Kasia's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:27:37 -0700 60 Kasia's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite]]> 20685373
Every day, three times a day, the students march in two straight lines, singing praises to Kim Jong-il and North Korea: Without you, there is no motherland. Without you, there is no us. It is a chilling scene, but gradually Suki Kim, too, learns the tune and, without noticing, begins to hum it. It is 2011, and all universities in North Korea have been shut down for an entire year, the students sent to construction fields - except for the 270 students at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), a walled compound where portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il look on impassively from the walls of every room, and where Suki has accepted a job teaching English. Over the next six months, she will eat three meals a day with her young charges and struggle to teach them to write, all under the watchful eye of the regime.

Life at PUST is lonely and claustrophobic, especially for Suki, whose letters are read by censors and who must hide her notes and photographs not only from her minders but from her colleagues - evangelical Christian missionaries who don't know or choose to ignore that Suki doesn't share their faith. She is mystified by how easily her students lie, unnerved by their obedience to the regime. To them, everything in North Korea is the best, the tallest, the most delicious, the envy of all nations. Still, she cannot help but love them - their boyish enthusiasm, their eagerness to please, the flashes of curiosity that have not yet been extinguished.

As the weeks pass, she begins to hint at the existence of a world beyond their own - at such exotic activities as surfing the Internet or traveling freely and, more dangerously, at electoral democracy and other ideas forbidden in a country where defectors risk torture and execution. The students in turn offer Suki tantalizing glimpses into their lives, from their thoughts on how to impress girls to their disappointment that soccer games are only televised when the North Korean team wins. Then Kim Jong-il dies, leaving the students devastated, and leading Suki to question whether the gulf between her world and theirs can ever be bridged.

Without You, There Is No Us offers a moving and incalculably rare glimpse of life in the world's most unknowable country, and at the privileged young men she calls "soldiers and slaves."]]> 291 Suki Kim 0307720659 Kasia 0 to-read 3.92 2014 Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite
author: Suki Kim
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea]]> 40604846 Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and the devastation of a far-ranging famine that killed one-fifth of the population.

Taking us into a landscape most of us have never before seen, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive totalitarian regime today—an Orwellian world that is by choice not connected to the Internet, in which radio and television dials are welded to the one government station, and where displays of affection are punished; a police state where informants are rewarded and where an offhand remark can send a person to the gulag for life.

Demick takes us deep inside the country, beyond the reach of government censors. Through meticulous and sensitive reporting, we see her six subjects—average North Korean citizens—fall in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and struggle for survival. One by one, we experience the moments when they realize that their government has betrayed them.

Nothing to Envy is a groundbreaking addition to the literature of totalitarianism and an eye-opening look at a closed world that is of increasing global importance.]]> 338 Barbara Demick Kasia 0 to-read 4.47 2009 Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
author: Barbara Demick
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know]]> 57190766 Malcolm Gladwell, host of the podcast Revisionist History and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Outliers, offers a powerful examination of our interactions with strangers�and why they often go wrong.

ĚýA Best Book of the Year: The Financial Times, Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, and Detroit Free Press

ĚýHow did Fidel Castro fool the CIA for a generation? Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Adolf Hitler? Why are campus sexual assaults on the rise? Do television sitcoms teach us something about the way we relate to one another that isn’t true?
Ěý
Talking to Strangers is a classically Gladwellian intellectual adventure, a challenging and controversial excursion through history, psychology, and scandals taken straight from the news. He revisits the deceptions of Bernie Madoff, the trial of Amanda Knox, the suicide of Sylvia Plath, the Jerry Sandusky pedophilia scandal at Penn State University, and the death of Sandra Bland—throwing our understanding of these and other stories into doubt.
Ěý
Something is very wrong, Gladwell argues, with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don’t know. And because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world. In his first book since his #1 bestseller David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell has written a gripping guidebook for troubled times.]]> 416 Malcolm Gladwell 0316299227 Kasia 0 currently-reading 3.94 2019 Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
author: Malcolm Gladwell
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[We'll Prescribe You a Cat (We'll Prescribe You a Cat, #1)]]> 209891170 A cat a day keeps the doctor away�.

Discover this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats in the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation.

Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can be found only by people who are struggling in their lives and who genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take� their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, and occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.

Throughout these pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a hardened handbag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha learns to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients grapple with their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.]]> 297 Syou Ishida 0593818741 Kasia 0 to-read 3.79 2023 We'll Prescribe You a Cat (We'll Prescribe You a Cat, #1)
author: Syou Ishida
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide: How You Can Become More Hopeful, Connected, and Happy]]> 57341776

Got anxiety? Join the club. More specifically, join the Anxiety Sisterhood. Abs and Mags, aka the Anxiety Sisters, have spent the past thirty years figuring out how to outsmart their anxiety-ridden brains, and the last five years sharing what they’ve learned with a growing online community of like-minded sufferers who are looking for ways to cope better every day.

Whether you’re looking to better understand and manage panic, worry, grief, stress, or phobias, or just want to pause the endless spin cycle in your head, you’ll find real-world, research-based techniques, exercises, and insights—without the clinical, confusing, one-size-fits-all approach that isn’t so helpful when your mind is racing, your triggers are in overdrive, and you just want to get back to feeling normal . . . ish.

Most of all, this is a handbook for fighting Shrinking World Syndrome—that isolating, lonely feeling that comes from letting your anxiety run the show. The stories and suggestions in this book will remind you that you’re not alone. You don’t have to eliminate anxiety from your life in order to feel okay . . . and, yes, even happy.]]> 304 Abbe Greenberg 0593329473 Kasia 5 mental-health
Reread 2025
Almost 5 years later and this book is even MORE relevant to me now than ever! I feel like I’ve had time to absorb the contents and start practicing them in my day to day life, so it was nice to revisit and see how much I’ve progressed and what else I have to learn :) very digestible and quick read for anyone suffering from anxiety id highly recommend! ]]> 4.25 The Anxiety Sisters' Survival Guide: How You Can Become More Hopeful, Connected, and Happy
author: Abbe Greenberg
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: mental-health
review:
What an amazing book!! I loved every single thing about this book and could relate to a lot the authors discussed relating to anxiety. I dog eared a lot of sections and know I will be returning to this book and whenever I feel like I need some guidance. I recommend to anyone who suffers or thinks they suffer from anxiety. It’s a heartwarming and straightforward book that gets right to the point.

Reread 2025
Almost 5 years later and this book is even MORE relevant to me now than ever! I feel like I’ve had time to absorb the contents and start practicing them in my day to day life, so it was nice to revisit and see how much I’ve progressed and what else I have to learn :) very digestible and quick read for anyone suffering from anxiety id highly recommend!
]]> Frankenstein 34913533
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a gripping story about the ethics of creation and the consequences of trauma, is one of the most influential Gothic novels in British literature. It is as relevant today as it is haunting.

AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature’s most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds.

Revised edition: Previously published as Frankenstein, this edition of Frankenstein (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.]]> 253 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 1542096154 Kasia 4 want-to-reread
I was obviously aware of the pop culture references that Frankenstein has impressed itself on society today, but was wonderfully surprised to find a great novel from which these references come from. I found it delightfully interesting and questioning a lot about human nature, can’t wait to study more about it in my class! ]]> 4.06 1818 Frankenstein
author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1818
rating: 4
read at: 2020/01/19
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: want-to-reread
review:
This was REALLY REALLY good. This one definitely took me by surprise.

