If you love books and music, then be sure to put Largehearted Boy at the top of your blog reading list. Run as a labor of love since 2002 by music fan and pop culture expert David Gutowski, the site is a unique and seamless combination of content devoted to writing and music. Packed with interviews, song samples, book reviews, music news, and articles, the Character Approved Largehearted Boy is one of the highlights of my reading day.

Regular features include the "Largehearted Boy Cross-Media Cultural Exchange Program," where musicians interview writers and writers interview musicians. The staff of independent bookstore WORD highlights new book releases in the "Largehearted Word Books of the Week" feature. Comics and graphic novels get the same treatment in the "Atomic Books Comics Preview." For several years running, Gutkowski has offered "52 Weeks, 52 Books," where he reviews a book each week. And if you're already feeling nostalgic for 2010, Largehearted Boy features comprehensive lists of the various "Best of 2010" lists for books and music.

My favorite feature at Largehearted Boy is "Book Notes," where authors provide a music playlist that must somehow relate to their recently published book. Sometimes they list a song that represents a character in the book, other times it's a song that inspired the entire work. Each author approaches their Book Notes entry differently, but they always provide an intimate, personal look at the writer and his or her book in a way that no traditional book review or interview can ever achieve.

If you're a fan of both writing and music, you'll find that it's Largehearted Boy's cross-pollinated approach that makes it a must-read blog.

[Image: Largehearted Boy]