Hey all! We've officially been up for a month and thought it would be the perfect time for you, our readers, to get to know each of us a little bit better!
I thought I would provide a little bit more non-book introduction before I hop into some fun bookish questions that my lovely partner, Chrissy, came up with for us!
In my non-book hours, I am a single mama to a spunky 3 year old girl named Harper (yes, after the author), I work full-time, and begin graduate school for a masters degree in history in 17 days. I really love that history is such an all encompassing subject, I get to read all the books from differing fields to connect it to historical events. I'm not exactly sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I am hoping that it will help lead me in the right direction. When the world is normal, I love to travel, and I can't wait to make up for some lost trips when we get the opportunity!
A little non-bookish ice breaker of a question:
What is one thing you couldn’t have gotten through 2020 without?
In a completely no stakes kind of way - podcasts! I found so many fun things to listen to that fit whatever mood that I happened to be in. I love that there are zero stakes, I don't always have to pay attention, and that was truly wonderful when life feels like a lot.
Alright, let's jump into some bookish fun! I'll start with a shelfie pic of my book space that was my 2020 summer project. I removed my dining space that is never used and put shelves in!
Disclaimer that it now looks a bit different as my 3 year old thinks it's a great game to reorganize my books and put her stuffed animals on there.
What are you currently reading?
Oh man, I love this question because you will be able to fully see what an eclectic place my brain is when I put it all out there. I am currently about halfway through Alice Hoffman's The Book of Magic, which is the last of her Owen's family saga. Absolutely loving it and can't wait to pair up with Chrissy for our review since we both received ARC copies of the book! I am listening to Original Gangstas: The Untold Story of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, and the Birth of West Coast Rap by Ben Westhoff because I love music history and it came highly recommended to me after listening to Season 3 of the Slow Burn podcast. Additionally, even though school doesn't officially start for me until mid-September, I am doing an independent seminar with a professor, so I am also reading some foundational texts on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany - Nazi Germany: Confronting the Myths by Catherine Epstein, War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust by Doris L. Bergen, and Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History by Jackson J. Spielvogel. And you thought I was joking when I said my brain is eclectic.
What was your favorite read of 2021 so far?
I'm not even sure that I can answer this question! There are several books that come to mind for me, so I guess I will break it up by category. I've had a couple of favorite series that came to an end this year, that will stick with me because sticking the landing on ending a series be it tv, movie, or book is really hard. Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo is the end (hopefully only for now) of her Grishaverse. It was just absolutely a lovely ride. Bardugo brought everything together perfectly and I am still not ready to leave that story. The other great ending is Karen Marie Moning's Kingdom of Shadow and Light. I didn't actually realize that it was the ending of the series until I made it about 50% into the book. It was such a great blend of all of the books, characters, and storylines. In fact, I was not planning on writing a full review for it, but I think I might have to because I want to gush about it some more. Honestly, 2021 has been an incredibly good reading year for me. Recent favorites that I think will end up on my top 10 are Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, and The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer.
If you could only read one genre of book for the rest of your life what would it be?
Hands down - fantasy. It's such a huge genre and you can find practically any subtype depending on your mood, so it's perfect!
What is your favorite thing about bookstagram?
I really like that I get to share the reads that I love. My bookstagram actually started out as a personal challenge to myself to share every read of 2019. From there, it turned out that people enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed it so it grew from there. I love getting new suggestions and sharing what I love with others.
Thanks for taking the time to get to know our team more!
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