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!!

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!

Reading a Series

So, I am a bit of an oddball. In more ways than one without a doubt, but for this post I am referring to how I read a series. I am not sure when it started but at some point I decided waiting until all the books in a series were out was the only option. At that point, I could binge read the whole thing in one sitting. By reading a series this way I am content and there is a sense of completion.

But lately there are more and more series I can’t avoid because I am finding I want to enjoy them now, or at least start. I am actually considering reading a series differently than I ever have before. Thankfully I have a few series on the back list, already complete, I can enjoy while I contemplate how to tackle reading a series that isn’t all out yet. It isn’t that I worry they won’t ever be finished, it is more that I am impatient and don’t like the not knowing how it ends. Of having that story constantly running in the back of mind wondering what might happen next until I can read the next installment and know for sure.

I do this with TV shows as well; I wait to binge watch a season, when finished I will google to see how the next season started so I at least know how that particular story arc ends. I am horrible that way. But with a book series I don’t have anything to Google! I have avoided that problem by either not reading series altogether or digging in once available, years after it was originally published.

I was discussing this quirk of mine with a friend the other day and he stated that he has to read the first book to know if he wants to read the series and make the commitment. Honestly, that concept had never occurred to me. If I am interested enough in the premise and synopsis, well, I am in all the way. It never occurred to me I might want to test the waters as it were. Having always read a series as one giant tome I never considered them as separate books.

But I want to see if I can shift that perspective and reading habit this year because there are quite a few series that recently started, or will be starting later this year, and I am anxious to get to know the characters. It is going to be hard for me and my inquiring mind to have to wait, so we shall see how this experiment goes.

Do you have odd reading habits or treat a series in a special fashion differently from a standalone? Let me know any tricks you have for reading a series and battling the waiting for the next installment!

~ Happy reading ~

Reading Challenges? Bring it!

In the wonderful world of Twitter you never know what delightful (or possibly crazy) conversations you might happen into while scrolling through your feed. This past evening I entered into a wonderful chat with @MMOGC (on Twitter or her site: mmogamerchick.wordpress.com) about various authors we are looking forward to reading. I had mentioned I wanted to read more backlists this year with a focus on diverse reading.

In previous years, I typically suffered from “Front Table Syndrome;”  failing to seek out more titles and authors outside my stagnant reading habits. I wanted to break out of the box and @MMOGC suggested checking out the Worlds Without End Reading Challenges. Whew nelly, what a fun site!

It did take some time to add the books I wanted to read as part of the challenges. But it wasn’t impossible (hint, after you search for the book click on the actual title to add to your lists by clicking submit – took me a minute to figure that one out). I signed up for both the “Women of Genre Fiction” and “Clear the Shelves” challenges. “Women of Genre Fiction” involves reading 12 books by new-to-you woman authors and “Clear the Shelves” involves reading 15 books, plus five reviews, that have been gathering dust on your bookshelves.

I used a lot of the titles I listed in my Back List Party post from a few weeks ago along with some new ones I have come across that sound intriguing. The idea of joining the challenges with other avid genre readers is exciting and pushes me to really focus on every moment where I could be reading.

It will be fun to interact with the other readers in the Worlds Without End forums and those participating on Twitter. Chatting about books is pretty much the highlight of any day and I look forward to more actively sharing my reading in this coming year.

What reading challenges will you push yourself to try this year?

Short Story Highlight: E. Lily Yu via @clarkesworld and TERRAFORM

For longer than anyone could remember, the village of Yiwei had worn, in its orchards and under its eaves, clay-colored globes of paper that hissed and fizzed with wasps.

Thus begins E. Lily Yu‘s tale “The Cartographer Wasps and the Anarchist Bees.”  I only read it last month but it was originally published in the Clarkesworld Issue 55, April 2011.  In this tale Yu weaves a vivid world within a world where wasps and bees have an entire empire and way of life unbeknownst to the human world around them, at first. I don’t want to give too much away, as the joy of discovering while reading is too great with this story, just know you should go read it right now. Go, read it. I will wait…

See what I mean?! The story just sucks you right in. You easily see things not just from the bee and wasp perspective but the brief transitions to the human world fills you with foreshadowing and dread, typical humans, sigh.

