Last year, one of my favorite romances was Never Fall for Your Fiancรฉe by Virginia Heath. The first in a trilogy, I could hardly wait for the next installment, so I was excited to get an ARC of book #2, Never Rescue a Rogue. Much as I loved its predecessor, Never Rescue a Rogue may be... Continue Reading →
Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't keep reading about it! A new book that I'm excited for is That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall. Set during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, it follows a daring woman on an undercover mission. Though she seems to be one of the many debutantes looking... Continue Reading →
More and more lately, I've enjoyed reading about historical figures who are adjacent to someone who is more famous or remembered. I've read about the lesser known Mozart composer, then Marie Antoinette's older sister, and now Queen Victoria's daughter, Louise. Heather B. Moore's latest novel, In the Shadow of a Queen, highlights the princess who... Continue Reading →
One of the most exciting new books out today is Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty. It's the first in her Midsolar Murders series, with a second installment due in 2023. Combining mystery and science fiction, Station Eternity finds amateur detective Mallory Viridian living on an alien space station. After becoming a pariah on Earth due... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I adored The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews, the first in her Belles of London series. Ever since, I'd been looking forward to the next book, The Belle of Belgrave Square. Happily, I was able to read an advanced copy of the novel, and it not only lived up to my lofty... Continue Reading →
Although it still feels like summer where I live, autumn's cooler weather is just around the corner. It's the time of year when I am most drawn to mysteries, thrillers, and gothic tales. One such book that perfectly fits the bill is Millstone of Doubt by Erica Vetsch, the second in her Thorndike and Swann... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware is an auto-buy author for me; I've loved her first six novels, and I'm always ready for whatever is next! Her latest release is The It Girl, a dual-timeline, dark academia thriller about uncovering who really murdered a best friend all those years ago. Because the guy who went to prison for it... Continue Reading →
I've become a big fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia in the past few years. By now, I've read most of her novels, but before I catch up on the three still on my TBR, I wanted to dive into her shorter fiction, too. Earlier this year I enjoyed her short story, The Tiger Came to the Mountains, and... Continue Reading →
This month my reading challenge is all about Dark Academia. Following The Betrayals, my second read was Madam by Phoebe Wynne. Set in a remote Scottish boarding school for girls, new teacher Rose Christie is aggravated by the many secrets coworkers and students alike are keeping from her. And is it just her imagination, or... Continue Reading →
In just two days, it will finally be fall -- my favorite season! It's the perfect timing for a new book that's out today: An Autumn Kiss, part of the Timeless Victorian Collection, featuring short stories by Laura Rollins, Annette Lyon, and Lisa H. Catmull. Each of the stories looks so sweet. One is a... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I read and absolutely loved The Binding by Bridget Collins. It is one of my all-time favorite books. So I was excited when the author's second adult novel, The Betrayals, was announced. Though I've had it for the past year, I'm only now finally getting to it as part of my Dark... Continue Reading →
Today, a powerful new book by Kristin Beck hits shelves: The Winter Orphans, set in southern France in 1942. Chรขteau de la Hille is a run-down castle that's become home to a hundred Jewish refugees. Ella and Hanni are just two of the children there, without their parents and stuck in a seemingly endless war.... Continue Reading →
Animal lovers and hopeless romantics alike will adore a new book out today: Lucy on the Wild Side by Kerry Rea. The novel follows Lucy Rourke, a primatologist, whose zoo has been selected as the filming location for a wildlife docuseries. But she and the show's TV host, Kai Bridges, don't exactly hit it off,... Continue Reading →
Ever since I saw the cover for Bronze Drum: A Novel of Sisters and War by Phong Nguyen, I was intrigued. When it became a Book of the Month selection for August, I excitedly added it to my cart and dove in as soon as it arrived. Set in 40 CE in Vietnam, this novel... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Suzanne Allain released her novel Mr. Malcolm's List. I've been planning to read it since then, but now that the movie adaptation is out, I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I opted for the audiobook version, narrated by Elizabeth Knowelden, before immediately watching the film. While fairly different, both versions were... Continue Reading →
One of my favorite trends in literature today is the reimagining of beloved characters' lives, sometimes into entirely new genres. Mary Bennet may have played a small role in Pride and Prejudice, but she gets some much deserved attention in Katherine Cowley's historical mystery series, The Secret Life of Mary Bennet. The middle Bennet sister... Continue Reading →
I love retellings, and though I've never read the Ramayana, I was excited for Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel, Kaikeyi. Here, the infamous queen gets to tell her side of things, offering a more sympathetic perspective than she usually receives. Summary Kaikeyi is the only daughter born to the kingdom of Kekaya, and although she seems... Continue Reading →
How would you help an elderly man find the long-lost love of his life? That's the premise of Freya Sampson's beautiful second novel, The Lost Ticket, out today. When Libby arrives in London, she's heartbroken and her life is in ruins. But she gets the chance to help another lovelorn soul, an old man named... Continue Reading →
One book that's been getting a lot of buzz lately is The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi. Her debut novel, this is the first in her Ending Fire trilogy. This fantasy novel is inspired by Ghanaian folklore and Arabian mythology, where people are divided based on the color of their blood and where secrets about... Continue Reading →
Last year, I loved Ali Hazelwood's debut, The Love Hypothesis. While I haven't gotten to her three recent novellas yet, I was very excited for her second full-length novel, Love on the Brain. I'd been counting down the days for its release, so I was ecstatic to get an advanced copy of it. Spoiler: It's... Continue Reading →
Today a sweet new book by Roselle Lim hits the shelves: Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club. It follows a matchmaker who's just starting her career, and her first clients happen to be a group of elderly bachelors called the Old Ducks. As Sophie Go helps these men find love, she also learns how to stand... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of Haven by Emma Donoghue, due out in two weeks. Set in Ireland, it takes readers back in time to about 600 C.E., onto small, isolated rock of an island. It follows a trio of monks as they attempt to make this harsh island... Continue Reading →
There's a new book out today that I'm really excited for: The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden. It's about a 32-year-old woman, Lolly, who has given up on some of her dreams. Instead of opening her own restaurant in England, she helps with her family's struggling Seattle diner. Following the death of... Continue Reading →
For the last several years, I've had a particular interest in Somalia. It started with the singer K'naan and continued with Representative Ilhan Omar, yet I wanted to get to know other Somali people and their stories, too. I was excited to learn about The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 