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Rachel

@reallyslowreader

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📚 Find new releases and positive reviews here 🫶👇
❤️ Historical, contemporary, family drama, magical realism & non-fiction
📍 Liverpool-ish

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Reading resolutions 📚

This was the post I thought about doing yesterday but I hadn’t had much time to reflect and plan, and then it snowed so a snowy stack felt more fun!

I did spend a bit of time yesterday reflecting on 2025 and identifying what I want out of this year, both reading and non-reading. Some tangible things like redecorating our living room (just bought a couch!) and making sure exercise isn’t the first thing I drop when life feels busy.

But I actually think I’m gonna do the opposite to what you’re meant to on Bookstagram and read less 😂 it’s not that I’m actively making a point to read less books, I just want to spend my time doing other things too. So I need to free up some time, so less picking up books just to finish under pressure to meet my yearly goal and less mindless scrolling are my two main things this year! I asked about resolutions yesterday and it sounds like we’re all on the same page when it comes to our phones!

Pop your yearly goal below (and give me fomo!) I’ll go first, hoping to read 32 books this year, you?x by @reallyslowreader

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9 months ago

2026 hopefuls 💛

Happy new year! Hope you all had a fab night celebrating, whether that was tucked up in bed with a book before or at midnight, or out partying! We stayed up and watched Wonder, which is such a heartwarming film 🥰

Feeling very grateful for this book community recently. Genuinely think last year was my best reading year cause I listened to so many of your amazing recommendations so more of the same this year please!❤️

I’ve picked 12 hopefuls for the year instead of doing 26 in 26. These are some leftover from last year’s challenge but also some other priority books that keep being recommended to me. So excited looking at this stack!

Hope you all have a lovely year, filled with fantastic books!x by @reallyslowreader

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9 months ago

12 in 12 check in ✨

At the start of this year I picked 12 books I hoped to read, less than my 25 in 25 in the hope I would actually complete it but I’m nowhere close 😂 Some of these have been recurring challenge books for ages now!

I have just picked up The Missing Sister and I’m hoping to read a couple more from this stack before the end of the year, but who knows. So many books, so little time!

Did you do a reading challenge this year, and how are you getting on?x by @reallyslowreader

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2 days ago

October hopefuls 🎃

Happy October!! These hopefuls stacks get more ridiculously ambitious as we go 😂

Another busy month ahead as well with decorating the house, I’m attempting to put up a dado rail myself, someone reassure me this will go well?! We’re going to Seville in a couple of weeks for my brother’s wedding! And Westlife at the end of the month!!

Hopefully in between all of that I might get to read some of these, I’ve been up early again today so I’ve almost finished The Moonstone Sister and I couldn’t resist starting The Missing Sister yesterday, she’s chunky but I’m so excited to find out what’s going on.

What are you looking forward to this month?x by @reallyslowreader

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3 days ago

September wrap up 🧡

I can’t believe we’re wrapping up September! I was hoping for a big reading month but instead I’ve been living up to my Instagram name and finished just these two. I did go to Book Club last night and it sounds like so many of us have felt this way so maybe it’s just been a busy time. We have celebrated two weddings and a fair few birthdays though so it’s been a lovely month with family!🥰

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Stolen Hours

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Great Big Beautiful Life

How has your month been?x by @reallyslowreader

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4 days ago

New books ❤️

There are so many fab books on their way into the world so here are just a few that I’m hoping to read! Alongside the books I picked out yesterday that are already on my shelves it’s going to be a busy reading season 😂

🏴‍☠️ The Pirate Queen
🤎 Peck & Peck (thank you @netgalley and @bonnierbooks_uk)
🌟 Hollywood Ending - placed on reserve at the library
❄️ The Winter Guest - preordered on kindle
💚 Life Out Of Order - preordered
🐳 Whale Harbor
💙 Hollow Bones - preordered
✨ Peculiar Stars

Are you excited for any of these?x by @reallyslowreader

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5 days ago

Autumn hopefuls 🍁

Woke up this morning and our heating had come on! It’s definitely feeling autumnal now but we had such a lovely family wedding weekend in the Cotswolds where we got the best day 💛

Here are some books I would love to cosy up with soon, would you recommend any of these?

