I remember when I first saw Zeyn Joukhadar's The Map of Salt and Stars at stores in 2018: I was instantly drawn to its title and cover, and even more intrigued by the summary on the back. It wasn't on my list long before I rushed back and bought it. However, it wasn't until recently... Continue Reading →
I signed up for Book of the Month in January this year, getting two 2018 books and excitedly awaiting the months of books ahead of me. In February, I picked my first *real* Book of the Month: A Woman is No Man, the debut novel by Etuf Rum. (I also got two other new books... Continue Reading →
I discovered Dominicana by Angie Cruz thanks to Book of the Month featuring it as one of their August 2019 picks. Although I hadn't heard of it before, reading its description made it an instant impulse buy, and I was eager to read it. Fast forward a few months, and after finishing Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods... Continue Reading →
Last spring, I learned about an upcoming novel called Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I think I was on Goodreads or looking at some article somewhere, but as soon as I saw its gorgeous cover and intriguing title and read the description, I was hooked. So when Book of the Month announced... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of this year, I decided to subscribe to Book of the Month. One of my favorite things about BOTM is that I discover some amazing books that I hadn't heard of before. In September, my favorite Book of the Month discovery was Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore, the first in... Continue Reading →
I, Amanda Whitbeck, am a book nerd. That should come as no surprise, given that I decided to start a whole website dedicated to book reviews and blog posts about reading. And as an admitted book nerd, I get pretty excited when I find novels that are, in some way, about books and a love... Continue Reading →
Three months ago, I discovered Little Darlings by Melanie Golding thanks to Book of the Month. Its spooky cover and title captured my interest, and with the description, I was sold. Along with Riley Sager's Lock Every Door and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow, Little Darlings become my third and final July 2019... Continue Reading →
In July, one of my Book of the Month selections was Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. I decided to read it last in my trio of thrillers related to living in another’s home as part of your job duties, following The Au Pair by Emma Rous and Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key. Like those former... Continue Reading →
Following Ruth Ware's thrillers, In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game, her fourth novel, 2018's The Death of Mrs. Westaway, presented a new, more gothic side to her storytelling. This theme carries over into Ruth Ware’s newest book, The Turn of the Key, released last month. I've decided to read... Continue Reading →
There's a trio of books I've been planning to read in succession, all related to living in another's home as part of your job duties. Before I get to Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key and Riley Sager's Lock Every Door, I decided to start with The Au Pair by Emma Rous. Published in... Continue Reading →
One year after releasing her fourth novel, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, Ruth Ware just shared a companion novella, The Tale of Mrs. Westaway. It's her first short story, and it's also her first release available only as a free ebook. If you - like me! - loved The Death of Mrs. Westaway, then you'll... Continue Reading →
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides has been getting a lot of buzz since it was announced, and I was excited to finally get it. I ordered it as part of my April Book of the Month box (along with The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker... I certainly was in a mood that... Continue Reading →
It looks like I'm entering into my next mystery/thriller phase, and this time Lexie Elliott's The Missing Years kicked it off. I came across this recently-published book a few months ago, and was instantly transfixed by both its title and its cover. There's something mysterious and intriguing about both, and they make you imagine a... Continue Reading →
A few months ago, I came across The Binding by Bridget Collins online, and I was immediately enraptured. It wasn't out yet, but I counted down the days until I could buy it and read it. I'm in something of a historical fantasy mood lately, and The Binding was exactly what I needed in my... Continue Reading →
I stumbled across G. Willow Wilson's The Bird King on Goodreads shortly before it was published. Though I don't often read fantasy, this book's enchanting cover and summary drew me in, and I knew I needed to get it as soon as it was released. Like the last book I read - The Sisterhood by Helen... Continue Reading →
For my birthday this year, my lovely sister got me three books. The first one I decided to read was The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan. It's set in Spain, and my sister knows I love anything related to Spain. That plus the word "sister" in the title made it an ideal gift. The Sisterhood is... Continue Reading →
After reading Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient, I knew I had to read its sequel, The Bride Test, next. Both books are part of a trilogy, with the third and final installment due next year. The trilogy centers on characters with autism navigating romantic and sexual relationships. While The Kiss Quotient followed an autistic, successful... Continue Reading →
Helen Hoang's debut novel, The Kiss Quotient, caught my eye every time I entered a book store for several months before I finally gave in and bought it. I don't normally read romance novels, but this one - with its clever title and unique plot - proved irresistible. The Kiss Quotient tells the story of... Continue Reading →
Jessica Shattuck's The Women in the Castle is a book I've been holding onto for about two years. Published in 2017, I'd been waiting for the right time to read it. After finishing Craig Russell's The Devil Aspect, set just before the start of WWII, it felt like the perfect time to dive into this... Continue Reading →
A few weeks ago, I stumbled across The Devil Aspect by Craig Russell on a display shelf at a book store. It's one of those books that instantly grabs your attention, with its intriguing title and unsettling cover art. I knew I wouldn't be able to wait long to read it. The Devil Aspect is... Continue Reading →
Over the past few years, I've found that I tend to go through phases when it comes to the books I choose. For a while, I only wanted to read historical fiction set in Europe. Then I moved on to thrillers. After that, I was back to historical fiction, but this time set in Asia... Continue Reading →
Imogen Hermes Gowar's debut novel, The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, is among the most unusual books I've read. It doesn't fit into the types of books I normally read; while I love historical fiction, it's only recently that my interest in fantasy and magical realism started growing. However, even here, The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock... Continue Reading →
They say you should never judge a book by its cover (or its title, for that matter), but that’s exactly what I did when I stumbled across Vaddey Ratner's Music of the Ghosts at a book store one year ago. I first chose Music of the Ghosts precisely because of its intriguing title and cover.... Continue Reading →
Besides reading books, my other major passion is music. I got my master's degree in music business, and in addition to Amanda's Book Corner here, I've also run a music news site called Hidden Jams since 2014. So when my two passions collide, I get extra excited. One such collision is in Rachel Joyce's The... Continue Reading →