I was obviously aware of the pop culture references that Frankenstein has impressed itself on society today, but was wonderfully surprised to find a great novel from which these references come from. I found it delightfully interesting and questioning a lot about human nature, can’t wait to study more about it in my class!
]]> <![CDATA[How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)]]> 125227576
Forget “try harder.� When your brain works differently, you need to try different .
Ěý
Diagnosed with ADHD at age twelve, Jessica struggled with a brain that she didn’t understand. She lost things constantly, couldn’t finish projects, and felt like she was putting more effort in than everyone around her while falling further and further behind. At thirty-two years old—broke, divorced, and living with her mom—Jessica decided to look more deeply into her ADHD challenges. She reached out to experts, devoured articles, and shared her discoveries on YouTube.
Ěý
In How to ADHD , Jessica reveals the tools that have changed her life while offering an unflinching look at the realities of living with ADHD. The key to navigating a world not built for the neurodivergent brain, she discovered, isn’t to fix or fight against its natural tendencies but to understand and work with them. She explains how ADHD affects everyday life, covering executive function impairments, rejection sensitivity, difficulties with attention regulation, and more. You’ll also find ADHD-specific strategies for adapting your environment, routines, and systems,
Ěý
� Boost the signal and decrease the noise . Facilitate focus by putting your goals where you can see them and fighting distractions with distractions.
� Have less stuff to manage. Learn why you have trouble planning and prioritizing, and why doing more starts with doing less.
� Build your “time wisdom.� Work backward when you plan, and track how long it actually takes you to do something.
� Learn about your emotions. Understand how naming your emotions and letting yourself experience them can make them easier to regulate.
Ěý
With quotes from Jessica’s online community, chapter summaries, and reading shortcuts designed for the neurodivergent reader, How to ADHD will help you recognize your strengths and challenges, tackle “bad brain days,� and be kinder to yourself in the process.]]> 464 Jessica McCabe 0593578945 Kasia 5 audiobooks, adhd 4.44 2024 How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)
author: Jessica McCabe
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/14
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: audiobooks, adhd
review:
The ADHD in me forgot to review this book right away so here I am 2 weeks later.. This is not my first book I've read on ADHD, but I would say I found this one the most personal and helpful I like the way Jessica broke down the concepts and used her own anecdotes to share tips. Her approach was very much about self-compassion and acceptance, which I really appreciate (and in hindsight now, NEED VERY MUCH LOL)
]]> <![CDATA[ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD]]> 180352087 Hi, friend! Welcome to the ADHD club.

You're here because, like me, you've been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—which, by the way, just might be the worst name for a condition ever—and you're trying to figure out how to make your life a little more manageable. Or because, like my wife, Kim, you love, teach, or work with someone who has ADHD, and you're trying to figure out how to best support them.

The world isn't built for ADHDers, and navigating it can wear us down. But we'll let you in on a little secret: having ADHD doesn't have to be a burden. It can actually be a superpower that propels you to creative heights and allows you to achieve more than you ever thought possible.

We want to give you a new perspective on ADHD, whether it's your own brain or a friend or family member's that you're trying to understand. We hope you come away with strategies you can employ to make things a little easier. (We also hope you laugh out loud, at least once or twice.)

Most of all, we want you to silence that voice that whispers that you're broken or a mess or a failure. None of that is true. You have ADHD—and that makes you awesome.

—Penn Holderness]]> 292 Penn Holderness 1400338611 Kasia 5 adhd 4.22 2024 ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD
author: Penn Holderness
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: adhd
review:

]]> <![CDATA[ADHD for Smart Ass Women: How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain]]> 124254703 An unprecedented guide for any woman with ADHD looking to celebrate her unique brilliance and to embark on a journey of self-discovery.

ADHD is one of the most common neurological disor­ders in the United States—yet a staggering 75 percent of girls and women remain undiagnosed. Due to the gen­der gap in medical research, which does not account for symptoms manifesting differently in women—leading to increased problems with anxiety, depression, work­ing memory, sleep, energy, and concentration—many ADHD women are left to navigate a society that fails to understand their struggles and gifts. But what if every woman had the resources and support to uncover the hidden wonders of her neurodivergent brain?

Enter certified ADHD coach and podcast host Tracy Otsuka. Armed with her experience coaching thou­sands of women, cutting-edge medical research, and personal insights from her own diagnosis, she presents a revelatory guide tailored specifically for girls and women with ADHD. In it, Otsuka offers an entirely new set of tools, systems, and strategies to access a world of boundless productivity, focus, and confidence.

With her signature wit and levity—in entertaining chapters designed for ADHD readers—Otsuka explores the unique challenges that ADHD women face and illuminates the extraordinary qualities that set them overflowing creativity, laser-focused attention, deep empathy, and fearless entrepreneurial spirit. Even without an official diagnosis, readers will be equipped with the tools to conquer any to-do list and to tap into their true purpose, personally or professionally.

By dismantling the long-standing stereotypes and misinformation surrounding women with ADHD, Otsuka offers a beacon of hope for any woman looking to transform her symptoms into strengths. Comprehensive, lively, and long overdue, ADHD for Smart Ass Women is the key to unlocking unparalleled potential and to understanding your truly magnifi­cent and brilliant brain.

Are you ready to discover your superpower?]]> 274 Tracy Otsuka 0063307065 Kasia 5 adhd 4.11 2023 ADHD for Smart Ass Women: How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain
author: Tracy Otsuka
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: adhd
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)]]> 16328
The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of Veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells� before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.

Librarian's note: the first fifteen novels in the Hercule Poirot series are 1) The Mysterious Affair at Styles, 1920; 2) The Murder on the Links, 1923; 3) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 1926; 4) The Big Four, 1927; 5) The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928; 6) Peril at End House, 1932; 7) Lord Edgware Dies, 1933; 8) Murder on the Orient Express, 1934; 9) Three Act Tragedy, 1935; 10) Death in the Clouds, 1935; 11) The A.B.C. Murders, 1936; 12) Murder in Mesopotamia, 1936; 13) Cards on the Table, 1936; 14) Dumb Witness, 1937; and 15) Death on the Nile, 1937. These are just the novels; Poirot also appears in this period in a play, Black Coffee, 1930, and two collections of short stories, Poirot Investigates, 1924, and Murder in the Mews, 1937. Each novel, play and short story has its own entry on Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ.]]> 288 Agatha Christie 1579126278 Kasia 3 agatha-christie-read 4.26 1926 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1926
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: agatha-christie-read
review:
It’s been so long since I’ve read Agatha Christie, so I figured I’d get back into it by starting at the beginning! I really missed Hercule Poirot and looking forward to reading more of him :) unfortunately I knew the spoiler going into this one so it impacted my experience, but overall, it was fun seeing how Agatha masterfully created the unreliable narrator arc.
]]> <![CDATA[The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It]]> 31579915 With cutting-edge sleep science and time-tested techniques, The Sleep Solution will help anyone achieve healthy sleep and eliminate pills, pain, and fatigue.

If you want to fix your sleep problems, Internet tips and tricks aren't going to do it for you. You need to really understand what's going on with your sleep--both what your problems are and how to solve them.

The Sleep Solution is an exciting journey of sleep self-discovery and understanding that will help you custom design specific interventions to fit your lifestyle. Drawing on his twenty-four years of experience within the field, neurologist and sleep expert W. Chris Winter will help you...

- Understand how sleep works and the ways in which food, light, and other activities act to help or hurt the process
- Learn why sleeping pills are so often misunderstood and used incorrectly--and how you can achieve your best sleep without them
- Incorporate sleep and napping into your life--whether you are a shift worker, student, or overcommitted parent
- Think outside the box to better understand ways to treat a multitude of
conditions--from insomnia to sleep apnea to restless leg syndrome and circadian sleep disorders
- Wade through the ever-changing sea of sleep technology and understand its value as it relates to your own sleep struggles

Dubbed the "Sleep Whisperer" by Arianna Huffington, Dr. Winter is an international expert on sleep and has helped more than 10,000 patients rest better at night, including countless professional athletes. Now, he's bringing his experiences out from under the covers--redefining what it means to have optimal sleep and get the ZZZs you really need...

