Rachel Reads & Reviews

Sharing books for everyone

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…

rachelbeerwoman

October 8, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#1600s, #annfightsforfreedom, #capstonepublishing, #constanceandthedangerouscrossing, #girlssurvive, #goldrush, #historicalfiction, #juliegilbert, #lenaandtheburningofgreenwood, #lowergrade, #lucyfightstheflames, #lusitania, #mayflower, #nikkishannonsmith, #pennyandthetragicvoyage, #rachelreads&reviews, #sarah’sjourneywest, #trianglefactoryfire, #tulsaracemassacre, #undergroundrailroad, #ww1
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.…

rachelbeerwoman

October 7, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#fantasy, #fracturedfairytales, #rachelreads&reviews, #sarahmlynowski, #scholastic, #whateverafter
Kelly Yang Interview

Kelly Yang is the award-winning author for kids and young adults with popular titles such as the Front Desk series, Parachutes, Little Bird Laila, and more. She graciously took the time to answer my questions about her work, and share what’s coming next. Enjoy! 1. When did you feel ready to start pitching your own…

rachelbeerwoman

October 6, 2025

Interview

#comingofage, #contemporaryfiction, #frontdesk, #littlebirdlaila, #parachutes, #picturebooks, #rachelreads&reviews, #scholastic, #YA
Seeing Stars Review

*I received this free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.* Mona Mashad grew up on camera, with millions of fans around the world tuning in to see her every move. Nothing was off-limits: not her first pimple, her first crush, and definitely not the death of her father, Mashad family patriarch…

rachelbeerwoman

October 1, 2025

Reviews

#candicejalili, #cominofage, #contemporaryromance, #disneyhyperion, #hollywood, #mashadfamily, #rachelreads&reviews, #seeingstars, #YA
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,…

rachelbeerwoman

September 28, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#annm.martin, #betterkeptsecret, #bettertowish, #comingofage, #familytree, #historicalfiction, #homeistheplace, #middlegrade, #quartet, #rachelreads&reviews, #thelongwayhome
Debbie Dadey Interview

Debbie Dadey is the prolific author of Mermaid Tales, and co-author of the Bailey School Kids series whose series has been reprinted and rebooted several times since its inception in the 90s. She graciously took the time to answer my questions about her long-time collaboration with Marcia Jones, inspiration behind the series and more. 1.…

rachelbeerwoman

September 22, 2025

Interview

#adventuresofbaileyschoolkids, #baileyschoolkids, #debbiedadey, #lowergrade, #marciajones, #monsterstories, #rachelreads&reviews, #simon&schuster
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…

rachelbeerwoman

September 21, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#andreadavispinkney, #barrydenenberg, #dearamerica, #deborahhopkins, #ellenemersonwhite, #historicalfiction, #jimmurphy, #katelanjanke, #kathrynlasky, #kirbylarson, #kristinagregory, #lisarowefraustino, #marypopeosbourne, #middlegrade, #patriciamckissack, #rachelreads&reviews, #scholastic, #sherrygarland, #susancampbellbartoletti
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…

rachelbeerwoman

September 20, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#biography, #firsthingsfirst, #grandcentralpublishing, #hachettebookgroup, #hiphop, #hiphopladieswhochangedhtegame, #music, #nadirahsimmons, #nonfiction, #rap
Book of the Month: Magpie Murders

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage…

rachelbeerwoman

September 19, 2025

Book/Author Highlight

#anthonyhorowitz, #framestory, #harpercollins, #magpiemurders, #murdermystery, #mystery, #rachelreads&reviews, #suspense, #twobooksinone
Café con Lychee Review

Sometimes bitter rivalries can brew something sweet. Theo Mori wants to escape. Leaving Vermont for college means getting away from working at his parents’ Asian American café and dealing with their archrivals’ hopeless son Gabi who’s lost the soccer team more games than Theo can count. Gabi Moreno is miserably stuck in the closet. Forced…

rachelbeerwoman

September 19, 2025

Reviews

#asianmcs, #caféconlychee, #comingofage, #contemporaryromance, #emerylee, #harpercollins, #latinx, #lgtbq, #quilltreebooks, #rachelreads&reviews, #YA