E. Lily Yu has a some additional stories for you to enjoy via Clarkesworld:

“The Urashima Effect” by E. Lily Yu, Issue 81, June 2013

This story gave me chills but not from fright. A man awakens, after a few years in stasis, on a solitary journey to a distant planet and after learning of a terrible change in plans must make a life-changing decision. It is an intense story for one that is so simple; but then, Yu is very adept at using just the right amount of words to create the images she wants to conjure in your mind.

“Daedalum, the Devil’s Wheel” by E. Lily Yu, Issue 87, December 2013

Here is a story that will require multiple passes to ensure you didn’t miss anything. The surreal one-sided conversation is almost psychedelic with just the right number of glimmers into reality that you wonder if you yourself haven’t had a similar conversation in the wee hours of desperation.

A very recent story with TERRAFORM:

“Local Stop on the Floating Train” by E. Lily Yu, published December 22, 2014

Whew. This story. While set during an undefined point in the future, what happens to Lela on the train could just as easily, and sadly, happen today. It is a simple and yet powerful commentary on race relations in a dystopian future. Just go read the story and then share it.

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E. Lily Yu is one of those authors I will always be keeping an eye out for. I was drawn in by her short fiction and I am desperately hoping for either a collection or a novel to come out at some point. According to her website Yu is currently a doctoral student at Cornell and there is a more extensive listing of her writing here.

Her ability to paint the most glorious worlds is astounding and I can’t read enough of her work. I haven’t read all of her listed work on the website, some I am only just now learning about and shall eagerly be seeking it out.

Have any of you read E. Lily Yu? Let me know what you think of the stories and happy reading!

I hope you enjoyed the first installment of Short Story Highlight. A LOT more to come here as I think short fiction is often pushed to the side too quickly versus being relished and passed around.

Back List Party Time! Let’s Get This Party Started..

As I posted yesterday, I am planning on focusing more time with back list titles for my personal reading this year. Despite the time suck that will be graduate school, I am hoping to really dig deep and get a LOT of personal reading done as well as required reading. (I haven’t even set-up my TV in the new place specifically to avoid the other major time suck.)

And, since so many are sharing their “Shiny and New I Want to Read in 2015” lists I thought I would share my “Yeah, I am SO Behind on Reading” list. This is not an exhaustive list, more a sampling of what I am making a priority in the overall list in the coming year. So, without further ado, and in no particular order, here are some of the titles I hope to inhale this year:

Novels:

• Of Blood and Honey (and) And Blue Skies From Pain, both by Stina Leicht

Published in 2011 and 2012 respectively these novels bring an interesting political twist to a supernatural conflict. With a premise of Ireland + the 70s + supernatural forces you get something I can’t wait to read. Paul Weimer shared his 2015 list, http://skyseastone.net/jvstin/?p=4064, and he mentioned Stina Leicht’s new title Cold Iron coming out later this year and it looks really intriguing. But I want to treat myself to her early titles first.

• Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord

Described as a “woven tale of adventure, magic, and the power of the human spirit,” this is a book I need in my life. Karen Lord has a new title coming out this year, The Galaxy Game, which will be her third novel I believe. I have heard so MANY wonderful things about her debut Redemption in Indigo, published in 2010, I decided to start here, then move to her second novel The Best of All Possible Worlds, first published as hardcover in 2013.

• Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

“The rich and privileged have fled the city, barricaded it behind roadblocks, and left it to crumble.” I am dying to know what happens in the city and so this is a MUST read for me. I honestly can’t recall where or when this title was brought to my attention but it was originally published in 1998 and I can’t wait to hold this in my hands. I have added her entire back list to my Wish List.

