In under two years, Lyn Liao Butler has published two books that captured my interest. Though I haven't gotten to read either one yet, I was excited to dive into her newest release, Someone Else's Life. Her first thriller, this novel takes place during a Hawaiian storm when two strangers are locked inside together. But... Continue Reading →
Following her first book, The Taste of Ginger, Mansi Shah is back with her second novel, The Direction of the Wind. I admit that I went into this book blind (something I've been doing more frequently lately), but I was instantly absorbed into this beautiful and impactful story. Following a mother and daughter traveling from... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of 2023 has been Maame, the debut novel by Jessica George. It follows Maddie, a self-described "late bloomer," who, at 25, is moving out for the first time. She'll experience some exciting and rocky firsts, but she'll also face tragedy, and these will lead her to uncovering her path... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated novels of 2023 has been The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges. This debut novel is so imaginative and magical, and it defies easy categorization. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but it absolutely captivated me. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of years, the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett has emerged as a standout among historical romances. These are smart books highlighting women who fit within the STEM label (and STEMinist label), except it's the 1840s and they're facing even more career pushback than women today. I've been meaning... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I was excited to learn that Armando Lucas Correa had a new novel on the horizon, The Night Travelers. A few years ago I had picked up his debut novel, The German Girl, and his latest release returns to the same themes of escaping 1930s Germany on the St. Louis, a ship bound... Continue Reading →
2023 has only just begun, and already there are some incredible new books out that deserve to be read! One novel I'm particularly looking forward to is The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz. It takes place in Scotland in 1715, and it follows a fugitive heiress as she hides out in a Scottish... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I enjoyed Sharon C. Cooper's novel Business Not As Usual. Now the male protagonists's sister gets her own love story with In It to Win It, a second chances romance with a little friendly competition over a real estate deal. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalley for providing me... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books for the end of this year was A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson. I admit, I've been planning to read his first adult romance, I'm So (Not) Over You, all year, but it somehow hasn't happened yet. However, I'm happy I got to read A Dash... Continue Reading →
I always love a book that I can escape into and be transported to another country. Paris is near the top of my destination wish list, so I was looking forward to Samantha Vérant's new novel, The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique. Set against the opening of a new Parisian bistro, this is an enemies-to-lovers... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year has been The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale. Though I haven't yet read her first novel, The Ballerinas, this one falls into a similar genre of drama thriller. Also like her first book, this one features a dual timeline and a protagonist gifted in the arts. Instead of... Continue Reading →
This autumn has seen some incredible new releases, and one book I'm particularly excited to read is Under a Veiled Moon by Karen Odden. It's the second in her Inspector Corravan mystery series, following Down a Dark River. This time, the Irish-born Scotland Yard Inspector Michael Corravan will have to investigate a crime that's a... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Camilla Läckberg released The Golden Cage, a psychological thriller with a feminist plot and a noir vibe. I just got the audiobook this month and decided to listen to it as part of my Northern and Eastern Europe reading challenge. The book was translated from Swedish by Neil Smith, and the audiobook... Continue Reading →
I was recently perusing audiobooks when I came across Girl at War by Sara Nović. Its setting in an event I knew little about—the Croatian War of Independence—captured my interest, and I immediately bought the book. It was only then that I noticed I already have another book by the author, True Biz, which just... Continue Reading →
My November reading challenge was to read books set in Northern or Eastern Europe, and one that was high on my list was The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson. This nordic noir, set in a remote village in Iceland in the 1980s, combines a haunting ghost story with a realistic thriller mystery. It was... Continue Reading →
I've been a fan of mysteries for as long as I can remember, back to when I read all the Nancy Drew books I could find as a child. One mystery series that I'm looking to start is the Merry Folger series by Francine Mathews. Now is a great time to dive in, because the... Continue Reading →
One of the romances I've most been looking forward to this year has been Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin. Although I haven't read her previous novels, this one looked adorable: A book-hater falling in love with a literal author? It doesn't get better than that! I was thrilled to get an early copy of... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year I was happy to read Gurzil by I, Anonymous. The first in the Wars of Wrath series, it ended on a cliffhanger, so I was eager to see what would happen next. The second installment is Badon Hill, a transitional book that sets up what is sure to be an exciting end.... Continue Reading →
I always enjoy reading historical fiction about real-life figures, and especially about the people adjacent to someone more famous, so I was excited to read Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby. It follows the years that Anne Sharp worked as a governess for the Austen family at their home in Kent. While there, she met her... Continue Reading →
Ever since I first saw the cover for Veronica G. Henry's debut novel, Bacchanal, I've been eager to read it. With Spooky Season well underway, I thought now was the perfect time to dive into this magical story of evil and mystery set the American South in the 1930s. Summary Eliza Meeks was abandoned by... Continue Reading →
T. Kingfisher is an author I've been meaning to get into. Her 2020 novel The Hollow Places is on my bookshelf, eyeing me impatiently, and I have an ever-growing list of her other books I'd like to read. This year, I decided to finally start with a novella that's been all the rage: What Moves... Continue Reading →
For months, I was looking forward to Sign Here, the debut novel by Claudia Lux. Apart from its eye-catching cover, the synopsis sounded wholly original: A guy working in Hell? That could be both fun and horrifying! I was thrilled to get an advance copy of this novel, even if it turned out to be... Continue Reading →
I have long been a fan of horror and gothic tales, so ever since I first heard of The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, I was eager to read it. In the end, I waited until early October to dive in; it worked for both Latinx Heritage Month and Spooky Season, and I was in the... Continue Reading →
Ever since summer 2005, when I first heard "Sugar, We're Goin Down," I've been a devoted fan of Fall Out Boy. When their founding member and guitarist Joe Trohman announced that he was releasing a memoir, I pre-ordered a signed hardcover immediately. Then on release day I got the audiobook, too! None of This Rocks... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 