I love music, so I’m always on the lookout for books about musicians or music lovers. A debut novel that particularly caught my interest was All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim. This dual timeline romance stars two Asian American men, from their time in high school in the 1990s to the present day when... Continue Reading →
Just one month ago, I enjoyed reading Annette Chavez Macias's debut women's fiction novel, Big Chicas Don't Cry. Today, her new book Too Soon for Adiós hits shelves, and it's even better than its predecessor. Set primarily in New Mexico, it follows a young woman who's just lost her mother... and now has an opportunity... Continue Reading →
After loving Jane Igharo's first two books, Ties That Tether and The Sweetest Remedy, I was excited to read her latest novel, Where We End & Begin. Like her previous book, this second-chance romance is set in Lagos, Nigeria. It even features one of the characters from The Sweetest Remedy! Here, the love story is a... Continue Reading →
In the past few years, I have loved several books by Alexis Daria. After reading her Primas of Power novels—You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós—as well as shorter works like What the Hex and Solstice Miracle, it's safe to say she's one of my favorites. Now, she is rereleasing her very first... Continue Reading →
This February, I'm planning to mostly read romances. The first audiobook I picked out is A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon, a novella about two people being brought together by a rescue dog. It's a short and sweet love story that weaves in deeper issues and, of course, an adoration of dogs. Summary... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I picked up Big Chicas Don't Cry by Annette Chavez Macias. It's her first book published under this name (she also writes romances as Sabrina Sol), and her first within the Women's Fiction genre. Naturally, the title makes me think of Fergie's 2006 song, "Big Girls Don't Cry," and I'm always happy for... Continue Reading →
For me, it's always fun to read a book related to the current season or an upcoming holiday. As the Lunar New Year approached, I decided to dive into Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen. Her debut novel, it just came out this month, and I got my copy from Book of the Month. It's... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I enjoyed Sharon C. Cooper's novel Business Not As Usual. Now the male protagonists's sister gets her own love story with In It to Win It, a second chances romance with a little friendly competition over a real estate deal. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalley for providing me... Continue Reading →
In late 2020, I read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. It was part of a book club I was in, and all of us loved the novel. So I was excited to learn of his newest novel, The Many Daughters of Afong Moy, and even more thrilled when I was approved... Continue Reading →
Today, one of my favorite reads this year is out for all: Some of It Was Real by Nan Fischer. It's a story of a psychic-medium with a dark past, a reporter determined to expose it, and the mystery and even romance that intertwine with heartfelt drama. This book encapsulates a lot, and yet it's... 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 fall 2019, I read and loved Abbi Waxman's novel, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. It was a fun read that highlighted a character I identified with in many ways. When I learned that it would have a sequel - Adult Assembly Required - I was thrilled. I was lucky to get an advanced... Continue Reading →
Just one week ago, I was excited to learn of When We Return by Eliana Tobias. NetGalley included it in a newsletter, and I was drawn to this novel set in my husband's home country, Peru. I hadn't realized at the time that this is a sequel to the author's first novel, In the Belly... Continue Reading →
I've been growing more and more interested in Jasmine Guillory in the past year, and while I hadn't yet read any of her books, I was eagerly awaiting her 2022 novel, By the Book. It's the second in a multi-authored series called Meant to Be, published by Hyperion Avenue, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide.... 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 →
This month, my reading challenge is to read retellings of the classics. One book that was high on my list is Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson - a retelling of Romeo and Juliet - that just came out at the beginning of February. Throw in themes of gentrification and stolen taco recipes and... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books last year was The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, the debut novel by Dawnie Walton. As a huge fan of music (including punk), and as someone who cares deeply about politics and social issues, this is a book I knew I needed to read. Throughout this month, my... Continue Reading →
For the past few years, I've had a couple of books by Rebecca Serle on my radar. I've been planning to read both In Five Years and The Dinner List, but alas, I haven't gotten to them yet. Even so, I was excited for her forthcoming novel, One Italian Summer, due out in March. I... Continue Reading →
It was a little over a year ago when Cemetery Boys, the debut novel by Aiden Thomas, came out. It was a book I was looking forward to, but although I bought it pretty quickly, I've held off on reading it. Until now, that is. This seemed like the perfect book for early October: both... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I loved Ties That Tether, the debut novel by Jane Igharo. Since then, I've been counting down the days to when her second book, The Sweetest Remedy, would be available. Luckily for us all, it was included in Book of the Month's September box this month, meaning we got to read The Sweetest Remedy a... Continue Reading →
It was a full year ago when I read You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria, and I ended up really loving it. The first in her Primas of Power series, I was excited to read the second installment. Now A Lot Like Adiós is finally out, and I enjoyed it just as much as... Continue Reading →
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood has been on my radar for most of this year, and it was one of the books I was most looking forward to this month. Then I found out that it was one of Book of the Month's main September picks, and I was thrilled! (Actually, four of the... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I fell in love with The Kiss Quotient and The Bride Test, the first two books in Helen Hoang's Kiss Quotient trilogy. Ever since I read those two back-to-back, I've been desperate to read The Heart Principle, and it was well worth the wait: It's my favorite in the series. This is... 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 →
Amanda's Book Corner 