I loved every story, even if I didn‘t resonate with all of them. Though a couple remained too open-ended for my satisfaction. Well deserved hype. Necessary. 4/5

The most shocking disappointment of the year and this one really did hurt me because Seven Days in June is TOP-tier. The insta-love gave me the ick and the MR didn‘t work for me in this instance. Slow, slow, slow burn for sure. DNF/5

I ate every crumb. Idc if it was “needed” or not. This one was for the fans. 💜 4.5/5

Am I crazy or was this horrible? Beautiful cover. Mid story. Some tweenager will be happy to find this in my local little free library and I‘m sure they‘ll treasure it. 2.5/5

After a much needed hiatus, I‘m back! Missed you all. ❤️ Prepare for back to back postings- my reviews from last few months. I‘ve been reading slowly but surely, though we are in the middle of moving.. May I say, if I never move again it would be too soon!

This borderlines violence for the sake of violence. Maybe that‘s THE POINT, but I‘m just not pessimistic enough for this I guess. Disturbing. 2/5

I love KC so this really disappointed me. Parts of this story were just too cringe-worthy to enjoy. Both main characters are unlikable/borderline rude and it just never came together for me or got any better. 2.5/5

Two neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine‘s Day in a cute and wholesome short story. Perfect read on a wet and rainy Vday spent in. 3.75/5

Realized I never posted my review of Tress! Such a great book!

Hello Whimsy Readers and happy February! Discussion questions for the first 3 parts of Piranesi have been posted on Fable!! Be sure to check them out when you get there. I can‘t wait to hear your thoughts and theories. I‘m really enjoying this one so far, despite it being highly mysterious.

Hello, my Whimsy readers and happy Sunday!! Our poll closed yesterday at a tie between Piranesi and The Starless Sea! Visit the club lobby for our tie breaker poll! Since I know we have members that really wanted to read both of these books, would y‘all be open to reading the book that loses for March?

Officially finished my Iron Flame reread! I picked up on so many more things this time around! 4 more days until Onyx Storm! Same rating (4.25/5)

Good morning everyone! Sorry I posted the poll kinda late last night but it is up!! If any of these sound interesting to you, join us next month on Fable!

https://fable.co/club/no-shelf-control-with-rachel-reads-316182788247

Hey Whimsy readers!! I‘m using this post to nominate our picks for next month. I‘ll be holding a poll in the club lobby on Fable on the 15th! What would you like to read next?
@PageShifter @kelli7990 @BookmarkTavern @TheAromaofBooks @Cheshirecat913 @Sace

By no means was this book bad, but I expected to like it a lot more than I did. I loved Mische in Nightborn and I think my expectations were too high. It is a bit slower paced in the beginning. I wasn‘t as attached to the MMC, but he grew on me! That being said, by 60% things started picking up and the last 1/3 of the book redeemed itself in my eyes. I‘m definitely continuing the series (especially after that cliffhanger!!😱) 3.75/5

If anyone is looking for a bookclub to join for 2025, look no further! We will be reading and discussing Brandon Sanderson‘s Tress of the Emerald Sea for January on Fable! Join us every month for a chance to win bookish giveaways! Let me know if you join in the comments so I can add you to the tag list! 😁 https://fable.co/club/no-shelf-control-with-rachel-reads-316182788247

Announcement for all my #WhimsicalReads bookclub peeps!

@KateReadsYA has taken a break from the app. I‘m not sure if/when she is coming back, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in keeping our book club going?! I started a club on Fable, I think it‘ll be easier to keep up with everyone on there, but what do you all think & is this even something you‘d be interested in?

I didn‘t hit my goal this year, but I‘m not mad about it. My goal for 2024 was to be more intentional with the time I spend with my kids and I think my reading challenge reflects my success!! 😁

I honestly wish Goldman would have left his personal stories and commentary out of the book. It really took me out of the story, which I actually did enjoy. I think I loved the characters most of all. I‘m glad I finally got to read it bc the movie was one of my childhood favorites! 3.5/5

Welp… I finally did it. I read Manacled. It was my last read of the year, the saddest read of the year, and one of my favorites from the year! I am so interested to see how SenLinYu develops this world in order to get it ready for traditional publishing. Also, if you never got to download it from AO3– let me know! I can send you a download. I gave it a 4.25/5 bc there were a few things I wanted MORE of. Officially a Dramoine girly! 😍

Idk how I never read Flowers for Algernon in school, but when I saw this in a Little Free Library, I had to add it to my TBR. Glad I did- excellent book, intriguing message 5/5

Soft pick. My least favorite Emily Henry so far. I was really surprised I didn‘t enjoy this more! It had more of a chick-lit feel than a romance vibe. I guess I‘m a People We Meet on Vacation and a Beach Read girlie!! 3/5

I can‘t reveal too much (it is a secret after all). Recommend reading after Mistborn Era 1 for the full affect. 4/5

Brandon Sanderson never fails to blow me away. I am officially dedicating 2025 to completing the Cosmere. This may be a bit slower than his other books, but the political plotting and complex character arcs make up for the pacing in every way. I related to the deep themes on religion and perhaps that‘s why I enjoyed it the most. Intriguing world and magic systems! Can‘t wait for Elantris 2. 5/5

I do NOT get the hate, guys. This book was swoon-worthy! Now, I love Vikings, and have watched every Viking show there is, so maybe I‘m biased, but Bjorn— what a man!! I am going to be dying until book 2 release. Also, The Bridge Kingdom is moving up on my TBR. 5/5

“There are none who can fight as fiercely as a mother and daughter, and none who can forgive more completely.”

