Category: Book/Author Highlight

• Author Highlight: Samira Ahmed

  If you want to read something that makes you take a hard look at our society, the ugly and the hopeful, read Samira Ahmed. If you want something that is relatable, opinionated and has distinct protagonists, read Samira Ahmed. If you want to read romance, read topical issues, read personal growth, read family communication, read…

  rachelbeerwoman

  January 10, 2024

  Book/Author Highlight

  #hallowfires, #internment, #littlebrownandcompany, #littlebrownbooksforyoungreaders, #lovehateandotherfilters, #rachelreads&reviews, #samiraahmed, #sohoteens, #YA

• Book Club: Shutter Island

  Originally this was going to be the book club pick of the month, buuuut we finished it in six days. It was gripping! So here are my thoughts: You may recognize the title because it spawned a movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, so you may already have an idea that Teddy Edwards, the protagonist, is an…

  rachelbeerwoman

  January 6, 2024

  Book/Author Highlight

  #dennislehane, #harpercollins, #psychologicalthriller, #rachelreads&reviews, #shutterisland, #thriller, #williammorrowbooks

• Book Highlight: The Missing Sword

  With spoilers because the ending really changes the game. So you’ve been warned!

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 19, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #chroniclesofneverafer, #macmillan, #melissadelacruz, #middlegrade, #rachelreads&reviews, #roaringbookpress, #themissingsword

• Howl’s Moving Castle

  After reading Howl’s Moving Castle last month, I finally got around to watching the Ghibli movie. Of course, it’s not totally accurate but damn that studio is amazing in creating such a beautiful world that is inspiring and magical and whimsical. I mean that opening scene where Howl suavely steps up to those guards bothering…

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 14, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #anime, #dianawynnejones, #howl’smovingcastle, #middlegrade, #rachelreads&reviews

• Book Highlight: Rapunzel’s Revenge & Calamity jack

  If you like Westerns and if you like fairytales, these are for you! Really, they should be everyone cuz comics are cool but that’d be too after-school special. However, I just found it amazing because the fairytale genre just doesn’t have a lot of western AUs. School or towns full of fairytale characters, yes. Erotic…

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 13, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #calamityjack, #deanhale, #fairytale, #graphicnovels, #jackandthebeanstalk, #nathanhale, #rachelreads&reviews, #rapunzel, #rapunzel’srevenge, #retelling, #shannonhale

• Author Highlight: Michelle Moran

  I have already extolled Moran’s virtues in historical writing in previous posts but after several more books in her catalogue, I have to expound on how deftly she immerses the reader into the ancient world. It probably helps that she had previously majored in archeology and has travelled extensively on dig sites so she has…

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 11, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #cleopatra'sdaughter, #historicalfiction, #michellemoran, #nefertiti, #rachelreads&reviews, #thehereticqueen, #therebelqueen, #thesecondempress

• Nancy Drew ReRead P4

  The final seven wrap up the Nancy Drew series in a . . . well t didn’t really wrap it up as Nancy Drew lives on forever and the series followed that cue without any sappy goodbyes or retrospectives but act like its just another day in her life. So let’s get to the final…

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 10, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #carolynkeene, #middlegradde, #mysteryofcrocodileisland, #nancydrew, #nancydrewmysteries, #rachelreads&reviews, #theclueinthecrosswordcipher, #thedoublejinxmystery, #themysteriousmannequin, #thesecretofmirrorbay, #thespidersapphiremystery, #thethirteenthpeark, #thethirteenthpearl

• Author Highlight: Gloria Chao

  So I decided to spend the week reading Gloria Chao’s catalogue of books. Which okay that was easy since there’s only four and she’s addictively readable. While each premise seems light, she also deals with the more difficult frustrations of coming of age as a Taiwanese American daughter of immigrants and the difficulties of communication…

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 9, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #gloriachao, #ourwaywardfate, #rachelreads&reviews, #rentaboyfriend, #simon&schuster, #vikingbooksforyoungreaders, #whenyouwishuponalantern, #YA

• Nancy Drew ReRead P3

  Now onto the vacation series, otherwise known as #30-40 more or less. This was a very exciting set as it combines my favorite book trope, travelling with Nancy Drew mysteries.

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 9, 2023

  Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

  #carolynkeene, #middlegrade, #nancydrew, #nancydrewmysteries, #rachelreads&reviews, #theclueintheoldstagecoach, #theclueofthedancingpuppet, #thehauntedshowboat, #thehiddenwindowmystery, #themoonstonecastlemystery, #themysteryofthefiredragon, #thesecretofthegoldenpavilion, #thewitchtreesymbol

• Author Highlight: Neil Gainman

  Initially I was going to stop at Gainman’s classic child horror tale, Coraline, but I saw that he has several fairytale adaptations in his repatoire so I felt I had to read them to complete my fairytale TBR pile. Let’s get to it! The Sleeper and the Spindle was the only “high school” level book…

  rachelbeerwoman

  December 7, 2023

  Book/Author Highlight

  #chrisriddell, #colleendoran, #fairytale, #graphicnovel, #hanselandgretel, #lorenzomattotti, #neilgainman, #picturebooks, #rachelreads&reviews, #retelling, #snowglassapples, #thesleeperandthespindle