Rachel Reads & Reviews

Ranking The Gilded Age Girls Club trilogy

Here’s a little break from regency romances in the UK ton. Rodale’s trilogy is set in the hustle and bustle of Manhattan with working women and womanly pursuits at its center. Here’s my ranking of Maya Rodale’s The Gilded Age Girl’s Club.

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March 23, 2022

Rankings

#aheiresstoremember, #avonbooks, #duchessbydesign, #gildedageromance, #historicalromance, #mayarodale, #rachelreads&reviews, #romance, #somelikeitscandalous, #thegildedagegirlsclub
Take the Monkeys and Run Review

The first book in the Barbara Marr Mysteries series by Karen Cantwell is just as funny as advertised. This comedic mystery follows movie lover and housewife, Barbara Marr as she stews with the inexplicable development of her husband moving out of the house because “he needs space.” Yeah, I’d be furious too if my husband just popped that idea out of the blue without a warning or indicating anything was wrong with her marriage.
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March 22, 2022

Reviews

#barbaramarrmysteries, #berkley, #comedymystery, #rachelreads&reviews, #takethemonkeysandrun
Hamilton and Peggy: A Revolutionary Friendship Review

Hamilton and Peggy is a perfect addition for a Hamilton fan or a historical fiction fan. L.M. Elliot skillfully interweaves historical facts and documents with emotional resonance that makes these characters don’t feel like disnant historical figures or amazing musical heroes but just real people living in the Revolution.
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March 22, 2022

Reviews

#hamiltonandpeggy, #harpercollins, #historicalfiction, #lmelliot, #rachelreads&reviews
Betty and Veronica: The Bond of Friendship Review

A serviceable entry into the Archie-verse of stories as part of their new Blue Ribbon imprint which is specifically for the company’s graphic novels. I enjoyed Brittany Williams’ pie-eyed style with its vivid, bubblt color palette which perfectly fit the tone of the story of various imaginative scenarios of potential B&V career aspirations. Rather than attend booths on fashion and activism as they had planned, the girls choose to explore and imagine completely different career opportunities.
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March 21, 2022

Reviews

#archiecomics, #bettyandveronica:thebondoffriendship, #brittaneywilliams, #brittanywilliams, #jamieleerotante
If you like this, try. . .

I decided to take a little break from my “Favorite book (insert genre) suggestions” and try this. These are books I couldn’t fit under one particular category nor do I love them them enough to write a paragraph of why one should give it try. Besides I a lot of them have overlapping themes/genres/ideas with another beloved book (series) so “If you like this, try. . .”

If you like Rachel Renee Russell’s Dork Diaries try Amy Ignatow’s Popularity Papers or Cheer! by Zoe Evens

Both utilize the fun diary form with doodles, drawings and freakouts from the sweet, but relatable protagonists. Yes, they have their freakouts and can be mean and irrational to their family and their friends, but they mean well at the end of the day. Ignatow’s PP series follows Julia and Lydia in their quest to make themselves popular, finding out some real life lessons about friendship along the way. While Madison fails her cheerleadering tryout (much to her humiliation as her mom was head cheerleader on the squad years before) and relegated to the B-team, she sucks it up to get this ragtag pile of misfits into cheer shape while also dealing with her crushes and her parents’ divorce. Fans of Nikk’s rambling diary entries and numerous dramas, will enjoy the hijinks (some of their own making) that befall these characters.

If you like Cathy Hopkins’ Mates, Dates series, try Veronica Chambers’ Amigas Inc.