INCLUDES TIPS, TRICKS, EXERCISES, AND ILLUSTRATIONS ]]> 272 W. Chris Winter 0399583602 Kasia 4 reread
...
REREAD 2025 - SOLID REREAD! I had been struggling with stress and sleep lately and this book put a healthy reminder in my brain that we always sleep, even if we don't think we did. Fear truly is our biggest enemy!]]> 4.00 2017 The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It
author: W. Chris Winter
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: reread
review:
A really funny and informative book on sleep! I really liked the part where he included CBT practices & mindfulness surrounding sleep issues. Brought my awareness and changed my thinking about many sleep related things

...
REREAD 2025 - SOLID REREAD! I had been struggling with stress and sleep lately and this book put a healthy reminder in my brain that we always sleep, even if we don't think we did. Fear truly is our biggest enemy!
]]> <![CDATA[The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma]]> 18693771 A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing.

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world's foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers' capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain's natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk's own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.]]> 464 Bessel van der Kolk 0670785938 Kasia 5 4.36 2014 The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
author: Bessel van der Kolk
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/05
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
I’ve been anticipating this book for a while now and have been waiting to be in the right mood for it. The book delves a lot into the neuroscience behind trauma impact on individuals with PTSD; specifically war veterans and abused children. I like how the novel steered away from pharmaceutical remedies for trauma and instead focused on physical healing like massages, neurofeedback , etc
]]> <![CDATA[Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience]]> 58330567 Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.

Over the past two decades, Brown's extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as on Brown's singular skills as a storyteller, to show us how accurately naming an experience doesn't give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice.

Brown shares, "I want this book to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves."]]> 301 Brené Brown 0399592555 Kasia 5 4.33 2021 Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
author: Brené Brown
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/10
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
Another great self-help book that I found very rewarding to listen to. This book read almost like a detailed dictionary of our complex human emotions, and helped me to understand some parts of myself I didn't before. I really liked Brene's voice and found a lot of her research to be interesting. Parts of the book felt like it dragged on a little, but I still really enjoyed it overall!!
]]> <![CDATA[Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day]]> 51942513 Jay Shetty, social media superstar and host of the #1 podcast On Purpose, distills the timeless wisdom he learned as a monk into practical steps anyone can take every day to live a less anxious, more meaningful life.

When you think like a monk, you’ll understand:
- How to overcome negativity
- How to stop overthinking
- Why comparison kills love
- How to use your fear
- Why you can’t find happiness by looking for it
- How to learn from everyone you meet
- Why you are not your thoughts
- How to find your purpose
- Why kindness is crucial to success
- And much more...

Shetty grew up in a family where you could become one of three things—a doctor, a lawyer, or a failure. His family was convinced he had chosen option three: instead of attending his college graduation ceremony, he headed to India to become a monk, to meditate every day for four to eight hours, and devote his life to helping others. After three years, one of his teachers told him that he would have more impact on the world if he left the monk’s path to share his experience and wisdom with others. Heavily in debt, and with no recognizable skills on his résumé, he moved back home in north London with his parents.

Shetty reconnected with old school friends—many working for some of the world’s largest corporations—who were experiencing tremendous stress, pressure, and unhappiness, and they invited Shetty to coach them on well-being, purpose, and mindfulness. Since then, Shetty has become one of the world’s most popular influencers. In 2017, he was named in the Forbes magazine 30-under-30 for being a game-changer in the world of media. In 2018, he had the #1 video on Facebook with over 360 million views. His social media following totals over 38 million, he has produced over 400 viral videos which have amassed more than 8 billion views, and his podcast, On Purpose, is consistently ranked the world’s #1 Health and Wellness podcast.

In this inspiring, empowering book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Combining ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. He transforms abstract lessons into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve relationships, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can—and should—think like a monk.]]> 328 Jay Shetty 1982134488 Kasia 5 audiobooks 4.18 2020 Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day
author: Jay Shetty
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/11
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves: audiobooks
review:
Easily one of the best books I read this year, definitely my favourite audiobook this year. I've listened to a fee episodes of Jay Shetty's podcast "On Purpose" and really enjoyed it, so I was intrigued by his book. he goes into detail on a lot of great topics, including the ego, relationships, gratitude, service to others, etc. There were so many moments listening that I thought Jay was speaking to my soul. I resonated with almost everything, plus his voice is so soothing <3
]]> Warrior Girl Unearthed 61675933
Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl�, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors� remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right � for the ancestors and for their community.]]> 396 Angeline Boulley 1250766583 Kasia 2
This book is a companion to Firekeeper's Daughter, which I read and really enjoyed a few years back. I always like reading Indigenous authors, but this one didn't stick with me. I wasn't really invested in the story and I felt like the author was trying to cover too many topics at once. She tried covering MMIW, repatriation, gender based violence, and I found myself trying to keep up. Unfortunately , a disappointment :( ]]> 4.31 2023 Warrior Girl Unearthed
author: Angeline Boulley
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/03/06
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
2.5/5 stars

This book is a companion to Firekeeper's Daughter, which I read and really enjoyed a few years back. I always like reading Indigenous authors, but this one didn't stick with me. I wasn't really invested in the story and I felt like the author was trying to cover too many topics at once. She tried covering MMIW, repatriation, gender based violence, and I found myself trying to keep up. Unfortunately , a disappointment :(
]]> <![CDATA[How to Work Without Losing Your Mind]]> 50503651
A painfully honest, hilarious, and relatable guide to surviving the hell of the nine-to-five, helping you navigate the real, messy, stressful, and sometimes bizarre side of work that everyone experiences but no one talks about.

Drawing on her time working in both giant corporations and scrappy startups, Cate Sevilla is a voice of reason, guiding you through every shitstorm you'll ever face, whether you'

- feeling overwhelmed by your workload
- trying to get out of a job you hate
- battling a micromanager who seems determined to destroy you
- struggling to stay motivated
- or bouncing back from failure

How to Work Without Losing Your Mind will replace the G&T at the end of your day. It'll be your tonic to a long, hard working week, where you've cried in the office bathrooms and are wondering what to do next.]]> 336 Cate Sevilla 0241439663 Kasia 4 3.79 How to Work Without Losing Your Mind
author: Cate Sevilla
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/20
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
this book fell into my lap at the perfect time, I recently started my new job at work and was recovering from a traumatic job loss. Cate delves into a lot of topics, such as job loss, setting boundaries, parenting while working, etc. There were some chapters I felt were not really relevant to me currently, but were interesting nonetheless. I was intrigued by the female lens that Cate took, but I didn't agree with all her gendered points. Overall, a helpful and timing read!
]]> <![CDATA[Intuitive Eating for Life: How Mindfulness Can Deepen and Sustain Your Intuitive Eating Practice]]> 60062227 216 Jenna Hollenstein MS Rd Cdn 1684039401 Kasia 3
I picked this book up on a whim last week from BMV because I've struggled for so long with body mage and my relationship with food. I've heard about intuitive eating before but this book went deeper than I thought. Jenna focused a bit on Buddhist practices of mindfulness, as well as acceptance of your reality rather than trying to fight it. She tried to destigmatize diet culture and expose how much its negativity impacted us (women especially). I know I'll be referring to this book a lot, and I feel like I've learned quite a bit. ]]> 3.78 Intuitive Eating for Life: How Mindfulness Can Deepen and Sustain Your Intuitive Eating Practice
author: Jenna Hollenstein MS Rd Cdn
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.78
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
3.5/5 stars

