kaitlyncookies's reviews
84 reviews

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

4.0

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

A memorable collection of short stories that explore the Lao experience. 

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5.0

Who Do You Think You Are? by Alice Munro

5.0

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Max Gladstone, Amal El-Mohtar
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.

This book was unfortunately not for me, it really went over my head. While the prose sounded cool, it required too much mental effort for me to decipher. The concept was very intriguing but alas it could not sustain me.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

Knowing this book won the Pulitzer, it is obviously an objectively important piece of literature, and yet it sadly wasn’t for me. Firstly, this is more of a short story collection vs. a novel. A lot of the time I didn’t understand the “point” of a given story/chapter. Yes, there were interesting characters and interesting situations, but because in my opinion it did not build to some grand meaning, I felt that it lacked closure or a greater overarching message. I may have felt differently if I had read this book in school and spent more time analyzing it.

I am left wondering what the reader is supposed to get out of this book. The title and certain quotes from the book suggest to me that overall it is about the inevitable passage of time and how our lives converge and diverge with those around us. But I guess I was just hoping for something more solid. It’s a shame because this book did have some amazing quotes.

“I saw her face with all the love still in it, no anger, no fear - none of the sorry things I learned to make her feel.”

“[…]Kitty’s skin-that smooth, plump, sweetly fragrant sac upon which life scrawls the record of our failures  and exhaustion-is perfect.”

“I understood what almost no one else seemed to grasp: that there was only an infinitesimal difference, a difference so small that it barely existed except as a figment if the human imagination, between working in a tall green glass building on Park Avenue and collecting litter in a park. In fact, there may have been no difference at all.”

11/22/63 by Stephen King

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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

4.25

This was my first Stephen King and it was a wild ride. For such a long book, the plot remains captivating throughout. The story is very immersive with a historically accurate setting and fully fleshed out characters. The amount of research that’s gone into the book is very evident. While it’s not a horror read, there are definitely scary moments where King’s strength shines, and even a few crossover moments for King fans. I was curious how a book like this might end and found the conclusion satisfying and not entirely predictable.

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

🪄 + 🥖
A whimsical story that explores what it means to do meaningful work and the balance between professional and personal satisfaction.

I found the magical realism elements highly original and fun! At times the book felt like it had 2 personalities (whimsical vs. stoic), but overall it was a fun story that got me baking again!

People that might enjoy this book: fans of cooking shows, lovers of experimental food, foodies of all kinds, your software engineer friends.

Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport

informative inspiring fast-paced

4.5

A cautionary tale about how much technology we should allow into our lives. I found Newport’s arguments persuasive and I have significantly reduced my screen time since listening to this.

On the audiobook:
Solid performance from the narrator 👍🏽

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

If you normally avoid self-help, I would advise you to give this one a chance. I had been looking for a book about how to develop and sustain focus for a while and this really hit the mark. It is structured in a thoughtful, informative and easy to read way. I think what sets it apart from other “self-help” books is that it’s not cheesy or overly inspirational. Cal Newport is a real person with a full time job that is not being a self help influencer. In fact he works in a completely different field as a computer science professor. Because of his profession, this book has a methodical & analytical tone which I really appreciated. 

I believe that in time I will look back on this book and still be using the skills recommended, which is more than I can say for most of the other educational non-fiction books I read. If you are feeling scatter-brained, unproductive, or addicted to your phone (and who isn’t these days?!) I would read this.