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 →
I'm always looking out for upcoming books, and one book that recently caught my eye was Astrid Sees All, Natalie Standiford's first novel for adults. A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to win an advanced reader's edition of it in a Goodreads giveaway. It arrived not long after that, and so I dove in... Continue Reading →
Let me preface this review with a confession: I was really excited when A Witch in Time, the debut novel by Constance Sayers, was about to be published in February 2020. Then I was ecstatic when I won it in a Goodreads giveaway! But the version I won was an ebook, and I've never been... Continue Reading →
I've spent my last several books in a very time-conscious state, from One Day in December and Winterwood to the New Year's setting of The Hunting Party. For my first book of 2021, I decided to continue in a similar vein and read another story all about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: This... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I bought The Guest List, the widely-read and award-winning second thriller by Lucy Foley. Though I still haven't read that one, I was excited when Book of the Month unexpectedly made her previous thriller, The Hunting Party, available two months ago. I decided to end 2020 with a time-appropriate book. As The... Continue Reading →
At the end of last year, back when I still went into book stores without a mask or fears of Covid, I stumbled across an enchanting novel called Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw. Its intricate cover arrested my attention - with its web of branches and roots reaching for an ominous half moon. But beyond that,... Continue Reading →
So here's a confession: Although I bought Josie Silver's The Two Lives of Lydia Bird earlier this year - and I'm still excited to read it - for some reason I never felt that interested in getting her first book, One Day in December. I don't have any great explanation for that, other than my... 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 →
Yesterday I finished the excellent One By One by Ruth Ware. To further indulge my love of everything Ruth Ware, I decided it was the perfect time to check out her two recent short stories. Following her new ebook, We Will Be Watching, I just listened to her recent audiobook, Snowflakes. This short story is part of a... Continue Reading →
I just finished Ruth Ware's excellent new novel One By One last night. Since my brain is still in Ruth Ware mode, I decided now is the perfect time to check out her two recent short stories. First up, I read her new ebook, We Will Be Watching. (Stay tuned for my review of her... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware is one of those authors whose books are an auto-buy for me. She renewed my love for thrillers with The Woman in Cabin 10, and I've since collected and loved all her other novels. Her latest is One By One, another locked-room mystery, but this time with some new themes and twists. 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 →
I recently joined a book club with my sister, and I'm so glad I did. In my second month, it's already introduced me to an incredible novel that I hadn't heard of before: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. My sister picked this one, and I flew through it in... Continue Reading →
Okay guys, here's the deal: I am so tired of politics and the Trump administration at this point. I just want it to end already. Or, better yet, I wish we could turn back time and have a different president right now. Alas, we can't change the past, only the future (PLEASE VOTE). But thanks... Continue Reading →
Six years ago, I was living in Lima, Peru with my fiancé (now husband). He's Peruvian, and in addition to spending nearly a year living in his country, getting to know his family, I also wanted to learn more about Peru through books. One of the newest novels I'd found online was Chasing the Sun... Continue Reading →
A couple of years ago, I picked up Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. She's released two more books in this series since then, and has already announced another due next spring, and I knew it was time to finally settle in and give this novel my attention. That this month (from September 15... Continue Reading →
This summer, I started hearing great things about a new contemporary romance, You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. I was instantly interested, in part because it highlights Latinx characters. My husband is Latino - Peruvian, specifically - and while it wasn't quite love at first sight, we at least became friends at "hola."... Continue Reading →
A new book has been on my radar for the past few months: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaaa Gyasi. This upcoming release led me to want the author's first book, Homegoing, which was first published in 2016. While I thought about adding it to my bookshelves soon, fate stepped in to speed up the process: The... Continue Reading →
For many years, I've watched in horror at how Black people are mistreated in America, especially in encounters with police and incarceration. I'm appalled that these injustices continue, but I'm happy there is at least a silver lining now as support for Black Lives Matter has grown over the past few months. It's also encouraging... Continue Reading →
I have a confession: In the first few years after I finished college, I thought I was too old for YA books. I thought I could only read about characters who were my age or older, and that reading YA books would make me look immature. This nonsense went on for several years before I... Continue Reading →
Some books hit you differently. That's absolutely true of Akwaeke Emezi's latest novel, The Death of Vivek Oji. Their third novel overall - and second for adults - it examines a complex character before and after their death, before and after loved ones really knew who they were. Queer, gender-nonconforming people in 1990s Nigeria take... Continue Reading →
Now more than ever, in this closed off world the pandemic has forced us to become, I'm constantly looking for ways to escape and learn. Movies, music, and books have become my refuge, especially those that take me somewhere I've never gone - realistic or fantastical. This month, I was happy to discover Star Daughter... Continue Reading →
I love it when a book not only meets your excited expectations, but actually exceeds them. That's what happened with Emily Henry's Beach Read, a sweet romance about two rival authors trading genres for a summer. Although this novel wasn't on my radar, as soon as it appeared as a pick for Book of the... Continue Reading →
Like so many people around the world, I adored Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and the movie adaptation of the first book. (The second movie should be filmed in 2021, and I can't wait to see it, too!) Naturally, I was super excited when Kevin's new book, Sex and Vanity, was announced, and I... Continue Reading →
