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katietotallybooked's Reviews (785)
informative
fast-paced
This book is a great resource if you are looking for helpful guidance in organizing your life digitally. I can't wait to implement the Second Brain system that I have been taught. I know I will be referring back to this book time and time again. A must read for anyone who is interested in productivity and organization.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
At its heart, Leaving Time is an emotional story about mothers and daughters. So that automatically makes it an enjoyable book for me.
While I can truly appreciate all of the research that must have gone into writing this book, there was SO SO MUCH about elephants. Too much, in my opinion, and that took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. Some parts were so rich in detail and science that I found them boring and a slog to get through.
But just like Mad Honey, I was captivated by the mystery of the story and I loved how it all unraveled by the end. I certainly couldn’t have guessed the ending from the beginning.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult (and not just her novels featuring a court case), and who enjoy emotional mother-daughter stories. Or, if you love elephants.
While I can truly appreciate all of the research that must have gone into writing this book, there was SO SO MUCH about elephants. Too much, in my opinion, and that took away from my overall enjoyment of the book. Some parts were so rich in detail and science that I found them boring and a slog to get through.
But just like Mad Honey, I was captivated by the mystery of the story and I loved how it all unraveled by the end. I certainly couldn’t have guessed the ending from the beginning.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult (and not just her novels featuring a court case), and who enjoy emotional mother-daughter stories. Or, if you love elephants.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I finally understand the hype! Nick and Charlie are the cutest, and this was the perfect read at the perfect time for me. My only regret is not borrowing all the volumes at once from the library because now I have to wait for book 2!
I appreciate everything about this YA LGBTQ+ romance. Nick and Charlie are characters to root for. They stand up for themselves and they are assertive. I appreciate the lessons about sexuality and stereotyping and not being able to tell if someone is gay or straight just by looking at them - thanks Miss. Singh!
I will definitely recommend this series to YA readers and I can't wait to read Vol. 2!
I appreciate everything about this YA LGBTQ+ romance. Nick and Charlie are characters to root for. They stand up for themselves and they are assertive. I appreciate the lessons about sexuality and stereotyping and not being able to tell if someone is gay or straight just by looking at them - thanks Miss. Singh!
I will definitely recommend this series to YA readers and I can't wait to read Vol. 2!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I finished this book two days ago and it's still at the forefront of my mind. Jennifer Grey shares her candid story in a way that I really connected with. While some might be thrown by the focus on plastic surgery and her botched nose job in the first chapter, I found that it set the stage for the entire memoir.
Jennifer shares how she lost her entire sense of self after that experience. She was no longer recognizable to others, and therefore no longer recognizable to herself. She opens up about her self-esteem and body image issues growing up as an aspiring actor with a famous actor father. She shares about her toxic relationships, both with partners and herself. I appreciate her honesty and vulnerability in sharing her story, and the fact that she wrote the memoir herself. There were even a couple snippets that were laugh-out-loud funny (like her idea for Johnny Depp's tattoo)!
I resonated most with the parts about her journey into motherhood. Especially this passage on pg. 327:
Jennifer shares how she lost her entire sense of self after that experience. She was no longer recognizable to others, and therefore no longer recognizable to herself. She opens up about her self-esteem and body image issues growing up as an aspiring actor with a famous actor father. She shares about her toxic relationships, both with partners and herself. I appreciate her honesty and vulnerability in sharing her story, and the fact that she wrote the memoir herself. There were even a couple snippets that were laugh-out-loud funny (like her idea for Johnny Depp's tattoo)!
I resonated most with the parts about her journey into motherhood. Especially this passage on pg. 327:
I'm struck by how many married women I know intimately, especially mothers of small children, are right now feeling hopelessly stuck in their lives. They don't dare let themselves consider what they might wish for or what they would want their lives to look like if they could make a change. And there it is! "If they could." Well, of course they could! I'm talking about a kind of paralysis that comes from feeling disconnected from your very own independent life, your own oxygen source, as if your inherent value is now on a kind of sliding scale.
