katietotallybooked's Reviews (785)

This book was a trip! I was so captivated by the premise and the storylines. It is fast-paced and exciting, and intriguing. I loved it!

The One is a multiple point of view novel that takes 5 individuals who have been matched using the Match Your DNA test and tells their story. My favourite character to follow was Nick. I think I felt the most empathetic towards him. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers, if you know, you know. I also found Christopher really interesting to follow, but I certainly am glad he was one of several characters. It was a taste of this type of character and his mindset, without it being a full novel. Ya know?

With the short chapters, a reader can fly through this 400+ page book very quickly. I enjoyed the mix of science fiction and thriller. I don't think that's a genre blend that I have explored too much before, and now I'm intrigued by it. This may have been my first John Marrs book but it won't be my last!

 If you love what those of us without any Chinese heritage call 'Chinese Food', then pick up this book!

Ann Hui tells the story of her family's history and the stories of other Chinese-Canadians in this delightful and inquisitive book. What started as a journal piece for The Globe and Mail about the history of Chinese Food in Canada turned into a full length piece about Hui and her husband's road trip across Canada. Hui was seeking to learn about where 'Chop Suey' cuisine came from, and her questions were answered in full!

I loved learning about Hui's own parents and their experience as restaurant owners, and I loved meeting all of the restaurant owners across the country. I loved the road trip aspect of this book, and it made it really fun to see what small-town Hui would be stopping in next! The history of this food was fascinating, and knowing the Canadian spin on various dishes brings me joy as a Canadian reader.

A wonderful and informative read! 

Just as this book claims in its title, it's a very charming read!

This was a wonderful light contemporary written by Canadian author Ben Philippe. It's nominated for OLA's Forest of Reading White Pine award this year, which is why I picked it up. I also enjoyed his previous novel The Field Guide to the North American Teenager last year.

I loved the sense of humor and personality of our main character Henri, and the fierceness of his romantic interest Corrine Troy. Both characters are in their senior year and thinking about their college futures. With that, comes all of the growing up and self-reflecting that happens when you are trying to plan the rest of your life!

This book was light and fun, and all around enjoyable! Personally, I would have liked it if it was a bit more hard-hitting. I know I'm not the target audience, so I say this as an adult, but it just didn't capture my attention the way other YA's have recently.

But if you want a light YA romantic comedy, set in New York City and written by a Canadian author, pick this one up! 

 
Strong Back, Soft Front, Wild Heart.

This is my first Brene Brown book, and I picked it up to read along with two dear friends. I enjoyed this book and a lot of it resonated with me. Brown writes in a way that makes the reader feel informed and empowered. I tabbed and underlined a lot of this book, and will go back and reflect on parts more. It's one of those books that you could read over again at various points in your life.

Brown writes about having courage and bravery. She writes about how true belonging is belonging to yourself. It's about being authentic and real. Belonging is more desirable than fitting in. When you fit in, you have to mould yourself to make yourself fit in a community. When you belong, you're completely yourself and you don't have to change or be anything you aren't.

This book and Brown's methods are value-driven. She shares personal stories and applies her research to her own life. She makes the reader see how important it is to be true and stand up for ourselves alone.

I think anyone who is building a community or is searching for a community to be a part of should read this book. True Belonging starts with loving yourself and knowing who you are. Only then can you feel confident and have the courage to brave life's wilderness. 

 
Eternity was a student at Western University in my hometown city of London, Ontario from 2010 to 2014. A university that I myself attended for my MLIS program from 2014-2017. This is the story of her experiences attending the university as a Black woman. It's a story of campus life, race, and coming of age from teenager to adult, just as the title says.

Eternity's story had me hooked from the very beginning. Her prose is very engaging. She also narrates the audiobook herself, which is the icing on the cake for this memoir. It makes her story that much more impactful for the reader. The first few chapters left me floored. I felt ashamed to live in London. I felt empathy for Eternity. I felt anger for the encounters she had with her students. I should note that Eternity expresses that her experiences could be about any Canadian college or university in any city. But hearing her talk about my City in the manner that she did - that hit home and that will stick with me for a long time. My eyes have been opened.

