I love reading books that reimagine fairy tales, so I was instantly drawn to The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren. Set mainly in Istanbul, it follows 17-year-old Sare in the countdown to the end of her curse of heartbreak. All she must do is survive until her 18th birthday without having her heart broken... Continue Reading →
William Shakespeare is among the most important authors in history, and his works endure to this day. There has been some speculation about his authorship—a fringe theory, but one that inspires a fascinating new novel, The Shakespeare Secret by D.J. Nix. Here, it is late 1591 when three women of different social class happen to... Continue Reading →
Next week, V. E. Schwab will release her highly anticipated new novel, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. Divided between three timelines—1520s and 1530s in Spain; 1827 in London; 2019 in Boston—it follows three young women craving something more in life. But there's a price to pay when seeking freedom and answers. Though I've... Continue Reading →
Last year I absolutely loved The Pomegranate Gate, the first in Ariel Kaplan's Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition but in a differently named world and a whole Mazik realm, it was a book that was a little bonkers and a ton of fun. Now, the second installment is here: The Republic... Continue Reading →
Last winter, I enjoyed reading The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke, so I was excited to read more from her. This week she released her newest novel, The Book of Witching. Divided between two timelines, it deals with a mysterious group known as the Triskele on the Orkney Islands of Scotland. In 1594, Alison... Continue Reading →
There are so many books by Alyssa Palombo that I'm excited to read, but I was happy to start with her newest work of historical fiction: The Assassin of Venice, set in Renaissance Italy. With courtesans, assassins, and cruel schemes in the name of political power, this is an engrossing and memorable novel. Special thanks... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this fall has been The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan, the first in her Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, it exists in a realistic world not unlike the one we know… plus a fantasy world that mirrors it. It’s inspired by Jewish folklore and combines... Continue Reading →
Last year I enjoyed T. Kingfisher’s novella, What Moves the Dead. It was my first time reading her, and I’ve been eager to explore more of her writing. Her newest novella is Thornhedge, a take on a classic fairy tale, but flipped on its head. I liked this book even more, and it is definitely... Continue Reading →
While perusing NetGalley last summer, I came across The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro. The cover was stunning and the summary captured my interest, and I was so happy to be given an ARC of it. I read it last October, both in honor of Latinx Heritage Month and to celebrate Spooky Season. I... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I loved Kiran Millwood Hargrave's historical novel The Mercies, and I've looked forward to reading more from her since. This week, she releases her second adult novel, The Dance Tree. This one goes back even farther in time than its predecessor, taking readers to Strasbourg in 1518, amidst the dancing plague that... Continue Reading →
I loved Carlos Ruiz Zafón's entire Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, and I was so sad to hear about his passing in 2020. His final publication is The City of Mist, a brief collection of short stories that harkens back to the setting and themes of that series. Highlighting new characters and real historical figures... Continue Reading →
Four days ago I finished Zoraida Córdova's Incendiary, the first in her Hollow Crown duology. I really enjoyed it, and with that cliffhanger ending, I couldn't waste a single moment before diving right into its sequel, Illusionary. I flew through it and actually loved it even more than the first book! I'm still swooning over... Continue Reading →
In the past couple of years, I've been getting more into both fantasy and YA fiction. I've also been drawn to books by Latinx authors (partly because my husband is Peruvian) and am always excited to read books set in my favorite country, Spain. So all of those facts combined led me to the perfect... Continue Reading →
It was 2013 when I first learned about the infamous Elizabeth Báthory. My boyfriend (now husband) had introduced me to a Swedish metal band called Ghost, and their first album featured a song called "Elizabeth." I had no idea who the titular Elizabeth was, but then my boyfriend explained about the serial killer countess who... Continue Reading →
For my birthday this year, my lovely sister got me three books. The first one I decided to read was The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan. It's set in Spain, and my sister knows I love anything related to Spain. That plus the word "sister" in the title made it an ideal gift. The Sisterhood is... Continue Reading →
One week ago, I stumbled across Alice Hoffman's young adult novel, Incantation, at a small book store. I'm currently living in Lima, Peru, and although I speak Spanish, I'm not proficient enough to read full novels in Spanish yet. I found Incantation in the English language section, and it instantly captured my interest. The title... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 