The Web Style Guide looks interesting, but I might just borrow it from the library. Still, at least there’s a link to the companion site. Very helpful. Universal Usability was also a pleasant read. It pretty much matched everything I have ever read on user-centered design: simplicity, visibility, accessibility. For both sites there was a good deal that matched Donald A. Norman’s seven usability principles from his book The Design of Everyday Things, which is one of my favorite books on usability.
I found jjg.net to be helpful also, but was disappointed that the site was a bit more sparse than the previous two. Smashing Magazine’s 50 Excellent Blog Designs were interesting to look at also. Even with some of the designs that I wouldn’t use, like Sketchblog, they were still fascinating and enjoyable to look at.
One thing I would have liked to have seen in the color chapter of Principles of Beautiful Web Design is a reminder that cultural considerations should also be made when choosing colors, especially for sites with international visitors.