Eternity does go into detail about her experiences. She discusses race, rape culture, and shares her personal stories of romantic relationships gone wrong. Trigger Warnings for sexual and verbal assault.

I highly recommend this book for any reader who has attended a college or university in Canada, especially if that university was Western. But really, any reader any where should give this book a listen or a read. 

I read to p. 157. I have abandoned this book because I felt lost by the storyline, and the concepts of quantum physics and multi-verses were going over my head. It's just not a book for me. 

Our Darkest Night is a story of love, family, hope, and perseverance during a dark time in the world's history. Set in Italy, this book tells the story of Nina, a young Jewish woman, who's path to safety is in the hands of a Catholic Italian family that she has never met. More specifically, it's in the hands of a young gentleman named Nico who brings Nina into his family under the guise of his new wife. What follows is a tale of turmoil as both Nico and Nina fight for their own lives, and the lives of those they love.

I enjoyed this book. It was the first Jennifer Robson book I've read, and it was gifted to me by a dear friend. I did like the Italy setting. I don't believe I've read many books about the experience of Italian Jews during the second World War so it was enlightening to do so. I liked both Nico and Nina as characters. Nina, for her strength to endure all that she went through and her loyalty to family, and Nico for his kindness and sweetness to others and to Nina.

This book is romantic and well written. I listened to the audiobook as well and I enjoyed it. It was very helpful for the Italian accent and phrases in the text. Overall though, I just feel like this book was average. There's nothing that was stand-out about it to me. I don't think it'll stick with me for long after reading. But I did enjoy it and would recommend it to other historical fiction readers, especially those who want a romantic element present.

 This is a standout sequel to Dear Martin. Both are engaging and compelling books about the common experiences of Black youth. I loved that Nic Stone shared in her author note how she hadn't planned to write a sequel, but that some special youth in her life as her to right a book about their experiences as Black youth, because it was different than Justyce's experience in Dear Martin. How fantastic!

Nic Stone experiments with a mix of traditional prose, verse, and letter writing. I really liked this and it made the story flow quickly, with a succinct plot. I loved the connection that Quan and Justyce formed, as well as the connections that Quan formed with those who were advocating for him and who were in his corner. The author emphasizes again in her author note how truly rare it is for Black youth to have people of authority and leadership in their corner. I recognize how privileged I am to have those people in my life, and I will carry that knowledge forward as I engage with individuals in marginalized communities.

The audiobook was fabulous too! Dion Graham is an excellent narrator. I would definitely recommend this format as well.

I think that Dear Justyce and Dear Martin should be read as a set. I think there is a lot of connections and comparisons that can be made between the two, and you also get two polarizing experiences that are both common of the Black youth community. 

 4.5 star rating

I've been saying lately that I'm not really a romance reader, but then this book came along and it's made me question why I am not.

I really enjoyed this book, it just lacks that spark and 'can't get it out of my head-ness' that a 5-star read carries. But for a romance, this book ticked a lot of boxes. I loved the older main characters, I loved the baseball/sports fiction tie-in. I loved the small-town setting. And I loved the platonic friendship between Evvie and her best friend Andy, and the forced proximity romance between Evvie and Dean. Evvie and Dean are both in places in their lives where they are embarking on new beginnings. Evvie is grieving her ex-husband after a tragic accident, and Dean is grieving the end of his Major League Baseball career. Neither of these chapter endings were planned, so these characters find themselves starting over, together.

This book also taught me what 'first-call grief' is. Which brought a whole world of insight into a friendship that I'm no longer a part of. That was an unexpected takeaway.

This is one of those reading experiences where the book teachers the reader about their reading tastes and preferences. I want more romances like this one. I like the emotion and the cute-ness and the witty banter, without the heaviness of romance that a book like one by Nicholas Sparks can take (who I also love, but time and place right?). I was rooting for all of the characters, even the side ones. This book was a joyful, hopeful read.

Also, the audiobook is solid. I would recommend either format, or both!