kaitlyncookies's reviews
91 reviews

Bloom by Kevin Panetta

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

3.75

I loved how this book was set in a bakery. I found all of the characters very realistic, especially Ari's dad. I just found Ari to be an unlikeable character.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Everyone should read this! You are your habits 🤯 Everyone has that one habit they’ve been trying to start forever and this is the book you need to finally propel you into action.

Since it’s been a few years since this came out I have encountered many of these ideas in different ways before reading this, but reading it all together complete with examples, stories, and a practical framework was invaluable. This is one I will definitely be returning to. It could change your life!

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

How did I not know anything about Ina Garten before this! If you’re a foodie this is the book for you. I’m glad I listened to the audiobook because I love Ina’s voice, it is comforting, personable and I could listen to her all day. Her story is exciting, hilarious, genuine, and truly mouth watering. The food really jumps off the pages in this book! What a fun time!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a beautifully written book, and it was really well-performed as an audiobook. I liked how every character had some tie to the idea of "performance". Stella was a really interesting character with a very unique psychology. I wanted a little bit more plot from the novel and more of a culmination at the end (

after Desiree and Stella reunite briefly the novel looses most of its tension

) but overall it was still an interesting read. 

Important men became martyrs, unimportant ones victims. The important men were given televised funerals, public days of mourning. Their deaths inspired the creation of art and the destruction of cities. But unimportant men were killed to make the point that they were unimportant—that they were not even men—and the world continued on.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

adventurous emotional 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

3.75

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I thoroughly enjoyed The God of the Woods. I don't think I've read something quite this long this fast before, but Moore has crafted such a compelling, twisty novel with 2 mysteries unfolding simultaneously that it is near impossible to put down. This book threads the needle so well and managed to be not only a page-turner filled with suspense but also an excellent piece of literary fiction. The setting of this book is so vivid from the summer camp to the imposing property owned by the rich Van Laar family, referred to as "Self Reliance". Each character was fascinating and while in a multi-POV novel it's hard to make readers care about each perspective, I enjoyed each of them. I definitely didn't see the ending coming and it left me satisfied.

Although there are so so many red herrings

Lastly, LOVE the name of the book, really makes sense once you've read it, and the cover is great also!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Educated by Tara Westover

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

While I generally liked this book, I found the content to be a bit repetitive, and the pacing to be quite slow. I think I was just not in the mood for a book that had so many domestic abuse scenes. To be fair I couldn't help but compare it to the memoir "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls, so this story sounded very familiar to me. Nevertheless, it was well-written, and quite shocking.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Ultra-Processed People Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food by Chris van Tulleken

informative medium-paced

4.25

I picked up this book after finding it difficult to stop eating some ultra-processed foods that I knew were not supporting my health. It reminded me of the importance of eating real food and demonstrated that I am drawn towards UPF because that is the intention of the makers of these foods, not because I lack "willpower". This book is worth reading to better understand where UPF comes from, and how when it comes to regulation around these foods it is the wild west. I also really appreciated the nuanced opinion of the author. He agrees all UPF is not equally bad, and the amount of UPF typically consumed by people has a lot to do with their economic situation. For a science-y book I found this easy to read & approachable.

If your food is made by a transnational conglomerate owned by large institutional investors, they will prioritize making money over your health, and the best way of making money is to have an addictive product, which you can make using the cheapest possible raw materials. When you are eating UPF, ask yourself who made it and what they were trying to achieve. Is it real food, made to nourish you, or is it an industrially produced edible substance made to turn your health into money for someone else? - Ultra-processed People: Why We Can't Stop Eating Food That Isn't Food

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I think this is one of those books I will keep thinking about as time goes by. It was so haunting and I haven't really read anything like it. In a way it is a simple story that leaves you with big things to consider. I felt a similar disorientation as the novel Piranesi by Susanna Clark, and similar level of empathy to the main character.

Also, I loved the audiobook, the narrator embodied the main character so so well. It was basically like listening to a memoir. I can see why some people may have an issue with the ending, but I think it was a fair way to end the novel.

In some ways it's the ultimate way to make you empathize with the main character because you both don't get any answers.

Fangirl, Vol. 4: The Manga by Gabi Nam, Rainbow Rowell

emotional funny relaxing fast-paced

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

3.0

I loved this book…right up until the ending. Compared to the actual Fangirl book, the ending here felt more sudden and less satisfying.

It was one of those times where you turn the page and the book is just over when you were expecting more 😬

all in all I feel that this adaptation left too many threads open

such as Cath/Wren’s relationship with their mother and the ending to Carry On

, but I’d have to re-read the novel to see how much it differed.