Books I’m Excited for in 2017

The new year has begun, and that means it’s time for another annual roundup of new releases that I’ll be eagerly anticipating throughout 2017. Last year I only got around to reading a handful of the books that made my 2016 list, so this year I’m hoping to make more of an effort to keep on top of these releases. Check out some of these upcoming gothic reads: Continue reading Books I’m Excited for in 2017

Books I’m Excited for in 2016

It’s a new year, and you know what that means? New books! 2016 has just begun, and I’m already getting hyped about all of the amazing books coming out this year. Here are just of a few of the great-looking gothic reads coming out in 2016:

  1. The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater (Set to be released April 26, 2016)

The Raven King coverI’ve been talking about this series a lot lately, especially since the first book was my favorite book I read last year. Well, I hopped on the Raven Cycle bandwagon just in time, because the fourth and final book in this series is finally coming out in April! I’m excited to see if Blue and the raven boys succeed in finding their Celtic king and to find out how exactly my favorite corvid creatures fit into this mythos. Continue reading Books I’m Excited for in 2016

Books On My Holiday Wish List

It’s almost that gift-giving time of year, and what could make a better present than a book? Books always make up the majority of my wish list, so I figured I would share with you some of the books I’d love to receive this year:

book tree 1
I managed to make a book tree out of the measly amount of books I brought to my new apartment!

Continue reading Books On My Holiday Wish List

Picking Your Next Gothic Read

My bookshelf--aka where I go to find my next gothic read
My bookshelf–aka where I go to find my next gothic read.

Summer is winding down, but you’ve still got time to squeeze in a few more summer reads! The only question is what to choose. If you don’t already have a stack of TBRs piled next to your bed like I do, finding your next book can be a daunting task. But not to worry, that’s what librarians are for! As your virtual Gothic Librarian, I’ve compiled some tips for helping you find your next dark and decadent read: Continue reading Picking Your Next Gothic Read

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory–A Review

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes coverOne of the things that makes goths special is that we are not afraid to look death in the face. We take special delight in exploring taboos, especially the taboo of death. The entire aesthetic of the gothic subculture reflects a time when people interacted heavily with death—specifically the Victorian era, with its elaborate mourning customs and associated wardrobe, art, and accoutrements. Unfortunately, much of mainstream American culture does not share our morbid proclivities. In fact, Americans seem to have become obsessed with shielding themselves as completely as possible from death and dying. We relegate death to the sanitized rooms of hospitals and allow funeral workers to whisk our loved ones away as soon as possible to be prepared for cremation or burial by total strangers. Did you know you can even order a cremation online and have your loved one picked up, cremated, and mailed back to you in an urn without ever interacting with a single human being or having to face any visual reminders of death?

Continue reading Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory–A Review