Notes from the Shelf

If you saw my July wrap-up, you saw I only read one book in July. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but a reading slump hit me hard. I’m recovering in August, so here is my Reading Slump Survival Guide if you, too, find yourself in a slump.

From the Shelf Archive:
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/01/09/20-anticipated-fiction-books-for-2026/
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/06/09/24-anticipated-fiction-for-2026-pt-2/

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If you’ve always wanted to get into Romantasy, but not sure where to start, this is the episode for you! In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I recommend 8 books to dip your toes into romantasy.

From the Shelf Archive:
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/03/16/series-review-letters-of-enchantment/
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/02/23/book-review-emily-wildes-encyclopedia-of-faeries/

Add these to Your Shelf:
Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

Support the Shelf:
https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I talk about the AI book burning going on right under our noses, and I give some banned book recs to build your own personal library to preserve knowledge.

From the Shelf Archive:
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2024/11/10/post-election-book-recs/
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/02/07/summary-on-tyranny/

Articles Discussed:
https://fortune.com/2026/07/31/dutch-bookseller-ai-spam-phishing-3000-book-copies-scan-destroy/
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/02/australian-book-sellers-alarm-destruction-rare-titles-ai-supply-chain
 https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/ai-book-burning-companies-destroying-163825061.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAA91BhX0IjY0SI86d5OCDzEKQg_nleE3cHRyOVm3ODK04-AV-Y8VPRGJ1kHFAGNtifI6AZA3VgdEO5PHXUTCH1QzATh87tspU39S1gnNf1Eymr5I12bVpRbt-nF_4pmMpWqDmhhFvJ5QUA2yloFjvETHE3_uuTWaRG0RgTzANGWp

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In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I read the glowing 5-star reviews of books I’ve DNF’d. Will they convince me to try reading them again, or will they firmly be placed in my DNF list. Let me know if I should give any of these another try.

Books mentioned:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Magicians Impossible by Brad Abraham
We Unleash the Merciless Storm by Tehlor Kay Mejia
The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina
The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft
Fourteen Days by Margaret Atwood and others
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

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Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

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In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I go over the differences and similarities between the book and the movie for People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry.

From the Shelf Archive:
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2024/10/17/review-people-we-meet-on-vacation/

Add this to Your Shelf:
https://bookshop.org/a/112979/9781984806758

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https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf
Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I go over the many books I’ve read for research on the episodes of my other podcast, The Paranoid Perspective. These include true crimes, paranormal activities, and other mysteries.

Check out The Paranoid Perspective podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-paranoid-perspective--6466070

From the Shelf Archive:
https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/04/18/from-spine-to-sound-my-podcast-reading-list/

Support the Shelf:
https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf
Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I review the 6 books I’ve read so far that were published in 2026.

From the Archive:
The Black Dahlia podcast episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/s2-ep-13-who-killed-the-black-dahlia--71323545

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Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

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https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

In this episode of Notes from the Shelf, I read one star reviews for the books my top books I read in 2025. Some of these reviews I can agree with, and some are just harsh.

Support the Shelf:
https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf
Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

In this episode, I go over the 10 books I read for my Spring TBR Bingo Challenge, and I actually got a bingo this time! Join in on the Summer TBR Bingo and let me know how you do!

From the Shelf Archive:
Get your free Summer TBR Bingo Card printable here: https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/06/19/summer-2026-tbr-bingo-challenge/
Audrey Wilson interview: https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2026/02/20/author-interview-audrey-wilson/
Stephanie Jayne interview: https://notesfromtheshelf.com/2025/10/21/author-interview-stephanie-j-scott/

The Paranoid Perspective first episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ep-1-sara-joins-a-cult--63981585

Add these to Your Shelf:
Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf

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https://buymeacoffee.com/notesfromtheshelf

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/notesfromtheshelf
Affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/lists/book-recommendations-notes-from-the-shelf