In November 2018, I was thrilled when progressives like Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. I've continued to follow them over the last few years, and when Ilhan Omar published her book This is What America Looks Like: My Journey From Refugee to Congresswoman, I was eager to... Continue Reading →
Ever since it came out and I started seeing it in book stores, I knew I wanted to read Behold the Dreamers, the debut novel by Imbolo Mbue. But for whatever reason, it never felt like the right time, so it stayed on my to-buy list. Last fall, I discovered it was offered by Book... Continue Reading →
There's been a lot of buzz about a new book that just came out in early January, Black Buck, the the debut novel by Mateo Askaripour. I wasn't surprised to see it was a pick on Book of the Month, but I was excited to add it to my box. I'm not sure why I... Continue Reading →
I've been a huge fan of Sara Bareilles since "Love Song" came out back in 2007. After following her for nearly a decade, I was thrilled when she announced her first book, a collection of eight essays called Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song. The book came out in October 2015, and,... Continue Reading →
Last fall, one of the books I was most looking forward to was Ties That Tether, the debut novel by Jane Igharo. So when it became one of the Book of the Month picks in October, I was thrilled. It's taken me a few months to finally sit down and read it, but once I... Continue Reading →
It wasn't until late last summer that I first heard of Winter Counts, the debut novel by David Heska Wanbli Widen. It was one of the main picks for Book of the Month in September, and it instantly intrigued me. I finally bought it in January, and since it's winter now, it felt like the... Continue Reading →
February is always a great month for reading. If you're like me, you may choose to read books that fit a certain theme, whether for Black History Month or Valentine's Day or both. And if you don't have enough books that fit the bill on your TBR, fear not! There are plenty of new publications... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of years, I've discovered that I actually really enjoy romance novels, including historical romance. One of my favorite authors in the genre is Evie Dunmore, who's writing the League of Extraordinary Women series. Since I love her books so much, I also respect her opinion and recommendations. One new book she... 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 →
A couple of weeks ago, I got an email from the Democratic Socialists of America announcing some January events. One that caught my eye was a reading discussion about a recent book by The Debt Collective called Can't Pay, Won't Pay: The Case for Economic Disobedience and Debt Abolition. As a person with a mountain... 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 →
Last summer, I was excited to learn of a new book by Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. I had launched into a focus on unlearning and relearning -- specifically in regards to racism, anti-racism, and the history of treatment of black people in America -- and this book promised profound insights. Ultimately,... 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 →
For the last several years, I've had a particular interest in immigration and immigrant experiences. This is in part because my husband is an immigrant from Peru, and in part due to the horrors I've seen unfolding in our country, particularly during the Trump administration. As such, I'm always eager to find more books by... Continue Reading →
For several years I'd been avoiding book series... but somehow, in the last year or so, I've accidentally started reading several series. I'm not sure how that happened, but it's too late to turn back now! With 2021 already upon us, I've gleefully awaiting all the new books coming our way this year, including many... Continue Reading →
I've spent my last several books in a very time-conscious state, from One Day in December and Winterwood to the New Year's setting of The Hunting Party. For my first book of 2021, I decided to continue in a similar vein and read another story all about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: This... Continue Reading →
It's a new year, and I am excited! I love New Year's Resolutions, and I'm looking forward to all the goals I have for 2021. Last year I had some big goals and plans, and while some were a success (yay!), others were... not. In my defense, it wasn't the greatest year. But in any... Continue Reading →
I think it's safe to say that we're all happy 2020 is finally over. We have a lot to look forward to in the new year... including plenty of new books! As we all begin our 2021 reading challenges, there are dozens of great books hitting shelves this month that will be worth adding to... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I bought The Guest List, the widely-read and award-winning second thriller by Lucy Foley. Though I still haven't read that one, I was excited when Book of the Month unexpectedly made her previous thriller, The Hunting Party, available two months ago. I decided to end 2020 with a time-appropriate book. As The... Continue Reading →
Way back in time, at the very beginning of this year -- a blissful time before we knew a pandemic would soon hit us -- I had ambitious goals for 2020. In my overflowing excitement (and, I admit, as a way to have you all hold me to them), I shared an overly detailed list... Continue Reading →
At the end of last year, back when I still went into book stores without a mask or fears of Covid, I stumbled across an enchanting novel called Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw. Its intricate cover arrested my attention - with its web of branches and roots reaching for an ominous half moon. But beyond that,... Continue Reading →
So here's a confession: Although I bought Josie Silver's The Two Lives of Lydia Bird earlier this year - and I'm still excited to read it - for some reason I never felt that interested in getting her first book, One Day in December. I don't have any great explanation for that, other than my... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of this year, I stumbled across a captivatingly beautiful novel on Book of the Month: Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibaรฑez, her debut and the first in a new duology. But it wasn't just the cover and the fantasy themes that grabbed my attention. I was also excited to read a book... Continue Reading →
I've been hearing great things about Such a Fun Age, the debut novel from Kiley Reid, since it came out nearly a year ago. So with that in mind, I was excited to choose it as my book club's December read. With themes of racism, white saviorism, and class struggles, it felt like a timely... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 