Toby's Library: The Nerd Cave

04/30/2026

Hey Book Nerds! 😄 Here's my April 2026 Reading Wrap! I was able to read 14 books this month, bringing my total for the year up to 69 books finished out of my goal to read 185 books! 🖤😁 My top 3 favorite books this month were "New Dragon City" and "Legends Of The Sky" and "Shadowshapers".
I also read "Scob Nation", a paperback ARC I won through the LibraryThing early reviewers club.
https://linktr.ee/tobys.nerdcave.library

04/24/2026

Hey Book Nerds! 😁 Check out what I'm reading today! I am on book number 66 out of my goal of 185 books to read in 2026 📚 "Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side" by Beth Fantaskey 🖤
I am halfway through the paperback so far and I'm definitely invested. I've already added the second book and the novella to my TBR 🖤
As always, follow on all my bookish platforms for more updates from The Nerd Cave Library (QR code in picture is same as link tree link below)

https://linktr.ee/tobys.nerdcave.library

04/22/2026

Hey fellow Book Nerds! I'm celebrating National Library Week with the proper poindexter energy and, to that end, am planning to expand my library soon.

There's an incredible feeling that comes from finding out you have more space for new books than you realized. Well, I do not have more space. But that's what ambition is for. Ambition and an unstoppable hyperfixation.

If you enjoy my content, I'd love if you could make a donation to help me grow my collection. I want to add new shelves, games, media, and of course those fun flappy things some call books.
(QR codes pictured below)
Cashapp: $Tobygoth
Venmo: @ Toby-Palevsky-Smith

For every donation, your name is entered to win a free book log journal! (Pictured below) It's perfect for those days when you just want to quantify your nerd levels.

Thanks for following, and I can't wait to keep sharing my love of books with you. What's your favorite new story you've read lately?

https://linktr.ee/tobys.nerdcave.library

04/08/2026

04/08/2026

So sorry to hear about John Flanagan
R.I.P

03/29/2026

We don't read Harry Potter. 🦩🩷🤍🩵

03/27/2026

Hey Book Nerds!! first off, I want to say a giant "Thank you!" to my twin sister, Arielle Palevsky, at the Cuyahoga County Public Library, for providing me with a free paperback Advance Readers Copy of this book. Look for it for yourself when it goes on sale on April 6th, 2026!

The Beast You Let In By Dana Mele✩✩✩✩ (4/5 stars)
~~Reviewed by Toby Palevsky Smith of Toby's Nerd-Cave Library~~

This was a ghostly murder mystery with a hint of gore and some delightfully colorful language. I really like the fact that romance was not the main focus of the characters, that it is a very plot driven story with well developed characters. I feel like the rules of 'magic' could have been more clearly defined, but overall I think the world building keeps the setting and plot pretty clear.
As an identical twin myself, where one of us is trans (me), I heavily related to the siblings in this story - to a point. My twin and I have always been close, unlike Beth and Hazel. I think Hazel really should’ve given Beth the benefit of the doubt, and I also think she was a little self centered. The change in POV halfway through the book was really what made it a fully rounded story for me. It included POVs from both twins, sometimes telling the same anecdote from their childhoods, but from each of their own POVs giving us both sides of the story.
The themes of isolation from the LGBT+ community really hit hard for me as a transman. I absolutely need to see more representation just like this in other books. A+ for the author for also including a list of Trans positive resources at the back of the book. I would recommend this story to anyone who likes a good murder mystery with a hint of fantasy attached.

https://linktr.ee/tobys.nerdcave.library

03/25/2026

Heya Book Nerds! 😁 What are you reading today?
I just finished this book at work last night and hit my 50 book mark! 😁🖤 "Three Dark Crowns" by Kendare Blake. I honestly gave it a 3.5 stars, mostly because I couldn't really connect with the characters, some plot points got a bit confusing, and the 'twist' at the end I kinda suspected since the early chapters (no spoilers though 😜)
I'm not sure if I want to read the second book or not 🤔 I'd love some input from others who've read them already! 🖤
https://linktr.ee/tobys.nerdcave.library

03/22/2026

I want to give a big "Thank You!" to my twin sister, Arielle, who works for the Cuyahoga County Public Library, for giving me this free paperback ARC copy of "The Beast You Let In" by Dana Mele. I'm loving the dedication page right now, as a TransMan, I definitely needed that 🖤 looking forward to reading it tonight!

02/26/2026

Hey Book Nerds! 😄 I just wanted to give an update on my 2026 Reading Challenge so far! I have now read 39 books this year, and am reading book number 40! 😁 I also decided to keep my reviews in a nice physical binder (that I have covered in stickers) I can carry around at work, it's helped my coworkers choose new books to read at times too 📚😁
My current read is called "You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight" by Kalynn Bayron. I've recently read 3 of her other books and they were absolutely fantastic, and so far this one is too! I'm about halfway through it at the moment and I'm looking forward to finishing it this weekend 🖤😄

*Also please give advice on how to remove that sticker residue on the dust jacket cover that won't tear the paper or the art underneath!! 🥺

02/09/2026

Hey Book Nerds! 😁 Here's an update on my 2026 Reading Challenge so far: I have read a total of 30 books since New Years (5 books read in February so far)😁📚🖤
Today I am currently reading "Zom-B Bride" by Darren Shan verified , who is one of my absolute favorite Horror authors 🖤 this is the 10th book in the Zom-B Chronicles and the plot just gets better with each volume! I hated the main character B at first but now I'm totally invested in her story. I love the amount of gore, violence, and sheer carnage throughout the series so far! The character growth is amazing, I'm loving B's arc and her grit, and I still can't figure out Rage's motives either.

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https://linktr.ee/tobys.nerdcave.library