If you enjoyed the tight friendship of as they grow, laugh and love, you’ll enjoy the tight knit friendship of Alicia, Carmen, Jaimie and Gaz. So tight, that they go on to make their own business, Amigas Inc. creating one of kind quinceneras for the Miami Latinas who want a personalized birthday bash. They also have their fights, and their own business romances, but as they grow on till graduation, they stick by each other till the end.
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March 20, 2022

Book Suggestions, Uncategorized

#3sistersclub, #akemidawnbowman, #amazingdaysofabbyhayes, #amigasinc, #annanadthefrenchkiss, #asteptowardfalling, #aurevoircrazyeuropeanchick, #beachblondes, #berkley, #betweenthelines, #bloomsbury, #bumped, #cathleendaley, #cheer, #chooseyourowndestiny, #clementine, #confectionatelyyours, #dish, #disneyhyperion, #exposure, #flirtclub, #foreverfour, #friendsforkeeps, #fromthefilesofmadisonfinn, #girlmadeofstars, #gooneybirdgreene, #greenwillowbooks, #hachettebookgroup, #harlequinpublishing, #harpercollins, #heroine, #ifyoulikethistry, #laurenbarnholdt, #letinsnow, #likenoother, #lindseylevitt, #littlebrownbooksforyoungreaders, #mariekenijamp, #melissadelacruz, #middegrade, #missperegrineshomeforperculiarchildren, #onlittlewings, #peaceloveandbabyducks, #penguinrandomhouse, #petalpushers, #piratica, #popularitypapers, #princessforhire, #rachelreads&reviews, #randaabdelfattah, #scholastic, #simon&schuster, #sisterhoodofthertravellingpants, #somethinginbetween, #sometimesithappens, #st.martinspress, #st.martinspublishing, #starfish, #stillstarcrossed, #suchaprettygirl, #sweetheartofprospercounty, #teashopgirls, #thealley, #thecupcakequeen, #theearthmybuttandotherbigroundthings, #theegyptgame, #thefemaleofthespieces, #thegirlwhofell, #thelineswecross, #theyearmysistergotlucky, #thisiswhereitends, #throneofglass, #ttyl, #YA, #youinfiveacts
Reggie and Me Review

Part of the New Archie Comics that seeks to bring that Archie brand of humor and hijinks with some more realism and depth, Tom DeFalco’s look into Riverdale’s resident class clown and town jerk is superb.
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March 19, 2022

Reviews

#archiecomics, #graphicnovel, #rachelreads&reviews, #reggieandme, #sandyjarrell, #tomdefalco
Women’s History Month Books P7

Now here’s a little break from history books and nonfiction. Here’s relatable YA books focusing on double standards, femnisim, beauty, love and sexuality and all those things in between.

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

I forgot to put this in my Diverse Reads post of 2021. In fact it was the first book I read for the new year, and it is wonderful. It’s a rare YA book where I can actually say I loved all the characters (except the ones you obviously have to loathe) in this small Texas high school. Inspired by her mom’s old riot girl zines, the heroine, Vivian decides to anonymously start her own zine to fight back against the rampant sexism and sexual harassment. She was strong minded and passionate but non-patronizing and it covers multiple aspects of feminism including why some may not want to be labeled as one. Plus it shows male allies, and how feminism can be nuanced and people can get it wrong. It doesn’t mean they’re not trying, they are, it’s hard work but everyone is doing their best to get to a better future. So 5 out of 5.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

This satirical novel covers almost everything that sucks and is great about being a woman. In a world years from now where superficiality and reality tv reigns, the Miss Teen Dream pagent is in flames when the airplane holding all 50 pagent girls is struck in the middle of an island. The survivors must choose whether to build a fire or work on their special talents, but at least they won’t worry about ruining their perfect size 0 figures. It’s quite fun as it uses such stereotypes as the Christ-loving Texas loudmouth, the ditzy blondes and Adina, the only sane one who is just using this to write an article blasting the pagent for its unattainable beauty standards. But it flips a lot of things on its head as Shanti uses the exoticism of her Indian heritage to get ahead rather than admit she’s just Valley Girl like everyone else. The repressed sexuality of Mary Lou because girls aren’t supposed to like it too much. Or Nicole who fears of being just another black girl stereotype. Also I love the footnotes that explain the various “cultural” references of their world like the Tale of Two Cities game was banned because “Charles Dickins is clearly a pornographic name,” the hot bisexual threesome trope and more.
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March 18, 2022

