February 14, 2018
As you might have noticed, this month is February. And if you’ve been in a store or anywhere in public, you’ve also noticed today is a special day. That special day is Valentine’s Day. For once, I’ve decided not to ignore this holiday and am, in fact, dedicating my post this month to a list of some of my favorite…
January 16, 2018
Beneath the Sugar Sky, the third in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series, was recently released into the wild. Before I get into my review of the novella, I want you to take a minute to read this essay that McGuire wrote for Tor.com regarding My Little Pony. I’ll wait. Back? Great. I had you read that because it gives you…
January 4, 2018
I know. It’s a sad title — all those poor, unwanted books that appear on Christmas morning. Kind of like the Island of Misfit Toys. But January is the month of returns in the retail world. Books are unwrapped only to find their owners unexcited at their arrival. Maybe it’s because grandma misjudged your taste; you’re a fan of Star…
December 15, 2017
If you’d told me, as I started this book, that by the end of it I would not only have bawled my eyes out multiple times but would also, completely on purpose, have rewatched Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, I would never have believed you. And yet, here we are. Or rather, here I am, awash in feelings.…
December 1, 2017
The Goblin Emperor (2014) Written by: Katherine Addison Genre: Fantasy Pages: 448 (Hardcover) Publisher: Tor Books Why I Chose It: Here’s what I said back in January 2017: I’m going to read The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I picked it up at World Fantasy in 2016 because it sounded so good, was nominated for every award, and she was there in the…
November 7, 2017
In early October of this year, the Internet was alive and buzzing over the latest, greatest Thing. I was, as per usual in this situation, ambivalent. What was the cause of so much excitement for seemingly everyone but me? The newest trailer for the forthcoming Star Wars installment, The Last Jedi. I was happy that my friends were happy, to…
November 2, 2017
Customers that walk into a bookstore may think one of two things when they see someone working there. The first is that the bookseller knows everything. They’ll be able to recommend books to you, figure out the name of the book of which you can only remember part of the title and cover color, and more. The second is that…
October 5, 2017
Walking into a bookstore you’ll find a plethora of categories. Fantasy, science fiction, history, children’s picture books, cookbooks, and so much more. But not every store will have a section for every genre. This includes horror. While horror is still a strong subject, there are plenty of stores out there that tend to put those books into other areas. Some…
September 11, 2017
They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with author, bookseller, and Speculative Chic contributor Nicole Taft! What does…
September 7, 2017
Booksellers may seem like they live the good life, working in a bookstore, surrounded by books and dragon plushies and hosting the occasional Harry Potter party. But bookselling isn’t always fun and games. Sometimes it can be difficult when you have a customer who just doesn’t have the title right and you’re unable to figure out what it is they…