Lemuria Bookstore Blog

A few months ago, I found myself (thanks to Emily) in possession of an advanced reader copy of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente.  Little did I know that it was soon to be become one of my favorite children’s books—and there are a great [...]

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This post, despite the misleading title, is more of a query rather than a how-to.  I, like many readers I know, keep a large stack of unread books nearby so I have plenty to choose from each time I finish something. This habit can get a bit out of hand when I’m leaving my house [...]

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The Great Night by Chris Adrian is one of my favorite books this year.  The story is a contemporary re-telling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and in this version three people, each of them weighed down by a failed relationship, stumble through San Francisco’s Buena Vista park on their way to a party. Adrian [...]

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I first read this collection three or four years ago–I’m guessing when it first came out in paperback, but I can’t say for sure (I really need to start dating my books after I’ve finished them).   Well, at the time, let’s guess that I was probably a naive freshman  in college, I remember being shocked [...]

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Q: You published your first book, Flights, in 1983. Over twenty years later, how do you think you have changed as a writer? Do you feel that your voice or process has changed or progressed at all? A: Ha! I love that “at all.” Now I’m demoralized. I think I’ve gotten significantly more ambitious, and [...]

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Lately I’ve found myself drawn to contemporary novels of the gothic nature, so my plan for this blog is to share some of those with you.  In my opinion there’s just something wonderful about curling up in bed at night, reading by a single lamplight (or a candle if you really want to go that [...]

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I’m new to the Lesley M. M. Blume fan club, and I have Emily and Ellen to thank for it.  In December, knowing of my love for all things relating to magic and fairy kingdoms, Emily placed a copy of Modern Fairies, Dwarves, Goblins & Other Nasties in my hands and shortly after Ellen introduced [...]

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Not long after I started working at Lemuria last summer, our Random House reps stopped by to pitch some of the upcoming titles to us booksellers.  When they pulled out advanced reader copies of Karen Russell’s  Swamplandia! I thought there was going to be a real knock-down drag-out bookseller battle to see who got their [...]

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I’m 22 years old, I adore picture books, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  Picture books aren’t only for children, you know.  I admit that I forgot about picture books somewhere between first and second grade and never looked back until I started working at Lemuria.  And now when I’m negotiating with graduate programs [...]

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If you’ve been following our blog, you probably already know that I made a New Year’s Resolution to read 50 books this year.  And if you didn’t already know that, then you can read about it here. One month has passed and I needed to read at least five books by the end of it.  [...]

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