Take a photo of a barcode or cover
saraplanzreadz's review against another edition
4.0
A laugh out loud funny look at what would happen if you experienced "celebrity" in your every day life, making it extraordinary in the process. Loved the way the chapters divided up the parts of Rose's life, almost like individual essays. A fun read!
teresaalice's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not usually one to pick up a book of short stories, but this one caught my eye in the library. Though it's taken me over a month to finish, and more than a few stories to realize the stories were connected, I started to enjoy finding out which star would pop up in the next story. An interesting, different, fun and interesting read.
jksgardenofwords's review against another edition
Amusing and light, though with solid writing. That said, I preferred the stories that were more realistic (I thought the first one the best) over those that really strained credulity.
artslyz's review
4.0
This book was like a dream. Like being inside someone else's dream where celebrities and writers keep popping up all the time.
teresaalice's review
4.0
I'm not usually one to pick up a book of short stories, but this one caught my eye in the library. Though it's taken me over a month to finish, and more than a few stories to realize the stories were connected, I started to enjoy finding out which star would pop up in the next story. An interesting, different, fun and interesting read.
pixe1's review
3.0
This is either a collection of short stories or a novel where instalments are told from different perspectives. The stories focus primarily on encounters with celebrities, and fame is a key theme. I admit that every time I recognized someone new and famous and I felt a bit of a thrill, and there are some creative moments in the stories. I just felt that there was an atmosphere of CanCon (modesty, if you will) that held the whole thing back from being great.
teapler's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
4.0
This was a random library find and the premise intrigued me. I figured it could either be great or go terribly but I really enjoyed this book. I think it helped that I knew or liked the majority of celebrities featured and I thought the author really captured how I imagine they would act in all their strangness.
agkrob's review against another edition
2.0
This book was just kind of ..dumb. The writing was fine and some of the stories were interesting, but I always thought that I would have enjoyed them more if they didn’t have a random celebrity. I guess I just missed the point.
powder_and_page's review
4.0
Very rarely I come across a book that inspires such wanderlust in me that I can barely keep from throwing necessities in a bag and rushing out the door, never to be seen again. Inexplicably, Don’t I Know You? was one of those books. It’s not even a book that’s specifically about travelling, though there a few chapters that the character, Rose McEwan, spends abroad. Don’t I Know You? is strange- Rose McEwan is a writer with a number of relationship faux pas under her belt, but the curious thing is how celebrities just seem to show up throughout her life.
The celebrities aren’t specially designed fictional characters; they’re actual celebrities like Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Keith Richards, and Meryl Streep. Of course, they’ve been fictionalized for this story and the encounters certainly aren’t real, or based of anything real. The funny thing is that, for the most part these people just pop into Rose’s life in one interesting way or another, but they’re just so normal. They aren’t being red carpet superstars- Bob Dylan decides to take Rose’s air mattress for a paddle around the lake and becomes a house guest for an unacceptable length of time. Meryl Streep is her spa buddy. You can get the picture.
I liked the format of the book because each chapter was kind of a short story unto itself. The chapters follow the courses of Rose’s life, but we never get bogged down in one period for too long, and her boyfriends, husband, and children remain somewhat distant, like extras in a movie. I’ll be honest, Rose’s life made me really sad because it seemed like love was a failed endeavour for her. She had a moderately successful life, children that seemed distant, and a heck of a lot of stories to tell her friends but the overall tone was melancholy. The setting frequently changed- Canada, to France, to Greece, to perhaps somewhere in the US. The constant change kept me on my toes and never once did I get bored.
Don’t I Know You? was a great change in pace for me and a good little break from tons of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Young Adult books. If anyone has recommendations for some good contemporary fiction, I would appreciate your suggestions! I look forward to adding some more things like this to my reading list, just for some novelty (pun not intended). This is definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before and enjoyed it immensely. Huge thanks to Flatiron Books for sending this to me- it was a great surprise!
The celebrities aren’t specially designed fictional characters; they’re actual celebrities like Bob Dylan, Taylor Swift, Keith Richards, and Meryl Streep. Of course, they’ve been fictionalized for this story and the encounters certainly aren’t real, or based of anything real. The funny thing is that, for the most part these people just pop into Rose’s life in one interesting way or another, but they’re just so normal. They aren’t being red carpet superstars- Bob Dylan decides to take Rose’s air mattress for a paddle around the lake and becomes a house guest for an unacceptable length of time. Meryl Streep is her spa buddy. You can get the picture.
I liked the format of the book because each chapter was kind of a short story unto itself. The chapters follow the courses of Rose’s life, but we never get bogged down in one period for too long, and her boyfriends, husband, and children remain somewhat distant, like extras in a movie. I’ll be honest, Rose’s life made me really sad because it seemed like love was a failed endeavour for her. She had a moderately successful life, children that seemed distant, and a heck of a lot of stories to tell her friends but the overall tone was melancholy. The setting frequently changed- Canada, to France, to Greece, to perhaps somewhere in the US. The constant change kept me on my toes and never once did I get bored.
Don’t I Know You? was a great change in pace for me and a good little break from tons of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Young Adult books. If anyone has recommendations for some good contemporary fiction, I would appreciate your suggestions! I look forward to adding some more things like this to my reading list, just for some novelty (pun not intended). This is definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before and enjoyed it immensely. Huge thanks to Flatiron Books for sending this to me- it was a great surprise!
siritheowlcat's review
DNF @ 16%
I don’t enjoy the author’s writing style and I’m finding it very difficult to give any fucks about the main character. YMMV
I don’t enjoy the author’s writing style and I’m finding it very difficult to give any fucks about the main character. YMMV