katietotallybooked's Reviews (785)

I'll admit this is the first Indigenous fiction novel that I've read and really enjoyed! I found that the writing style was very approachable to me as a white reader. The story flowed really well and it was a fast and enjoyable narrative read.

The novel also dealt with so many topics, including the spiritual culture of the Anishinaabe peoples and the large emphasis on grief and loss as Hazel, our protaganist, handles the recent loss of her father. She's working to solve this mystery of land that her father owned and left to the family, but that other's are trying to turn into a mine for industry and the economy. I found this interesting and it speaks to the land disagreements that have been a large part of the white & Indigenous history in Canada. I also enjoyed the brother/sister dynamic between Hazel and Gus because it reminded me a lot of my own brother/sister relationship. Two siblings who can have very different personalities and approaches to life, but who can also find unity in shared experiences and have that protectiveness for each other.

I will certainly read more books by Karen McBride, as I hope that she continues to write #ownvoice novels. I learned a lot about the Anishinaabe peoples from this story and I would certainly recommend this novel as an Indigenous read, especially to other Canadian readers.

What’s a book you read because of the hype but you found it didn’t measure up?

For me it’s One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus. The only reason I read to the end is that I wanted to solve the mystery. But basically I’ve determined that high-school set YA just isn’t for me anymore. The writing was simple and nothing amazing. The story flowed but I wasn’t captivated by the characters and there was nothing stand out about it. I actually felt a bit bored reading it at times. I think there are better books for me out there because I’m only giving it ⭐️⭐️.

So what I’ve determined is I’m going to be even more picky about the YA fiction I read now - which will likely mean I won’t read any for a while.

This is an OLA Forest of Reading Evergreen Award Nominee for 2020 and without it being on that list, I may never have picked it up. I enjoy this book mostly as an audiobook and reading it has certainly helped me to build empathy and understanding for the transgender community. Lorimer wrote openly about his experiences and struggles growing up. He has always felt like a boy on the inside, even from a young age and no matter how hard he tried to surpress that truth or his feelings, it always was bubbling below the surface. I appreciate how he shared with readers stories of his career paths, his family, and his hopes and dreams. It really opened my eyes. I am new to reading in the LGBTQ+ area and I am glad that I started with a memoir before diving into #ownvoices literature.

Another brilliantly written literary novel by Colson Whitehead. This is a powerful story narrated by Elwood about his experience at the Nickel Academy in 1960's Florida. The story is based on real-life traumatic experiences of young men at a reform school that impacted young lives in harmful ways for over a hundred years.
This novel is short at just over 200 pages, but it is dense. There are lots of names to keep straight and jumping timelines to keep straight. It is disheartening how horribly these 'students' were treated and how they were confined and punished for problematic behaviour, or would simply disappear.
I think if I hadn't of been reading this for the Reading Rush readathon, I could have picked up more from it if I read and paused and allowed time to soak it all in. There is a lot that can be analyzed from this novel and I am not surprised it won the Pulitzer Prize at all!
I would love to see this adapted to film, because it is a powerful story that could be transcended to more audiences that way.

A helpful book with lots of great tips for using our smartphones less. There were strategies in here that I have put into place and it is helping me put down my phone sometimes. The 30 Day plan feels long, but I think it can work if you follow it!

I generally enjoy Megan Miranda novels and I am so pleased that this one didn't miss the mark for me! I haven't read a ton of thrillers, but I did feel that this one had a unique premise and that is what initially had me hooked and anticipating this story. I enjoyed how there were transcripts and clues from her childhood trauma woven into the present day story.

This book had strong pacing. I didn't want to put it down at times! Even though I was only able to read this in small chunks due to life circumstances, there were lots of places to stop and put a book mark! I always appreciate that!

I liked Olivia/Arden's character a lot. I appreciated that she was a strong female who wasn't relying on a man to rescue her. She did not come across as a damsel in distress at all, thank goodness! She has always fought her own battles and made her own way since leaving her childhood home.

I did want more from this book. I felt the secondary characters were lacking in detail and they could have been more rounded and fuller of characters. I also felt like there were some gaps in the ending - missing details, or just a gap in my own understanding of how all the ends wove together.
A very enjoyable thriller that wasn't too traumatic, gory, or triggering. I bet thriller fans would call it tame!

Trigger Warning: Drug Use/Abuse,

Dear Edward missed the mark for me as reader. I actually almost DNF'd it. I really wasn't into your storytelling style. There were so many characters and names in this novel that is was hard to keep them all straight. Instead of giving up though, I used the audiobook version to help carry me through to the end. What really grabbed me was the vividness of the writing of the plane crash. That actually had my emotional attention.
The writing itself was enjoyable, just the structure of the story is what I didn't enjoy. I also wasn't connecting with Edward or his aunt Lacey and uncle John's characters. I actually feel there were gaps in their stories. The timeline jumps were large and I felt like this excluded some of my understanding of how Edward was feeling after his trauma.
I think this is just a book that wasn't for me. But I can understand the appeal for other readers. There just wasn't enough character detail for me.