Two years ago, I picked up The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee from Book of the Month. In honor of AAPI month, I decided to end May with this novel about a Chinese American girl living in the Reconstruction era South. I haven't read much set during this time in American history, and certainly not... Continue Reading →
Since Alka Joshi's The Henna Artist came out last year, I've been excited to read it. Set in India in the 1950s, eight years after they gained independence from the British, it's told from the perspective of Lakshmi. At 17, she escaped an abusive marriage, and now, at the age of 30, she's built a... Continue Reading →
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur just came out a few weeks ago, and I could hardly wait to read it. The cover and title first caught my attention, and I stayed for its setting in Korea in the 1400s and the (possibly supernatural) mystery to solve. The Forest of Stolen Girls by... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of last year was The Mountains Sing by Nguyแป n Phan Quแบฟ Mai. I was happy to get it as a gift last Christmas (special thanks to my mom!), and since May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, now felt like the perfect time to read it. This... Continue Reading →
One year ago, The Marriage Game by Sara Desai was a book on my radar. Alas, I never did read the book, but did that stop me from reading its sequel, The Dating Plan? No, no it did not. Technically, they each work as standalones, despite featuring characters in the same universe (or, in this... Continue Reading →
Sometimes a book's title is enough to capture your attention and make you need to read it. Good covers can work the same magic. In the case of Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa, it was both that enraptured me before I'd even read its summary. It was one of my most anticipated new... Continue Reading →
This book needs no introduction. Surely all of you have heard of The Kite Runner, the debut novel by Khaled Hosseini. I was still in middle school when it first came out, and though I've heard about it for many years now, I never owned or read the book. In the past couple of years,... Continue Reading →
Last summer is when I first heard about Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis. The paperback had just been published, though the hardcover had come out in September 2019. I was immediately interested in reading it. Not only am I constantly on the hunt for books set in South America (partially because my husband is from... Continue Reading →
One book I was looking forward to in January was the debut novel by Daniel Loedel, called Hades, Argentina. I've been drawn to books set in South America lately (partially because my husband is Peruvian), and the title of this novel instantly piqued my interest. I picked it up a few weeks ago, and since... Continue Reading →
After I signed up for Book of the Month in early 2019, I started looking into their back catalogue of offerings, adding many books to my TBR. One novel that particularly caught my eye was The Air Your Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles. Brazil and music in the 1930s? Yes please! First offered in... Continue Reading →
About one year ago, The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata was just about to come out when I discovered it. I was immediately interested in reading this debut, especially when I saw comparisons to Carlos Ruiz Zafรณnโsย The Shadow of the Wind. I do love books about books! Although I did buy The... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of this year, I admitted to a blind spot I'd noticed in my reading habits: I hadn't read any books by or about Native American people in several years. I decided that needed to change, so I began searching for novels to start with. One of top-rated books I found was There... Continue Reading →
I've been a member of Book of the Month for about two years now. Though I generally buy their new offerings, I do like to look at what books they picked for months in the past; sometimes I'll add one of those to a box. One book I discovered and definitely want to read is... Continue Reading →
One of the books that was on my radar for February 2021 was Honey Girl, the debut novel by Morgan Rogers. It seemed like it would be a cute story with depth, and I was thrilled when it was a pick on Book of the Month. But did Honey Girl live up to the hype?... Continue Reading →
Ever since it came out and I started seeing it in book stores, I knew I wanted to read Behold the Dreamers, the debut novel by Imbolo Mbue. But for whatever reason, it never felt like the right time, so it stayed on my to-buy list. Last fall, I discovered it was offered by Book... Continue Reading →
There's been a lot of buzz about a new book that just came out in early January, Black Buck, the the debut novel by Mateo Askaripour. I wasn't surprised to see it was a pick on Book of the Month, but I was excited to add it to my box. I'm not sure why I... Continue Reading →
Last fall, one of the books I was most looking forward to was Ties That Tether, the debut novel by Jane Igharo. So when it became one of the Book of the Month picks in October, I was thrilled. It's taken me a few months to finally sit down and read it, but once I... Continue Reading →
It wasn't until late last summer that I first heard of Winter Counts, the debut novel by David Heska Wanbli Widen. It was one of the main picks for Book of the Month in September, and it instantly intrigued me. I finally bought it in January, and since it's winter now, it felt like the... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of this year, I stumbled across a captivatingly beautiful novel on Book of the Month: Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibaรฑez, her debut and the first in a new duology. But it wasn't just the cover and the fantasy themes that grabbed my attention. I was also excited to read a book... Continue Reading →
I've been hearing great things about Such a Fun Age, the debut novel from Kiley Reid, since it came out nearly a year ago. So with that in mind, I was excited to choose it as my book club's December read. With themes of racism, white saviorism, and class struggles, it felt like a timely... Continue Reading →
I've devoted the past couple of weeks to reading Asian fantasies. Following Song of the Crimson Flower and The Night Tiger, my trilogy ends with The Library of Legends by Janie Chang. Published earlier this year, I discovered it when it was announced as a Book of the Month selection in April. Its magical description... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I read Yangsze Choo's first novel, The Ghost Bride, and adored it. So when her second book, The Night Tiger, came out, I was excited to get my hands on it. It ended up being one of my first purchases from Book of the Month after I joined in January 2019,... Continue Reading →
It's only in the past year or so that I've reintroduced YA novels back into my life, and I'm so glad I have. It's opened the doors to so many amazing books! One YA book I picked up early in my rediscovery process was Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao, which I... Continue Reading →
I've said it before, and I'll probably keep saying it: My favorite thing about Book of the Month is how it introduces me to new books that weren't on my radar. Last month, one of their main September picks was The Last Story of Mina Lee, the debut novel by Nancy Jooyoun Kim. I didn't... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 