Notes from the Shelf

Welcome to Notes from the Shelf

Thoughtful reviews. Curated reads. Literary love.

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  • Book Review: Happy Place

    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! Happy Place by Emily Henry is a 400-page romance novel set in Maine. Three couples go on their annual getaway to…

  • Book Review: Of Fire and Stars

    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! Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst is the first book in the Of Fire and Stars series. It is a…

  • Book Review: The Serpent and the Wings of Night

    This post contains mild 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! The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent is the first in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. The…

  • Book Review: Anxious People

    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! Anxious People by Fredrik Backman is a 336-page mystery set in a small town in Sweden. After a failed bank robbery…

  • Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

    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! Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (translated by Geoffrey Trousselot) is a 213-page book focusing on four characters. There’s…

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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!

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