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Best of 2013: Whitney's favorite websites

Whitney Matheson
USA TODAY

Today our "Best of 2013" feature continues with a countdown of my favorite websites of the year. Did I miss something? Feel free to let me know so I can go check it out:

Slicing Up Eyeballs is one of Whitney's favorite websites of 2013.

11. Rookie. The site may be aimed at teen girls, but the writing is better than many adult sites, and each week I find at least a couple features I'm glad I clicked on.

10. The Bitter Southerner. Thanks to Pop reader Steve L. for turning me on to this site and Twitter account, which celebrate Southern culture with a twist.

9. Welcome to Twin Peaks. This fan site only deepens my love of the David Lynch series and keeps me up to date on a surprisingly heavy stream of Peaks-related news. Its creator also is savvy with social media, holding a clever photo contest this year and maintaining an engaging Twitter feed.

8. Video Podcast Network. This is more of a YouTube channel than a standalone site, but it deserves recognition for its funny original programming (Getting Doug With High, Tubbin' With Tash) and live video podcasts.

7. Open Culture. The tagline may be kinda dry ("the best free cultural and educational media on the Web"), but the content certainly isn't. I visit Open Culture daily to see videos and learn about intriguing cultural moments that may have passed me by.

6. The Mary Sue. I adore this prolific site that covers geek-themed news from a female perspective.

5. Laughing Squid. There's a lot of weird stuff on the Internet, and somehow these guys manage to catch most of it.

4. RogerEbert.com. Thanks to his widow, Chaz Ebert, the film critic's legacy lives on with this site featuring first-rate writing and criticism from several respected contributors.

3. Slicing Up Eyeballs. As someone who grew up on '80s and '90s college rock, this frequently updated site is a godsend. There's no such thing as too much Morrissey news!

2. The Talkhouse. This music community has really grown since its launch earlier this year. It features record reviews written by other musicians, many of whom offer more insight than what we see in the mainstream press. (And where else could we have read Lou Reed's positive assessment of Kanye West's Yeezus?)

1. Dangerous Minds. As someone who tries to avoid gossip and vapid snark as much as possible, I admire this destination that unearths fascinating, and often obscure, nuggets of pop culture.

Honorable mentions:The Dissolve, Geekosystem, Superhero Hype

More of Whitney's "Best of 2013" lists:

- Comics/graphic novels

- Apps

- DVD releases

- Twitter accounts

- Documentaries

- Podcasts

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