Last year, I loved Ali Hazelwood's debut, The Love Hypothesis. While I haven't gotten to her three recent novellas yet, I was very excited for her second full-length novel, Love on the Brain. I'd been counting down the days for its release, so I was ecstatic to get an advanced copy of it. Spoiler: It's... Continue Reading →
Today a sweet new book by Roselle Lim hits the shelves: Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club. It follows a matchmaker who's just starting her career, and her first clients happen to be a group of elderly bachelors called the Old Ducks. As Sophie Go helps these men find love, she also learns how to stand... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of Haven by Emma Donoghue, due out in two weeks. Set in Ireland, it takes readers back in time to about 600 C.E., onto small, isolated rock of an island. It follows a trio of monks as they attempt to make this harsh island... Continue Reading →
For the last several years, I've had a particular interest in Somalia. It started with the singer K'naan and continued with Representative Ilhan Omar, yet I wanted to get to know other Somali people and their stories, too. I was excited to learn about The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by... Continue Reading →
I'm nearing the end of my July reading challenge to read books set in Africa. My third book was A Girl Is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi; this has been high on my TBR since it came out two years ago. It's set in Uganda, and marks my first time reading a... Continue Reading →
I've been looking forward to Claire Kann's adult debut, The Romantic Agenda. This is one of only a handful of romances I've come across that stars an asexual main character, and I hope there will be many more to come. Summary Joy has secretly been in love with her best friend, Malcolm, since they were... Continue Reading →
In 2019, I picked up the Book of the Month edition of The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. I've been itching to read it ever since, and finally, while doing my Spain reading challenge this month, I decided now was the time. This novel, on the cusp between Adult and Young Adult fiction, takes... Continue Reading →
Two of my favorite romances in the last few years have been Emily Henry's Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, and I've been eagerly awaiting her third adult novel, Book Lovers. It's finally out, I tore through it, and it just may be her best book yet. Summary Two years ago, literary agent... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I watched a movie about Nellie Bly and her famous undercover commitment to a women's asylum. Up until then, I had never heard of her, but it was a fascinating and eye-opening account. Earlier this year, I was excited to learn of an upcoming book based on her: The Mad Girls... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of this spring is out today: The No-Show by Beth O'Leary. This is her fourth novel, though my first time reading her work. Sitting somewhere between mystery, romance, and women's fiction, it's a surprising novel that will work your mind and, in the end, your heart. Review Special thanks... Continue Reading →
One month ago, a new historical romance book was released into the world. Her Country Gentleman, the first in the Timeless Georgian Collection series, comprises three short stories by Sian Ann Bessey, Sarah M. Eden, and Rebecca Connolly. Kim Bretton narrates the audiobook version. It's an endearing book that is perfect for anyone who enjoys... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated romances this spring has been Business Not As Usual by Sharon C. Cooper. I hadn't read her before, but this one's cover and plot both drew me in. I was so happy when I was contacted for an ARC of it - this book went to the top of my... 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 →
Last summer, I read and loved Libby Hubscher's debut novel, Meet Me in Paradise. It was at once a story of romantic love and familial love, a novel that balanced laugh-out-loud hilarity and heart-wrenching drama. Libby Hubscher's second novel, If You Ask Me, offers a similar blend of humor, drama, and romance. It's out now and is... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I loved Ibram X. Kendi's book, How to Be an Antiracist, and I've been eager to read more from him. Along with Keisha N. Blain, he co-edited the 2021 book, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019. Divided into 80 chapters, each focusing on a five-year span of history... 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 →
For several months, I've been eagerly anticipating the release of The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews. The first in her new Belles of London series, I was drawn to several things that make it stand out compared to other historical romances: It stars a half-Indian protagonist, features an interracial and interclass relationship, and highlights... Continue Reading →
Late last year, I was excited to learn about Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex by Angela Chen. I know at least two people who identify as asexual, and although I'm happily married, I've long known that I'm not quite allosexual. This book offers answers about what it means... 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 →
About one year ago, Meryl Wilsner released their first book, Something to Talk About. This Hollywood-set workplace romance, featuring two women and an age gap, instantly captured my interest. In honor of Pride Month, I decided now was the perfect time to read it. I opted for the audiobook version, narrated by Jorjeana Marie and Xe... Continue Reading →
Last fall, I loved Casey McQuiston's debut novel, Red, White, & Royal Blue. I was excited to learn about their second novel, One Last Stop, and counted down the days to its release. It just came out on June 1st, and being Pride Month, too, I read it as soon as my Book of the... Continue Reading →
Although the Black Lives Matter movement has been around for nearly a decade, it's garnered a lot more attention in the past year. I've been reading about racism and racial history recently, and I wanted to learn more about #BlackLivesMatter specifically. What better place than person who started it all? Alicia Garza wrote The Purpose... Continue Reading →
A book that's totally out of my comfort zone but sparked my interest is The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. Science fiction isn't normally my thing, but I just had to have this. I read it as soon as my Book of the Month edition arrived at the beginning of June, and wow, what a great... Continue Reading →
I just celebrated my birthday at the end of May, and I got a few books as gifts from my sister. One of them was The Music of the Deep by Elizabeth Hall. It's primarily set in Washington's San Juan Islands (which I know very well), though on a made up island with a haunting... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 