Tell us a little about you.
@_katie.reads: I am an 8th grade English teacher based out of Hampton Roads, VA. I graduated in May from The College of William & Mary with a Bachelors in English and Secondary Education. While I was an undergrad, I was lucky enough to intern at Blue Dragon Publishing and Penguin Random House in their publicity department. I have also had the pleasure of working as the assistant to the most recent Poet Laureate of Virginia. I am a lover of ice cream, beaches, and cute dogs.
Tell us a little about your Bookstagram account and how it got started.
@_katie.reads: I started my account on February 15, 2019. I was co-running Amy Voltaire’s book launch with Blue Dragon Publishing, and I wanted to personally familiarize myself with the Bookstagram community. I post reviews of everything I read, and my reading taste is eclectic. I enjoy literary fiction, historical fiction, short stories, essays, poetry, YA, memoirs, and contemporary fiction.
Who is your favorite indie/small press author and why?
@_katie.reads: My favorite independent press author is Kim Hooper. Her latest novel, All the Acorns on the Forest Floor, is incomparably well-crafted, empathetic, and cathartic. She sensitively braided the experiences of varying characters together in a series of short vignettes in an exploration of grief, loss, new life, hope, and tragedy. My interview with Kim over the summer was so comfortable, and she has the best book recommendations. I chose her book as my book club pick for January, and Kim was kind enough to join us. I can’t wait to read her novel, No Hiding in Boise, released by Keylight Books.
What is your all time favorite indie book?
@_katie.reads: My all time favorite indie book would have to be All the Acorns on the Forest Floor!
Name: @_katie.reads
Favorite Genre: Literary Fiction
Books read per year: I read 76 books, and I read 51 in 2019
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Article originally Published in the April / May 2021 Issue: Cover Stories.