Welcome to Notes from the Shelf
Thoughtful reviews. Curated reads. Literary love.
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Book Review: The Coincidence Makers
This post contains mild spoilers. The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum is a 304-page magical realism novel where the Coincidence Makers—Guy, Emily, and Eric—work for a secret organization dedicated to creating and carrying out coincidences. They pretend to be ordinary people, but each have a notebook with assignments to orchestrate events designed to spark significant…
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3 Self-Help Books I Hated and 3 I Loved
This post also contains affiliate links. If you buy through Bookshop.org, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog and indie bookstores! I’ve meandered over the years in the self-help/personal development category, and it’s been a mixed bag for me. Some books have been transformative guides while…
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Seattle Bookstores
In October, I went to Seattle for a birthday trip with my parents. Any time I’m anywhere new, I have to check out the local bookstores, and this vacation was no exception. Also, we were taking the train back from Seattle to Chicago, so I would have a few days to occupy my time and…
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Book Review: Bury Your Gays
This post contains spoilers. This post also contains affiliate links. If you buy through Bookshop.org, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog and indie bookstores! Bury Your Gays is a commentary on the Hollywood tendency to either not explicitly acknowledge a character is gay or to…
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4 Books that Made Me Cry
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through Bookshop.org, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog and indie bookstores! Sometimes you just need a good cry, and a book is a great way to facilitate that. Books can find their way into our hearts and…
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Book Review: We Were the Lucky Ones
This post contains spoilers. This post also contains affiliate links. If you buy through Bookshop.org, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting the blog and indie bookstores! We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter is a 403-page historical fiction novel following the Kurc family during the Holocaust.…
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Hi, I’m Sara!
By day, I’m a packaging engineer; by night (and any spare moment in between), I’m a devoted book lover who always has a story close at hand. Whether I’m curled up at home or traveling with a book in my bag, reading is how I explore, unwind, and connect.
Notes from the Shelf is my space to share thoughtful reviews, curated recommendations, and literary commentary across genres—especially fantasy, romance, and nonfiction. But I’m a firm believer that every book has its reader, so you’ll find a wide variety here, from buzzworthy bestsellers to underrated gems.
This blog isn’t just about what I’m reading—it’s about building a community of curious, passionate readers. My goal is to inspire, challenge, and entertain through honest reviews and engaging bookish content that sparks discovery and conversation.
You can explore and purchase many of the books I feature through my Bookshop.org profile. I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you), and your support helps indie bookstores and keeps this blog thriving.
If you’d like to support my work as a reviewer and writer, you can also buy me a coffee. Every bit goes toward creating more content and reaching more readers.
Thanks for being here and happy reading!
Notes from the Shelf 