In this prequel to Practical Magic, we are told the genesis to the Owen‘s bloodline. After Maria Owens is betrayed by the man she loves and accused of witchcraft in the 1600s, she invokes a curse that will haunt her family for generations to come. I was captivated by this story despite Hoffman‘s slow burn writing style. 4/5

By day, Marlinchen and her 2 sisters live under the oppressive and abusive control of their wizard father— making trinkets, telling fortunes, and divining secrets for loose coin. But at night, the sister sneak away to enjoy the ballet at the town‘s well established theater. But they soon discover the city has a secret, a monster lurks within. This one took me by surprise in the best way possible! Very dark and atmospheric! 4.25/5

A retelling of the infamous “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Like all of Kingfisher‘s work I ATE THIS UPPP!! This was so fun, unique, and fresh. I loved everything about it! 5/5

Famous movie star, island murder mystery, yada-yada. Meh. For one, this cover is awful. The Silent Patient was better. I actually kind of liked the unique narration, but it was a bit all over the place. Could have been executed better. 3/5 stars

Social media influencer Sarah Slade is starting over. Running from a secret past she‘s hoping to escape, she invests in the Blackwood Murder House. However, she finds more than she bargained for underneath the peeling wallpaper. Menacing notes appear, spiraling Sarah out control and out of touch with reality. Predictable thriller premise, but it was really creepy and entertaining. I was hooked. 3.75/5

YA fantasy vampire novel with a unique premise, but I ultimately felt there was something missing!! Idk if it was just a bit too YA for me or if it‘s something else. I enjoyed the story, was intrigued where it was going, but ultimately felt a little underwhelmed by the end. 3/5

A deeply compelling novel about a family navigating the end of the world. Preparing for the inevitable, the family decides through chaos, denial, acceptance, and hope to spend every moment they can together. Beautiful, slow burning, unique, philosophical 4/5 stars

Happy December everybody!! I‘m back from a bit of a hiatus, but I have been reading so prepare for a review dump! 😁 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! ❤️❤️

This wasn‘t as captivating as There There, but it was still a really solid follow up and I love the way Tommy Orange says things! He really makes you think and I enjoy his play on words and ability to connect us to history. 3.75/5

This was just okay. Fast paced thriller with an anticlimactic ending. 2.5/5

This was unique and fun! I really enjoyed the world and characters! BONUS— it‘s a standalone! My first, but not the last book by Candace Robinson.

If you haven‘t gotten a chance to check out this masterpiece, please do yourself the favor. It‘s bloody brilliant!! I‘ve binged seasons 1 & 2 and now I‘m running to finish Lestat‘s books before season 3. Can‘t wait! 🤩🤩 Anne would have loved this. 🥹

This was really good, I was into it. Steampunk Red Riding Hood where “Little Red” fights werewolves, vampires, and monsters alike. Super fast paced and action packed. My only complaint was that it wasn‘t longer! Will definitely keep reading the series and check out of some Melanie‘s other work. 4.25/5

An ode to rom-coms— adorable, cheesy, and cute. Made me think of watching rom-coms with my own mother growing up. I get the hype. 4/5

September‘s forecast. Gonna be another great month!

An entertaining and atmospheric summer thriller. The perfect addition to your beach bag! ☀️🏝️👙 3/5

The best historical fiction books are the ones that teach you about a seemingly forgotten time in our history. Between 1854 and 1929, these Orphan Trains transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children – many of them first-generation Irish Catholic immigrants – from the coastal cities of the eastern United States to the Midwest for “adoption” (often, in fact, indentured servitude).

I waited until discussion day to post my review, but this book blew me away! I wasn‘t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I loved Ying, our FMC and also enjoyed all the side characters she befriends along the way. Solid start to a potentially awesome series! If a steampunk Mulan retelling with a murder mystery and trials sounds interesting to you— pick this one up. Loved it 4.5/5 #whimsicalreadsbookclub

These books don‘t get old. One of my comfort series, for sure. A lot happens in Carpe Corpus, but I thought the ending was the most satisfying of them all because it didn‘t end on a massive cliffhanger. Everyone got a HEA for once, well almost everyone lol.

Soft pick. The writing and atmosphere were good; I liked Corey, our main character. The themes of friendship, betrayal, anger, and grief were relatable. But the world-building was underdeveloped. The romance was secondary I felt to the plot, so I wasn‘t that attached to the romance aspect really. 3.25/5

I found this story lacks originality and some good witty banter that could have made the main character‘s romance more intriguing. It was just meh. 2/5

I was pretty satisfied with the ending to this trilogy. I wasn‘t sure I was going to get into this one as much since it happens outside the school, but it felt like everything came together from the first two books, the world is continuing to be revealed to us as a reader and Naomi Novik really thought out every single detail into this magic system. The pacing continues to be a little slower in the beginning but I think it pays off in the end.

August is here! Fall is in sight! 🎉🎉The kids are back in school, which means more reading time for this mom. 😉I‘m keeping my kindle pick from last month since I never got around to it. My TBR spinner chose Orphan Train and the Morganville Vampires series (rereads). And of course, the whimsical reads bookclub choice OJAD.

Sweet and wholesome short stories about two sisters, their journey back to each other and how they find love along the way. Perfect palette cleansers 4/5

Maisie‘s story continues and the stakes get even higher as the mysteries from book 1 get revealed. This time we get to explore the wonders of the Seelie Court and expand on this world even more, which I really enjoyed! I‘m so glad I came across these, definitely continuing on. 4/5