I picked this book up on a whim last week from BMV because I've struggled for so long with body mage and my relationship with food. I've heard about intuitive eating before but this book went deeper than I thought. Jenna focused a bit on Buddhist practices of mindfulness, as well as acceptance of your reality rather than trying to fight it. She tried to destigmatize diet culture and expose how much its negativity impacted us (women especially). I know I'll be referring to this book a lot, and I feel like I've learned quite a bit.
]]> <![CDATA[Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)]]> 9969571 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.]]> 480 Ernest Cline 030788743X Kasia 3
for some reason, I went into this book fully picturing the movie adaptation to have starred Harrison Ford, only to realize that he was in the blade runner. Whoops. I listened to this on audio and was attracted to the fact that Will Whearton narrated it (whom I adore- narration style wise) but this book went over my head. I did not find myself connecting with any of the characters or plot in general. The ending was super predictable and cheesy. I may have liked this 8 years ago, but my time has passed to enjoy this genre. (post-editing Kasia in Dec 2024, never say never!) ]]> 4.21 2011 Ready Player One (Ready Player One, #1)
author: Ernest Cline
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/06
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
2.5/5 stars

for some reason, I went into this book fully picturing the movie adaptation to have starred Harrison Ford, only to realize that he was in the blade runner. Whoops. I listened to this on audio and was attracted to the fact that Will Whearton narrated it (whom I adore- narration style wise) but this book went over my head. I did not find myself connecting with any of the characters or plot in general. The ending was super predictable and cheesy. I may have liked this 8 years ago, but my time has passed to enjoy this genre. (post-editing Kasia in Dec 2024, never say never!)
]]> Remarkably Bright Creatures 58733693 Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 368 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204150 Kasia 3 4.35 2022 Remarkably Bright Creatures
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/16
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
The premise of Remarkably Bright Creatures was quite promising, considering there was a talking octopus destined to be the key in an elderly woman's son's disappearance. However, I found the plot to fall short. There was not nearly enough perspective from Marcellus as I had hoped, and I just didn't find myself as invested in the characters. I thought the last chapter from Marcellus' perspective was heartwarming, and I wish more of the book had been in that spirit.
]]> The Storm We Made 60211228 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781668015148.

A novel about a Malayan mother who becomes an unlikely spy for the invading Japanese forces during WWII—and the shocking consequences that rain upon her community and family.

Malaya, 1945. Cecily Alcantara’s family is in terrible danger: her fifteen-year-old son, Abel, has disappeared, and her youngest daughter, Jasmin, is confined in a basement to prevent being pressed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube, who works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers, becomes angrier by the day.

Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault; and that her family must never learn the truth.

A decade prior, Cecily had been desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in British-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage, pursuing dreams of an “Asia for Asians.� Instead, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex, her actions have caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction—and she will do anything to save them.]]> 339 Vanessa Chan Kasia 5 3.80 2024 The Storm We Made
author: Vanessa Chan
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/07
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
Vanessa Chan's debut novel is as powerful as the title suggests, she definitely did not shy away from making a storm with this one. I've never read or even knew about the Malaysian invasion during WWII, so that was.a fascinating perspective to read from. Her writing is so powerful and I had trouble putting the book down. All four perspectives were uniquely captivating and I was really engrossed in all their stories. I loved how all the threads came together at the end, it felt very satisfying to conclude. I will watch out for this author!
]]> The Japanese Lover 25152052
Decades later, Alma is nearing the end of her long and eventful life. Irina Bazili, a care worker struggling to come to terms with her own troubled past, meets the elderly woman and her grandson, Seth, at San Francisco's charmingly eccentric Lark House nursing home. As Irina and Seth forge a friendship, they become intrigued by a series of mysterious gifts and letters sent to Alma, eventually learning about Ichimei and this extraordinary secret passion that has endured for nearly seventy years.]]> 322 Isabel Allende 1501116975 Kasia 5 3.79 2015 The Japanese Lover
author: Isabel Allende
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/03
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves:
review:
This one was a pleasant surprise! I've never read Allende before, but this was the first novel of hers where I felt truly gripped. I had no idea the protagonist would have Polish roots, which added immensely to my enjoyment. The writing was beautiful, and I found myself greatly invested in the characters quite quickly! I did not see the plot twists coming, and I really likes how the story unfolded. The ending had one clast little twist with Ichi's ghost that I found very moving and gave me chills. Loved it!
]]> <![CDATA[When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress]]> 450534
When the Body Says No is an impressive contribution to research on the physiological connection between life's stresses and emotions and the body systems governing nerves, immune apparatus and hormones. With great compassion and erudition, Gabor Maté demystifies medical science and, as he did in Scattered Minds , invites us all to be our own health advocates.]]> 320 Gabor Maté 0676973124 Kasia 4 4.21 2003 When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
author: Gabor Maté
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:

]]> The Leftover Woman 78296909 An evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women--from the New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation.

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth--another female casualty of China's controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she's forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She's even hired a Chinese nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca's job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city--separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child.]]> 288 Jean Kwok 0063031469 Kasia 3 3.72 2023 The Leftover Woman
author: Jean Kwok
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, The Accident]]> 12823
Night, first published in 1960, is Wiesel's true account of spiritual and national exile and one of the masterpieces of Holocaust literature. The adolescent Elie and his family, among hundreds of thousands of Jews from all parts of Eastern Europe, are cruelly deported from their hometown to the horrors of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. Wiesel writes of their battle for survival, and of his battle with God for a way to understand the wanton cruelty he witnesses each day.

In the short novel Dawn (1961), Elisha - the sole survivor of his family, whose immolation he witnessed at Auschwitz - has survived the Second World War and settled in Palestine. Apprenticed to a Jewish terrorist gang, he is commanded to execute a British officer who has been taken hostage. During the lonely hours before dawn, he meditates on the act of murder he is waiting to commit.

In The Accident, (1962), Wiesel's second novel, Elisha, now a journalist living in New York, is the victim of a nearly fatal automobile accident. This fiction questions the limits of the spirit and the self: Can Holocaust survivors forge a new life without the memories of the old? As the author writes in his introduction, "In Night it is the 'I' who speaks; in the other two [narratives], it is the 'I' who listens and questions."

Wiesel's trilogy offers meditations on mankind's attraction to violence and on the temptation of self-destruction.]]> 317 Elie Wiesel 0374521409 Kasia 0 currently-reading 4.26 1961 The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, The Accident
author: Elie Wiesel
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1961
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Monkey Beach 292706
Visited by ghosts and shapeshifters, tormented by premonitions, she can't escape the sense that something terrible is waiting for her. She recounts her enchanted yet scarred life as she journeys in her speedboat up the frigid waters of the Douglas Channel. She is searching for her brother, dead by drowning, and in her own way running as fast as she can toward danger. Circling her brother's tragic death are the remarkable characters that make up her family: Lisamarie's parents, struggling to join their Haisla heritage with Western ways; Uncle Mick, a Native rights activist and devoted Elvis fan; and the headstrong Ma-ma-oo (Haisla for "grandmother"), a guardian of tradition.

Haunting, funny, and vividly poignant, Monkey Beach gives full scope to Robinson's startling ability to make bedfellows of comedy and the dark underside of life. Informed as much by its lush living wilderness as by the humanity of its colorful characters, Monkey Beach is a profoundly moving story about childhood and the pain of growing older--a multilayered tale of family grief and redemption.]]> 384 Eden Robinson 0618219056 Kasia 4 want-to-reread
Definitely a book I have to reread; I had to read this at a slow pace because it was for a book club, and I think that hindered my engagement with the novel. But I love Robinson's writing and will try out her other books in the future.

