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katietotallybooked's reviews
741 reviews
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
That quote sums up this book for me. It is about friendship and love, both romantic and platonic. It is about relationships, between your siblings, your caregivers, your friends, and your colleagues. It is about trusting others, those you work with, play with, and ultimately spend your time with.
I really enjoyed the writing and I have in all of Gabrielle Zevin's books. I also fell in love with Sadie and Sam, and their relationship. I grew attached to them.
This book brings up so many important conversations too, like women in tech and gaming, and how they are still struggling to be seen as equals to men in their field. It talks about gay marriage, it talks about pregnancy and miscarriage and depression and suicide. There are no shortage of content warnings here, but nothing is discussed in a way that is heavy or troubling, in my opinion.
I wouldn't consider myself a gamer, but I have been in relationships with gamers and I have played my share of The Sims (IYKYK). But I found all of the gaming content to be very interesting.
Is this a book for every reader? No. If you are a plot-driven reader, you probably shouldn't pick this up. But if you love a book for its characters and its social commentary, then you should give this a read. Is it a book for Gabrielle Zevin fans? yes. Is it a book that will touch your heart? Hopefully. It certainly did touch mine.
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
To allow yourself to play with another person is no small risk. It means allowing yourself to be open, to be exposed, to be hurt. It is the human equivalent of the dog rolling on its back--I know you won't hurt me, even though you can. It is the dog putting its mouth around your hand and never biting down. To play requires trust and love. p. 21
That quote sums up this book for me. It is about friendship and love, both romantic and platonic. It is about relationships, between your siblings, your caregivers, your friends, and your colleagues. It is about trusting others, those you work with, play with, and ultimately spend your time with.
I really enjoyed the writing and I have in all of Gabrielle Zevin's books. I also fell in love with Sadie and Sam, and their relationship. I grew attached to them.
This book brings up so many important conversations too, like women in tech and gaming, and how they are still struggling to be seen as equals to men in their field. It talks about gay marriage, it talks about pregnancy and miscarriage and depression and suicide. There are no shortage of content warnings here, but nothing is discussed in a way that is heavy or troubling, in my opinion.
I wouldn't consider myself a gamer, but I have been in relationships with gamers and I have played my share of The Sims (IYKYK). But I found all of the gaming content to be very interesting.
Is this a book for every reader? No. If you are a plot-driven reader, you probably shouldn't pick this up. But if you love a book for its characters and its social commentary, then you should give this a read. Is it a book for Gabrielle Zevin fans? yes. Is it a book that will touch your heart? Hopefully. It certainly did touch mine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Mental illness and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer
Playing the Long Game: A Memoir by Christine Sinclair
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I only know Christine Sinclair‘s name from her gold medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I was inspired enough then by her and her Canadian athleticism to give this a listen, and I’m glad I did. She shares her history in the sport, and her viewpoints on the inconsistencies between the treatment of male and female soccer athletes. She opens your eyes to how far behind Canada is compared to our permanent United States rivals. She is motivating and dynamic to listen to.
If you are a soccer fan, a memoir fan, and/or anyone who loves Canadian sport, I’d give this a listen if it interests you.
If you are a soccer fan, a memoir fan, and/or anyone who loves Canadian sport, I’d give this a listen if it interests you.
Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
Alex and Cassie, two tortured adults with horrible upbringings fall in love quickly, but their relationship is toxic, toxic, toxic. That’s all I will say without spoilers. You also have Will, and there’s a bit of a love triangle there.
This 1995 backlist book hasn’t lived up well, in my opinion. Its an emotional story which is true Jodi Picoult-style. But it also refers to the Indigenous as Indians, and shares some of their cultural heritage in a way that is likely filtered with a white-lense. I was thrown by the inclusion of the Algonquin legends.
However, I still enjoyed the writing. Jodi delivers some shock and emotional punches in her writing in this book. There were a few places I had to do a double-take because I couldn’t believe the words I just read. I enjoyed the characters - I found myself rooting for Cassie and caring about her throughout the story.
I’d really only recommend this book to Jodi fans. Otherwise, because of its age, I don’t think it’s worth a read.
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A very character-driven, emotional novel about a toxic romantic relationship.
Alex and Cassie, two tortured adults with horrible upbringings fall in love quickly, but their relationship is toxic, toxic, toxic. That’s all I will say without spoilers. You also have Will, and there’s a bit of a love triangle there.
This 1995 backlist book hasn’t lived up well, in my opinion. Its an emotional story which is true Jodi Picoult-style. But it also refers to the Indigenous as Indians, and shares some of their cultural heritage in a way that is likely filtered with a white-lense. I was thrown by the inclusion of the Algonquin legends.
However, I still enjoyed the writing. Jodi delivers some shock and emotional punches in her writing in this book. There were a few places I had to do a double-take because I couldn’t believe the words I just read. I enjoyed the characters - I found myself rooting for Cassie and caring about her throughout the story.
