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