Ever since summer 2005, when I first heard "Sugar, We're Goin Down," I've been a devoted fan of Fall Out Boy. When their founding member and guitarist Joe Trohman announced that he was releasing a memoir, I pre-ordered a signed hardcover immediately. Then on release day I got the audiobook, too! None of This Rocks... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books last year was The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, the debut novel by Dawnie Walton. As a huge fan of music (including punk), and as someone who cares deeply about politics and social issues, this is a book I knew I needed to read. Throughout this month, my... Continue Reading →
I have NetGalley to thank for introducing me to The Fugitives by Jamal Mahjoub. While perusing the upcoming books, I discovered this novel about musicians from Sudan. It was love at first sight for me, so I was elated when I was approved for an ARC. Though The Fugitives was published in the U.K. a... Continue Reading →
It was March 2020 when I became enchanted by The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu. Book of the Month offered it as one of their add-on selections that month, and although it hadn't previously been on my radar, it immediately went right into my box. Finally, just after reading another book about Mozart (The... Continue Reading →
Several months ago I learned about Rachel McMillan's upcoming novel, The Mozart Code. I love music - including classical composers like Mozart - and was intrigued by the dual setting of Vienna and Prague. Fast forward to December, and I was excited to learn I'd been approved for an ARC of The Mozart Code on... Continue Reading →
It was spring 2020 when Andrew McMahon revealed he was writing a memoir. With lockdown just begun, it was the perfect opportunity for him to write not songs, but a book. A longtime fan of his, I was thrilled when he announced the finished memoir - Three Pianos - earlier this year. I pre-ordered it... 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 →
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 →
After I signed up for Book of the Month in early 2019, I started looking into their back catalogue of offerings, adding many books to my TBR. One novel that particularly caught my eye was The Air Your Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles. Brazil and music in the 1930s? Yes please! First offered in... 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 →
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 →
Besides reading books, my other major passion is music. I got my master's degree in music business, and in addition to Amanda's Book Corner here, I've also run a music news site called Hidden Jams since 2014. So when my two passions collide, I get extra excited. One such collision is in Rachel Joyce's The... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 