Bookseller Amanda is a lover of all things romance and all things spooky. If you need a recommendation for books with smooching, fantastical worlds, or malevolent spirits, she's got you covered. Amanda reviews and covers romance for Smart Bitches Trashy Books, Book Riot, Kirkus, and a million other places. She also runs Porter Square Books romance book club. No, she does not sleep.
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This is easily one of the most beautiful books I've read. Harrow's imagination and stuunning prose weave a surprisingly tender tale of good versus evil, magical portals, and what it means to belong.
The title is pretty spot on as this is truly a love letter to the human experience: surrounding yourself with supportive friends, finding your own passions, exploring love and romantic connections. Charming is the word that immediately comes to mind and the book's cheekiness when playing with letters and language are a large part of the fun.
Is it weird to review a cookbook? Maybe, but I unabashedly love this cookbook and have gifted it to many people, many of whom aren't really vegetarians. The meals are verseatile, easy, and really freakin' delicious. The recipe that made me a convert: Eggplant Involtini - fried eggplant, rich tomato sauce, and so much yummy, gooey cheese.
A bloody, feminist romp that will try the bonds of sisterhood. The twists will surprise you. I promise.
A frank and informative look at death rituals from around the world, from pyre funerals in Colorado to the merging of tech and burials in Japan. Author Caitlin Doughty runs a fantastic YouTube channel called Ask a Mortician and aims to make death just a little less scary.
Read this if you want to be completely and utterly charmed! A young woman dodges an arranged marriage by creating a fictious lover who's gone off to war. She's gobsmacked when her imaginary betrothed turns out to be very real, appearing on her doorstep and seeking shelter. There is science nerdery, a grumpy man in a kilt, and a pair of troublemsome lobsters. Everything you never knew you wanted in a book.
A feminist gut-punch of a book. Layered with twists and turns, Liggett keeps readers guessing until the very end. Expect to ugly cry and grit your teeth in frustration. If you prefer aduiobooks, this one should definitely be in your listening library.
Helen Hoang has a fan for life with her follow up book to The Kiss Quotient. A complex Cinderella story under the guise of an arranged marriage rom-com, The Bride Test is a prime example of what romance novels can accomplish. Oh, and don't skip the author's note. It's a perfect way top off Esme and Khai's love story.
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Heartfelt and hilarious essays from the Emmy and Golden Globe Award–winning actress, star of the Netflix original series Beef, and two-time member of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year list
Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Sky in the Deep in this bewitching historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Holly Black and V.E. Schwab! Seventeen-year-old Aderyn ("Ryn") only cares about two things: her family and her family's graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits.