When The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman was selected as a November pick for Book of the Month last year, I had... Continue Reading →
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
Infinite Country
I've been a member of Book of the Month for about two years now. Though I generally buy their new offerings, I do like to... Continue Reading →
Honey Girl
One of the books that was on my radar for February 2021 was Honey Girl, the debut novel by Morgan Rogers. It seemed like it would be a cute story with depth, and I was thrilled when it was a pick on Book of the Month. But did Honey Girl live up to the hype?... Continue Reading →
Behold the Dreamers
Ever since it came out and I started seeing it in book stores, I knew I wanted to read Behold the Dreamers, the debut novel by Imbolo Mbue. But for whatever reason, it never felt like the right time, so it stayed on my to-buy list. Last fall, I discovered it was offered by Book... Continue Reading →
Black Buck
There's been a lot of buzz about a new book that just came out in early January, Black Buck, the the debut novel by Mateo Askaripour. I wasn't surprised to see it was a pick on Book of the Month, but I was excited to add it to my box. I'm not sure why I... Continue Reading →
Astrid Sees All (ARC)
I'm always looking out for upcoming books, and one book that recently caught my eye was Astrid Sees All, Natalie Standiford's first novel for adults. A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to win an advanced reader's edition of it in a Goodreads giveaway. It arrived not long after that, and so I dove in... Continue Reading →
A Witch in Time
Let me preface this review with a confession: I was really excited when A Witch in Time, the debut novel by Constance Sayers, was about to be published in February 2020. Then I was ecstatic when I won it in a Goodreads giveaway! But the version I won was an ebook, and I've never been... Continue Reading →
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
It was fall 2019 when I first heard about The Ten Thousand Doors of January, the debut novel by Alix E. Harrow. It hadn't been on my radar until Book of the Month included it as a selection that September, but the book instantly captured my attention. Though it's been on my shelf for a... Continue Reading →
Such a Fun Age
I've been hearing great things about Such a Fun Age, the debut novel from Kiley Reid, since it came out nearly a year ago. So with that in mind, I was excited to choose it as my book club's December read. With themes of racism, white saviorism, and class struggles, it felt like a timely... Continue Reading →
Red, White, & Royal Blue
Okay guys, here's the deal: I am so tired of politics and the Trump administration at this point. I just want it to end already. Or, better yet, I wish we could turn back time and have a different president right now. Alas, we can't change the past, only the future (PLEASE VOTE). But thanks... Continue Reading →
You Had Me at Hola
This summer, I started hearing great things about a new contemporary romance, You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. I was instantly interested, in part because it highlights Latinx characters. My husband is Latino - Peruvian, specifically - and while it wasn't quite love at first sight, we at least became friends at "hola."... Continue Reading →
Homegoing
A new book has been on my radar for the past few months: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaaa Gyasi. This upcoming release led me to want the author's first book, Homegoing, which was first published in 2016. While I thought about adding it to my bookshelves soon, fate stepped in to speed up the process: The... Continue Reading →
With the Fire on High
I have a confession: In the first few years after I finished college, I thought I was too old for YA books. I thought I could only read about characters who were my age or older, and that reading YA books would make me look immature. This nonsense went on for several years before I... Continue Reading →
Star Daughter
Now more than ever, in this closed off world the pandemic has forced us to become, I'm constantly looking for ways to escape and learn. Movies, music, and books have become my refuge, especially those that take me somewhere I've never gone - realistic or fantastical. This month, I was happy to discover Star Daughter... Continue Reading →
Sex and Vanity
Like so many people around the world, I adored Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and the movie adaptation of the first book. (The second movie should be filmed in 2021, and I can't wait to see it, too!) Naturally, I was super excited when Kevin's new book, Sex and Vanity, was announced, and I... Continue Reading →
Home Before Dark
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 →
The Vanishing Half
One of my most anticipated books for Spring 2020 was The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I was thrilled when it was a Book of the Month pick in June, and with the attention on #BlackLivesMatter and the need for antiracism gaining traction recently, now felt like the ideal time to read it. Summary The... Continue Reading →
Felix Ever After
A few weeks ago, I fell into a vortex of finding books to recommend to my younger sister. One of those was Felix Ever After, a YA book by Kacen Callender. But though I originally wanted to get the novel for my sister, the story looked too good for me to pass up. I ordered... Continue Reading →
The Map of Salt and Stars
I remember when I first saw Zeyn Joukhadar's The Map of Salt and Stars at stores in 2018: I was instantly drawn to its title and cover, and even more intrigued by the summary on the back. It wasn't on my list long before I rushed back and bought it. However, it wasn't until recently... Continue Reading →
A Woman is No Man
I signed up for Book of the Month in January this year, getting two 2018 books and excitedly awaiting the months of books ahead of me. In February, I picked my first *real* Book of the Month: A Woman is No Man, the debut novel by Etuf Rum. (I also got two other new books... Continue Reading →
Dominicana
I discovered Dominicana by Angie Cruz thanks to Book of the Month featuring it as one of their August 2019 picks. Although I hadn't heard of it before, reading its description made it an instant impulse buy, and I was eager to read it. Fast forward a few months, and after finishing Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods... Continue Reading →
Lock Every Door
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 another’s home as part of your job duties, following The Au Pair by Emma Rous and Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key. Like those former... Continue Reading →
The Witch of Willow Hall
Over the past few years, I've found that I tend to go through phases when it comes to the books I choose. For a while, I only wanted to read historical fiction set in Europe. Then I moved on to thrillers. After that, I was back to historical fiction, but this time set in Asia... Continue Reading →
Everything Here is Beautiful
For my birthday earlier this year, my sister Rachel got me a book that I'd been wanting: Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee. While the title and gorgeous cover art are what initially drew me to the book, it was the summary that hooked me. Much of it sounded so relevant to my... Continue Reading →
