S

ince childhood, Elizabeth Parker 
has always had a passion for writ-
ing. “Growing up, I was interested 
in writing fiction,” the Clawson-based 
journalist and blog owner explains.
Parker, 35, who works as a managing 
editor at Troy-based BNP Media and runs 
two blogs, Books I Think You Should 
Read and Yes/No Detroit, majored in 
creative writing at the University of 
Michigan. “I originally wanted to go into 
creative writing because I wanted to be an 
author,” she says, “but I also enjoy work-
ing on magazines.”
Throughout her education at University 
of Michigan, Parker continued to write, 
winning a Hopwood Award — a major 
scholarship program — from the school 
in 2009 for her work.

SHARING BOOKS WITH THE WORLD
Around the same time, in August 2009, 
Parker created the idea for her first blog, 
Books I Think You Should Read. “I had 

just graduated from U-M and had not 
yet found a job, so I wanted something to 
keep me busy,” she recalls. “I post books 
that I think others would enjoy or be 
interested in.”
Books I Think You Should Read 
includes book reviews, author interviews, 
giveaways and more. Since 2009, Parker 
has posted on the blog continuously — at 
least once a week — with the help of a 
guest writer, Becki Smith Bayley.
Parker says she owes Bayley credit for 
keeping the blog going strong throughout 
the pandemic, which hasn’t given Parker 
the usual time to post reviews and inter-
views on her own. Their teamwork helps 
give Parker’s audience of book lovers new 
content to regularly read.
An avid reader herself, Parker is cur-
rently reading Upgrade by Blake Crouch, 
which publishes in July. She also enjoys 
reading the work of local writers. “I 
usually like local Michigan authors,” she 
explains. “Kristina Riggle and Camille 
Pagán are great.”

COVERING DETROIT 
LIFESTYLE AND BEYOND
Yes/No Detroit, on the other hand, is a 
newer project born in January 2010. The 

40 | MARCH 10 • 2022 

NEXT DOR

Meet 
Elizabeth Parker
The founder of two Detroit-based lifestyle blogs.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Elizabeth Parker

