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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Earlier this year, I was enchanted by the cover of Blitz Bazawule's debut novel, The Scent of Burnt Flowers. The summary was similarly intriguing, so I requested it on NetGalley. I was thrilled when I was approved for an advanced copy of the book. The Scent of Burnt Flowers is out now, and if you... Continue Reading →
A book I've been hearing about a lot lately is The Guncle by Steven Rowley. The audiobook, in particular, has been recommended, in part because the author himself narrates it. He does a fabulous job! With Pride in full swing, as well as my June reading challenge of books about family, this was the perfect... Continue Reading →
Summer is here, school is out, and we're all ready for a fun getaway. The perfect book to kick off the season is Bridget Morrissey's A Thousand Miles, a story of two ex-best friends taking a road trip from Illinois to Colorado. It's been a decade since they last saw each other, but a few... Continue Reading →
June is Read Caribbean Month, and my first choice was the newly released A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. I've been eagerly anticipating this book for months, so as soon as my pre-order arrived, I dove in. This is the first in the Las Léonas trilogy, and I already look forward to reading... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I picked up The Snow Gypsy by Lindsay Jayne Ashford. Set in Spain in the aftermath of both World War II and the Spanish Civil War, this novel follows two women whose lives will intersect as they search for a missing man and answers to his final secrets. I have a... Continue Reading →
Just one week ago, I was excited to learn of When We Return by Eliana Tobias. NetGalley included it in a newsletter, and I was drawn to this novel set in my husband's home country, Peru. I hadn't realized at the time that this is a sequel to the author's first novel, In the Belly... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Natalie Jenner released her debut novel, The Jane Austen Society. It became a bestseller, and now readers can enjoy her latest novel: Bloomsbury Girls. While it features some characters first seen in The Jane Austen Society - and references some events therein - it also works as a standalone. It's an inspiring... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this month was The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray. It's the Jane Austen-inspired cozy mystery I never knew I needed, featuring some of her best-known characters as well as brand new faces. I was thrilled to get an early copy of the book, and now that it's... Continue Reading →
I loved Zeyn Joukhadar's debut novel, The Map of Salt and Stars, a few years ago, and I was excited to read more from him. His second book is The Thirty Names of Night, divided between two timelines and countries. In the present day, a closeted trans boy is searching for a new name and... Continue Reading →
I've been growing more and more interested in Jasmine Guillory in the past year, and while I hadn't yet read any of her books, I was eagerly awaiting her 2022 novel, By the Book. It's the second in a multi-authored series called Meant to Be, published by Hyperion Avenue, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide.... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year is A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, the first in her Las Léonas romance trilogy. Though it doesn't come out until the end of May, I was hoping I'd get an ARC of it in time for my April reading challenge (to read books set... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated romances this spring has been Business Not As Usual by Sharon C. Cooper. I hadn't read her before, but this one's cover and plot both drew me in. I was so happy when I was contacted for an ARC of it - this book went to the top of my... Continue Reading →
March was all about reading retellings of the classics - at least for me and my personal 2022 monthly reading challenge! After reading Ramón and Julieta, a reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, I was eager to continue the Shakespeare retellings with Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma. It's the first in a new trilogy called... Continue Reading →
This month, my reading challenge is to read retellings of the classics. One book that was high on my list is Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson - a retelling of Romeo and Juliet - that just came out at the beginning of February. Throw in themes of gentrification and stolen taco recipes and... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 