I read this for my university's Indigenous book club, and cannot wait to have our final meetings and see what everyone else thought about this book.]]> 4.04 2000 Monkey Beach
author: Eden Robinson
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2021/02/08
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: want-to-reread
review:
This is one of those books you have to read it in its entirety to fully appreciate what the novel was trying to accomplish. We all go into stories expecting them to be set up a certain way, and once again, I felt like the story took me in a whole new direction I didn't expect. The first good chunk of this book felt like it lagged at times, but the last 100 pages or so really picked up Jimmy and Lisa's storyline that I finished the last 80 pages in one sitting!

Definitely a book I have to reread; I had to read this at a slow pace because it was for a book club, and I think that hindered my engagement with the novel. But I love Robinson's writing and will try out her other books in the future.

I read this for my university's Indigenous book club, and cannot wait to have our final meetings and see what everyone else thought about this book.
]]> Monkey Beach 219472236
Infused by turns with darkness and humor, Monkey Beachis a spellbinding voyage into the long, cool shadows of B.C.’s Coast Mountains, blending teen culture, Haisla lore, nature spirits and human tenderness into a multi-layered story of loss and redemption.]]> 374 Eden Robinson 0676973221 Kasia 4
Definitely a book I have to reread; I had to read this at a slow pace because it was for a book club, and I think that hindered my engagement with the novel. But I love Robinson's writing and will try out her other books in the future.

I read this for my university's Indigenous book club, and cannot wait to have our final meetings and see what everyone else thought about this book.]]> 3.91 2000 Monkey Beach
author: Eden Robinson
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves:
review:
This is one of those books you have to read it in its entirety to fully appreciate what the novel was trying to accomplish. We all go into stories expecting them to be set up a certain way, and once again, I felt like the story took me in a whole new direction I didn't expect. The first good chunk of this book felt like it lagged at times, but the last 100 pages or so really picked up Jimmy and Lisa's storyline that I finished the last 80 pages in one sitting!

Definitely a book I have to reread; I had to read this at a slow pace because it was for a book club, and I think that hindered my engagement with the novel. But I love Robinson's writing and will try out her other books in the future.

I read this for my university's Indigenous book club, and cannot wait to have our final meetings and see what everyone else thought about this book.
]]> A Little Life 25852828 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER � A stunning “portrait of the enduring grace of friendship� (NPR) about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves. A masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century.

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST � MAN BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST � WINNER OF THE KIRKUS PRIZE �

A Little Life follows four college classmates—broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition—as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara’s stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.]]> 816 Hanya Yanagihara 0804172706 Kasia 0 want-to-reread
This, I think, is the first time I have read book that I thought the writing was amazing but I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I think this book grossly means something so different to everyone who decides to read it.

My personal backstory to how I found out about ALL: I watched one of my favourite booktuber's video, Hannah, from aclockworkreads, about sad books she read and when I saw her reaction to this book (which was that it's horrible and no one should read it and she wished she could forget the characters and sobbed uncontrollably) I naturally was curious to research more.

I read up on all the trigger warnings (before I started) and an article a friend sent me (once I started reading ALL) about the criticisms people had against the author's intentions for writing this book.

One thing I like to do is separate the art from the artist (with some exceptions of course.) I think intentions vs. perceptions are completely different and any work of literature is up to the interpretation of the reader no matter what the author intends (definitely influenced by my English degree I'm doing right now.)

So, although I agree with many points people have as to how ALL is torture "porn" ( I don't like that word ) because there are so many graphic scenes that eventually I became desensitized to it. I also agree that the book in some ways portrays Jude as this character who is hopeless and would be "better off dead" because life is too much (even the author herself admits to writing Jude this way.) I completely understand why people would be instantly turned off by this book just because of that point.

But I don't think just because a book is immoral or makes a controversial stance that it's bad or unreadable. Different strokes for different folks.

Which is why I will not be recommending this book to anyone and if anyone asks me, I will preface my conversations with, do your research, make your own choice. It's up to you if you want to listen to the criticisms or not. This is definitely a book you can live happily without (and also with, I believe), having never known what happens to Jude, Willem, JB, or Malcom. I, for one, do not regret reading this book at all even though I had many issues with it ([spoilers removed])

I believe there is a lot of good to be learnt from this book, despite the fact that the entire book is really just one big dumpster fire that has minuscule moments of light that are totally trenched by darkness. However, the lessons I take from this book are all individual to me based on my own personal life experiences and that's why it's not a book for everyone, or maybe even most people. I don't know. We each come from different walks of life, it's hard for me to gauge.

P.s. I quite literally dog-eared (with dog sticky tabs) about half of this book. To put even a quarter of the quotes I tabbed would take up more room than it's worth. So, I am going to now flip to a random doggy note and put the quote here for your enjoyment (if you got this far).

pps. I will not be giving this book a rating. it feels wrong to rate something this raw and personal.

"'You won't understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are-not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving-and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad-or good- it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. But the best, as well.'"
]]> 4.36 2015 A Little Life
author: Hanya Yanagihara
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2022/02/17
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves: want-to-reread
review:
How does one even begin a review for A Little Life?

This, I think, is the first time I have read book that I thought the writing was amazing but I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I think this book grossly means something so different to everyone who decides to read it.

My personal backstory to how I found out about ALL: I watched one of my favourite booktuber's video, Hannah, from aclockworkreads, about sad books she read and when I saw her reaction to this book (which was that it's horrible and no one should read it and she wished she could forget the characters and sobbed uncontrollably) I naturally was curious to research more.

I read up on all the trigger warnings (before I started) and an article a friend sent me (once I started reading ALL) about the criticisms people had against the author's intentions for writing this book.

One thing I like to do is separate the art from the artist (with some exceptions of course.) I think intentions vs. perceptions are completely different and any work of literature is up to the interpretation of the reader no matter what the author intends (definitely influenced by my English degree I'm doing right now.)

So, although I agree with many points people have as to how ALL is torture "porn" ( I don't like that word ) because there are so many graphic scenes that eventually I became desensitized to it. I also agree that the book in some ways portrays Jude as this character who is hopeless and would be "better off dead" because life is too much (even the author herself admits to writing Jude this way.) I completely understand why people would be instantly turned off by this book just because of that point.

But I don't think just because a book is immoral or makes a controversial stance that it's bad or unreadable. Different strokes for different folks.

Which is why I will not be recommending this book to anyone and if anyone asks me, I will preface my conversations with, do your research, make your own choice. It's up to you if you want to listen to the criticisms or not. This is definitely a book you can live happily without (and also with, I believe), having never known what happens to Jude, Willem, JB, or Malcom. I, for one, do not regret reading this book at all even though I had many issues with it ([spoilers removed])

I believe there is a lot of good to be learnt from this book, despite the fact that the entire book is really just one big dumpster fire that has minuscule moments of light that are totally trenched by darkness. However, the lessons I take from this book are all individual to me based on my own personal life experiences and that's why it's not a book for everyone, or maybe even most people. I don't know. We each come from different walks of life, it's hard for me to gauge.

P.s. I quite literally dog-eared (with dog sticky tabs) about half of this book. To put even a quarter of the quotes I tabbed would take up more room than it's worth. So, I am going to now flip to a random doggy note and put the quote here for your enjoyment (if you got this far).

pps. I will not be giving this book a rating. it feels wrong to rate something this raw and personal.

"'You won't understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are-not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving-and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad-or good- it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. But the best, as well.'"

