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katietotallybooked's Reviews (785)
I enjoyed how @annebogel shared some of her stories and reading experiences with her fellow #Booklovers, especially the one about her love for libraries! ❤️
It’s a perfect read for all of us who make our #readinglife a priority because otherwise we just wouldn’t survive.
It’s a perfect read for all of us who make our #readinglife a priority because otherwise we just wouldn’t survive.
This read is one of my November book club picks and it’s a classic book that I was drawn to from @greatamericanreadpbs . It’s a gripping and timely story of one black woman’s struggles through three marriages and a lifetime of overcoming tragedy and pain. I enjoyed the dialect and authentic language. I found the last part of the story to be the most attention grabbing for me. Written in 1937, if you’re looking for a timeline of African American Fiction, I would say this should definitely be on your list.
I’ve never read a Kristin Higgins book until now, as others have seemed too chick-lit for me but I was drawn to the storyline of this one. Three childhood friends from fat camp, Georgia, Marley, and Emerson are still struggling with body image, self-esteem and the societal challenges of being overweight as thirtysomething women. After Emerson’s death, Marley and Georgia come together to complete the childhood list they made “Things to Do When They’re Skinny”.
As the story builds, we find out more about each women’s past struggles while we follow their growth. They begin to take more risks and open themselves up to joy, romance, and the life they deserve (regardless of their waist size).
This is a character driven story and I could certainly identify with some feelings of inadequacy and self-consciousness for not being a certain size and weight. It’s an enjoyable story of friendship and I think that’s what I most appreciated from this book because it shows healthy and positive female friendships, while not shying away from family conflict, sibling rivalry and how scars from our past can be embodied in our future.
As the story builds, we find out more about each women’s past struggles while we follow their growth. They begin to take more risks and open themselves up to joy, romance, and the life they deserve (regardless of their waist size).
This is a character driven story and I could certainly identify with some feelings of inadequacy and self-consciousness for not being a certain size and weight. It’s an enjoyable story of friendship and I think that’s what I most appreciated from this book because it shows healthy and positive female friendships, while not shying away from family conflict, sibling rivalry and how scars from our past can be embodied in our future.
Filled with a bit of mystery and a journey of self-discovery, I think Meyerson did a wonderful job of developing an engaging story with quirky and well-developed characters that gives the reader a heart-warming, sweet feel without losing literary strength. Heroine Miranda seeks truth from her family and ends up learning more than imaginable about who she is and where she comes from. It’s the perfect blend of family drama and shock factor with a loving ode to bookstores and classic reads.
I am glad I chose this as my first audiobook after a long hiatus since it was such a comforting and enjoyable listen. It greatly exceeded my expectations and that is why I’ve rated it so highly. A recommended read for sure!
I am glad I chose this as my first audiobook after a long hiatus since it was such a comforting and enjoyable listen. It greatly exceeded my expectations and that is why I’ve rated it so highly. A recommended read for sure!
aise your hand if you were obsessed with the Babysitters Club growing up, like I was? 🙋🏻♀️
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My 4th grade teacher actually spoke to me about my reading habits and strongly encouraged (or maybe begged) me to read something else because she was tired of all my book summaries in my journal being about Kristy and the gang! .
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Maybe you were into the Sweet Valley series, or Goosebumps, or any of the numerous other 80s and 90s YA genres that were available. Paperback Crush talks about them all, giving you a radical and encompassing history of these industry-changing series for t(w)een readers. .
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It is an interesting read because of the span of content it covers. There are so many series and sub genres of books in these decades that I had never even heard of! Books that scare you, books about relationships, ghosts, sex, sickness, school, and even summer camp. It’s worth picking it up just to look at the pictures of classic book covers! (One of my favourites is on page 95 😜). .
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This 80s and 90s movement of fiction paved the way for the YA titles today that we know and love. If you were an avid t(w)een reader like me, it’s fun to take a trip down memory lane with Paperback Crush!
