Exciting news about… me!

Greetings my fabulous readers ~

Life really can become a whirlwind at times with opportunities popping up when you least expect them. One such opportunity came when Luna Station Quarterly put out a call for bloggers to join their team. I filled out their application hoping but not knowing what to expect. And then I got the fateful email: “Welcome” and “Come join us!” To which I replied, “Yes!”

There were more words involved, but the basic gist is that I will have a monthly column with Luna Station Quarterly where I get to highlight and share titles from small presses, a huge passion of mine. I am not sure of all the particulars just yet for when it will start, but I will have all that information soon and will provide updates and links.

I have titled my column “Beyond the Front Tables” because I want to focus on the stories out there readers may have missed or that bookstores don’t have readily available. Discovering “new-to-me” authors is proving to be a wonderful adventure and I am reading some truly amazing tales I can’t wait to share with everyone.

So, stay tuned my fellow bibliophiles and until next time, happy reading!!

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Books to Buy in April!

As you may have guessed I get a bit excited about books. Oddly enough, this year when I have even less time to read whatever I want I am coming across more and more books I want to read right away.

In an effort to not forget about anything, I am still snatching up the books I think look intriguing so I will have them at the ready when there is time. April is a HUGE book month so let’s jump right in to some of of the titles I can’t wait to own!

April 7th:

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

“Two men rebel together against tyranny – and then become rivals.”

This is the first in a new epic fantasy trilogy and it has been on my list since I heard about it last year. I have been a devoted fan of Liu’s short fiction and am anxious to dig into what he does with something of this scale.

April 14th:

Hit by Delilah S. Dawson

“In order to save her mother, a teen is forced to become an indentured assassin.”

If you have never read Dawson’s other books you are missing out! I have three copies of this on first in what I believe is a trilogy on order because awesome YA with some grit is going to be a winning gift.

April 28th:

Magonia by: Maria Dahvana Headley

“A story about a girl caught between two worlds… two races… and two destinies.”

I have wanted this book since the cover reveal. It is a gorgeous book and looks to be a stunning YA fantasy.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

“Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.”

I heard about this one from the book Twitterverse and have been excited to dig into this new fantasy. Having only heard amazing things the summer can’t get here soon enough!

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I hope you find some new gems to add to your book bag when shopping and happy reading!

Did you miss me? Well, I missed you!

Greetings readers!

It has been way too long since I last made a post and despite my ambitious plans for maintaining a rigorous posting schedule life had other plans. Apparently moving into a new place, starting grad school, working full time, and pursuing additional opportunities (to be announced shortly) makes for a very crammed/jammed/packed/squisheded schedule.

So, I have tweaked my mentality, shifted priorities, bought a new planner (the third one for 2015 already so this one better flippin’ mesh with my brain dammit), put in a standing desk, rearranged all sorts of things, and just generally tried to get myself back on track.

And that brings me to here! The place I might have missed most of all. I have wanted a blog for so long so I could take my book shouting to a bigger stage so making sure I find time to post here will be a priority without a doubt.

I will be sharing my book reviews in the form of more “Book Chats” because I am sharing something I enjoyed and not analyzing it from a critical perspective (I do that enough in class). If I didn’t enjoy it, I won’t share it. Simple.

Highlighting short fiction and works in translation will also be a key focus for me in my posts. Having been stationed in Japan for nearly four years I feel in love with the literature and want to continue to explore East Asian literature in translation but also branch out to experience other cultures and places. I subscribe to “World Literature Today” to help me find authors and titles. I also subscribe to nearly a dozen, if not more, magazines and journals to satisfy my short fiction addition.

Instead of trying to stick to a rigid schedule of certain topics on certain days I am going to just have fun, post based on what is striking my fancy, and just generally post more frequently. So, here we go and let’s get to reading!

*Ninja smoke bomb*

UNTIL NEXT TIME!