🥳 HAPPY NEW YEAR 🥳

I don’t know how to measure a good day or good year without thinking about the books I have read and will read.

Last year was pretty incredible on so many levels, and if you check out our past authors, you’ll see that I got to engage with so many writers about the incredible work they put out in the world. Whether it was a very funny collection of short stories about white privilege; a doctor’s moving memoir about mental health and saving his children; an award-winning collection of dark stories (I mean I read so many great collections last year); an alternative history about a secret agency in Nazi Germany; A YA novel about racialized teens at boarding school; a feminist manifesto of a woman’s rage; a dystopian feminist novel; a novel about childhood trauma and healing; an incredible collection of personal essays about motherhood and disability, or a personal story of living with a facial difference – 2024 had me exploring the personal lives of real people and super real characters (the above doesn’t cover half of it!). I LOVED every minute of it.

I read beyond the Junction Reads and The First Thirty titles, too, and if you follow me on our socials, you can see little reviews of them, but today I want to give all the love to the writers who shared their words and literary insight with us last year. Thank you!!

We are back to it on January 12 with an online conversation with Jill Yonit Goldberg talking about her “tragic coming-of-age story with a stealthy, yet kick-ass, feminist subplot set in the swampy heart of Cajun America,” AFTER WE DROWNED. Register here.

On January 26, we return to TYPE Books in the Junction with readings and conversation with Kate Cayley, Robin Pacific and Nicola Winstanley.

There are so many great titles coming this year and so many conversations I look forward to having. While you’re here, I hope you don’t mind me asking for help. We have enough money left from our Fall fundraiser to pay the authors in January, but after that, we’re a bit stuck. I hope you’ll consider donating to support the series. ALL money raised is being paid to the authors. While we keep our fingers crossed every year for grant funding, the money gods don’t seem to be seeing us here doing all we can to get great small press books and writers the promotion they deserve. Donate today (if you can).

Cayley, Heather and I look forward to another fabulous year of talking about books.