katietotallybooked's Reviews (785)

A classic coming-of-age memoir that was first published in 1991, is one that I have never read. But since I’m preparing for a trip to The Netherlands this month, and Amsterdam is a destination, I wanted to experience this story before I visit & tour Anne Frank House. I knew little about the book going in, other than it’s the diary of Anne Frank, a young teenager, who is in hiding with her family in a home to avoid being sent out of Amsterdam by the Nazis during WWII. What surprised me is how Anne tells her day to day story in a way that is endearing, yet provocative and sad. She does not shy away from sharing her sexual explorations, her feelings about her mother and father, her relationships, and her attitude towards what is happening both inside and outside of the Secret Annex. What you aren’t reminded of in this story are the vivid realities of Jews outside these Walls. Instead you are kept in Anne’s immediate world and you forget how dyer the Holocaust was for many. What I think is most poignant about this book is that the writing simply ends - as anyone’s writing would if they were here one day and gone the next. It’s extremely reflective of life in that way because even if her diary wasn’t full or her writing wasn’t finished, sometimes that decision is beyond our immediate control.
I feel this book is one of those “must reads”. It was averagely enjoyable and worth the read. And I do think it gave me the foundation of knowledge that I was hoping for!
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Here's a light-chick-lit type read that is reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks in terms of style and story. It's an average and enjoyable book, but it lacks a wow-factor. It's a story filled with family secrets, relationships, and the idea of starting over or starting again when life deals you a bad hand. I greatly enjoyed the Canadian setting. I've never been to Gananoque or the Thousand Islands, but it made for a great setting and I could picture Summer Inn on the St. Lawrence River well. Even though the setting could have been detailed more deeply, I would say this is a strong point of the book and will help it appeal to Canadian readers of this genre-type. I also enjoyed how Stapley included a list of rainy day activities at the start of each chapter. This gave the book a unique flavour and also grounded the story and the setting effectively. At 250 pages, it’s a short, but compelling story.

I wasn’t familiar with Jason Reynold’s Ghost, so I wanted to check it out. I was impressed! It’s a great children’s novel that features a young male protagonist named Castle who joins a track team, while he struggles to come to terms with his past and his present. I’d recommend it to young male readers aged 11-14 especially, but really anyone who wants a realistic sports-themed coming of age novel that’s a quick read. The writing language is easy to follow and mimics the voices of young teens accurately. It’s also the first in the Track series, so there’s more if you get hooked! .

A twisted, crazy, & intriguing thriller with an unreliable narrator that leaves you just as in the dark at the end than at the beginning. At just over 250 pages, it’s a fast and short read that is an enjoyable debut novel by Feeney and I think any fan of the genre will enjoy it.

A tale of loss, friendship, love and family. The slow-moving novel brings you full circle from the tragedy that derailed Maggie’s life to the rebuilt relationships that will fill her future, but it lacks depth in the secondary characters (aside from Edward) while doing so. At first I wasn’t sure about the believability of the story premise - a youth hacking computers to breach privacy of a local Spa? It didn’t carry enough weight as a major plot and I almost put the book down. But I kept going and found that the book is about much more than that one storyline, which Delinsky slowly unravels to the reader. However, I still think it’s just a so-so read for fans of the author and genre.

As a librarian, I can’t resist reading this children’s book series. (This time I listened to it on audio). While this book wasn’t as enjoyable as book 1 or 2 in the series, there was a timely and valuable lesson that I gleamed from it. .
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In the words of football coach Vince Lombardi “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” Similarly, the words of Robert Kennedy are “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly”. The theme of this book is resilience and perseverance as main character Kyle Keeley races to solve the mystery of Mr. Lemoncello’s first board game creation and save his long-standing reputation. Hitting roadblock after roadblock, Kyle and his friends finally succeed. .
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In my work life, my current position as a branch librarian is really testing me in ways I didn’t imagine. It is a demanding role in a very busy and new branch. There are days where I struggle and come home exhausted and days where I feel elated and confident because of what I achieved. The hardest part is that it is a temporary position. I keep trying for permanent ones and I keep getting rejected. There are times where I feel so defeated that I have questioned my career choice. So, reading this book at this time has given me the renewed motivation to keep trying. It’s reminded me that it is okay to fail and it is okay to make mistakes. What matters is that you continue to try, continue to take risks, and have faith that eventually you will succeed. If you do not try, you will not grow. .
So I will continue to spring back into shape after rejection, after hardship, and after challenges. That is what resiliency is and that is what strength is, and I will not give up on what matters to me which is being a librarian, sharing my love for literacy, and enjoying an enriching and fulfilling career.

“I know that you just have to choose to make the best of things. You get one life and it only goes forward. And there really are all kinds of happy endings.”

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center was an enjoyable read and I’ve been looking forward to reading it for a while. While it took me a bit longer than anticipated to get through, I felt Katherine’s words were well written. There were parts where I felt the story was too predictable and my feelings were hovering somewhere in the 3 ⭐️ range for a bit of time. But ultimately, I was captured by the ending and the outcome of Margaret’s life and story.

There are similarities between this book and Jojo Moyes’ Me Before You, certainly because of the paralysis the main character’s experience. You also see insight into the family characters in both books. In this one, I was personally intrigued by Kitty in this story and I would actually appreciate a book that centers around her. Her triumphs and trials seem more relatable in a sense, to me anyways.

Ultimately, How to Walk Away is a good mainstream fiction read. I award it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and I will certainly pick up more of Katherine Centers books in the future.

This book may be titled “I Don’t Know Where You Know Me From...” But I know exactly where I’ve seen Judy Greer before...movies like 13 Going on 30, The Wedding Planner, and 27 Dresses - 3 of my all-time favourite chick flicks!

And the award for my favourite book cover of 2019 goes to...
Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard by Jamie Raintree

Since I first saw this book cover floating around #bookstagram I have wanted to read this title. Since my local library hadn’t purchased it for their collection, I thought I was out of luck until I happened upon it at my favourite used book store recently!

I read it, enjoyed it, and liked it a bit. Enough to rate it 3.5 ⭐️ .
But most of the appeal for me came from the family ranch/vineyard setting in California Wine Country - somewhere I’ve always wanted to travel to!

If that setting, with a female twenty-something protagonist on a self-discovery journey, and a bit of romance appeal to you, then check out this book.

I listened to this entire book through @audiblecanada as an audio read and loved it! It was wonderful to hear Julie tell her own story. It covers everything from her childhood (which wasn't as picture perfect as one may thing), to growing up with a blended family, to her introduction to singing and theatre, and finally to her years as a young star both on Broadway and on stage in London in productions of My Fair Lady and Camelot. It was interesting to hear from Julie about life prior to Mary Poppins, which is the role when I was first introduced to her. .

What I enjoyed most was the special soundbites and recording of Julie's singing on stage. This is a treat exclusive to the audiobook version!