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My 4th grade teacher actually spoke to me about my reading habits and strongly encouraged (or maybe begged) me to read something else because she was tired of all my book summaries in my journal being about Kristy and the gang! .
.
Maybe you were into the Sweet Valley series, or Goosebumps, or any of the numerous other 80s and 90s YA genres that were available. Paperback Crush talks about them all, giving you a radical and encompassing history of these industry-changing series for t(w)een readers. .
.
It is an interesting read because of the span of content it covers. There are so many series and sub genres of books in these decades that I had never even heard of! Books that scare you, books about relationships, ghosts, sex, sickness, school, and even summer camp. It’s worth picking it up just to look at the pictures of classic book covers! (One of my favourites is on page 95 😜). .
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This 80s and 90s movement of fiction paved the way for the YA titles today that we know and love. If you were an avid t(w)een reader like me, it’s fun to take a trip down memory lane with Paperback Crush!
So I've been a Nicholas Sparks fan since I read The Last Song (which is still one of my all-time favourite books) about ten years ago. I realize he wrote many books before releasing that one, but because of my fandom at the time for Miley Cyrus (who starred in the movie version in 2019) and my love for piano and music, it was the first one I read. Although Sparks has become an auto-buy author for me (meaning that I will automatically purchase a copy of anything he has written) I still haven't read all of his books...but I'm working on it.
When I purchased Every Breath this fall, I was very excited to read it and January was finally the month that it made it on to my TBR (to be read list). However, I DID NOT LOVE IT and that was a little bit of a personal let down for me. Do I think the book was well done? Yeeeeeessss, and no. Here's why:
Sparks tried a literary device this time in his novel which he explains in his author note called self-insertion. This is where Sparks sandwiches the book by adding a written note at the beginning and at the end claiming to know the characters of Tru and Hope, which makes you think that these characters are actually real people - when in fact they are not. So, that's what had me confused first and anyone who knows me well knows that I don't like to be confused and I don't handle confusion well. This set me off from the beginning. The other aspect that I am not sure was well done about the book is that the story simply just ends and without giving any spoilers, I felt like I would have liked a longer ending. Now Sparks also claims in his author's note that the bulk of the story is the middle and that is the story of Tru & Hope that he wanted to tell. But I really think there should have been more because it would have suited my tastes better. And lastly the part that I struggled with, through no one's fault but my own however, is that I didn't realize there was a time jump in the novel until I was half way through. I did not pick up on the 1990 time stamp at the first chapter, so when it jumped to 2014 in Part II, I was displaced. Completely my own fault by not being focused enough when I started the book.
Ultimately, I do think the book was just "too romantic" and predictable for me. I like romance but not too much of the "whirlwind, love at first sight, deeply in love after 24 hours" kind. But I get that Nicholas Sparks is a contemporary romance author and the book is exactly that genre. So that being said, maybe I just like some of his works more than others?
My final verdict is a 3 star rating on Goodreads - I liked it. The book was well done but there are reasons that the book was not quite to my taste.
When I purchased Every Breath this fall, I was very excited to read it and January was finally the month that it made it on to my TBR (to be read list). However, I DID NOT LOVE IT and that was a little bit of a personal let down for me. Do I think the book was well done? Yeeeeeessss, and no. Here's why:
Sparks tried a literary device this time in his novel which he explains in his author note called self-insertion. This is where Sparks sandwiches the book by adding a written note at the beginning and at the end claiming to know the characters of Tru and Hope, which makes you think that these characters are actually real people - when in fact they are not. So, that's what had me confused first and anyone who knows me well knows that I don't like to be confused and I don't handle confusion well. This set me off from the beginning. The other aspect that I am not sure was well done about the book is that the story simply just ends and without giving any spoilers, I felt like I would have liked a longer ending. Now Sparks also claims in his author's note that the bulk of the story is the middle and that is the story of Tru & Hope that he wanted to tell. But I really think there should have been more because it would have suited my tastes better. And lastly the part that I struggled with, through no one's fault but my own however, is that I didn't realize there was a time jump in the novel until I was half way through. I did not pick up on the 1990 time stamp at the first chapter, so when it jumped to 2014 in Part II, I was displaced. Completely my own fault by not being focused enough when I started the book.