]]> <![CDATA[Love Life: How to Raise Your Standards, Find Your Person, and Live Happily (No Matter What)]]> 181109992
More than a book about navigating our love lives, Hussey’s new book is about the deeper issues our love lives reveal. Love isn’t the answer to our problems, Hussey explains. It’s a doorway to them; not a way out, but a way in. Like most of us, Hussey has gone through major changes over the past decade, and he shares some of those experiences, vulnerabilities, and mistakes.

What happens when we date, fall in love, or when we are faced with loneliness? What decisions do we make that cause us more pain and send us further adrift from what we want? Who hasn’t shied away from taking risks because they feared rejection? Who hasn’t put up with the wrong behavior because they’re afraid of losing someone or of expressing what they really need? Who hasn’t lived with the fear and anxiety of not being good enough for their partner? Or knowing their partner isn’t good for them, but stay in a bad relationship that is ultimately self-harming? In Love Life Hussey addresses these questions and more.

Our love lives hold the uncanny power to elevate or eradicate all the adjacent joy in our lives. The deeper purpose of Love Life is to ensure your love for your life will never be dependent on your relationship status. It’s about finding your love for life even while still on the journey to finding your person.]]> 272 Matthew Hussey 0063294389 Kasia 5 4.20 Love Life: How to Raise Your Standards, Find Your Person, and Live Happily (No Matter What)
author: Matthew Hussey
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Night Road 57693548 From Kristin Hannah, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit novels Firefly Lane, The Nightingale, and The Four Winds comes a novel about how one reckless night destroys the lives of three teenagers and their families.

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children's needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia's best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.

Jude does everything to keep her kids out of harm's way. But senior year of high school tests them all. It's a dangerous, explosive season of drinking, driving, parties, and kids who want to let loose. And then on a hot summer's night, one bad decision is made. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.]]> 416 Kristin Hannah 1250838495 Kasia 4
The pace of Night Road reminds me of when I first got introduced to Hannah’s works through The Great Alone. I zoomed through that book, and this one was no different. I definitely did not see the accident coming, as I went into the book with only the synopsis in mind. Once the hearing happened, the book was pretty predictable from there on out, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Mia was a bit annoying to read about, especially in contrast to Lexi, who I felt like got the harsher blow (until of course Mia died, but that wasn’t solely Lexi’s fault). Jude really pissed me off for a good chunk of the book until she finally came to her senses.

Overall, the characters were engrossing enough that I found it difficult to put down. ]]> 4.23 2011 Night Road
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/01
date added: 2024/05/28
shelves:
review:
4.5 / 5 stars.

The pace of Night Road reminds me of when I first got introduced to Hannah’s works through The Great Alone. I zoomed through that book, and this one was no different. I definitely did not see the accident coming, as I went into the book with only the synopsis in mind. Once the hearing happened, the book was pretty predictable from there on out, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Mia was a bit annoying to read about, especially in contrast to Lexi, who I felt like got the harsher blow (until of course Mia died, but that wasn’t solely Lexi’s fault). Jude really pissed me off for a good chunk of the book until she finally came to her senses.

Overall, the characters were engrossing enough that I found it difficult to put down.
]]> Kafka on the Shore 212426882 Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.

As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers.]]> 468 Haruki Murakami Kasia 4
Merged review:

Not my fave Murakami but a solid one. It’s funny how I’m so used to conventional novels even though I know Murakami is very different based on what I’ve read before. I always instinctively predict linear plot lines whenever I start reading his books. Of course that never happens and it’s always weird af but somehow enjoyable??? Also I can’t be the only one who drew reference to tweedle dee and tweedle dum from Alice in Wonderland when reading about the two soldiers in the forest right?? Time to stalk google]]> 4.04 2002 Kafka on the Shore
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2022/03/01
date added: 2024/05/01
shelves:
review:
Not my fave Murakami but a solid one. It’s funny how I’m so used to conventional novels even though I know Murakami is very different based on what I’ve read before. I always instinctively predict linear plot lines whenever I start reading his books. Of course that never happens and it’s always weird af but somehow enjoyable??? Also I can’t be the only one who drew reference to tweedle dee and tweedle dum from Alice in Wonderland when reading about the two soldiers in the forest right?? Time to stalk google

Merged review:

Not my fave Murakami but a solid one. It’s funny how I’m so used to conventional novels even though I know Murakami is very different based on what I’ve read before. I always instinctively predict linear plot lines whenever I start reading his books. Of course that never happens and it’s always weird af but somehow enjoyable??? Also I can’t be the only one who drew reference to tweedle dee and tweedle dum from Alice in Wonderland when reading about the two soldiers in the forest right?? Time to stalk google
]]> The Dutch House 44318414
The story is told by Cyril’s son Danny, as he and his older sister, the brilliantly acerbic and self-assured Maeve, are exiled from the house where they grew up by their stepmother. The two wealthy siblings are thrown back into the poverty their parents had escaped from and find that all they have to count on is one another. It is this unshakable bond between them that both saves their lives and thwarts their futures.

Set over the course of five decades, The Dutch House is a dark fairy tale about two smart people who cannot overcome their past. Despite every outward sign of success, Danny and Maeve are only truly comfortable when they’re together. Throughout their lives, they return to the well-worn story of what they’ve lost with humor and rage. But when at last they’re forced to confront the people who left them behind, the relationship between an indulged brother and his ever-protective sister is finally tested.]]> 337 Ann Patchett 0062963678 Kasia 3
This is a good example of it's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me. The Dutch House was my second attempt at an Ann Patchett book, once again I was allured by the a-list celebrity narration of the audiobook (also see: Meryl Streep reading Tom Lake). Unfortunately, my heart was not in this book as much as it should have been. Part of it was a busy month, but also the book was not engaging enough to keep me consistently hooked that I felt a strong urge to finish it quickly.

You can tell Ann Patchett is a good storyteller, and she does have well-thought out characters. However, I felt much like Tom Lake, there was a lot of mundane qualities to the plot and other then a few twists here and there, I felt thoroughly disengaged.

Tom Hanks did a superb job of narrating and I would 100% recommend this book in audio format, which is probably where the majority of my star rating goes to!]]> 4.08 2019 The Dutch House
author: Ann Patchett
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/29
date added: 2023/12/29
shelves:
review:
3.5/5 stars

This is a good example of it's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me. The Dutch House was my second attempt at an Ann Patchett book, once again I was allured by the a-list celebrity narration of the audiobook (also see: Meryl Streep reading Tom Lake). Unfortunately, my heart was not in this book as much as it should have been. Part of it was a busy month, but also the book was not engaging enough to keep me consistently hooked that I felt a strong urge to finish it quickly.

You can tell Ann Patchett is a good storyteller, and she does have well-thought out characters. However, I felt much like Tom Lake, there was a lot of mundane qualities to the plot and other then a few twists here and there, I felt thoroughly disengaged.

