Rachel Reads & Reviews

Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely Review

In 1969 twenty-three-year-old starlet Lori Lovely, the apple of Hollywood’s eye, shocks the world by ditching a promising film career to take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a Benedictine nun. Gossip columnists and scandal sheets can’t get enough of the story. Why would a successful starlet take the veil? Was she hiding from…

rachelbeerwoman

November 26, 2025

Reviews

#chicklit, #comingofage, #contemporaryfiction, #harpercollins, #historicalfiction, #hollywood, #rachelreads&reviews, #sarahmccoy, #spiritual, #whateverhappenedtolorilovely, #williammorrowbooks, #women’sfiction
Ranking Cinderella Cleaners

13 year old Diana didn’t expect her new after-school job at her family’s dry cleaners to end up providing so much adventure. After all, it was forced on her by her harsh step-mom, and she can no longer participate in her beloved drama club. But slipping into the garments of the customers, Diana goes from…

rachelbeerwoman

November 24, 2025

Rankings

#achangeofdress, #cinderellacleaners, #contemporaryfiction, #maskappeal, #mayagold, #middlegrade, #prepcool, #rachelreads&reviews, #rockandrole, #schemespirit, #scholastic, #swanfake
Top 5 Zodiac Girls

Continuing my nostalgia trip, the Zodiac Girls are a series of stand-alone novels featuring a girl at a crossroads in her life. For one month (not necessarily their birthday month), they are chosen to be Zodiac Girls and the planets come down to Earth in human form to guide them through their life lessons. There’s…

rachelbeerwoman

November 22, 2025

Top 5

#astrology, #bratprincess, #bridesmaidclub, #cathyhopkins, #doubletrouble, #fromgeektogoddess, #macmillan, #middlegrade, #rachelreads&reviews, #starchild, #zdiacgirls, #zodiac
Dame Jacinda Ardern Interview

Jacinda Ardern is the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, whom you might remember for her decisive handling of the Christchurch shooting, and subsequent gun reform, and COVID-19. She graciously took the time to answer some of my questions about her new memoir, and picture book. 1. It’s been two years since you stepped down…

rachelbeerwoman

November 19, 2025

Interview

#adifferentkindofpower, #jacindaardern, #memoir, #newzealand, #picturebook, #politics, #rachelreads&reviews
Ranking Go for the Gold Gymnasts

Written by Olympic medalist, Dominique Moceanu and author, Alicia Thompson, this quartet dives into the grit and determination of competitive gymnastics combined with the coming of age and friendship of the Texas Twisters teammates.

rachelbeerwoman

November 19, 2025

Rankings

#aliciathompson, #comingofage, #disneyhyperion, #dominiquemoceanu, #goforthegoldgymnasts, #gymnastics, #middlegrade, #rachelreads&reviews, #sports
Ranking Lights, Camera, Cassidy

With a tagline of “Making a Scene on Reality TV,” you know this little quartet is going to have some cool adventures. But it’s not the reality tv, you’re thinking of. Cassidy’s parents are hosts of a popular travel show, and she’s been travelling the world since she was a five year old. A little…

rachelbeerwoman

November 13, 2025

Rankings

#lightscameracassidy, #lindagerber, #middlegrade, #penguinrandomhouse, #rachelreads&reviews, #travelling
Book of the Month: The Lost Bookshop

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found… For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives. But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the…

rachelbeerwoman

November 12, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#eviewoods, #harpercollins, #magicalrealism, #onemorechapterimprint, #rachelreads&reviews, #thelostbookshop
Girls Survive P4

I finished! I finished the series, and thus finished my historical read-through of the year. Wahoo! This was an excellent series for historical fiction lovers, getting into the underrated parts of history as well as several well-known events. Even more groundbreaking were not only the diverse set of protagonists, but that they went beyond the…

rachelbeerwoman

November 8, 2025

Book Suggestions, Book/Author Highlight

#ailynncollins, #anitrabutlerngugi, #anyafleesthefallout, #audreyunderthebigtop, #capstonepublishing, #chernoyble, #coraandtheterribletwister, #cristinaoxtra, #emmacarlsonberne, #erinfalligant, #essieandthemarchonselma, #fayeandthedangerousjourney, #fumikoandthetokyotragedy, #girlssurvive, #hettieandthelondonblitz, #historicalfiction, #jennil.walsh, #jessicagunderson, #juliegilbert, #kimsigafus, #middlegrade, #minandtheprotests, #nativeamericansinhistory, #ninaunderarrest, #rachelreads&reviews, #ruthandthenightofbrokenglass, #susangriner, #taraandthetoweringwave, #tienmansquare
Girls Survive P3

This batch of Girls Survive books focus on historical events I already know, and have been covered by Lauren Tarish’s I Survived series. As I mentioned before, it is why I initially thought it was a rip-off riding on the coattails of the former’s popularity. It’s not entirely, but Leah Braves the Flood by Julia…

rachelbeerwoman

November 2, 2025

Book Suggestions

#carrieandthegreatstorn, #charlottespiesforjustice, #civilwar, #emmacarlsonberne, #emmiinthecity, #girlssurvive, #historicalfiction, #jessicagunderson, #juliegilbert, #leahbravestheflood, #lilyandthegreatquake, #maddyandthemonstrousstorm, #maribelversusthevolcano, #marieandthedeadlyplague, #middlegrade, #millieandthegreatdrought, #natashadeen, #nikkishannonsmith, #noelleatsea, #rachelreads&reviews, #rebeccaridestherevolution, #revolutionarywar, #salimaalikhan, #sanfranciscoearthquake, #sarahhannahgomez, #titanic, #veedabybee
Fall Comics

Spy x Family vol 13-14 by Tatsuya Endo The latest chapters in the Spy x Family saga are as thrilling, and funny as usual. I didn’t expect for there to be a spotlight on Mr. Henderson and Martha, much less have a tragic romance during the war, but I loved it! It reminded me a bit…

rachelbeerwoman

November 1, 2025

Book Suggestions

#anathology, #ashesoftheacademy, #avatarthelastairbender, #emilybowencohen, #faitherinhicks, #graphicnovels, #guatemalangenocide, #history, #hudaf.wantstoknow?, #hudafahmy, #indigenousmcs, #jenxu, #kikihughes, #krhodes, #legendofkorra, #manga, #memoir, #michaeldantedimartino, #mysteryonpenquanisland, #pabloleon, #patternsoftime, #rachelreads&reviews, #silencedvoices, #spyxfamily, #tatsuyaendo, #twotribes