I’d really only recommend this book to Jodi fans. Otherwise, because of its age, I don’t think it’s worth a read.
The damage was permanent; there would always be scars. But even the angriest marks faded over time, until it was difficult to see them written on the skin at all, and the only thing that remained was your memory of how painful it had been.
P.359
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Vomit and Car accident
Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life by Joshua Becker
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
There were a lot of good nuggets of information and some takeaways for me while reading this. Some of it wasn’t new information but then some of it was framed in a way that was new. Ultimately, Joshua Becker is encouraging the reader to live a life of intention and purpose. He has some helpful tips and tricks for doing that.
I think the biggest takeaway I have from this is incorporating commitment states into my daily intentions. Each morning I choose 1-3 intentions and I write them down starting with “Today I commit to…”
This book has encouraged me to clear out some distracting clutter so that I can spend more time doing what I’m passionate about.
It’s a worthwhile read if you are someone who wants to live a meaningful life and get to the core of what your purpose is.
I think the biggest takeaway I have from this is incorporating commitment states into my daily intentions. Each morning I choose 1-3 intentions and I write them down starting with “Today I commit to…”
This book has encouraged me to clear out some distracting clutter so that I can spend more time doing what I’m passionate about.
It’s a worthwhile read if you are someone who wants to live a meaningful life and get to the core of what your purpose is.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I’ve been curious about this YA novel since it became buzzworthy and popular last year - I just kept hearing about it from fellow book club readers and booktubers, including one of my favourite booktubers Angie Henderson. She chose this as one of her favourite reads in 2022.
Likes/Dislikes
It has an intriguing premise and I liked the idea of riddles and puzzles. But as I started reading, I discovered that while the idea of riddles and puzzles is great, most of them went over my head and my brain couldn’t figure them out. So this impacted my reading experience negatively. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of. Thankfully I’ve started annotating and tabbing as I read, so I did make note of all of them.
Main Themes
- losing a parent
- sibling relationships
- secrets, riddles, and puzzles
My Recommendation
I would recommend this to YA readers who enjoy mysteries and series. I know book one is just a foundation in a trilogy so it was setting the stage for future events. It’s a fun & entertaining read with subject matter that isn’t too heavy or dark. And if you like puzzles and riddles, you’ll enjoy that element as well.
Likes/Dislikes
It has an intriguing premise and I liked the idea of riddles and puzzles. But as I started reading, I discovered that while the idea of riddles and puzzles is great, most of them went over my head and my brain couldn’t figure them out. So this impacted my reading experience negatively. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of. Thankfully I’ve started annotating and tabbing as I read, so I did make note of all of them.
Main Themes
- losing a parent
- sibling relationships
- secrets, riddles, and puzzles
My Recommendation
I would recommend this to YA readers who enjoy mysteries and series. I know book one is just a foundation in a trilogy so it was setting the stage for future events. It’s a fun & entertaining read with subject matter that isn’t too heavy or dark. And if you like puzzles and riddles, you’ll enjoy that element as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
Audio is the way to go with this one! The writing and storytelling is a bit clunky and the rough flow did throw me at first. But once I chatted with my friend Kelly about it, she helped me understand that it could be because he struggles with sobriety and that he could be letting his authentic voice shine through. Once I thought about it in that way, I was able to enjoy the book more.
Matthew Perry really opens up about his years and years of struggles. He made me see alcoholism as more of a disease, and that it is easier said than done to overcome it. He is very candid and honest. Although there were some parts of his story that I just didn’t care to hear, there were others that I found very interesting. I also laughed outloud as some of his humourous one liners, and the captions of his photos in the physical copy are priceless. 😂
Ultimately, I am so grateful to the individuals who choose to share their stories through memoirs, regardless of their skills as authors.
Here are some points I highlighted while reading:
Matthew Perry really opens up about his years and years of struggles. He made me see alcoholism as more of a disease, and that it is easier said than done to overcome it. He is very candid and honest. Although there were some parts of his story that I just didn’t care to hear, there were others that I found very interesting. I also laughed outloud as some of his humourous one liners, and the captions of his photos in the physical copy are priceless. 😂
Ultimately, I am so grateful to the individuals who choose to share their stories through memoirs, regardless of their skills as authors.
Here are some points I highlighted while reading:
- “Anhedonia” - the reduced ability to experience pleasure. Perry experienced this when he wasn’t using substances and alcohol.
- Drinkers think they are trying to escape, but really they are trying to overcome a mental disorder they didn’t know they had
- The trajectory of Perry’s disease - when he’s carrying weight it’s alcohol, when he is skinny it is pills, and when he has a goatee it is a lot of pills.
- Matthew Perry turned his addiction into motivation to serve others, and that is a brave and inspiring thing to do. His story will help others.
