By now, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an author I fully trust, no matter the genre or subject matter. Her latest release is a short story called The Lover, part of the Amazon Original Stories collection. It comes out on November 1st, but I was able to get it as part of the Amazon First Reads program... Continue Reading →
I’m not alone in saying that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite classic novels, and I’m always happy to see new retellings of it. One that I’ve greatly been looking forward to is The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub. As the title suggests, this novel focuses on the wild,... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I loved Alix E. Harrow’s debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and I’ve been eager to read more from her since. Now she has an incredible new novel out: Starling House. A gothic tale of creepy houses, its wardens, and the desperation of those in the area, this is... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this fall has been The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan, the first in her Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, it exists in a realistic world not unlike the one we know… plus a fantasy world that mirrors it. It’s inspired by Jewish folklore and combines... Continue Reading →
Last year I enjoyed T. Kingfisher’s novella, What Moves the Dead. It was my first time reading her, and I’ve been eager to explore more of her writing. Her newest novella is Thornhedge, a take on a classic fairy tale, but flipped on its head. I liked this book even more, and it is definitely... Continue Reading →
For the last couple of years, one of the books that's been highest up on my TBR has been The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. With her second novel, The Weaver and the Witch Queen, coming out imminently (July 25th, to be exact!), I decided that it was officially time to read her debut. Though... Continue Reading →
A new book I was greatly looking forward to this month was Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine. Set in Venice in 1717, it follows two teenage girls attending the Ospedale della Pietà, learning to play their instruments and even get training from Antonio Vivaldi. But there's also a dark magic lurking in the... Continue Reading →
For the past two years, I've been itching to read She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. Finally, I decided to listen to the audiobook version a few weeks ago, partially in honor of AAPI Month. Set in 1345, it fictionalizes the rise of Emperor Zhu Chongba and the start of the Ming Dynasty.... Continue Reading →
A fantasy book I was super excited for last year was The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah. Her debut novel, it's also the first in the Sandsea Trilogy. In all honesty, I was first drawn to the cover and the Aladdin vibes I got from it. Even so, this book is all its own, an... Continue Reading →
Are you ever compelled to read a book simply by its name alone? That was the case for me when I came across White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link. This collection of seven short stories reimagines French lore, Scottish ballads, and the Brothers Grimm, making each classic tale fresh and utterly original. Special thanks... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated novels of 2023 has been The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges. This debut novel is so imaginative and magical, and it defies easy categorization. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but it absolutely captivated me. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House... Continue Reading →
Last year, I fell in love with Zoraida Córdova's writing, reading three of her novels back-to-back in an August whirlwind. I was excited when she released a new anthology of short stories, Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space. Zoraida Córdova edited the anthology, which also features stories from other young adult latine... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year I was happy to read Gurzil by I, Anonymous. The first in the Wars of Wrath series, it ended on a cliffhanger, so I was eager to see what would happen next. The second installment is Badon Hill, a transitional book that sets up what is sure to be an exciting end.... Continue Reading →
Ever since I first saw the cover for Veronica G. Henry's debut novel, Bacchanal, I've been eager to read it. With Spooky Season well underway, I thought now was the perfect time to dive into this magical story of evil and mystery set the American South in the 1930s. Summary Eliza Meeks was abandoned by... Continue Reading →
T. Kingfisher is an author I've been meaning to get into. Her 2020 novel The Hollow Places is on my bookshelf, eyeing me impatiently, and I have an ever-growing list of her other books I'd like to read. This year, I decided to finally start with a novella that's been all the rage: What Moves... Continue Reading →
For months, I was looking forward to Sign Here, the debut novel by Claudia Lux. Apart from its eye-catching cover, the synopsis sounded wholly original: A guy working in Hell? That could be both fun and horrifying! I was thrilled to get an advance copy of this novel, even if it turned out to be... Continue Reading →
I've become a big fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the past few years. By now, I've read most of her novels, but before I catch up on the three still on my TBR, I wanted to dive into her shorter fiction, too. Earlier this year I enjoyed her short story, The Tiger Came to the Mountains, and... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 debut novel that instantly piqued my interest this year was When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo. The cover is stunning, and I was excited to read a book set in Trinidad, especially since June is Read Caribbean Month! Summary When We Were Birds follows two protagonists. One is Yejide, whose mother has... Continue Reading →
Over the past several months, I've connected with a new author known as I, Anonymous. I was honored when he offered me an ARC of his new book, Gurzil, the first in the Wars of Wrath series. Gurzil just came out two weeks ago, and it's a book I wholly recommend, whether you're an avid... Continue Reading →
Since it came out in 2019, I've only heard good things about Ta-Nehisi Coates's novel, The Water Dancer. I was excited to finally read it, and wow, what a stunning book this was! In the mid-1800s, Hiram Walker was born into slavery on a plantation in Virginia. He can't remember his mother, who was sold... Continue Reading →
I loved Carlos Ruiz Zafón's entire Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, and I was so sad to hear about his passing in 2020. His final publication is The City of Mist, a brief collection of short stories that harkens back to the setting and themes of that series. Highlighting new characters and real historical figures... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 