Hello Earthlings! I am new to blogging, but thought I’d give it a shot. This is an introductory blog post, so bear with me if it’s not spectacular just yet.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I’ve written short stories, poems, tons of essays, and have recently started on my own book. It’s a slow process, but a fun one nonetheless. I have an insanely large collection of books. I have recently run out of bookshelf space and have all of the recent books I’ve read piled on my night table, as well as in a cardboard box left over from the holidays. So, I figured what better way to really pay some homage to my books, that I truly love, than to write about them?

My goal for this blog is to write reviews on books I’ve read, to write my thoughts on certain topics the books cover, and maybe even write some short stories to boot! If I stray from my preconceived ideas for this blog, I apologize in advance. I may need to go on some rants every now and then. Like I said, bear with me.

As this is my first blog and I do want it to be about books, I will give you a short list of books I have read recently that you need to read and why you need to read them. So without further ado, let there be books!

1. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. I read this when it first came out almost a year ago to the day. If you are interested in clairvoyance, slaves, underground gangs, and aliens then this book is for you. Words cannot explain just how much I love this book. It’s nearly 500 pages long and I read it in two days. I could not get enough of it. The sequel, of an anticipated seven books, is called The Mime Order and is actually released tomorrow, January 27th. I have preordered it and it should ship to me tomorrow! I can’t wait. Seriously, you have to read this book.

2. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I have always been fascinated with Asian culture – particularly Asian courtesans. I got my start on Asian culture with the Amy Tan books of which I got hooked on with The Valley of Amazement which I could go off on a tangent about for hours. I have just one Amy Tan book left to read before I’ve officially read all of her books including children’s books. Nevertheless, Memoirs was an eye-opening novel. It exposed me to the luxuries of geisha culture, of the sadness of it as well, and honestly just the absolute thrill of being in this cultural elite where one step out of line could cost you your career, and your family’s careers.

3. Last but not least, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book made me cry throughout the entire novel. I hadn’t read a book that made me cry this much since The Valley of Amazement. As a woman whose extended family is Jewish, this book captured the right amount of sadness for those Jews involved during WWII, as well as the lives of the non-Jewish people who found it terribly difficult to stand by and watch, and their fear of their own family’s lives if they should help them. It’s a powerful book with a narrator that truly takes you beyond the war, beyond life itself, and into the realm of Death himself watching the world unravel.

Well, that’s all for now folks. I hope you enjoyed these recommendations. I’ll be back as soon as I can for another blog post. Until then, read!! Read as much as you can!!

Rachel