In just two days, it will finally be fall -- my favorite season! It's the perfect timing for a new book that's out today: An Autumn Kiss, part of the Timeless Victorian Collection, featuring short stories by Laura Rollins, Annette Lyon, and Lisa H. Catmull. Each of the stories looks so sweet. One is a... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I read and absolutely loved The Binding by Bridget Collins. It is one of my all-time favorite books. So I was excited when the author's second adult novel, The Betrayals, was announced. Though I've had it for the past year, I'm only now finally getting to it as part of my Dark... Continue Reading →
Today, a powerful new book by Kristin Beck hits shelves: The Winter Orphans, set in southern France in 1942. Château de la Hille is a run-down castle that's become home to a hundred Jewish refugees. Ella and Hanni are just two of the children there, without their parents and stuck in a seemingly endless war.... Continue Reading →
Animal lovers and hopeless romantics alike will adore a new book out today: Lucy on the Wild Side by Kerry Rea. The novel follows Lucy Rourke, a primatologist, whose zoo has been selected as the filming location for a wildlife docuseries. But she and the show's TV host, Kai Bridges, don't exactly hit it off,... Continue Reading →
Ever since I saw the cover for Bronze Drum: A Novel of Sisters and War by Phong Nguyen, I was intrigued. When it became a Book of the Month selection for August, I excitedly added it to my cart and dove in as soon as it arrived. Set in 40 CE in Vietnam, this novel... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Suzanne Allain released her novel Mr. Malcolm's List. I've been planning to read it since then, but now that the movie adaptation is out, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I opted for the audiobook version, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden, before immediately watching the film. While fairly different, both versions were... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite trends in literature today is the reimagining of beloved characters' lives, sometimes into entirely new genres. Mary Bennet may have played a small role in Pride and Prejudice, but she gets some much deserved attention in Katherine Cowley's historical mystery series, The Secret Life of Mary Bennet. The middle Bennet sister... Continue Reading →
I love retellings, and though I've never read the Ramayana, I was excited for Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel, Kaikeyi. Here, the infamous queen gets to tell her side of things, offering a more sympathetic perspective than she usually receives. Summary Kaikeyi is the only daughter born to the kingdom of Kekaya, and although she seems... Continue Reading →
How would you help an elderly man find the long-lost love of his life? That's the premise of Freya Sampson's beautiful second novel, The Lost Ticket, out today. When Libby arrives in London, she's heartbroken and her life is in ruins. But she gets the chance to help another lovelorn soul, an old man named... Continue Reading →
One book that's been getting a lot of buzz lately is The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi. Her debut novel, this is the first in her Ending Fire trilogy. This fantasy novel is inspired by Ghanaian folklore and Arabian mythology, where people are divided based on the color of their blood and where secrets about... Continue Reading →
Last year, I loved Ali Hazelwood's debut, The Love Hypothesis. While I haven't gotten to her three recent novellas yet, I was very excited for her second full-length novel, Love on the Brain. I'd been counting down the days for its release, so I was ecstatic to get an advanced copy of it. Spoiler: It's... Continue Reading →
Today a sweet new book by Roselle Lim hits the shelves: Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club. It follows a matchmaker who's just starting her career, and her first clients happen to be a group of elderly bachelors called the Old Ducks. As Sophie Go helps these men find love, she also learns how to stand... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of Haven by Emma Donoghue, due out in two weeks. Set in Ireland, it takes readers back in time to about 600 C.E., onto small, isolated rock of an island. It follows a trio of monks as they attempt to make this harsh island... Continue Reading →
There's a new book out today that I'm really excited for: The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden. It's about a 32-year-old woman, Lolly, who has given up on some of her dreams. Instead of opening her own restaurant in England, she helps with her family's struggling Seattle diner. Following the death of... Continue Reading →
For the last several years, I've had a particular interest in Somalia. It started with the singer K'naan and continued with Representative Ilhan Omar, yet I wanted to get to know other Somali people and their stories, too. I was excited to learn about The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by... Continue Reading →
I'm nearing the end of my July reading challenge to read books set in Africa. My third book was A Girl Is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi; this has been high on my TBR since it came out two years ago. It's set in Uganda, and marks my first time reading a... Continue Reading →
In late 2020, I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. It was part of a book club I was in, and all of us loved the novel. So I was excited to learn of his newest novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, and even more thrilled when I was approved... Continue Reading →
A couple of months ago, a NetGalley email alerted me to some exciting "Read Now" books that were available. One in particular caught my eye: Send Her Back and Other Stories by Munashe Kaseke. This collection of short stories offers myriad accounts of what it's like to be a Zimbabwean immigrant living in the United... Continue Reading →
Today, one of my favorite reads this year is out for all: Some of It Was Real by Nan Fischer. It's a story of a psychic-medium with a dark past, a reporter determined to expose it, and the mystery and even romance that intertwine with heartfelt drama. This book encapsulates a lot, and yet it's... Continue Reading →
I've been looking forward to Claire Kann's adult debut, The Romantic Agenda. This is one of only a handful of romances I've come across that stars an asexual main character, and I hope there will be many more to come. Summary Joy has secretly been in love with her best friend, Malcolm, since they were... Continue Reading →
This month, my reading challenge is to read books set in Africa. The first one I finished is Lightseekers by Femi Kayode. It's a mystery set in Nigeria, and while I've read several books set in this country before, this is my first Nigerian thriller. Summary Dr. Philip Taiwo is an investigative psychologist who has... Continue Reading →
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is officially an auto-buy author for me. Since my introduction to her with Gods of Jade and Shadow in 2019, I've read three more of her novels and her recent short story, The Tiger Came to the Mountains. I've loved everything so far, and I could hardly wait for her newest book, The... Continue Reading →
There's a new historical mystery out today, set on a ship in summer 1936: Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare. If you're looking for dubiously linked murders, a calculated setup, a bit of music, and an examination of race, this is the book for you. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and... Continue Reading →
A debut novel that instantly piqued my interest this year was When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo. The cover is stunning, and I was excited to read a book set in Trinidad, especially since June is Read Caribbean Month! Summary When We Were Birds follows two protagonists. One is Yejide, whose mother has... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 