Tom Hanks did a superb job of narrating and I would 100% recommend this book in audio format, which is probably where the majority of my star rating goes to!
]]> <![CDATA[Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18)]]> 1009709 373 Agatha Christie 0007815530 Kasia 4 agatha-christie-read
MAN OH MAN IS AGATHA CHRISTIE ADDICTING! I seriously cannot get enough. This book was REALLY good and amazing to read while I’m on vacation. What other book could I read in Cuba than a book taking place in the tropical river of the Nile? I must praise myself, I was quick to guess who the murderer was (my initial guess was basically half right). Overall, this was a well paced thriller novel which kept me on my toes. I absolutely adore Hercule Poirot and his tad sense of arrogance (just the right amount) and how he always just “knows.�

“I am Hercule Poirot, I do not need to be told things.”]]> 4.05 1937 Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18)
author: Agatha Christie
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1937
rating: 4
read at: 2018/03/27
date added: 2023/12/25
shelves: agatha-christie-read
review:
4.5/5 stars

MAN OH MAN IS AGATHA CHRISTIE ADDICTING! I seriously cannot get enough. This book was REALLY good and amazing to read while I’m on vacation. What other book could I read in Cuba than a book taking place in the tropical river of the Nile? I must praise myself, I was quick to guess who the murderer was (my initial guess was basically half right). Overall, this was a well paced thriller novel which kept me on my toes. I absolutely adore Hercule Poirot and his tad sense of arrogance (just the right amount) and how he always just “knows.�

“I am Hercule Poirot, I do not need to be told things.�
]]> Wanderers 52672144
For as the sleepwalking phenomenon awakens terror and violence in America, the real danger may not be the epidemic but the fear of it. With society collapsing all around them--and an ultraviolent militia threatening to exterminate them--the fate of the sleepwalkers depends on unraveling the mystery behind the epidemic. The terrifying secret will either tear the nation apart--or bring the survivors together to remake a shattered world.]]> 780 Chuck Wendig 0399182128 Kasia 3
I'm going to start off this review with the disclaimer that I almost never reach for science fiction because my poor little humanities brain has a hard time understanding any complex STEM topics. I didn't peg Wanderers to be a sci-fi novel going into it, because I had a limited understanding of the book's premise.

Shana wakes up one day to find her sister sleepwalking to an unknown destination. Nothing can stop her. Soon enough, Shana finds other people sleepwalking and their companions alongside them, cleverly named "Shepards."

I thought Wanderers was going to go a completely different direction than it did. I had no idea this was a heavily infused pandemic set novel (eerily published right before COVID-19) with a wide set of characters ranging from white extremists to rockstars and their gay lovers. I am not saying the direction the book took was necessarily a bad one, but it was one I completely did not see coming.

I wish we got to stay more with Shana and her sister before the novel got super complicated and politicized with the introduction of the CDC, white supremacists, and other typical apocalyptic typecast characters. I initially thought this book was going to go down more an extraterrestrial route, and that we would be exploring different theories as to the mystery of the sleepwalkers with common folk. But soon enough, enter Benji, Sadie, and the whole crew of Science Geeks to make the investigation more complicated and politicized than I was ready for.

Wanderers does a fantastic job of creating investable characters with an intriguing plot line and ongoing mysteries to keep you hooked. I personally found the Matthew/Ozark storyline the most interesting, and it was rewarding to see all the separate plot lines and characters connect at the end.

However, there were a lot of eye roll moments in this book. Firstly, the random romance that happened between two sets of main characters, it was completely unnecessary and it felt forced. I feel like this is where Wendig's writing suffered the most. Secondly, the very predictable plot twists. I feel like the Shana/Nessie/Mother storyline was starting out strong at the beginning, and then the book kind of got swept in other narratives and forgot to flesh this one out. I wish we got to see more of Shana and Nessie grappling with their mother's betrayal, and that the reunion did not happen in some sort of The Matrix.

I could definitely see this book turn into a movie or t.v. show (as I feel it would translate well to the big screen) and I think the mass public would greatly enjoy it, especially since we just came out of own pandemic. I know there is a sequel, and I would be lying if I said I am not morbidly curious to see what happens next. [spoilers removed]

Wanderers has a promising premise, well written characters, and average writing. For the apocalyptic and pandemic fanatics out there, this one is for you.]]> 4.03 2019 Wanderers
author: Chuck Wendig
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/11
date added: 2023/12/11
shelves:
review:
3.5/5 stars

I'm going to start off this review with the disclaimer that I almost never reach for science fiction because my poor little humanities brain has a hard time understanding any complex STEM topics. I didn't peg Wanderers to be a sci-fi novel going into it, because I had a limited understanding of the book's premise.

Shana wakes up one day to find her sister sleepwalking to an unknown destination. Nothing can stop her. Soon enough, Shana finds other people sleepwalking and their companions alongside them, cleverly named "Shepards."

I thought Wanderers was going to go a completely different direction than it did. I had no idea this was a heavily infused pandemic set novel (eerily published right before COVID-19) with a wide set of characters ranging from white extremists to rockstars and their gay lovers. I am not saying the direction the book took was necessarily a bad one, but it was one I completely did not see coming.

I wish we got to stay more with Shana and her sister before the novel got super complicated and politicized with the introduction of the CDC, white supremacists, and other typical apocalyptic typecast characters. I initially thought this book was going to go down more an extraterrestrial route, and that we would be exploring different theories as to the mystery of the sleepwalkers with common folk. But soon enough, enter Benji, Sadie, and the whole crew of Science Geeks to make the investigation more complicated and politicized than I was ready for.

Wanderers does a fantastic job of creating investable characters with an intriguing plot line and ongoing mysteries to keep you hooked. I personally found the Matthew/Ozark storyline the most interesting, and it was rewarding to see all the separate plot lines and characters connect at the end.

However, there were a lot of eye roll moments in this book. Firstly, the random romance that happened between two sets of main characters, it was completely unnecessary and it felt forced. I feel like this is where Wendig's writing suffered the most. Secondly, the very predictable plot twists. I feel like the Shana/Nessie/Mother storyline was starting out strong at the beginning, and then the book kind of got swept in other narratives and forgot to flesh this one out. I wish we got to see more of Shana and Nessie grappling with their mother's betrayal, and that the reunion did not happen in some sort of The Matrix.

I could definitely see this book turn into a movie or t.v. show (as I feel it would translate well to the big screen) and I think the mass public would greatly enjoy it, especially since we just came out of own pandemic. I know there is a sequel, and I would be lying if I said I am not morbidly curious to see what happens next. [spoilers removed]

Wanderers has a promising premise, well written characters, and average writing. For the apocalyptic and pandemic fanatics out there, this one is for you.
]]> Tom Lake 63241104 In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart. As in all of her novels, Ann Patchett combines compelling narrative artistry with piercing insights into family dynamics. The result is a rich and luminous story, told with profound intelligence and emotional subtlety, that demonstrates once again why she is one of the most revered and acclaimed literary talents working today.]]> 309 Ann Patchett 006332752X Kasia 3 audiobooks
Obviously I did this one through Audible with the lovely Meryl Streep as narrator who I’m convinced could persuade me to read any book as her voice is so lovely and perfect for audio ]]> 3.92 2023 Tom Lake
author: Ann Patchett
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/27
date added: 2023/12/01
shelves: audiobooks
review:
3.5/5 stars

Obviously I did this one through Audible with the lovely Meryl Streep as narrator who I’m convinced could persuade me to read any book as her voice is so lovely and perfect for audio
]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 76703559 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.]]> 406 Sarah J. Maas 163973094X Kasia 3 4.18 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/27
date added: 2023/11/27
shelves:
review:
I'm going to start this review off by saying that I don't normally reach out for Young Adult anymore, and Sarah J. Maas reminded me why. There were countless times I was rolling my eyes either at the plot conveniences or predictable plot devices in the story. But was I thoroughly hooked and entertained? Yes. Reading YA Fantasy is like indulging yourself to some guilty pleasure reality T.V., you know it's not the greatest, but you keep wondering what's next. I can't bring myself to rate this any higher because at the end of the day, it was just another Trashy YA novel. But a good one at that.
]]> <![CDATA[Gaslighting & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery: Recover from Emotional Abuse, Recognize Narcissists & Manipulators and Break Free Once and for All]]> 57283110
A co-worker sarcastically mentions that you’re not contributing enough to the big project. When you get offended, they say they were just joking and that you’re too sensitive.

