Rachel Reads & Reviews

Sharing books for everyone

recent posts

about

Category: Book Suggestions

  • Bedeviled

    “Mom always said my dad is the devil. I never knew she meant it literally!” All Angel’s father (a.k.a. the Devil) wants is to be a part of her life. And in return he has the power to give her anything she wants—including popularity and a date with her long-time crush, Cole Daniels. But Angel…

  • Girls Survive P2

    Thanks to the wonder of Hoopla (available to anyone who has a library card so hop on it), I’ve been given the chance to finish the rest of the Girls Survive series so let’s get to it. This batch of books are historical events I already know of thanks to class/Dear America so I didn’t…

  • Whatever After

    As I may have mentioned, besides being a year of historical fiction, I’ve also decided to dive into some nostalgia. Whatever After came out back in 2012, and I only got through the first seven books before dropping it. So it was interesting to see how the story evolved since I last picked it up.…

  • Family Tree

    It’s no surprise that Ann M. Martin writes well. Who else could write a pop culture phenomena as the BSC? But while the BSC may be the most popular of her works, I want to highlight this series, combining warm, small town insight and historical fiction. Main Street is my favorite out of Martin’s works,…

  • Dear America authors

    Well, I did it. Finished the 43 book series, and didn’t give myself eye strain this time. Yay! Anyway, I’ve already written my top five books so now I want to discuss the authors. Much like in Animal Farm, some authors are better than others. My favorites tend to fall to Kristina Gregory or Patricia…

  • Book Highlight: First Things First

    FIRST THINGS FIRST, hip-hop is not just the music, and women have played a big role in shaping the way it looks today. FIRST THINGS FIRST takes readers on a journey through some notable firsts by women in hip-hop history and their importance. Factual firsts like Queen Latifah becoming the first rapper to get a star on…

  • Bold, Brilliant, and Latine & Leyendas

    Bold, Brilliant, and Latine by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris and illustrated by Sol Cotti For the lower school set as it gives one page biographies of each Latino with emphasis on how they were a role model, and that kids can be like them too.  It has several well-known figures like Lin Manuel Miranda, Rita Moreno, Gabriel…

  • American Quilt

    This quartet by Susan Kirby is perfect for fans of Little House on the Prairie or Ann Martin’s Family Tree quartet. 12 year old Lacey is dealing with a new stepmom and stepsisters and each story her great-grandmother weaves out of special family quilts imparts lessons that relate and help her in life. As one…

  • Secrets of the Manor

    For fans of Downtown Abbey, this historical fiction series follows the three generations of Chatswood and Vandermeer girls from 1848 to 1934. But it is not a linear journey which I believe adds to the fun. While I figured out the answer to the overlying mystery in the first book (and was thus impatient for…

  • Contemporary Summer Romances

    Gold Coast Dilemma by Nana Malone During an opulent publishing party, Ofosua Addo crosses paths with Cole Drake for the first time. Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts. But Ofosua’s identity as a Ghanaian heiress comes before Cole. She loves the vibrant traditions of…