katietotallybooked's reviews
741 reviews

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I can honestly say that I overlooked this book for many years. I have always known about it, but it never was something I thought I would read. I probably wouldn’t have if I wasn’t prompted to for a new book club. Therefore much to my surprise, I enjoyed this book quite a bit, especially when I was listening to it on audio. The narration was very well done, and I appreciated that each character in this multi-narrative story was portrayed by a different cast member. As a librarian, I was thrilled by the research component of the story and the references to the British Library. The writing was atmospheric and the story was intricately plotted. I loved how each narrative was woven together. Plus, the cover art is truly stunning, so points for presentation! 

If you enjoy historical fiction, books set in England, audiobooks, multi-narrative storylines and dual timelines, this book is for you! 

Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

My Thoughts: I actually had a lot of fun reading this book. It was light, entertaining, and drama-filled - like just pure suburban drama which can definitely be my thing! It almost reminded me of Desperate Housewives? (Which I loved!). I felt so much joy while reading it and this is the perfect example of a pleasure read for my reading tastes. 

I am a bit surprised at my five-star rating, but I really don’t have any criticisms of the book. The only thing worth noting is since this book was published in 2018, other than some of the pop culture and diet culture references are already a bit outdated. But this didn’t impact my reading experience much at all. 

If you haven’t read anything by Abbi Waxman and you enjoy Contemporary Fiction, I would encourage you to give her a try. I have read 3 of her books and enjoyed each of them. I look forward to reading more! 

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I picked up his backlist book from my unread shelf on a whim because I was in a reading slump after finishing The Women by Kristin Hannah. The good news is it did it’s job! The writing captured my attention with its fast pacing and entertained me enough to keep the pages turning. But the story certainly wasn‘t anything special or earth shattering. I felt equally confused and intrigued throughout most of the chapters. I liked the main protagonist Leah enough to care about her, but also felt parts of her experience unnecessary. It was an enjoyable but average book that I would only recommend to existing Megan Miranda fans.

I am glad to be able to check it off of my Author-Read-It All for Megan Miranda and also unhaul it from my shelves. 😊 

If You Would Have Told Me by John Stamos

emotional reflective

4.25

This was so enjoyable! I loved Full House and Fuller House and so there was no question I was going to borrow this and listen to it. My main critique is that the timeline of his stories felt so jumpy and disjointed at times that it threw me off while listening. I would have preferred sections on his memorable experiences on Full House and ER, rather than snippets here and there throughout the whole book. 

Regardless, it’s a must listen for anyone who knows the name John Stamos. It’ll probably have you laughing at parts and crying at others, but it will ultimately leave you smiling at the end.  

Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

Finding myself not interested in the story and overwhelmed by the characters’ names and drag names and keeping it all straight. 

The Women by Kristin Hannah

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

There is something about Kristin Hannah’s writing that captures my heart and attention from the first chapter. Right away I knew could feel this would be a five star read. Did I love every part of this book? No. Sometimes Frankie frustrated me. But she was going on a major growth journey and I was here for it. She went through so much trauma and hardship and I was praying she would find her footing again at some point. I also loved the friendships and the romantic relationships and the relationships with her parents and how they all shaped her story. Now, were there heavy topics covered? OH YES. I’ve never read a story that covered war so graphically and vividly before, and especially not from the unique perspective of an army nurse.

But honestly, this book was so well done. It felt well researched. It felt unique in the story it told and how it told it. It was simply a phenomenal reading experience and it will quite possibly be a favourite of the year for me. 

Pageboy by Elliot Page

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.0

Elliot Page shares his story in a way that was candid and moving to listen to. I did like hearing about his journey and I appreciated how much he shared with his listeners and readers. As with some memoirs, there were stories shared that were both eyeopening and disturbingly heartbreaking to listen to. I just didn’t feel moved or emotionally connected to Elliot as I was listening. However, I still recommend this to anyone who would find an interest in this inspiring life story. 

Then Everything Happens at Once by M-E Girard

emotional hopeful medium-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

It was such a weird experience to read a book set during the initial Covid-19 lockdown. But considering that happened almost 4 years ago, I guess it isn’t out of the realm of possibility? Once I got about 30% into this book, my enjoyment of it grew. I liked Baylee a lot as a main character. She was likeable and relatable. I could relate to her journey of self-discovery, and I think a lot of young teens probably could also. Her friendship dynamics, her family relationships, and her experience as a “conventionally unattractive”/plus-size teen (although I hate that term) bring a voice to a different type of teenage high school experience. It also tackles the lockdown in a way that likely represents the experience of many teens during this time. 

This book is great on audio. It has queer, bisexual and fat representation. It is the first book I’ve read by M-E Girard and I will certainly keep her books on my radar for future. 

Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

Giving this book 5 stars wasn’t even a question. It’s Charlie and Nick. It’s Heartstopper. It’s pure joy and bliss. I enjoyed every minute of my reading experience. 

I will say this book focuses a lot on sex and how Charlie and Nick navigate together and communicate about this next step in their relationship. This might be one volume that parents, caregivers, teachers and librarians of younger YA readers provide a disclaimer about, if possible. 

I simply can’t wait for the final volume to see how Alice Oseman wraps up the love story of Charlie & Nick. Too bad fans will probably be waiting a couple of years....😂. 

The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters by Joanna Gaines

inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

I picked this up on a whim while I was waiting for another audiobook hold to come in. I had heard of Joanna and Chip Gaines, their brand Magnolia, and their previous work on the show Fixer Upper, but other than a small awareness, I didn’t know much about Joanna. Since I love a good celebrity memoir or authored book (as you may already know) I decided to give this a try.

For a mood read, I actually found this quite enjoyable. It is part memoir, part self-help, part motivational read. Joanna surmises that we all have stories to tell and those stories all matter. She consistently expresses that everyone’s story is unique and worth sharing. I learned a little bit about Joanna’s career and personal life throughout the book. However, a lot of the chapters involved Joanna taking a life experience she has had and drawing out wisdom or lessons that she learned from it and writing that down in a way that is insightful and encouraging to the reader. In a small way it reminded me of Matthew McConoughey’s book Greenlights.

Joanna encourages everyone to write their own stories. She believes we have a lot to learn from our own experiences. This is a point that I agree with 100% and it is a reason why I do enjoy memoirs so much. I certainly recommend this book as an easy audio listen. I am confident that anyone who reads it will get at least one takeaway from it!