AMBER FRALEY

THE BUG DIARY

New Adult & College Fantasy

While experimenting with substances in the university library, Kymer is confronted by a ghost from KU’s past: Carrie Watson, the librarian who is the library’s namesake. Carrie gives Kymer the insect field journal of Flora Ellen Richardson, the first woman to graduate from KU. When Kymer reviews the bug diary, she realizes there’s a bee in Flora’s journal that’s never before been identified by science. A wild ride ensues changing the world of entomology, and her personal world, forever.

Amber Fraley is your typical Gen Xer suburban Kansas wife and mom of one who grew up a book nerd in a dysfunctional family and now writes about those experiences as hilarious therapy. She’s the author of the darkly humorous essay collection From Kansas, Not Dorothy, and the viral essay Gen X Will Not Go Quietly, as well as numerous human interest articles. Amber loves Kansas with all her heart, is frequently awkward in public, and desperately wishes to see a tornado and live to tell the tale.

Acclaim for “The Bug Diary”:

“This book is a fantastic read. At its heart, it is the story of a young woman finding herself through the first year of college at KU, far from her childhood home. Several supernatural episodes provide one catalyst for self-discovery… The characters feel real and lived-in, and some of the dialogue is downright hilarious. … Fraley is a natural storyteller, and I am happy to follow wherever she leads.”
—Karen M. Vaughn, author of Death Comes for the Trophy Wife & Other Stories and A Kiss for a Dead Film Star and Other Stories
“Fraley’s writing is humorous, insightful, and, all in all, kind as Kymer steps into adulthood, meeting new people, recognizing her privileges, making mistakes, and finding that home is wherever you want it to be. That there is a little paranormal activity in a coming of age story set at a university may be a surprise, but Fraley’s writing makes it easy to suspend any disbelief. All these elements come together so that it’s hard to put the book down.”
—Eden D, NetGalley Reviewer

“The characters … are diverse, and the author has taken these opportunities to briefly highlight … conversations about privilege and inequality that occur when you’re young and naïve and finally meeting people with truly different life experiences. … and her interest in bugs and entomology was such a fresh theme to explore—it really set the book apart from other coming of age stories! I also liked the queerness of this book, and not just the explicitly queer side characters. … it was refreshing to feel this queerness built into the story so naturally without being picked apart and labelled. … I really enjoyed this book and would definitely return for a sequel to see what happens next in the lives of these characters! (- And of course for more bugs!)”
—Mary J, NetGalley Reviewer

“Amber Fraley’s The Bug Diary is a loving and authentic tribute to undergraduate life, to the risks, vulnerabilities—and ultimately profound misunderstandings and awareness—that can arise when young people expose themselves to personal transformation.”
—Nathan Pettengill, editor, Sunflower Publishing

Amber Fraley

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