Last summer, I read and lovedย Libby Hubscher's debut novel, Meet Me in Paradise.ย 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 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 →
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 myย Book of the Monthย 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 →
Since Alka Joshi's The Henna Artist came out last year, I've been excited to read it. Set in India in the 1950s, eight years after they gained independence from the British, it's told from the perspective of Lakshmi. At 17, she escaped an abusive marriage, and now, at the age of 30, she's built a... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Marjan Kamali's novel, The Stationery Shop, and have heard so much about it. Set in Iran in the 1950s, it follows two teenagers, Roya and Bahman, who fall in love over books and political activism. But then they get separated and Bahman breaks up with Roya in a letter. She... Continue Reading →
I'm something of a language nerd, and I often wish I could go back to college to study linguistics. (In reality, I double majored in English and Communication, so not entirely far off.) Thankfully I've found an incredible alternative: The Great Courses' audiobooks on Linguistics. I just listened to Language A to Z by John... Continue Reading →
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur just came out a few weeks ago, and I could hardly wait to read it. The cover and title first caught my attention, and I stayed for its setting in Korea in the 1400s and the (possibly supernatural) mystery to solve. The Forest of Stolen Girls by... Continue Reading →
I've been reading more nonfiction about immigrants in the past year or so, and one book that's been high on my list was The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri. At eight years old, she and her family fled Iran and became refugees, ultimately finding a home in Oklahoma in the... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of last year was The Mountains Sing by Nguyแป n Phan Quแบฟ Mai. I was happy to get it as a gift last Christmas (special thanks to my mom!), and since May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, now felt like the perfect time to read it. This... Continue Reading →
Despite never having read Pride and Prejudice before, Iโve long known the plot and characters. I enjoyed the 2005 movie adaptation and some other retellings, but this year I decided it was high time I finally read the beloved novel. This is only my third time reading Jane Austen: In college I adored Persuasion, and... Continue Reading →
I just picked up a new book last week, The Broken Girls by Simone St. James, and I flew through it. Set in Vermont, it describes a boarding school for unwanted girls called Idlewild Hall. But it may be haunted, and more than one girl meets a terrible fate there. It's a dual timeline novel,... Continue Reading →
Iโm always drawn to books set in Europe, and when I saw Rome in Love by Anita Hughes, it instantly piqued my interest. It follows an actress named Amelia, who is in Rome to film a remake of Roman Holidayโฆ and sheโs playing Audrey Hebburnโs part! I havenโt seen Roman Holiday, but I loved Audrey... Continue Reading →
Living in Lima, Peru, the books available in English have been limited. Much as Iโm trying to improve my Spanish, Iโm not quite good enough to read a whole novel yet! Luckily, I found a nice selection of English language books at a local bookstore, and Jane Autenโs Emma is what captured my interest. Until... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 