How was your weekend?x by @reallyslowreader

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6 days ago

Great Big Beautiful Life review 🧡

This was our book club read this month and I was so looking forward to it, but I think it just missed the mark for me. I’ve only read one other by Emily Henry and felt the same so maybe they are just not an author for me (sorry I know she has some amazing fans!)

Journalist Alice Scott tracks down socialite and heiress, Margaret Ives, after she disappeared from public years ago following several scandalous stories. Margaret invites her and Pulitzer Prize winner Hayden Anderson to compete to write her memoir. I loved the premise of this one, it’s very Evelyn Hugo which is one of my favourite books!

Even though it was easy to read and at first I felt like I was flying through it, I didn’t seem to be able to get a grasp on all of the characters mentioned in Margaret Ives family. I also couldn’t warm to Margaret at all, even towards the end when everything is unravelling.

There is a fantastic twist which kept me guessing and I can’t wait to discuss with the other book clubbers what they would do! That ending kept me intrigued and guessing and also probably brought up the star rating for me.

I would still recommend this if you enjoy delving into family secrets and love an enemies to lovers plot 🧡

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 by @reallyslowreader

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8 days ago

Reading goals check in 📚

Firstly, don’t these books look like they could be in a series together?! Both such stunning covers and I’m loving the sisters element. The Moon Stone Sister is my current read but I’m hoping to pick up The Missing Sister soon, love having a physical and kindle book on the go.

I’ve still got that September new year feeling and have been doing a lot of planning lately, mostly for the next few months before baby number 2 arrives but a few future thoughts as well.

For the first time in forever I’m behind on my yearly reading goal and while I’m not mad about it, it’s not pleasing me either (always a Virgo ♍️) so I am trying to find little ways to get my reading time up.

I’ve read 22 of 32 this year, do you have a goal you want to achieve by the end of 2026?x by @reallyslowreader

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9 days ago

What to read this autumn 🍁

*ad/pr products

It’s the first day of autumn so here are some of my absolute favourite books that I think make perfect reading for this time of year.

✨ The Sea Stone Sisters*
🎪 The Night Circus
🧡 The Love of Our Lives*
🩷 None of This is True
🕰️ The Time Traveller’s Wife
🌊 Wild Dark Shore
🌿 Where the Forest Meets the Stars

I didn’t realise until putting this together that these are all five stars! What was your last five star read?x by @reallyslowreader

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11 days ago

4 for the last 4 💛

I can’t believe we’re in the second half of September already. Another busy week this week as my little boy turns 4 (sorry but no he doesn’t 🤯) and we have a wedding in the Cotswolds at the weekend!

I was hoping to have started The Missing Sister by now but hopefully soon, and here are four books I would like to read before the end of the year.

🩷 The Bright Years
💚 The Names
💜 The Missing Sister
❤️ The Rose Code

How’s your week and your reading going?x by @reallyslowreader

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13 days ago

Five things to do instead of scrolling ✨

There’s nothing groundbreaking here, although I don’t think I’m meant to say that 😂 (seen far too many Instagram posts recently telling me I need a hook!) but I’m trying to be more mindful on my phone and absentmindedly scroll less.

I’m also loving Substack and reading some longer articles, which I’ve forgotten to include here.

Do you have any tips for staying off your phone?x

If you’re able just get up and move, even if you just wander around your space, I’ve been doing that this week instead of picking up my phone and I think it’s helped

Tick a little job off your to do list, the amount of times I’ve scrolled when I could just send a quick email instead and then let all the jobs build up!

Watch TV, and I mean actually watch it!

Although full disclosure, I did put this post together while watching GG and then Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, has anyone watched that?!

This one made me laugh writing it down because it reminded me of the interview with the little girl when the under 16’s social media ban came in, when she was asked what she would do with her free time she said “stare at a wall” 😂 I’m all for it and spend a few mins every morning, usually with a cup of tea, just staring out before picking up my phone and I remember my mum doing this when I was little too

Obvs!!💛 by @reallyslowreader

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16 days ago