As if a woman's value instantly depreciates after motherhood, like a car's sticker price that plummets the moment it's driven off the lot.
I also truly enjoyed the stories from behind the scenes of Dirty Dancing - one of my favourite movies!
Yes, she grew up privileged and yes, her story is a different one to tell, but aren't all of ours?
If you are a fan of Jennifer Grey, if you have seen Dirty Dancing, and if you appreciate honest memoirs, I would recommend this book to you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Pregnancy
Minor: Child death, Suicide attempt
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
To allow yourself to play with another person is no small risk. It means allowing yourself to be open, to be exposed, to be hurt. It is the human equivalent of the dog rolling on its back--I know you won't hurt me, even though you can. It is the dog putting its mouth around your hand and never biting down. To play requires trust and love. p. 21
That quote sums up this book for me. It is about friendship and love, both romantic and platonic. It is about relationships, between your siblings, your caregivers, your friends, and your colleagues. It is about trusting others, those you work with, play with, and ultimately spend your time with.
I really enjoyed the writing and I have in all of Gabrielle Zevin's books. I also fell in love with Sadie and Sam, and their relationship. I grew attached to them.
This book brings up so many important conversations too, like women in tech and gaming, and how they are still struggling to be seen as equals to men in their field. It talks about gay marriage, it talks about pregnancy and miscarriage and depression and suicide. There are no shortage of content warnings here, but nothing is discussed in a way that is heavy or troubling, in my opinion.
I wouldn't consider myself a gamer, but I have been in relationships with gamers and I have played my share of The Sims (IYKYK). But I found all of the gaming content to be very interesting.
Is this a book for every reader? No. If you are a plot-driven reader, you probably shouldn't pick this up. But if you love a book for its characters and its social commentary, then you should give this a read. Is it a book for Gabrielle Zevin fans? yes. Is it a book that will touch your heart? Hopefully. It certainly did touch mine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Mental illness, Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
I only know Christine Sinclair‘s name from her gold medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I was inspired enough then by her and her Canadian athleticism to give this a listen, and I’m glad I did. She shares her history in the sport, and her viewpoints on the inconsistencies between the treatment of male and female soccer athletes. She opens your eyes to how far behind Canada is compared to our permanent United States rivals. She is motivating and dynamic to listen to.
If you are a soccer fan, a memoir fan, and/or anyone who loves Canadian sport, I’d give this a listen if it interests you.
If you are a soccer fan, a memoir fan, and/or anyone who loves Canadian sport, I’d give this a listen if it interests you.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very character-driven, emotional novel about a toxic romantic relationship.
Alex and Cassie, two tortured adults with horrible upbringings fall in love quickly, but their relationship is toxic, toxic, toxic. That’s all I will say without spoilers. You also have Will, and there’s a bit of a love triangle there.
This 1995 backlist book hasn’t lived up well, in my opinion. Its an emotional story which is true Jodi Picoult-style. But it also refers to the Indigenous as Indians, and shares some of their cultural heritage in a way that is likely filtered with a white-lense. I was thrown by the inclusion of the Algonquin legends.
However, I still enjoyed the writing. Jodi delivers some shock and emotional punches in her writing in this book. There were a few places I had to do a double-take because I couldn’t believe the words I just read. I enjoyed the characters - I found myself rooting for Cassie and caring about her throughout the story.
I’d really only recommend this book to Jodi fans. Otherwise, because of its age, I don’t think it’s worth a read.
The damage was permanent; there would always be scars. But even the angriest marks faded over time, until it was difficult to see them written on the skin at all, and the only thing that remained was your memory of how painful it had been.
P.359
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit, Car accident
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
There were a lot of good nuggets of information and some takeaways for me while reading this. Some of it wasn’t new information but then some of it was framed in a way that was new. Ultimately, Joshua Becker is encouraging the reader to live a life of intention and purpose. He has some helpful tips and tricks for doing that.
I think the biggest takeaway I have from this is incorporating commitment states into my daily intentions. Each morning I choose 1-3 intentions and I write them down starting with “Today I commit to…”
This book has encouraged me to clear out some distracting clutter so that I can spend more time doing what I’m passionate about.