• Lagoon (and) Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

Lagoon is a first contact novel that doesn’t happen in the U.S.. Yes, please. I will read that all day long.  Who Fears Death takes place in a post-apocalyptic Saharan Africa and looks to be a very powerful read, originally published in 2010. Paul had this on his list (linked above) as the U.S. edition is coming out this year. I am too impatient to wait plus I LOVE the UK edition cover so I am ordering now to enjoy sooner rather than later.

• The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

I am a horror girl at heart, always will be, and this debut looks incredibly creepy in the VERY best of ways. A wandering spirit doling out vengeance on killers with a plot twist? Sold.

• Elysium by Jennifer Marie Brissett

Gary during episode 209 of the Coode Street Podcast stated this book was “striking” and that Brissett was doing really interesting things with gender roles. I found this incredibly intriguing and added it to the list straight away. This book came out in December of 2014 so I hope EVERYONE picks this up.

• The Bees by Laline Paull

Something described as “The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Hunger Games” from the perspective of a BEE?! Yeah, I am in. I heard about this first via Simon Savage‘s Twitter feed and he was beyond excited about this novel.

• Running Home by Julie Hutchings

Julie is an amazing person online that I recent e-met via Twitter. She suggested this as a good entry point. It is a best-selling Amazon horror title and has gotten great reviews as an original take on vampires – and I love me some vampire horror!

• The Inheritance Trilogy Omnibus by N. K. Jemisin

I waited for the omnibus edition to come out so I could have all the books and the new novella that came out at the end of 2014.  I have heard so many insane things with plot twists and power struggles I have been eagerly awaiting this hefty tome for some time. And it is indeed hefty at 1,453 total pages. I bought it the week it was released but I think for actual reading I might treat myself to the ebook version as well!

• The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells

I was told this is a wonderful place to start for Martha Wells so I purchased the ebook and a hardcover edition (the hardcover has such beautiful art I couldn’t resist). Anything where “traces of a necromantic power that hasn’t been used for centuries” is involved has my absolute attention.

• Miserere: An Autumn Tale by T. Frohock

I was pulled into Frohock’s shorter and recent work/collaborations, but I have long been wanting to go back and read this novel, originally published in 2011. The cover art alone is gorgeous and intriguing. Plus, a novel described as “a compelling tale of faith rediscovered, trust regained, and hope reawakened” is something I could use more of this year.

• The Complete Bel Dame Apocrypha trilogy: God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture by Kameron Hurley

Everyone I know has already read Hurley’s The Mirror Empire that came out in 2014 and is anxiously awaiting Empire Ascendant, the sequel due this year. While I do own The Mirror Empire, I have been waiting to read it – I am weird in that I like to binge read a whole series at a time, so I wait. That being said, I have heard Hurley on various podcasts (including the Coode Street Podcast) and absolutely adore the way she talks about world-building.  I was torn about waiting and then I discovered this trilogy! This trilogy also received rave reviews for Hurley’s world-building prowess and with a keen change-up of a matriarchy to boot I am more than happy to start here.

Short Story/Novella Collections:

• The Chains That You Refuse by Elizabeth Bear

I love author collections that give me a glimpse to the various voices carried within. This looks like a great collection originally published in 2006 with a wide range of story material.  I am REALLY excited for this one.

• The New Amsterdam series by Elizabeth Bear

I have been intrigued by all the titles in this series(five thus far) because it is set in one of my favorite time periods, the turn of the 20th century. Add to that a mystery and magic and I am already hooked.  Elizabeth Bear has a new title coming out next month, Karen Memory, that is getting a lot of buzz but I want to relish some earlier work first. After these titles I think I will pick up Carnival as my first Bear novel. There is just so much to pick from, I am really excited about Bear’s back list!

• Nebula Awards Showcase 2014 ed. Kij Johnson (and) 2013 ed. Catherine Asaro (and) 2012 eds Joseph Kessel and James Patrick Kelly

What better way to discover authors you might have missed than digging into three of the Nebula Award collections??! I can’t think of one and I might continue to work my way back to collect them all over time.

