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 →
A couple of years ago, I was in a book store and came across A Bend in the Stars, the debut novel by Rachel Barenbaum. It captured my interest, and although I didn't buy it right away, it stayed in my mental list. I finally got the audiobook version of it recently, and now felt... Continue Reading →
Last month, I was thrilled to win an ARC of The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes. It was already one of my most anticipated books of December (it will be out on the 28th), so I was excited to get a chance to read it early. Spoiler: I loved it! This is definitely a book... Continue Reading →
For the past four years, I've been "babysitting" some of my sister's books while she pursues her PhD. One of those books is LaRose by Louise Erdrich. Since November is Native American Heritage Month, I was planning to read a few novels by Indigenous authors, and my sister recommended LaRose. She'd read it as part... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of May was A Master of Djinn by P. Djรจlรญ Clark. Although this is the first full-length novel in the Dead Djinn Universe series, it was preceded by three novellas. (I haven't read them yet, but they're on my list now.) In the end, I picked up the audiobook... Continue Reading →
I think I'm officially a Silvia Moreno-Garcia fan. I've read, and loved, three of her books: Gods of Jade and Shadow in 2019, Mexican Gothic in 2020, and just a few weeks ago, a reprint of The Beautiful Ones. Two months ago, her newest book, Velvet Was the Night, came out. A noir thriller set... Continue Reading →
I first discovered Silvia Moreno-Garcia through her novel Gods of Jade and Shadow two years ago when it was a Book of the Month selection. I loved it, and last year, I loved Mexican Gothic just as much. This year, her fans have been quite spoiled: In addition to her brand new novel, Velvet Was... Continue Reading →
Thanks to a local independent book store, Silent Winds, Dry Seas - the debut novel by Vinod Busjeet - was on my radar among books being published in August. Once it was out, I decided that the audiobook version might be the most satisfying format, and I'm glad I chose to read it that way.... Continue Reading →
I was thrilled when Zoraida Cรณrdova's new book, The Inheritance of Orquรญdea Divina, was selected as one of Book of the Month's main August picks. Her adult debut, this novel doesn't publish more widely until September 7th, so I was excited to read it early. In fact, I've been on a bit of a Zoraida... Continue Reading →
Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky became a bestseller a few years ago, and its striking cover was impossible to miss. I don't know why I didn't pick it up before, but this spring, my mother-in-law started reading it and enthusiastically recommended it to me. She gifted it to me for my birthday, and I... Continue Reading →
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 never heard of it. But its summary - and especially its setting - instantly drew me in. It was a bit of an impulse buy, the kind that you never... Continue Reading →
In spring 2020, one of my most anticipated books was The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni, a horror set in the Italian Alps. I'm always down for a spooky story set in an isolated location, and even better if there's a European mansion - or castle! - involved. Though I've had The Ancestor on my shelves... 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 →
Sometimes a book's title is enough to capture your attention and make you need to read it. Good covers can work the same magic. In the case of Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa, it was both that enraptured me before I'd even read its summary. It was one of my most anticipated new... Continue Reading →
This book needs no introduction. Surely all of you have heard of The Kite Runner, the debut novel by Khaled Hosseini. I was still in middle school when it first came out, and though I've heard about it for many years now, I never owned or read the book. In the past couple of years,... Continue Reading →
Last summer is when I first heard about Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis. The paperback had just been published, though the hardcover had come out in September 2019. I was immediately interested in reading it. Not only am I constantly on the hunt for books set in South America (partially because my husband is from... Continue Reading →
One book I was looking forward to in January was the debut novel by Daniel Loedel, called Hades, Argentina. I've been drawn to books set in South America lately (partially because my husband is Peruvian), and the title of this novel instantly piqued my interest. I picked it up a few weeks ago, and since... Continue Reading →
After I signed up for Book of the Month in early 2019, I started looking into their back catalogue of offerings, adding many books to my TBR. One novel that particularly caught my eye was The Air Your Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles. Brazil and music in the 1930s? Yes please! First offered in... Continue Reading →
About one year ago, The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata was just about to come out when I discovered it. I was immediately interested in reading this debut, especially when I saw comparisons to Carlos Ruiz Zafรณnโsย The Shadow of the Wind. I do love books about books! Although I did buy The... Continue Reading →
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 look at what books they picked for months in the past; sometimes I'll add one of those to a box. One book I discovered and definitely want to read is... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
It's been nearly a month, but I've finally reached the end of Carlos Ruiz Zafรณn's Cemetery of Forgotten Books series! Following The Shadow of the Wind, The Angel's Game, and The Prisoner of Heaven, the series closes with The Labyrinth of the Spirits. At over 800 pages, this is not only the longest book in... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 