This year, I find myself increasingly drawn to medieval stories, and this is what piqued my interest in Ryan Collett's new novel, George Falls Through Time. George is going through a rough time: recently broken up with, unemployed, and stressed about life's mundanities. Then a heightened moment of stress literally sends George falling through time,... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, Brenda Navarro's novel Eating Ashes was made available in English for the first time. It was translated from Spanish by Megan McDowell. It follows a Mexican family to Spain, where they experience xenophobia and a worsening sense of belonging. The unnamed narrator's younger brother, Diego, ultimately takes his own life, further fracturing... Continue Reading →
Happy release week to Our Ex's Wedding by Taleen Voskuni! I loved her previous book, Lavash at First Sight, and still need to read her debut, Sorry, Bro. This third novel is set in the same universe, especially bringing in characters from the first book, including a redemption for Raffi Garabedian. Ani Avakian is a... Continue Reading →
I really enjoyed Emma R. Alban's debut novel a couple years ago, and I was excited to read her new romance, Like in Love with You. In 1817, both Rosalie and Catherine are spending the season in Bath trying to get a husband. Well, their respective mothers want them to find husbands, and both have... Continue Reading →
I've been enjoying Jo Segura's Raiders of the Lost Heart series, and the trilogy comes to a close with her latest release, The Lust Crusade. This time the archeological adventures takes us to Greece. Daniela has been in love with Theo for 20 years, but never said anything, and now it's too late. He's lost,... Continue Reading →
I loved Jessica James's first Glitter Bats romance, For One Night Only, and I've been so excited to continue the series. Now the second installment is here: For Our Next Song, starring drummer Keeley Cunningham and keyboardist Jane Mercer. Now that the band is back together and they've released a new album, they're finally free... Continue Reading →
A thriller I've been looking forward to for months is finally out this week: Darkrooms by Rebecca Hannigan. This dual timeline thriller moves between summer 1999 and December 2019. In the former timeline, Caitlin and Roisin are children and, though not exactly friends, spend their summer playing together in the haunting Hanging Woods. But then... Continue Reading →
Until now I've never read Roshani Chokshi, but her new novel The Swan's Daughter was impossible to resist. It starts with Demelza, one of seven daughters born to a veritas swan mother and monster father. With their beautiful voices and swan wings, Demelza's sisters are brought up to marry and tear down kingdoms, according to... Continue Reading →
Over the last few years I've been enjoying Scotland-based romances. This made The Odds of You by Kate Dramis stand out among this week's new releases. Sage Collins quit her job to become an author, and though her first book was a bestseller, she has intense writer's block as she starts working on her sequel.... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to The Storm by Rachel Hawkins! I read her first thriller, The Wife Upstairs, three years ago, and I'm excited to be getting back into her books. The Storm is set between 1984 and 2025 at a seaside town in Alabama. A hurricane in 1984 claimed the life of the rising politician,... Continue Reading →
My first read of the new year is A Steep and Savage Path by JJA Harwood. I slowly read this over the holidays, getting absorbed into the Transylvania and underworld settings. After a bad fall, Irina's seven-year-old sister Catalina is alive physically, but her soul is trapped in the underworld. Irina is sure that, if... Continue Reading →
For me December is always a month of reflection, making it the perfect time to read The Ferryman and His Wife by Frode Grytten. The English edition came out last month; it was translated from Norwegian by Alison McCullough. This short book follows Nils on the last day of his life. As he boards his... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated romances this year was Her Time Traveling Duke by Bryn Donovan. It's actually a sequel to Her Knight at the Museum, which I haven't yet read, but it still works on its own, too. Rose is just a regular woman who works at a Chicago art museum and dabbles in... Continue Reading →
Last month, Marina Scott released her historical horror novel, The Night Guests. (It was also an Amazon First Reads selection in October.) Set in Omaha, Nebraska in 1903, it follows Nina Wilson in the wake of losing her father. Her twin brother is absent and her mother lives in a delusion that she can communicate... Continue Reading →
Rachel Runya Katz recently released her third romance, Isn't It Obvious? And as before, this is a delightful blend of smart characters, emotional circumstances, and an unlikely love story. This book is a lot lighter than her previous novel, Whenever You're Ready, and more in line with her debut, Thank You for Sharing. Isn't It... Continue Reading →
Farah Heron is an author I've been wanting to read for a few years, and I've finally found my entry point with her recent Christmas romance, A Little Holiday Fling. Ruby has spent years moving around Canada working in different retail jobs, but now she's about to make her and her mom's lifelong dream come... Continue Reading →
When I saw the cover for Falon Ballard's Something Wicked—first in her Idle Reputations series—I was instantly intrigued. And that it's inspired by Macbeth and Moulin Rouge? An interesting combination; sold! Something Wicked is set in a country called Avon, divided into four territories, plus a capital city. There's been political unrest for years, and... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Romina Garber for a few years now, and I was excited for her 2024 novel, Castle of the Cursed. After Estela survives an attack that leaves her orphaned and alone, an aunt she never knew about gives her a home at her castle in Spain, la Sombra. It's in a... Continue Reading →
Happy release day to Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal! Her adult debut, this contemporary romance has been on my radar for months. It starts with Stella, a 27-year-old who's never had sex and never had a real romantic relationship. She wants to just get the whole thing over with, so she goes to a... Continue Reading →
Gothic tales always catch my eye, and I've been especially interested in ones set in different countries. This drew me to The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo, set in the Philippines. Filipina-American Sophie travels to the Philippines for the first time with her boyfriend, Adrian Sepulveda, when his grandfather passes away. The Sepulveda villa... Continue Reading →
Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite authors, and I'll always read anything she publishes. After enjoying Rules for Ruin, the first in her Crinoline Academy series, I was excited for the second installment: The Marriage Method is out now, and equally as enjoyable! Nell Trewlove was an orphan at the secluded Benevolent Academy for... Continue Reading →
I loved Rachel Runya Katz's 2023 debut, Thank You for Sharing, and have been wanting to read her more recent books. Before I get to her newest release, I decided to catch up on last year's Whenever You're Ready. For years, Nia, Jade, and Michal were best friends. Later, Jade's twin brother Jonah was part... Continue Reading →
Ever since I had a brief layover in Reykjavík nearly six years ago, I've been very interested in Iceland. It's a bucket-list destination, but until I can go there, I've loved reading books set there. So far it's mostly been thrillers... but then I learned about a new romance set in Iceland! I've been so... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated horror novels this year has been I'll Make a Spectacle of You, the debut from Beatrice Winifred Iker. Set at a Tennessee HBCU, it follows Zora, a grad student in Appalachian Studies who's researching religions, folklore, and hoodoo... and a beast that supposedly lurks the university woods at night. A... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 