It’s a worthwhile read if you are someone who wants to live a meaningful life and get to the core of what your purpose is.
I think the biggest takeaway I have from this is incorporating commitment states into my daily intentions. Each morning I choose 1-3 intentions and I write them down starting with “Today I commit to…”
This book has encouraged me to clear out some distracting clutter so that I can spend more time doing what I’m passionate about.
It’s a worthwhile read if you are someone who wants to live a meaningful life and get to the core of what your purpose is.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’ve been curious about this YA novel since it became buzzworthy and popular last year - I just kept hearing about it from fellow book club readers and booktubers, including one of my favourite booktubers Angie Henderson. She chose this as one of her favourite reads in 2022.
Likes/Dislikes
It has an intriguing premise and I liked the idea of riddles and puzzles. But as I started reading, I discovered that while the idea of riddles and puzzles is great, most of them went over my head and my brain couldn’t figure them out. So this impacted my reading experience negatively. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of. Thankfully I’ve started annotating and tabbing as I read, so I did make note of all of them.
Main Themes
- losing a parent
- sibling relationships
- secrets, riddles, and puzzles
My Recommendation
I would recommend this to YA readers who enjoy mysteries and series. I know book one is just a foundation in a trilogy so it was setting the stage for future events. It’s a fun & entertaining read with subject matter that isn’t too heavy or dark. And if you like puzzles and riddles, you’ll enjoy that element as well.
Likes/Dislikes
It has an intriguing premise and I liked the idea of riddles and puzzles. But as I started reading, I discovered that while the idea of riddles and puzzles is great, most of them went over my head and my brain couldn’t figure them out. So this impacted my reading experience negatively. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of. Thankfully I’ve started annotating and tabbing as I read, so I did make note of all of them.
Main Themes
- losing a parent
- sibling relationships
- secrets, riddles, and puzzles
My Recommendation
I would recommend this to YA readers who enjoy mysteries and series. I know book one is just a foundation in a trilogy so it was setting the stage for future events. It’s a fun & entertaining read with subject matter that isn’t too heavy or dark. And if you like puzzles and riddles, you’ll enjoy that element as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Audio is the way to go with this one! The writing and storytelling is a bit clunky and the rough flow did throw me at first. But once I chatted with my friend Kelly about it, she helped me understand that it could be because he struggles with sobriety and that he could be letting his authentic voice shine through. Once I thought about it in that way, I was able to enjoy the book more.
Matthew Perry really opens up about his years and years of struggles. He made me see alcoholism as more of a disease, and that it is easier said than done to overcome it. He is very candid and honest. Although there were some parts of his story that I just didn’t care to hear, there were others that I found very interesting. I also laughed outloud as some of his humourous one liners, and the captions of his photos in the physical copy are priceless. 😂
Ultimately, I am so grateful to the individuals who choose to share their stories through memoirs, regardless of their skills as authors.
Here are some points I highlighted while reading:
Matthew Perry really opens up about his years and years of struggles. He made me see alcoholism as more of a disease, and that it is easier said than done to overcome it. He is very candid and honest. Although there were some parts of his story that I just didn’t care to hear, there were others that I found very interesting. I also laughed outloud as some of his humourous one liners, and the captions of his photos in the physical copy are priceless. 😂
Ultimately, I am so grateful to the individuals who choose to share their stories through memoirs, regardless of their skills as authors.
Here are some points I highlighted while reading:
- “Anhedonia” - the reduced ability to experience pleasure. Perry experienced this when he wasn’t using substances and alcohol.
- Drinkers think they are trying to escape, but really they are trying to overcome a mental disorder they didn’t know they had
- The trajectory of Perry’s disease - when he’s carrying weight it’s alcohol, when he is skinny it is pills, and when he has a goatee it is a lot of pills.
- Matthew Perry turned his addiction into motivation to serve others, and that is a brave and inspiring thing to do. His story will help others.