Rachel Reads & Reviews

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
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…

rachelbeerwoman

September 12, 2025

Book Suggestions

#alyssareynosomorris, #boldbrilliantlatine, #chroniclebooks, #isadorazeferino, #latinx, #latinxhistory, #leyendas, #lowergrade, #middlegrade, #monicamancillas, #nonfiction, #rachelreads&reviews, #solcatti, #wideeyededitions
A Showgirl’s Rules For Falling in Love Review

It’s 1897, and a new fashion for thin threatens to end the career of proudly fat vaudeville performer Evelyn Cross. Enter Thomas Gallier, the man behind the new palace of entertainment promising to be the apex of New York City’s theatrical scene. He’s in search of a star for his vaudeville spectacular, and when he…

rachelbeerwoman

September 10, 2025

Reviews

#alicemurphy, #ashowgirl’srulesforfallinginlove, #gildedageromance, #historicalromance, #rachelreads&reviews, #unionsquareandco, #vaudville
Say a Little Prayer Review

Riley quietly left church a year ago when she realized there was no place for a bi girl in her congregation. But it wasn’t until the pastor shunned her older sister for getting an abortion that she really wanted to burn it all down. It’s just her luck, then, that she’s sent to the principal’s…

rachelbeerwoman

September 10, 2025

Reviews

#christianity, #comingofage, #contemporaryromance, #jessicavordis, #lgtbq, #rachelreads&reviews, #religion, #sayalittleprayer, #vikingbooksforyoungreaders, #YA
Twisted Tales: How Far I’ll Go Review

What if Moana broke the heart of Te Fiti? After a devastating battle with Te Kā, Moana’s worst fears are realized: the heart of Te Fiti is in ruins, Maui is frozen in volcanic rock, and darkness threatens to envelop her beloved home. Desperate to fix things, Moana stumbles upon an island already crumbling under…

rachelbeerwoman

September 8, 2025

Reviews

#disneyhyperion, #fantasy, #hawaiianmythology, #howfarI’llgo, #kealakendall, #moana, #rachelreads&reviews, #twistedtales, #YA