. I'll admit that I waited til the last minute to join, but I figured that, now that Nanowrimo was over, I needed yet another reason to be camped out in front of my computer every night, trying to type one-handed while holding a cat in my lap because for whatever reason at least two of them seem to think that me in a chair = naptime for them. I'll give it my best shot, so feel free to send me emails calling me lazy if I start to slack off. And hey, even if I don't manage *every* day, at least you'll have a whole list of other people to entertain you!