Continuing in my reading journey through history, and following two books set in the early 1600s (The Familiars and The Mercies), my next book took me to Iceland in 1686. I first discovered Caroline Lea's The Glass Woman when I was perusing Barnes & Noble shortly before the holidays. I'd hoped to get it as... Continue Reading →
I have a goal for myself this year to travel more of the world through the books I read. I've read novels set in places as far apart as Ecuador, Nigeria, and Japan, but there are still so many countries I've never visited - in real life or even in my books. One day in... Continue Reading →
Three months ago, I was visiting my sister in Limerick, Ireland when we popped into a book store. (We actually went to several book stores during my visit; I have an obsession!) I decided I needed to get a book (or 10) as a souvenir, and the first one I chose was Stacey Halls' debut,... Continue Reading →
When I was younger, I always had a strong preference for reading books in which the main character was my age or slightly older. As a teen, a lot of books I read were about 16-year-oldsโฆ but then once I reached 17, I didnโt want to read those anymore. Instead, I wanted the protagonists to... Continue Reading →
It was 2013 when I first learned about the infamous Elizabeth Bรกthory. 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 →
A week ago I finishedย Madeline Miller'sย Circe; immediately after, I dove right into The Silence of The Girls by Pat Barker. The two novels have much in common. Both were published in 2018, both were Book of the Month selections, and both center on famous figures from Greek mythology. More so than Circe, The Silence of... Continue Reading →
I remember when Madeline Miller's Circe first came out in April 2018. It was all over the bookstores and its shining cover drew me in. But it wasn't until January 2019 that I finally bought the book, signing up for Book of the Month to get it. Now, over a year after that purchase, I've... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I decided to listen to my first audiobook. Something about listening to fiction seems weird to me, so I decided to start with nonfiction and one of my biggest interests: Spain. I found The History of Spain: Land on a Crossroad, and was excited to dive in. This audio book comes from The... Continue Reading →
Most of us are preparing for a fairly isolated few months, and during our self-quarantines, we all need a little entertainment. Might I present to you the option of books? Reading will be more important than ever this spring, and you'll need to stock up! After scouring the upcoming releases, here are 29 of the... Continue Reading →
I first came across Christine Fรฉret-Fleury's The Girl Who Reads on the Mรฉtro while exploring a nearby Barnes & Noble. It instantly captured my imagination and drew up memories: I was once a girl on the mรฉtro (or rather, subway), reading during my morning and afternoon commutes between Queens and Brooklyn. Though I've never been... Continue Reading →
Amy Harmon's What the Wind Knows gently fluttered into my awareness last year when I saw it featured in some bookish email newsletters. But while the title and cover caught my eye, the summary catapulted it to the top of my to-buy list. There are three reasons... First: It's set in Ireland, and I have... Continue Reading →
After finishing Rutger Bregman's Utopia For Realists last week, I wanted to dive deeper into the concept of universal basic income (UBI). So naturally I turned to Annie Lowrey's Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World, a book I picked up about a year ago.... Continue Reading →
I first came across Rutger Bregman when my sister shared his TED Talk about poverty. It was a moving presentation that rang true with my views and ideals, and I ended up sharing the link on my Facebook, too. It wasn't until a few months later that I realized he was the author of a... Continue Reading →
From the time I learned how to read as a young child - and probably even before that, when my parents read to me - I always loved books. Books were my sanctuary and my escape. If I felt lonely, reading a book put me in the company of diverse casts of characters. When I... Continue Reading →
A couple days ago, I finished Suketu Mehta's recent book, This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto. In keeping with the theme, I excitedly chose Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration next. (I received both books as Christmas gifts, but only the former was one I previously knew about and specifically asked... Continue Reading →
So far, 2020 has seen me focusing in on nonfiction books relating to politics and social issues. Following How Bernie Won and Where We Go From Here, my latest read is This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant's Manifesto, by Suketu Mehta. It's no secret that immigration is often (unfairly) attacked as something to fear... Continue Reading →
Just after finishing Jeff Weaverโs How Bernie Won โ and with Bernie Sandersโs 2016 book Our Revolution in mind โ I decided it was time to read Bernieโs latest publication, Where We Go From Here. Again, full disclosure: I supported Bernie Sanders during his 2016 run for president, and Iโm supporting him now in his... Continue Reading →
Four years ago, throughout the 2016 presidential election in the US, I was a loyal supporter of Bernie Sanders. Despite having little political involvement prior, in summer 2015, Bernie awakened in me a political fervor, and it has remained strong since. I read his book Our Revolution about six months after the election ended (and... Continue Reading →
New year means new books! 2019 saw a ton of wonderful publications, including powerful debuts and impressive new entries from beloved authors. Now we have a fresh year ahead of us, and a growing list of anticipated new books. Without further ado, here are 27 books coming out in winter 2020 - between now and... Continue Reading →
For the last week, all I keep hearing about is people's resolutions for the new year. That doesn't just mean personal goals relating to health or career success; it also extends into the book community. I'm on Goodreads, I'm subscribed to Book of the Month, and I'm a member of several book-related groups on Facebook,... Continue Reading →
I have a long and ever-growing list of books I want, but, like many readers, I must admit that I tend to be drawn to the same three or four genres. So sometimes, it's nice - and important - to get a fresh perspective thrust into your TBR. For my birthday last May, my sister... Continue Reading →
I remember when I first saw Zeyn Joukhadar's The Map of Salt and Stars at stores in 2018: I was instantly drawn to its title and cover, and even more intrigued by the summary on the back. It wasn't on my list long before I rushed back and bought it. However, it wasn't until recently... Continue Reading →
I signed up for Book of the Month in January this year, getting two 2018 books and excitedly awaiting the months of books ahead of me. In February, I picked my first *real* Book of the Month: A Woman is No Man, the debut novel by Etuf Rum. (I also got two other new books... Continue Reading →
I discovered Dominicana by Angie Cruz thanks to Book of the Month featuring it as one of their August 2019 picks. Although I hadn't heard of it before, reading its description made it an instant impulse buy, and I was eager to read it. Fast forward a few months, and after finishing Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 