Fiction
Rachel Reviews: Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
I will admit that this is not my normal fare but then, as an eclectic reader, what is? I'm not really sure. Anyway, my point is I would not have chosen this book unless someone had asked me to read it, despite it being a bestseller and having good reviews on Amazon. It's just not my bag. And yet, I have actually enjoyed being in the company of Carl and Princess Donut for a short time, as they make their way around a dungeon of many levels, fighting for their lives against belligerent and murderous beings of many shapes and hues, all at the instruction of an AI controlled by an alien corporation who wants to mine Earth for its resources and wants the demise of its remaining inhabitants to be shown as entertainment for the universe.
By Rachel Deeming6 days ago in BookClub
Not Another 'Heated Rivalry' Review
Romance on Ice: A fresh take on the enemies-to-lovers hockey romance that everyone else is done talking about. 💙 🏒 💙 Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of “Heated Rivalry.” Yes, the spicy male/male novel that inspired a TV series, long weekends at cottages, and 10,000 memes. That one.
By Cassandra Lynn9 days ago in BookClub
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy. Top Story - September 2026.
The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy As I take the time to write this, I had just purchased this novel, The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy. It’s been over a year maybe two since I have read a novel and I’m looking forward to reading this one. I’ve had very little time with my 72-hour work weeks six days a week to fit in a novel, and when I do it’s a slow read. With what little time I have I’m focused on reading a writing poetry. I didn’t purchase it because it was a Kirkus Prize Finalist, in fact I’ve never heard of Angela before. I purchased this book because of what Angela said in an interview with Brad Listi on the Other People Podcast as follows:
By Gerry Thibeault9 days ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Whenever I pick up a Liane Moriarty book, I feel like I am in for a good time of it. The story will have twists. There will be moments where I sagely nod my head and think about how much I can relate to a certain character or a certain situation. Her dialogue or the absurdity of something she relates will make me laugh. There will be pain which, to a greater or lesser extent, I will feel and it will create sympathy in me for her characters.
By Rachel Deeming9 days ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: The Last Boat Home by Rachel Sweasey
This is what I call a nice book and that's a compliment. It's got a solid story which unfolds smoothly and with pace; the characters are believable and their trials and hopes are told in such a way that you are able to relate to them; the ending brings all the narrative threads together and ties them off in such a way that no room for misinterpretation is left for a reader to be perplexed over. I think books like this are undersold - it is, literally, a piece of escapism which takes you off into another life for just a bit, maybe a different time and lets you mosey about there for a bit as an entertained observer.
By Rachel Deeming12 days ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman. Top Story - September 2026.
This is the first book chosen by the new book club I've joined. What is interesting about this is that this may be the first time that I've read a Booker Prize nominated book before the winner has been announced; and I'm not sure what to make of it all really.
By Rachel Deeming14 days ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: A Litter of Bones by J.D. Kirk
This is the second book I've read in the D.C.I. Logan series which means I'm reading them out of order, this one being the first but this is of no concern. Although this is the first book, we're in the middle of Logan's career and so I didn't feel like I was out of kilter at all with my understanding.
By Rachel Deeming16 days ago in BookClub
In Defence of Dolores Umbridge
There are few characters in the Harry Potter universe more universally despised than Dolores Umbridge. Voldemort is the great evil of the series. Bellatrix Lestrange tortures people for pleasure. Fenrir Greyback deliberately targets children. And yet, ask a room full of Harry Potter fans which character they hate most and there is a remarkably good chance that a small woman dressed entirely in pink will beat all of them.
By Millie Hardy-Sims18 days ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: The Roots of the Bayou by Chad J. LeBlanc
With my recent book choices, I am discovering that there is a lot that I don't know about the early settlers of America. This fiction by LeBlanc has extended my knowledge further by choosing to tell the reader about two groups of people, Acadians and Isleños who made up the early European settlers in Louisiana.
By Rachel Deeming20 days ago in BookClub
