What Rachael Reads

"You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend." - Cornelia Funke

 So, it's been a minute! Ok, almost 6 years to be exact. What started all the way back in 2015 as a little corner of the internet for me to muse about the books I was reading, turned into a neglected space with no updates for a very long time. So, there is plenty to update you all on, and that's what I will be doing over the next few posts. A slight rebrand, too, as What Rachael Read Next became What Rachael Reads when I created a Bookstagram account in the summer of 2025. Stay tuned, here's to a fresh start and lots of fantastic book recommendations! Rachael x

Happy 1st December! The festive season is already well and truly underway at our house. Tree and lights are up, advent calendars are opened, and the naughty little elf has already made its appearance! I'm usually one to stick to tradition and start decorating around 12 days before the big event, but (and as I've heard so many say already) it's 2020! Why not? I think we all need a little Christmas joy right now. As you may know, I've been rereading the David Raker series by the incredible Tim Weaver. I'm currently up to book number 4: Never Coming Back. As always, I am thoroughly enjoying it and can't wait to get to the remaining 6 books in the series. I'm hoping to squeeze all of them in before the Christmas madness really gets going! I have a few others on my 'TBR' pile that I'm really looking forward to reading, so let's hope I stay organised and on track to get around to them before 2020 is out! What are you reading? Share with us in the ...

The Dead Tracks by Tim Weaver My rating: 5 of 5 stars Read this for the second time four years later. Increased my rating from 4 to 5 stars. Fantastic book and I love the series. David Raker is an incredible character - a bit like a Smartie; hard as nails on the outside but incredibly soft on the inside, driven by emotion and the events of his past. The Dead Tracks is gripping, thrilling and creepy. Weaver has transformed modern London into a Victorian dystopia here, in a Jack the Ripper style mystery, meshed with more contemporary crimes. The Dead Tracks setting really gives you a feeling of wanting to satisfy curiosity, but also stay away from the danger. You can almost feel the tension through the pages, and I was genuinely both saddened and impressed to discover that the location described as The Dead Tracks, doesn't exist in real life. Tim has expertly brought it to life and created the perfect setting for the grisly storyline. 5 stars and on to the next in the series. 😊 ...