katietotallybooked's Reviews (785)

I loved this thriller. Honestly, it was so so good! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading and I could hardly put this book down at times. It was fast-paced and well-written. It's my first JP Delaney book and I've added his entire backlist of thrillers to my TBR list.

Also - could you imagine if this happened to you? It's certainly one of those books that makes you think and I found I was putting myself in the character's shoes quite a bit while reading. I could identify with each mother character, even though I am not yet a mother myself.

Also, I loved any book set in Central London. When the characters were at a cafe on Finchley Road, my heart skipped a beat - I lived on that street for a year! <3

After reading and loving American Marriage, I quickly added this to my TBR. Months later, I was finally prompted to read it as part of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club.

This one didn't capture my attention in the same way. I don't know if that's because my reading tastes have changed in the last year, or if that is because the books are written differently.

I just felt a bit bored while reading. While the premise was interesting (and that first line was amazing! - talk about a hook), I just never got completely captivated by the characters and their story.

I still like how Tayari Jones writes and I will likely continue to check out her books. And I'm looking forward to her joining in our book club discussion this month too!

An incredibly charming story about a guide dog and his owner. I was captivated by this book at first glance. It has beautiful illustrations. Bear, our dog protagonist, questions his purpose when he feels like he can't do the one thing that he was trained to do.

This story is imaginative and beautiful and it helps the reader build empathy and understanding for individuals with visual impairments.

To quote the author: " The way we see the world depends not just on what we've seen, but what experiences we have had, and most importantly who we are."

I found The Night Swim by Megan Goldin to be page-turning and intriguing to read. I loved the podcast element that was included, and I am happy to see that becoming a popular thriller trope.

I also appreciated the vivid nature of the sexual assault crime descriptions. So often books shy away from the explicit details, and I really appreciate that the author did not. Yes, it might be hard for the reader to stomach at times but imagine how difficult it is for the victims to experience.

As I am starting to explore the Thriller genre more, I look forward to reading more books that have courtroom scenes and podcast elements.

I appreciate this book and how openly it presents the realities of mental health to young readers. However, I don't know that it has the pace and the exciting story elements that a middle-grade novel needs to appeal to and be loved by younger readers.

Does this book prompt important discussions about mental health disorders, including anxiety? Yes.
Would it be a great read-aloud / book study for grade 5-7 students? Yes.
Is it important to showcase young people who experience mental health challenges in fiction. Yes

I just felt like this book was a bit slow and boring, and that it doesn't have the appeal that OCDaniel would to the same audience.

Beautiful writing. Such a contemplative story as I sought to understand Stella and Desiree's stories, as well as those of their daughters Kennedy and Jude. What kept me reading was seeing how their lives unravelled and how the characters came connected after the sisters separated. I also appreciated the transgender representation in this novel, as that allowed me to read and understand that experience in an empathetic way.

I still have The Mothers on my TBR and I will read it because of how much I enjoyed Brit Bennett's writing. I look forward to HBO limited series adaption of The Vanishing Half as well. The story felt very timely. My biggest takeaway is this quote that truly sums up one of the main messages in this book, about the injustice that Blacks face, and the privelage of Whites. "Why wouldn't you be white if you could be?"

My first Kristin Harmel novel and I'm eager to read more!

It was so interesting to read about occupied France during World War II and the experience of French Jews. I was captivated by the story and the events of this novel. Eva is a strong heroine and her bravery and work to make sure that the children who were saved were remembered is commendable. I know that this is based on true events and I appreciate knowing that there were women like this who persevered during World War II.

At moments this book both broke my heart and made me smile and cheer with glee. And as a librarian, I love reading about other librarians and books in novels.

Such a wonderful historical story of strong women and men who were brave and selfless during a time when the odds were never in their favour.

As a YA Graphic memoir, this book was fun. If I was more of a foodie I think I would have loved it more. It’s filled with recipes and Lucy’s food memories from growing up with a mom who was a chef. I liked reading about Lucy’s favourite foods and I found I could relate because I have food memories of my own.

An insightful historical fiction filled with suspense and intrigue. I learned so much about the relationship between Cuba and the US. The writing was wonderful. To me, it was the perfect balance of historical with fiction and story. And I don't think I have ever saved so many quote references from a fiction book that I was reading for pleasure.

One of my favourite passages is:

'I worry I'm surrounded by mad-men who desire to burn the world down without thought for the consequences of their actions, without regard for all the innocent lives that will be charred by the flames" (p. 109)

and also:

"You never know what's to come. That is the beauty of life. If everything happened the way we wished, the way we planned, we'd miss out on the best parts, the unexpected pleasures." (p. 313)

I can’t wait to read more by this author and the rest of the books in the Cuba saga. Honestly, it was a very memorable reading experience for me.

I've had this book on my Goodreads TBR since September 2013! I think I had to wait long enough to have forgotten the movie before reading it. Which worked, although I still was imagining Julianne Hough & Josh Duhamel as Alex & Katie/Erin.

This book was really good. At times it was maddening and at times it was heartwarming. I think it also has one of my most hated characters that I can ever recall reading about - Kevin. Ugh he infuriated me!

Here are 5 words that I will use to describe this book...
Twisty
Maddening
Gripping
Heartwarming
Empathy - Building