This year I've been increasingly drawn to horror novels set around the world, including African horror in particular. House of Margins by Tlotlo Tsamaase piqued my interest for its setting in both Botswana and South Africa, its focus on African literature, and a missing person mystery told through the lens of a true crime podcast.... Continue Reading →
A book I've been looking forward to all year is Startup Hell by Caitlin Rozakis. When her boss summons a demon and promptly dies, Morgan suddenly has a problem on her hands. But both she and Lucareoth (Luke) are just trying to meet their respective sales quotas, and he's now stuck on her plane, so... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to The House of Now and Then by Edward Underhill! This is my first time reading this author, and what an impactful book to start with. Harlowe is a 31-year-old trans man who has just ended a long relationship with his boyfriend. To regroup, he rents a (shockingly cheap) cottage in Cape... Continue Reading →
I really enjoyed Julian Winters's adult debut, I Think They Love You, early last year, and I've been excited for more from him. The 24 Carter Gold series continues with Last First Kiss, in which Jordan and Jamie find their way to each other. Both were introduced in the previous book, and here we get... Continue Reading →
I loved Katie Holt's debut novel, Not in My Book, and I've been looking forward to her next book. It's out this week: The Last Page, about a NYC bookstore that must carry on after the beloved owner has passed away. Ella has been a manager there for years, and Leo had told her he'd... Continue Reading →
Sunyi Dean's new novel, The Girl with a Thousand Faces, was one of my most anticipated releases this year. Divided between 1940s and 1970s Hong Kong, it follows Mercy, a middle-aged woman with a knack for talking to ghosts and sending them on their way. But Mercy has no memories before the age of 20,... Continue Reading →
I often like my books to come with a side of darkness. This led me to Death's Daughter by S.A. Barnes, the first in her Children of the Old Ones series. This dark academia romantasy is set in a college town in Massachusetts, where Jocasta is trying to live a normal life, despite secretly being... Continue Reading →
I've read and enjoyed two historical romances by Diana Quincy. Now she is publishing suspenseful women's fiction as Diana Awad. Her first novel in this genre is As Far as She Knew, which came out at the beginning of April. Amira Abadi has been in a happy marriage with Ali for over twenty years, and... Continue Reading →
After loving KJ Charles's All of Us Murderers last year, I've been excited to read more from her. Today she releases her new Regency romance, How to Fake It in Society, and it is a treat. Titus Pilcrow is a poor shopkeeper selling paints, but his luck unexpectedly turns when a bitter old woman on... Continue Reading →
I've been looking forward to Gabrielle Sher's debut novel, Odessa. Set in 1905 during the pogroms in Russia, it focuses on a Jewish family fighting for their safety. Yetta is a teenager, engaged and ready to embark on her future. But then her Jewish community is attacked, and she's one of the many killed. Her... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of 2026 is out now: Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. I've wanted to read this author since she released The Keeper of Night in 2021, and I'm glad to finally be diving in now. The title Japanese Gothic may recall Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, but that's where... Continue Reading →
Jessica George's debut, Maame, was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I've been excited for her follow-up. Her second novel, Love by the Book, is out today, and though it's different in scope, it's equally compelling. It focuses on two seemingly opposite women who are both at a crossroads and just need a... Continue Reading →
Susanna Clarke's Piranesi has been on my shelf since it came out in 2020, and I don't know why it took me so long to finally read it, but now was the right time for me. It's told from the journals of Piranesi, one of only two living people in the world they inhabit. Their... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to Linda Hamilton's The Fourth Wife! This debut gothic novel takes readers to 1880s Utah and a polygamous Mormon family. Hazel and her childhood friend Elijah have long planned to marry only each other, but when she's pushed into a marriage to another man, Hazel reluctantly accepts. She's now Jacob's fourth wife,... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated releases last week was Aicha, the debut novel from Soraya Bouazzaoui. It's set during the Portuguese occupation of Morocco and inspired by the Moroccan legend of Aicha Kandicha. I knew nothing about this myth, but was excited to get to know it through this retelling. In the 1700s, Aicha is... Continue Reading →
CG Drews recently released their adult debut novel, You Did Nothing Wrong. This psychological horror follows Elodie, the 22-year-old mother to her six-year-old son, Jude. She spent years with her neglectful parents in Australia, but upon meeting Bren, she packed up her life to live with him in the United States. Bren has a large... Continue Reading →
For a couple of years, I've been anticipating Ana Holguin's novel, Second Chance Duet. So much so that, while I was waiting for it, I read her first book, Up Close & Personal! At long last it is here, and what a treat it is. Celia García is a composer whose goal is to score... Continue Reading →
The Encore by Juliet Izon wasn't initially on my radar, but when I saw it on NetGalley, I was instantly intrigued. It starts with Anna Buckley and Will Pendleton in 2003, when they're both students at a prestigious school studying music. They're friends, not lovers, but one hookup before they part ways leaves Anna pregnant.... Continue Reading →
This week, Sofia Robleda released her second novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls, and I've so been looking forward to it. Set in Mexico in 1551, this is part family drama and part unexpected adventure. Isabel Moctezuma, the last Aztec princess, has just passed away, leaving behind several adult children, a shocking will, and an even... Continue Reading →
Ever since the last presidential election—or really, for the past decade—I've constantly wondered how Donald Trump could have won the support of so many people. What is he doing "right" to attract people to him? What are Democrats doings wrong? (And as a progressive voter myself, I can openly admit the many ways I wish... Continue Reading →
Last May, Nisha J. Tuli released her first contemporary romance, Not Safe for Work. I had never read her before, but was excited for this workplace romance set at a resort in Hawaii. Trishara and Rafe have been rivals for the past five years that they've worked at his dad's company in Chicago. Now they're... Continue Reading →
Last May, Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro released her debut novel, Bochica. Today, the Spanish version is out, and though I'm not yet fluent in the language, I celebrated by reading the ebook in English and listening to the audiobook in Spanish. Set in Colombia in 1936, it follows Antonia in the aftermath of her mother's death. She... Continue Reading →
Last week saw the release of Silver & Blood, the first in a new duology from Jessie Mihalik. Riela is a mage who just gained her powers last year, though she can still barely use them. But as the only mage in town, she's sent to kill a beast in the forest, only to wind... Continue Reading →
I love books that shine a light on historical figures, perhaps especially so when it's someone I know little about. This led me to ReShonda Tate's new novel, With Love from Harlem, about the jazz and classical pianist, Hazel Scott. Between 1943 and 1960, we get to see the ups and downs in Hazel's music... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 