katiedubielak's reviews
197 reviews

There There by Tommy Orange

3.0

Very well written and the stories were all so well interconnected and attached. The ending left me very unsatisfied though, it kind of felt like the book ended right as the climax had just hit. Leaving things unresolved was definitely true to life and a powerful choice, but I would have preferred a more tied up ending.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

4.0

Such a good book! Lots of twists and turns that I did not see coming. She really does do a great job of establishing who and what is trustworthy and then turning that all on its head. There are a few pieces in the end that I wish would have been expanded on. Overall a worthwhile read that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Mean by Myriam Gurba

5.0

Many memoirs are just young people telling their intense moments and then teaching us a lesson about life, seeing everything through a “everything happens for a reason” lens and seeing the good in everything. This book is not that. Myriam tells her story, and leaves it at that. She is honest, but is also honest with the fact that she is not going to tell us everything. She seemingly purposefully skirts around happier, more fulfilling times in her life, because “that’s another story”. She’s weaves together her personal experience with other events seamlessly, and gives us a real insight into her thoughts and feelings. There’s no lesson here, just a woman telling her story. She doesn’t care if you read it or not, but it was in the writing of it that she gained something.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

3.0

The warning attached to this book is that it is very suburban upper class white people problems. Lots of being misunderstood as an artist/intellectual, affairs, women fighting over whether their yard looks good enough, PTA drama, etc.
With that grain of salt - the plot is good, so many twists and turns and the way information is released to the reader is realistic to real life. I wanted more at the end! The writing style was honestly hard for me to get into, but once I knew who the characters were and how they fit into one another’s lives it was much easier to get into the swing of things.

I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

5.0

Holy cow this book is amazing! The author is exceptionally talented at writing mysteries, and the way she releases information keeps you fully engaged and questioning your own intuition at every turn. The transcripts of the podcasts make for some variety in the already wonderful writing. People seem to have a bias against young adult fiction often, but this book is for teens and adults alike. Just enough teen drama mixed with questionable actions by most of the adults involved.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

4.0

This book is so so tragic, I wanted to scream at the characters to just say what they were thinking!! Just be honest!! It is very well written, and the way the author describes the inner thoughts of people experiencing abuse, depression, and anxiety is really insightful and true to life. It’s very good, but so sad.

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

2.0

Well written, but definitely a biography more so than a study of the prosperity gospel or why we use the phrase “everything happens for a reason”. I was looking for a book that got more reflective and heady, one that dove into why we use these unhelpful phrases in the face of suffering or oppression. This book was not that. She tells her story well, but the book focuses on telling her story first, and splashing in phrases that were unhelpful to her.

All My Mother's Lovers by Ilana Masad

4.0

A beautiful story about acceptance, learning to be loved, the reality of familial relationships, and the steps of healing. The complexity of relationships, love, and acceptance are put on display so perfectly. The author does a great job of showing and telling us how Iris and Maggie are so similar, even though, to each of them, they seemed so far apart. The descriptions of the inner workings of both Iris and Maggie’s minds are exquisite, and true to life. This is, at its heart, a love story about a girl and her mother.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

5.0

Amazing story, beautifully written prose. Below are some of my favorite passages, but the way Zadie uses turns of phrase to mirror what is happening in the characters' lives and minds is unmatched. As Jerome is making a discovery, she stretches out the sentence so we seem to be following the same path as he. As Zora and Kiki run to meet each other, both only having each other at this point, we feel the urgency for them to reach each other as quickly as possible, as the walls of their past life seem to close in around both of them.

Zadie Smith seems well versed in the inner workings of the minds of teenagers, and is able to make us feel the same intensely heightened emotions that her subjects feel. The narrative structure is easy to follow, and created for me a clear alliance with some characters, and a clear distrust of others. When I was reading from Howard's perspective, I instantly knew what is may feel like to be his wife or child, someone trying to get close to this hopelessly academic and strict man. And the characters grow so naturally throughout the book, she accurately predicts and describes how they change based on the life changes surrounding them.

Safe to say that I will revisit this book in the future to unlock the many layers I am sure to have missed.

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"She didn't stop to consider the meaning of what had just passed, and so did not follow Jerome as his mind wandered down a formerly concealed path to a dark destination: the truth." (page 417)

"An (almost) empty house. A bright spring day. Birdsong. Squirrels. All the curtains and blinds open except Jerome's room, where a beast with a hangover remains under his comforter." (page 423)

"Howard begged her for a little more time. There was no more time. Mother and daughter were already calling for each other, one running upstairs and one running down, each with her own rich, strange news." (page 433)

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

5.0

I was drawn to this book because I love Brit Bennett, but also with the understanding that it would mostly be about the assumptions and attitudes wrapped up in people “passing” as white. However, what kept me reading was the incredible way that Bennett interrogates familial relationships, love, lies, secrets, and the way our background affects how we are able to shape our future. This book is an incredible deep dive into mother daughter relationships, but also gives us insight into how love, bias, physical pain and pleasure, and lies play out in romantic relationships.
There is a character for everyone to relate to, but I would especially recommend this book for women, mothers, and daughters. Bennett has proven herself, again, to be an expert in female friendships and relationships.