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The reason I've come to love historical fiction so much is because I love learning about events that have shaped our world's history, and sometimes you come across a historical fiction novel, like Take My Hand, that teaches the reader about events they never knew happened. I was captivated by this fictionalized story loosely inspired by the real life Relf v. Weinberger case in 1973.
Perkins-Valdez really pulled me in with her captivating characters. I felt so much empathy for India & Erica and their traumatic childhood. I was rooting for Civil on her own personal journey of growth and search for belonging. In my eyes, it was a bonus to the novel to learn about this horrible event in our world's past, because the story about chosen family, love, and identity was enough to capture my attention.
Perkins-Valdez really pulled me in with her captivating characters. I felt so much empathy for India & Erica and their traumatic childhood. I was rooting for Civil on her own personal journey of growth and search for belonging. In my eyes, it was a bonus to the novel to learn about this horrible event in our world's past, because the story about chosen family, love, and identity was enough to capture my attention.
This is the quote that really brought the book to a five star read for me: "Didn’t she understand that family was so much more than blood? It was shared experience and history and pain. Those girls were as much my family now as they were hers. "
I'd recommend this book to any historical fiction reader, any women, and anyone who wants an emotional story about chosen family and the people who shape our lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy
Minor: Mental illness and Terminal illness
Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was my first book by Kennedy Ryan and the first book pick for my new in person book club.
This book had characters that I really enjoyed and that was probably my favourite aspect of the book. I fell in love with Yas and Josiah and I was rooting for them all the way. I loved getting to know the personalities of their children, and their friends too.
This story was so emotional and I was taken aback by how well Kennedy Ryan handled the heavy themes of grief, loss, depression and mental health. She also openly presented therapy and brought up the stigma surrounding it.
There were a few steamy sex scenes and lot of emphasis on physical appearance and attractiveness. For me as a reader, I don’t really need these in my books. So it just wasn’t a 5 star read for me.
I don’t know that I’ll explore any of Kennedy Ryan’s other novels or series, but I will continue in this series so that I can follow the side characters I grew to love!
This book had characters that I really enjoyed and that was probably my favourite aspect of the book. I fell in love with Yas and Josiah and I was rooting for them all the way. I loved getting to know the personalities of their children, and their friends too.
This story was so emotional and I was taken aback by how well Kennedy Ryan handled the heavy themes of grief, loss, depression and mental health. She also openly presented therapy and brought up the stigma surrounding it.
There were a few steamy sex scenes and lot of emphasis on physical appearance and attractiveness. For me as a reader, I don’t really need these in my books. So it just wasn’t a 5 star read for me.
I don’t know that I’ll explore any of Kennedy Ryan’s other novels or series, but I will continue in this series so that I can follow the side characters I grew to love!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The only reason I pick up Jacqueline Woodson novels is because she writes such lyrical prose and tells her stories with grace. I particularly enjoy her books on audio, as the author herself is often a narrator and she reads her stories with such emotion. This one was no exception to those feelings. I loved the storytelling, but the story itself was lack lustre. I don’t really know who I’d recommend this to because most of it I have already forgotten just a few days later. However, in the moment it was a quick, easy read that was enjoyable to listen to. You could devour this novel in one story. And as a multigenerational family saga, I appreciated the message it sent about everyone have a history, and a future, and that there are many people intertwined.
I’m not sure that I’ll continue to pick up this author’s books unless a story particularly intrigues me. I think I have gotten a good sense of the author based on what I have read so far.
I’m not sure that I’ll continue to pick up this author’s books unless a story particularly intrigues me. I think I have gotten a good sense of the author based on what I have read so far.
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
What I loved most about this book is that even though it was co-authored, it felt like a backlist Jodi Picoult book. I had relevance to current topics and trending issues, and it included a court case. I missed those aspects in her previous two books The Book of Two Ways and Wish You Were Here.
I felt like I was able to get inside the mind of a transgendered person and it helped me to understand this experience. Although some aspects of domestic abuse that were portrayed were hard to read, I also appreciated how graphic the authors made these parts because they felt very real.
Surprisingly, I also learned about beekeeping which was a relevant aside and I think it helped lighten the tone of heavier themes covered in this story.
I was captivated by the writing, the themes and the characters. There is many reasons why I love Jodi Picoult books and this one is a perfect example of how much her novels offer to readers.
I felt like I was able to get inside the mind of a transgendered person and it helped me to understand this experience. Although some aspects of domestic abuse that were portrayed were hard to read, I also appreciated how graphic the authors made these parts because they felt very real.
Surprisingly, I also learned about beekeeping which was a relevant aside and I think it helped lighten the tone of heavier themes covered in this story.
I was captivated by the writing, the themes and the characters. There is many reasons why I love Jodi Picoult books and this one is a perfect example of how much her novels offer to readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Suicide attempt