Book Suggestions

#abramsbooks, #beautyqueens, #becomingamericana, #becominglatinain10easysteps, #feminism, #givingupthev, #hachettebookgroup, #jennifermathieu, #kodykeplinger, #lararios, #libbabray, #macmillan, #moxie, #nicolekozer, #pristinepublishing, #rachelreads&reviews, #scholastic, #serenarobar, #shutout, #simon&schuster, #unscripted, #womenshistorymonth, #YA
Bloody Jack Review

Ah yes, the first in L.A Meyer’s ship-faring, sailor girl series. I actually have this series before, and by read, I meant skimmed. So while I knew the basics of the plot, this is my first time actually reading it, and I enjoyed it very much.
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March 18, 2022

Reviews

#bloodyjack, #harcourtchildrensbooks, #lameyer, #rachelreads&reviews
Favorite Graphic Novels

Excluding Archie. That will be its own post.

Fiction

Nathan Hale’s Hazerdous Tales by Nathan Hale

Modern day Hale (same name, no relation) uses the famous Revolutionary spy, Nathan Hale (of “My one regret is that I have one life to give” fame) to narrate adventures and incidents throughout history. This abundence of knowledge from the future occurs after Hale is scooped up into a magical history book, and uses these entertaining stories to keep the Hangman and British Officer from hanging him. Sort of like Schrezade in 1001 Nights. As you can tell it is cartoony in its executions and the childish Hangman is always there to lend comedic relief. But it is very good in condensing such vast histories like the start of WW1 and the first three years of the Korean War. While also going into more individual events like the Donner Party and Harriet Tubman’s lifestory. And don’t worry it doesn’t skimp on the gore, it has hazerdous ratings on the back so readers can be warned of the assassinations, eye stabbing, massacre-ing and such that is within.

For a lighter, broader comic about history try Stan Mack and Susan Chaplin’s The Cartoon Chronicles of America duology.

Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson and Brooklyn Allen

Fun little series about girls being badass and meeting up with all sorts of fantastical creatures a la Adventure Time style. It is very girl power being an all-girls camp and wishes to impart life lessons in its chapters with each badge the girls undertake to get. And it works. The series really makes the girls three dimensional in their flaws and conflicts, even with each other. But it is always all right in the end because friendship is power. There is also an overarching mystery with why the mysterious creatures and dinosaur portals always hit the camp. Plus plenty of sweet friendships and Lgtbq romances for the fans.
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March 17, 2022

Reviews

#abramsbooks, #almostamericangirl, #americanbornchinese, #andrewmcneelpublishing, #anyasghost, #avatarthelastairbender, #beprepared, #bloomsbury, #boom!studios, #brooklynallen, #candlewickpress, #darkhorsecomics, #deadweight, #deanhale, #debbietung, #disneyhyperion, #elisabettegnone, #evonnetsang, #faithhicks, #firstsecondbooks, #geneluentang, #georgetakei, #graceellis, #graphicnovels, #graphix, #harpercollins, #heykiddo, #honorgirl, #jarrettjkrosoczka, #jerrycraft, #lernerbooks, #lumberjanes, #macmillan, #maggiethrash, #marjanesatrapi, #marvelousfantasticincredible, #matthewseely, #maus#artspiegelman, #mollymuldoon, #myboyfriendisamonster, #nathanhale, #nathanhaleshazerdoustales, #newkid, #noellestevenson, #pantheonbooks, #penguinrandomhouse, #persepolis, #quietgirlinanoisyworld, #rachelreads&reviews, #rainatelgemeier, #rapunzelsrevenge, #realfriends, #robinha, #rollergirl, #scholastic, #shannonhale, #shannonwatters, #smile, #squarefish, #stanlee, #stanmack, #susanchaplin, #terryblas, #thecartoonchroniclesofamerica, #theycalledusenemy, #topshelf, #versbrosgol, #victoriajamieson, #witch
Jem and the Holograms Comics Review

Okay so I finished allll the Jem and the Holograms comics, the 5 volumes, the Misfits spin off, the Dimensions one-off and Infinite special and I loved all of it.

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March 16, 2022

Reviews

#comics, #idwcomics, #jemandtheholograms, #kellythompson, #rachelreads&reviews, #sophiecampbell