Three years ago, I loved Kiran Millwood Hargrave's historical novel The Mercies, and I've looked forward to reading more from her since. This week, she releases her second adult novel, The Dance Tree. This one goes back even farther in time than its predecessor, taking readers to Strasbourg in 1518, amidst the dancing plague that... Continue Reading →
For the week of Valentine's Day, I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Crimes of Passion, a novella by Jack Harbon. This enemies-to-lovers story stars two true crime podcasters with very different approaches to their shows. When they're pushed to collaborate on a project, though, they start to realize that opposites can attract. Summary Calvin... Continue Reading →
This February, I'm planning to mostly read romances. The first audiobook I picked out is A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon, a novella about two people being brought together by a rescue dog. It's a short and sweet love story that weaves in deeper issues and, of course, an adoration of dogs. Summary... Continue Reading →
The first classic novel I profoundly connected with when I was young was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontรซ. I was a high school junior then, still 16 years old, and I absolutely loved it. So much so, in fact, that I watched and rewatched the 2006 BBC series adaptation and forced my younger sister to... 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 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 →
A book I've been hearing about a lot lately is The Guncle by Steven Rowley. The audiobook, in particular, has been recommended, in part because the author himself narrates it. He does a fabulous job! With Pride in full swing, as well as my June reading challenge of books about family, this was the perfect... Continue Reading →
This year I've been aiming to honor the different heritage celebrations by reading relevant books. May is AAPI month (Asian American and Pacific Islander), and this made Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos a perfect fit. It highlights a Bangladeshi family living in the United States and working towards updating their immigrant status, despite... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Natalie Jenner released her debut novel, The Jane Austen Society. It became a bestseller, and now readers can enjoy her latest novel: Bloomsbury Girls. While it features some characters first seen in The Jane Austen Society - and references some events therein - it also works as a standalone. It's an inspiring... Continue Reading →
My April reading challenge is to read books set in Paris, France. Following The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, the second book I finished was Paris Is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay. I'd picked up the audiobook of it last year, so I was eager to listen to it. This charming, romantic, emotional... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I loved Ibram X. Kendi's book, How to Be an Antiracist, and I've been eager to read more from him. Along with Keisha N. Blain, he co-edited the 2021 book, Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019. Divided into 80 chapters, each focusing on a five-year span of history... Continue Reading →
For my 2022 Reading Challenge, my theme for January is books in translation. The first audiobook I chose for that challenge is The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, originally written in Japanese. The English translation for it arrived in the U.S. in October 2018, though I picked it up more recently. As a lifelong... Continue Reading →
It's been more than five years since I read my first Hazel Gaynor book. In summer 2016, I loved The Girl From the Savoy, and I've collected a few of her books since then and added the rest to my "to buy" list. One of her publications since then was The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter. I... 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 →
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 →
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 Adiรณs, due out in two months. Luckily, the countdown was made a bit easier with the release of her new novella, What the... Continue Reading →
I'm something of a language nerd, and I often wish I could go back to college to study linguistics. (In reality, I double majored in English and Communication, so not entirely far off.) Thankfully I've found an incredible alternative: The Great Courses' audiobooks on Linguistics. I just listened to Language A to Z by John... Continue Reading →
I've been reading more nonfiction about immigrants in the past year or so, and one book that's been high on my list was The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You by Dina Nayeri. At eight years old, she and her family fled Iran and became refugees, ultimately finding a home in Oklahoma in the... Continue Reading →
In the past couple of years, I've had a growing interest in reading more nonfiction about identity, especially related to racial diversity and immigration. This may be partially because of the obvious tensions present in the United States and around the world. It's also inspired by my husband, a Peruvian immigrant who just recently earned... 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 →
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 →
Yesterday I finished the excellentย One By Oneย byย Ruth Ware. To further indulge my love of everything Ruth Ware, I decided it was the perfect time to check out her two recent short stories. Following her new ebook, We Will Be Watching, I just listened to her recent audiobook, Snowflakes. This short story is part of a... Continue Reading →
Like so many people these days - and perhaps especially among my generation - I've suffered from burnout. For me it comes and goes, and at those times when it's impacting me, I seek answers. That's how I discovered the audiobook The Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen last winter. I downloaded it months ago,... Continue Reading →
In light of the recent upsurge in support for Black Lives Matter and calls for racial justice, I've spent the past couple of months working to strengthen my own understand of racial issues, primarily in the US. Following a reading of How to Be an Antiracist last month, the past few weeks I delved into... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 