A week ago I finished Madeline Miller's Circe; immediately after, I dove right into The Silence of The Girls by Pat Barker. The two novels have much in common. Both were published in 2018, both were Book of the Month selections, and both center on famous figures from Greek mythology. More so than Circe, The Silence of... Continue Reading →
I remember when Madeline Miller's Circe first came out in April 2018. It was all over the bookstores and its shining cover drew me in. But it wasn't until January 2019 that I finally bought the book, signing up for Book of the Month to get it. Now, over a year after that purchase, I've... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I decided to listen to my first audiobook. Something about listening to fiction seems weird to me, so I decided to start with nonfiction and one of my biggest interests: Spain. I found The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad, and was excited to dive in. This audio book comes from The... Continue Reading →
Most of us are preparing for a fairly isolated few months, and during our self-quarantines, we all need a little entertainment. Might I present to you the option of books? Reading will be more important than ever this spring, and you'll need to stock up! After scouring the upcoming releases, here are 29 of the... Continue Reading →
I first came across Christine Féret-Fleury's The Girl Who Reads on the Métro while exploring a nearby Barnes & Noble. It instantly captured my imagination and drew up memories: I was once a girl on the métro (or rather, subway), reading during my morning and afternoon commutes between Queens and Brooklyn. Though I've never been... Continue Reading →
Amy Harmon's What the Wind Knows gently fluttered into my awareness last year when I saw it featured in some bookish email newsletters. But while the title and cover caught my eye, the summary catapulted it to the top of my to-buy list. There are three reasons... First: It's set in Ireland, and I have... Continue Reading →
After finishing Rutger Bregman's Utopia For Realists last week, I wanted to dive deeper into the concept of universal basic income (UBI). So naturally I turned to Annie Lowrey's Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World, a book I picked up about a year ago.... Continue Reading →
I first came across Rutger Bregman when my sister shared his TED Talk about poverty. It was a moving presentation that rang true with my views and ideals, and I ended up sharing the link on my Facebook, too. It wasn't until a few months later that I realized he was the author of a... Continue Reading →
From the time I learned how to read as a young child - and probably even before that, when my parents read to me - I always loved books. Books were my sanctuary and my escape. If I felt lonely, reading a book put me in the company of diverse casts of characters. When I... Continue Reading →
A couple days ago, I finished Suketu Mehta's recent book, This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto. In keeping with the theme, I excitedly chose Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration next. (I received both books as Christmas gifts, but only the former was one I previously knew about and specifically asked... Continue Reading →
So far, 2020 has seen me focusing in on nonfiction books relating to politics and social issues. Following How Bernie Won and Where We Go From Here, my latest read is This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto, by Suketu Mehta. It's no secret that immigration is often (unfairly) attacked as something to fear... Continue Reading →
Just after finishing Jeff Weaver’s How Bernie Won – and with Bernie Sanders’s 2016 book Our Revolution in mind – I decided it was time to read Bernie’s latest publication, Where We Go From Here. Again, full disclosure: I supported Bernie Sanders during his 2016 run for president, and I’m supporting him now in his... Continue Reading →
Four years ago, throughout the 2016 presidential election in the US, I was a loyal supporter of Bernie Sanders. Despite having little political involvement prior, in summer 2015, Bernie awakened in me a political fervor, and it has remained strong since. I read his book Our Revolution about six months after the election ended (and... Continue Reading →
New year means new books! 2019 saw a ton of wonderful publications, including powerful debuts and impressive new entries from beloved authors. Now we have a fresh year ahead of us, and a growing list of anticipated new books. Without further ado, here are 27 books coming out in winter 2020 - between now and... Continue Reading →
For the last week, all I keep hearing about is people's resolutions for the new year. That doesn't just mean personal goals relating to health or career success; it also extends into the book community. I'm on Goodreads, I'm subscribed to Book of the Month, and I'm a member of several book-related groups on Facebook,... Continue Reading →
I have a long and ever-growing list of books I want, but, like many readers, I must admit that I tend to be drawn to the same three or four genres. So sometimes, it's nice - and important - to get a fresh perspective thrust into your TBR. For my birthday last May, my sister... Continue Reading →
I remember when I first saw Zeyn Joukhadar's The Map of Salt and Stars at stores in 2018: I was instantly drawn to its title and cover, and even more intrigued by the summary on the back. It wasn't on my list long before I rushed back and bought it. However, it wasn't until recently... Continue Reading →
I signed up for Book of the Month in January this year, getting two 2018 books and excitedly awaiting the months of books ahead of me. In February, I picked my first *real* Book of the Month: A Woman is No Man, the debut novel by Etuf Rum. (I also got two other new books... Continue Reading →
I discovered Dominicana by Angie Cruz thanks to Book of the Month featuring it as one of their August 2019 picks. Although I hadn't heard of it before, reading its description made it an instant impulse buy, and I was eager to read it. Fast forward a few months, and after finishing Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods... Continue Reading →
Last spring, I learned about an upcoming novel called Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I think I was on Goodreads or looking at some article somewhere, but as soon as I saw its gorgeous cover and intriguing title and read the description, I was hooked. So when Book of the Month announced... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of this year, I decided to subscribe to Book of the Month. One of my favorite things about BOTM is that I discover some amazing books that I hadn't heard of before. In September, my favorite Book of the Month discovery was Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, the first in... Continue Reading →
I, Amanda Whitbeck, am a book nerd. That should come as no surprise, given that I decided to start a whole website dedicated to book reviews and blog posts about reading. And as an admitted book nerd, I get pretty excited when I find novels that are, in some way, about books and a love... Continue Reading →
Three months ago, I discovered Little Darlings by Melanie Golding thanks to Book of the Month. Its spooky cover and title captured my interest, and with the description, I was sold. Along with Riley Sager's Lock Every Door and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow, Little Darlings become my third and final July 2019... Continue Reading →
In July, one of my Book of the Month selections was Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. I decided to read it last in my trio of thrillers related to living in another’s home as part of your job duties, following The Au Pair by Emma Rous and Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key. Like those former... Continue Reading →
