Notes from the Shelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I list 14 books to add to your TBR list this summer.Support the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelfhttps://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

Have you been curious about dark academia, but not sure where to start? This episode is for you. In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I recommend 11 books to serve as your Dark Academia starter pack. These stories are filled with complicated characters, secrets, murder, privilege, elite schools, and they question whether intelligence actually makes someone a better person.From the Shelf Archive:https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/04/08/if-you-enjoyed-the-atlas-six-trilogy/Support the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelfhttps://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I share 14 books under 300 pages that packed a punch for me. Some are fiction, some are nonfiction, some are cozy, some are horrifying, and a few completely changed the way I think about the world.From the Shelf Archive:On Tyranny summaryMonk & Robot series reviewDiscontent book reviewThe Sun was Electric Light book reviewWhat Moves the Dead book reviewThe Dead Cat Tail Assassins book reviewTilt book reviewHorrorstor book reviewSupport the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelfhttps://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I confess to the books I just could not get through. Are any of these worth a second try? Let me know!From the Shelf Archive:https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/01/17/five-books-ive-dnfd-and-why/Support the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelfhttps://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I go over books and series I think aren’t talked about enough. Have you read any of these books? What are books you think are underrated?Books/Series Discussed in this Episode:Jack West Jr. series by Matthew ReillyGhosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd ParryThe Anomaly by Michael RutgerAll Our Wrong Todays by Elan MastaiBeasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie LangTo Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah JenkinsThe Coincidence Makers by Yoav BlumThe Lost Causes of Bleak Creek by Rhett McLaughlin and Link NealReincarnation Blues by Michael PooreChoose FI: Your Blueprint to Financial Independence by Chris Mamula, Brad Barrett, Jonathan MendonsaThe Smallest Lights in the Universe by Sara SeagerCoffee Days, Wiskey Nights by Cyrus ParkerThe Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.The Nine Worlds Rising series by Lyra WolfFate of the Fallen series by Kel KadeAn Heir Comes to Rise series by C.C. PenarandaDare to Know by James KennedyThe Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí ClarkSupport the Shelf: https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I review the Emily Wilde trilogy by Heather Fawcett, a cozy fantasy series centered around faerie expert Emily Wilde and her academic rival Wendell Bambleby during their misadventures into the faerie realm.From the Shelf Archive:https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/02/23/book-review-emily-wildes-encyclopedia-of-faeries/https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/04/11/book-review-emily-wildes-map-of-the-otherlands-by-heather-fawcett/https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/06/13/book-review-emily-wildes-compendium-of-lost-tales-by-heather-fawcett/Add these to Your Shelf:Emily Wilde book 1: https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780593500156Emily Wilde book 2: https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780593500217Emily Wilde book 3: https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780593500248Support the Shelf: https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I rank 100 romance tropes from a teirmaker list I found. Follow along and rank them yourself at https://tiermaker.com/create/all-romance-tropes-15980767Watch the video version on Youtube: https://youtu.be/aHEI65vgplQ  From the Shelf Archive:https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/02/13/romance-tropes-i-love-and-hate-with-book-recs/Add this to Your Shelf: https://bookshop.org/shop/notesfromtheshelfSupport the Shelf: https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I discuss what I’ve read so far in 2026. Leave in the comments which book from my physical TBR I should read next out of these five:1. Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams2. Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy3. The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave4. The Husbands by Holly Gramazio5. My Husband’s Wife by Alice FeeneyCheck out the Black Dahlia episode on the Paranoid Perspective podcast!https://www.spreaker.com/episode/s2-ep-13-who-killed-the-black-dahlia--71323545From the Shelf Archive:https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/04/21/once-upon-a-book-clubs-romantasy-box-ft-the-east-wind/https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/02/17/book-review-best-offer-wins-by-marisa-kashino/https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/03/10/book-review-one-only-by-maurene-goo/Add to Your Shelf:https://bookshop.org/shop/notesfromtheshelfSupport the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I’m review Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang as well as recommending five books that give the same vibes. If you loved Blood Over Bright Haven, be sure to add these to your TBR!From the Shelf Archive: https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/01/13/book-review-blood-over-bright-haven/https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/01/16/if-you-enjoyed-blood-over-bright-haven-read-these-next/Add this to Your Shelf:Get these books through Bookshop.org (I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you).Babel by R. F. Kuang- https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780063021433The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang- https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780062662583The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake- https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9781250854544A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik- https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780593128503The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin- https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780316229296Support the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I’m going full spoiler-mode on Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and its film adaptation. I break down exactly what changed, what worked, and what didn’t.From character arcs and emotional beats to the science-heavy details that made the book so immersive, I’m comparing the page to the screen and asking the ultimate question: did the adaptation capture the heart of the story?We’ll talk about the biggest differences, the moments I wish had stayed the same, the changes that actually improved the story (yes, a few!), and how the overall experience shifts depending on how you consume it. From the Shelf Archive: https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/04/03/book-review-project-hail-mary-by-andy-weir/https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/04/10/book-vs-movie-project-hail-mary/Add this to Your Shelf:https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9780593135228Support the Shelf:https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf