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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
After loving Evie Dunmore‘s first two books - Bringing Down the Duke and A Rogue of One's Own, both part of the League of Extraordinary Women series - I've spent the past year excitedly waiting for book #3. Finally the release date arrived, and I dove into Portrait of a Scotsman as soon as my copy got here. I... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated releases of May this year was The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod. I was pleasantly surprised when it was featured as one of Book of the Month's add-on picks in May, and you bet I added it to my box immediately. It's exactly the kind of... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, Sweethand by N. G. Peltier was one of my most anticipated books of March. Admittedly, it might be that adorable cover that caught my attention - cake?! headphones for music?! a cat?!? - but the summary confirmed my need to actually read the book. It felt like a perfect summertime read, so... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of 2020 was Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola. Although it did come out in the U.K. last year, here in the U.S. we had to wait a bit longer, but my excitement never waned. So I was thrilled when Book of... Continue Reading →
In the past two years, I've slowly been dipping my toes into historical romances, and now more than ever, I'm finding that I really like them! Up to now, I had only read four (two by Evie Dunmore and two by Harper St. George), but in August I bought a couple more. I was in... Continue Reading →
Maybe it's the season, but lately I've been wanting to read books set in other countries, particularly places I'd like to travel to. Add in a cute summer fling and I'm sold. This led me to Meet Me in Paradise, the debut novel by Libby Hubscher. I got the audiobook and it fully delivered on... Continue Reading →
I was thrilled when Zoraida Córdova's new book, The Inheritance of Orquídea 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 →
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 →
A few weeks ago, I was thrilled to learn I had won an ARC of Erin Hahn's Never Saw You Coming, the sequel to her 2020 book, More Than Maybe. I just read - and loved - More Than Maybe, so the characters were fresh in my mind when Never Saw You Coming arrived. It's... 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 →
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 →
A year ago, More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn was one of my most anticipated books of the summer. I've been excited to read it ever since, and though it's been on my shelf for months now, I don't know why I've been putting it off. But no more: I just found out that I... Continue Reading →
We Are the Brennans, the debut novel by Tracey Lange, is one of my most anticipated books of next month. Luckily for me, Book of the Month offered it as a selection this month - a full month early! Because of an online book club I sometimes participate in, I bumped it to the top... Continue Reading →
A full year ago, The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo was one of my most anticipated books of summer 2020. Though it came out last August and is now due for release in paperback, I'm just finally getting to it now. Following a few books set in Italy - The Ancestor and The Star-Crossed... 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 →
Last September I read (and adored) You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria. It's the first in her Primas of Power series, and I'm eagerly awaiting its second installment, A Lot Like Adiós, due out in two months. Luckily, the countdown was made a bit easier with the release of her new novella, What the... 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 →
Ace of Spades, the debut novel by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, 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 Out—an excellent movie!—and 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 →
Amanda's Book Corner 