• Jagannath by Karin Tidback

This is a collection of short stories from Swedish author Karin Tidback, the U.S. ebook published in 2012.  This is a collection I accidentally stumbled across while searching for something else, so fortuitous! It is described as a “feast of darkly fantastical” and that pretty much sums up some of my favorite fiction ever. I have a feeling I found another author to be obsessed with for life!

• Conservation of Shadows by Yoon Ha Lee

Yoon Ha Lee is an author I found on Twitter and sought out her debut collection based on other Twitter comments. I have had this on my TBR list since last year (it was published in 2013) and this is the year I will finally make the time to feast upon these stories described as “wonderfully fresh and deeply ancient.”

• Errantry: Strange Stories by Elizabeth Hand

Elizabeth Hand was recommended to me by John Stevens via one of her novels, Available Dark. However, when I came across this title, published in 2012, while creating my extremely long Small Beer Press wish list I knew this is where I would start.  Stories that “tease apart the dark strangeness of everyday life” are EXACTLY why I read short fiction. You get that glimpse into a moment, a portion of time, that is very fleeting but sticks to your bones.  I am incredibly excited to pick this one up.

• The Storyteller and Other Tales by K. V. Johansen

I have heard so many amazing things about Johansen’s character development and world-building from her Marakand series (The Leopard is the first in the series published last year), but I wasn’t sure if that was where I wanted to start. Then I came across this small collection published in 2008. I purchased the short story collection knowing I was already excited about the author’s current work but I wanted to dig deeper before plunging into such an epic world. This seems like a perfect fit.

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I could keep listing more novels and short story collections to include but I think the above lists give a good idea of what I am making a priority for my 2015 reading. I am playing catch up and will end up behind from all the books coming out this year. But I will keep a list and continue my passion for the Back List!

What about some of your favorite authors? Have you explored all they have written? What about newly discovered authors? If it wasn’t a debut title you just discovered you should seek out their back list while waiting for their next release.  All the cool kids are doing it!

I have linked all the author names to their websites. If you are intrigued by any particular titles you can easily seek out even MORE and keep up to date with anything new forthcoming.  Here is to happy reading and exploring through the Forest of the Back List.

Also, if you can think of any additional titles I might enjoy, or, want to add something you are looking forward to reading please feel free to share in the comments below!  I love talking about books!

2015 and I are going to be GREAT friends!

This year is bringing a lot of change and new endeavors for me. Just to name a few:

• I moved into my own place in November and am finally getting settled (still a lot to do).
• I start graduate school January 5th working towards my master’s degree.
• I am working in a new department at work.
• I will be attending my first major conventions this year: World Horror Convention and World Fantasy Convention.

Even with all that I have going on I want to do even more with my time and energy. I have many personal goals I am going to also work towards during this coming year. In no particular order:

1. Learn to knit/crochet. (I want to be able to make gifts for people.  A blanket and a book will make for the best gift packs.)
2. Read more. (I spent way too much time allowing life and TV to get in the way. Not this year.)
3. Track my reading. (I have never paid much attention to my reading but this is going to change going forward. I want to read more diversely, read beyond the “front table” and seek out back list titles and small press authors.)
4. Take better care of me. (I am too quick to turn to processed foods and ignore working out and allow a sedentary lifestyle to take root. This year I am focusing on me and my health. I also want to support local farmers buying produce directly from the farm.)
5. Write. Write. Write. (Dedicating time to developing this blog and finding my voice is a huge priority for me. I also want to get back to my fiction writing, something I put on hold too many years ago.)
6. Take more pictures. (Photography is another hobby that brings me great joy and something I have neglected. There are a lot of beautiful hiking spots near here and I will be exploring them more fully with camera in hand.)

I don’t have specific resolutions per se, I want to make 2015 the year I finally start living life to the fullest, making my goals and dreams a priority.  It is going to be a full and busy year but an awesome one.

I am sure it will be a bumpy road but I welcome the challenge. So, 2015 let’s see what you have to offer.