In under two years, Lyn Liao Butler has published two books that captured my interest. Though I haven't gotten to read either one yet, I was excited to dive into her newest release, Someone Else's Life. Her first thriller, this novel takes place during a Hawaiian storm when two strangers are locked inside together. But... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year has been The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale. Though I haven't yet read her first novel, The Ballerinas, this one falls into a similar genre of drama thriller. Also like her first book, this one features a dual timeline and a protagonist gifted in the arts. Instead of... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Camilla Läckberg released The Golden Cage, a psychological thriller with a feminist plot and a noir vibe. I just got the audiobook this month and decided to listen to it as part of my Northern and Eastern Europe reading challenge. The book was translated from Swedish by Neil Smith, and the audiobook... Continue Reading →
My November reading challenge was to read books set in Northern or Eastern Europe, and one that was high on my list was The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson. This nordic noir, set in a remote village in Iceland in the 1980s, combines a haunting ghost story with a realistic thriller mystery. It was... Continue Reading →
I've become a fan of Lucy Foley in the last couple of years; I loved her thrillers The Hunting Party and The Guest List. After reading those, I couldn't wait for her next release: The Paris Apartment. Even better that it's set in such a beautiful city! My personal April reading challenge has been to... Continue Reading →
Late last year is when I first heard about The Violin Conspiracy, the debut novel by Brendan Slocumb. As soon as I read the summary, I was sold; I pre-ordered it immediately. While I awaited its release day, The Violin Conspiracy became the inspiration for my February reading challenge: books about Black musicians. Needless to... Continue Reading →
As soon as I saw the breathtaking cover for Firekeeper's Daughter, the debut novel by Angeline Boulley, I was sold. It was one of my most anticipated books of March, then I was thrilled when Book of the Month featured it as an April add-on. Although I bought Firekeeper's Daughter right away, I decided to... Continue Reading →
This October I've mostly been reading books that are thrilling, mysterious, or supernatural, and it's all culminated in my last (physical) book of spooky season, The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup. I picked this novel up earlier this year, but I decided to save it for the days leading up to Halloween. Now I've finished... Continue Reading →
It's October, I'm in thriller mode (for the first time in a long time), and my eagerness for mysteries and scary stories isn't going anywhere anytime soon. My latest read is a book I'd actually picked up an entire year ago: Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy. Since then, I've only heard good things about it,... Continue Reading →
At the end of last year, I enjoyed reading Lucy Foley's debut thriller, The Hunting Party. I knew I'd need to go back and read her second thriller, The Guest List - which I'd actually bought earlier and just hadn't gotten to yet. This month is all about spooky reads, and although The Guest List... Continue Reading →
Early in September, I found out about a newly translated book that was just published in English, The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas. Already out in French for two years, the book has even been adapted into a film. The premise of it piqued my interest, and I'm always excited to read translations, so... Continue Reading →
I think I'm officially a Silvia Moreno-Garcia fan. I've read, and loved, three of her books: Gods of Jade and Shadow in 2019, Mexican Gothic in 2020, and just a few weeks ago, a reprint of The Beautiful Ones. Two months ago, her newest book, Velvet Was the Night, came out. A noir thriller set... Continue Reading →
Ace of Spades, the debut novel by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, was one of my most anticipated books of June 2021, and I picked it up as soon as it came out. This YA thriller has been compared to Get Out—an excellent movie!—and combines themes of racism with a dark academia backdrop. Ace of Spades by Faridah... Continue Reading →
Last fall, one of my most anticipated books for October 2020 was The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle. Right away, I picked up a copy from Book of the Month.This debut thriller takes place aboard a yacht in the Indian Ocean as twin sisters sail from Thailand to the Seychelles. But when Summer... 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 →
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 →
I'm currently in the midst of reading Carlos Ruiz Zafón's Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Following my reread of his beloved The Shadow of the Wind, I've now just finished the second book in the series, The Angel's Game. While it has much in common with the first book, The Angel's Game is also wholly... 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 →
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 →
I'm a sucker for a good haunted house story. While I'm a fan of horror movies in general, my favorites are always set in spooky old mansions that may or may not be inhabited by ghosts. So when I found out Riley Sager's new book would be a haunted house story, I was thrilled. I... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year was Alex North's second novel, The Shadows. I loved his first book, The Whisper Man - which I just read in May - and had high hopes for the followup. I'm happy to report that he did not disappoint! Summary The Shadows follows two closely connected timelines.... Continue Reading →
The first I ever head of Alex North's debut novel, The Whisper Man, was when it was a Book of the Month selection last August. Instantly, I knew I needed to read it - the cover and synopsis both alighted my imagination, and I love anything scary, especially if it might be supernatural. So I... Continue Reading →
Continuing in my reading journey through history, and following two books set in the early 1600s (The Familiars and The Mercies), my next book took me to Iceland in 1686. I first discovered Caroline Lea's The Glass Woman when I was perusing Barnes & Noble shortly before the holidays. I'd hoped to get it as... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 