katiedubielak's reviews
197 reviews

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino

5.0

Fantastic reflections on current culture. How DOES she dig so deep?

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

3.0

Nothing too special, she does a good job of putting you in the mind to see the decision making of multiple characters. An interesting take on wealth and right to property/legacy.

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

5.0

This is a beautiful story about aging and the relationship between parents and children changing and evolving. She write so beautifully about the switch from child figure to parent figure that occurs as parents age. Her writing style is well suited to the subject matter: the journal entries become a bit less organized and are more observation than explanation. Truly a great example of how mistakes, patterns, and growing older together affects a family. Heartwarming.

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

4.0

The writing style is very different than most things out there in the public eye, and it leaves a lot of room for interpretation and speculation. She talks about such heartbreaking and intense situations with only snippets of prose, but you are able to imagine the full scene because she gives you the framework. A sad book, with an ending that left me unsettled.

My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by Rachel DeLoache Williams

2.0

The story is very interesting, but it is not well told. The book felt like it dragged out, the first chapter is a flash forward to the middle of the main scandal, but it is very confusing and off putting. Thee could have been so much more, a much deeper dive into the psych of Anna, but it stayed very surface level: quoting texts and stating only the facts.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

4.0

Once again, a well written, thoroughly thought out book, that I was horrified reading. My intense desire to never read this book again is because the way that Margaret leads you to the sexism and oppression in this book is slow, careful, and believable. A wonderful sequel, now give me the final book where they overthrow the GD place and burn Gilead to the ground.

Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

4.0

Such a well thought out and incredibly well written book! The author does a great job of giving voice to current social justice issues, as well as imagining this dystopian world where tech starts to take over, and order is preferred over peace. Very interesting and well written commentary. The structure makes it a quick read.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

3.0

A good, quick read. It’s a very interesting topic and the chain of events is well thought out. It left me wanting more detail about the state or governmental system they were living under, as well as a more detailed description of the past events. I would have enjoyed it more if it were twice as long and filled in many of the missing details. Still a good book!

Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

3.0

Good book, worth the read. She plays around well with storytelling and inserting two narratives together. The switch to a different form of prose near the end is especially effective. Long, but good.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

4.0

Beautifully written and well formed storyline. The character development is great, and her descriptions of the photos really give me a clear picture. Would recommend!