Ever since I was a teenager, I've been interested in astrology, and I'm always excited to read books that incorporate it somehow. This is what first drew me to The Astrology House, the debut novel by Carinn Jade. This psychological thriller follows a group of friends in their late 30s as they spend a weekend... Continue Reading →
For many months, I've been looking forward to When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips. Her debut novel, it's set at a private school in Dublin between the late 1980s and today. As a student, Lou became caught up in a scandal known as the "Highfield Affair," and now, 30 years later, that past trauma... Continue Reading →
The last (physical) book that I finished in 2023 was The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse. I've had this on my shelf for a couple of years, and as winter began a few weeks ago, I was in the mood for some snowy thrillers and horrors. Set in the Swiss Alps, this one was a gripping... Continue Reading →
Over the past several years, I've collected a few books by Jennifer McMahon, and there are so many more on my 'wanted' list! Now felt like the right time to finally dive into some of her books, and I decided to start with the novel I've had the longest: The Winter People. It's also perfect... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year was The Writing Retreat, the debut novel by Julia Bartz. A psychological thriller combining an isolated setting with a theme about books, and I'm sold. Though I got this book back when it came out, I didn't get a chance to read it. But I couldn't let... Continue Reading →
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 →
This month has been all about Jane Eyre and retellings of it! Following my reread of the classic and a retelling called Mr. Rochester, my last stop of the "Janeuary" readathon is The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. This southern gothic gives Charlotte Brontรซ's story a modern makeover and moves it into thriller territory. If... 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 Jรณnasson. 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 →
Ruth Ware is an auto-buy author for me; I've loved her first six novels, and I'm always ready for whatever is next! Her latest release is The It Girl, a dual-timeline, dark academia thriller about uncovering who really murdered a best friend all those years ago. Because the guy who went to prison for it... Continue Reading →
This month my reading challenge is all about Dark Academia. Following The Betrayals, my second read was Madam by Phoebe Wynne. Set in a remote Scottish boarding school for girls, new teacher Rose Christie is aggravated by the many secrets coworkers and students alike are keeping from her. And is it just her imagination, or... 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 →
Ace of Spades, the debut novel by Faridah รbรญkรฉ-รyรญmรญdรฉ, 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 Outโan excellent movie!โand 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 →
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 Zafรณn'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'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 →
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 →
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 anotherโs home as part of your job duties, following The Au Pairย byย Emma Rous and Ruth Wareโsย The Turn of the Key. Like those former... 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 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 →
After reading - and loving - The Woman In Cabin 10, I knew I had to go back and read the rest of Ruth Ware's books. I decided the logical step was to go chronologically from now on, so first up was her debut, In a Dark, Dark Wood. The story starts when Nora -... Continue Reading →
Since I was in middle school, I've been a big fan of horror and thriller movies. But, shockingly, I haven't read many books of those genres. I loved Nancy Drew mysteries as a kid, but my adult reading has been sadly lacking in all things horror and thriller. So with this new void to fill,... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 