Ultimately, I do think the book was just "too romantic" and predictable for me. I like romance but not too much of the "whirlwind, love at first sight, deeply in love after 24 hours" kind. But I get that Nicholas Sparks is a contemporary romance author and the book is exactly that genre. So that being said, maybe I just like some of his works more than others?
My final verdict is a 3 star rating on Goodreads - I liked it. The book was well done but there are reasons that the book was not quite to my taste.
This book had been on my TBR for awhile now, so with the movie adaptation coming out in March I decided to check it out.
It was not a book I loved, but I liked it enough. I found the plot a bit odd, and at times I was thinking the book was pretty weird. Parts like the mudslide into their neighbour Audrey’s yard, and the whole affair between Mr. Branch and his admin. I just felt like they were added for comedic flair or just another side plot but not one I really found necessary. And how does Audrey go from neighbour with vengeance to an inner peace finding hero? I think overall there was literary substance and relevance lacking for me as a reader, which is likely why I didn’t enjoy this writing particularly.
I still feel like I don’t understand Bernadette’s character and her issues either. Yes, there are some mental hardships and the reader knows that Bernadette isn’t building houses anymore because she made a deal with God that involved her not building again if Bee survived as a young baby. But Bernadette doesn’t explain that to her family so it leaves me wondering if that is an oversight or if I misunderstood. Is she really just lacking inspiration in Seattle?
Oh and the rant about disliking Canadians? As one I disagree that we don’t recognize recognize extraordinary and treat people as such. We do in fact recognize greatness and the only famous Canadians are not the ones who have gotten the hell out. How about Wayne Gretzky, Shawn Mendes, and Justin Bieber? Hmm enough said.
I’ll probably still watch the movie but I don’t know that I’ll be racing out to the theatre to watch it. Definitely not a top read for me, but I still liked it.
It was not a book I loved, but I liked it enough. I found the plot a bit odd, and at times I was thinking the book was pretty weird. Parts like the mudslide into their neighbour Audrey’s yard, and the whole affair between Mr. Branch and his admin. I just felt like they were added for comedic flair or just another side plot but not one I really found necessary. And how does Audrey go from neighbour with vengeance to an inner peace finding hero? I think overall there was literary substance and relevance lacking for me as a reader, which is likely why I didn’t enjoy this writing particularly.
I still feel like I don’t understand Bernadette’s character and her issues either. Yes, there are some mental hardships and the reader knows that Bernadette isn’t building houses anymore because she made a deal with God that involved her not building again if Bee survived as a young baby. But Bernadette doesn’t explain that to her family so it leaves me wondering if that is an oversight or if I misunderstood. Is she really just lacking inspiration in Seattle?
Oh and the rant about disliking Canadians? As one I disagree that we don’t recognize recognize extraordinary and treat people as such. We do in fact recognize greatness and the only famous Canadians are not the ones who have gotten the hell out. How about Wayne Gretzky, Shawn Mendes, and Justin Bieber? Hmm enough said.
I’ll probably still watch the movie but I don’t know that I’ll be racing out to the theatre to watch it. Definitely not a top read for me, but I still liked it.
Dear Sister by Alison McGhee was a lovely, sentimental read about a big brother-little sister relationship. It caught my eye as I was processing new books. And since I have an older brother, I was drawn to it. It’s a quick read but an engaging story about this type of family bond. It features letters that the older brother had written to his little sister over the years at the will of their parents. It’s mostly pictures and graphic art, but not enough to make it a graphic novel. I loved it.