September is officially here, and I'm so excited for autumn to begin! I love the cooler weather, the falling leaves, and the feeling of new beginnings as another school year starts (even though I haven't been in school for years). It's the perfect season for reading, and happily, there are numerous amazing new books coming... Continue Reading →
I don't know about you, but August flew by for me! It was a busy month, especially since we had family visiting us for two weeks, but I still found time to read. In fact, I somehow got through eight entire books! Five of the books I read are by just two authors. First was... Continue Reading →
Welcome to my first reading wrap-up! This will be a monthly thing going forward, but I'm glad I'm starting now, because July was an excellent reading month for me. I really enjoyed all the books I read, and gave them all between four and five stars. Half of the books I read were set, at... Continue Reading →
I don't know about you, but this summer has been super busy for me. It's mostly because of how little we did last summer - we all know why - and we're making up for all we missed out on during lockdown. But despite all that's been going on in my life, I always make... Continue Reading →
We're only a couple weeks into this summer, and we've already broken temperature records where I live in the Pacific Northwest! I've been avoiding the sweltering heat, so naturally, that means plenty of time curled up with a cool drink and a good book. New books may be part of my plans this month, and... 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 →
In addition to being Pride month, June is also a great time to Read Caribbean! This initiative started in 2019, coined by Cindy at Book of Cinz. The goal is to read books about or set in the Caribbean, or written by authors who are Caribbean or of Caribbean heritage. If you're like me and... Continue Reading →
June is Pride month! There are numerous ways you can celebrate and honor LGBTQIA+ lives, from displaying your rainbow flags to getting involved to enact laws that protect queer and transgender rights. Like many bookworms out there, I plan to read several books starring characters across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and discussing gender and sexuality from... Continue Reading →
Summer is almost here, bringing with it plenty of sunshine, warm weather, and time to spend with a good book. Whether you need a light beach read or some novels to fill up a relaxing staycation, the new books coming out in June will have you covered. There are tons of new books I'm excited... 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 →
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 →
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 →
I don't know about you, but April flew by for me! I can't believe it's already May, but I'm also pretty excited: Not only is it my birthday month, but by the end of May I'll be fully vaccinated and ready to get back out into the world. I'm so ready to go to restaurants... Continue Reading →
They say that April showers bring May flowers. Well, April sure is bringing the showers... showers of books, that is! There are tons of new books coming out this month, and somehow they all look like incredible reads. And unlike other times of the year, April feels like a transitional month where anything goes, genre-wise.... Continue Reading →
Spring is just around the corner, but instead of cleaning out my TBR, I'm endlessly filling it up with ever more exhilarating books. March promises plenty of fiction and nonfiction alike, and my list of anticipated books is pretty full this month. More than ever, I just want to escape to far-flung locations and eras,... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 