Your mother constantly criticizes your weight. When you bring up her comments around other people, she denies ever saying them and says you are making up stories.

Have you repeatedly found yourself in these types of situations where you end up doubting yourself?

They might have occurred with different people, in different circumstances, but the way they make you feel is the same.

Your feelings are trivialized, your thoughts are manipulated, and your reality is denied.

When this is done to you repeatedly, you begin to feel confused or even crazy. You are left questioning your own reality and sanity.

These are classic signs that you’re being gaslighted, and it’s something to take very seriously.

Gaslighting is a covert form of abuse that affects your confidence and trust in yourself, which the abuser then takes advantage of to keep you under their control.

Whether it’s a spouse, parent, or co-worker, it’s hard to break loose from the grip of a gaslighting manipulator.

You will need to know how gaslighters operate, how their behavior is affecting you, and how you can reclaim your truth.

In Gaslighting & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery, you will

The sneaky tactics gaslighters employ that catch you off-guard and make you more vulnerable to their exploitation How to hold on to your grip on reality, despite the gaslighter’s efforts to undermine it Powerful ways to respond to gaslighters, block their attacks, and take back control of the conversation Why self-care is a critical component in coping with abuse, especially if you need to regularly interact with a gaslighter The shift in mindset to help you finally gain the courage to escape an abusive relationship What you need to do after leaving a gaslighting relationship to make sure you don’t fall into the same cycle again Why you shouldn’t expect any closure from your abuser, and why you can still move on without it How to rebuild your sense of self after years of being torn down by others And much more.

Acknowledging that you’re being abused is the first step towards recovery.

After years of gaslighting, you may be so used to it that you no longer recognize this is not a normal way to live.

You might believe that there’s no way out, or you can’t imagine life without the one who’s manipulating you.

But if you truly want to be able to live life on your own terms, cutting yourself off from the source of your pain is essential.

It won’t happen overnight, and it will take committed effort, but you can feel like yourself again � the person you used to be� the person you’re meant to be.

If you want to take back control of your life and regain your sanity and self-worth, then scroll up and click the “Add to Cart� button right now.]]> 178 Don Barlow Kasia 5 mental-health 4.28 Gaslighting & Narcissistic Abuse Recovery: Recover from Emotional Abuse, Recognize Narcissists & Manipulators and Break Free Once and for All
author: Don Barlow
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/20
date added: 2023/11/20
shelves: mental-health
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing]]> 59641216
So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.

In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.]]> 250 Matthew Perry 1250866448 Kasia 5 audiobooks 3.89 2022 Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
author: Matthew Perry
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/05
date added: 2023/11/19
shelves: audiobooks
review:

]]> I’m Glad My Mom Died 59366244
Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,� eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?� She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died , Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly , she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!�), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.]]> 304 Jennette McCurdy 1982185821 Kasia 5 audiobooks
Then you grow up, and once you start to realize your own toxic upbringing (not everyone has this of course, but for those who have struggled) there becomes a desperation to find those we can relate to. And then finding out celebrities, people who we envy because of the spotlight, attention, fame, money, have the exact same issues as we regular folk? It really is more refreshing than I can describe.

My heart goes out to you Jennette, we may have started a connection in childhood through a silly show, but I’m happy and honoured to have built a bond through our shared struggles and I am inspired by your bravery to share this with the world ❤️]]> 4.43 2022 I’m Glad My Mom Died
author: Jennette McCurdy
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/07
date added: 2023/11/19
shelves: audiobooks
review:
Raw. Real. Really fucking heartbreaking. Hearing Jennette tell us her life story and not letting any details back was really refreshing, and I found myself relating to more of the content than I want to admit. Having grown up with iCarly, I only thought of Jennette as that really funny blonde girl in that Nickelodeon show, as I’m sure many of us did. When you’re a kid, you have no understanding of these tv characters being actual, real people, with life struggles, hardships, toxic family dynamics.

Then you grow up, and once you start to realize your own toxic upbringing (not everyone has this of course, but for those who have struggled) there becomes a desperation to find those we can relate to. And then finding out celebrities, people who we envy because of the spotlight, attention, fame, money, have the exact same issues as we regular folk? It really is more refreshing than I can describe.

My heart goes out to you Jennette, we may have started a connection in childhood through a silly show, but I’m happy and honoured to have built a bond through our shared struggles and I am inspired by your bravery to share this with the world ❤️
]]> Anxious People 53799686
Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.

First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car.

As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.

Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature� (Shelf Awareness), Anxious People’s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day.]]> 336 Fredrik Backman 1982121602 Kasia 4
4.5 out of 5 stars! Such a fantastic read, another banger by Backman that I couldn’t get enough of! There is just something about this man’s writing that truly warms my heart, and I found myself highlighting a bunch of passages and fighting with myself to choose which one to put in my review.

Anxious people is about an accidental hostage situation after a failed bank robbery attempt. But it’s so much more than that. Most importantly, it’s a story about idiots. And I loved reading every single page ❤️]]> 4.12 2019 Anxious People
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/14
date added: 2023/11/14
shelves:
review:
“They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was all that defined us, we’d never be able to put up with ourselves. We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows.�

4.5 out of 5 stars! Such a fantastic read, another banger by Backman that I couldn’t get enough of! There is just something about this man’s writing that truly warms my heart, and I found myself highlighting a bunch of passages and fighting with myself to choose which one to put in my review.

Anxious people is about an accidental hostage situation after a failed bank robbery attempt. But it’s so much more than that. Most importantly, it’s a story about idiots. And I loved reading every single page ❤️
]]> <![CDATA[The Chalice of the Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Senior Year Adventures, #1)]]> 63035432
Unfortunately, the gods aren’t quite done with him yet. Poseidon breaks the bad news that if Percy expects to get into New Rome University, he will have to fulfill three quests in order to earn the necessary three letters of recommendation from Mount Olympus.

The first task is to help Ganymede, Zeus’s cupbearer, retrieve his golden goblet before it falls into the wrong hands. You see, one sip from it can turn a mortal into a god, and Zeus would not be pleased with that result. Can Percy and his friends Grover and Annabeth find the precious cup in time? And if they do, will they be able to resist its special power?

Readers new to Percy Jackson universe and fans who have been awaiting this reunion for more than a decade will delight equally in this latest hilarious take on Greek mythology by the "storyteller of the gods."]]> 288 Rick Riordan 1368098177 Kasia 4 middle-grade-read
I couldn't tell you how surprised I was seeing The Chalice of Gods at the bookstore... another Percy Jackson novel? There's no way.

I was 16 years old when I first started reading Percy Jackson, and I still remember the day like it was yesterday when my box set came in the mail and I opened up my package, so beyond eager to begin my journey with the Greek Gods and badass fighting demi-gods! I was absolutely hooked from page one, mainly due to Rick Riordan's comfortable, HILARIOUS, and easy writing style!

I devoured those books quicker than Grover could devour leftovers, and then I went on getting my hands on everything Rick Riordan had possibly ever written.

And here we are again! Book 6! Back to the ever so nostalgic writing of Uncle Rick and our favourite trio <3 I'm not even sure what's there more to say except, I want more?? and that ending?? Is this going to be a new trilogy Rick???]]> 4.27 2023 The Chalice of the Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Senior Year Adventures, #1)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/12
date added: 2023/11/12
shelves: middle-grade-read
review:
Back in the world of PJO and full Rick Riordan glory!

I couldn't tell you how surprised I was seeing The Chalice of Gods at the bookstore... another Percy Jackson novel? There's no way.

I was 16 years old when I first started reading Percy Jackson, and I still remember the day like it was yesterday when my box set came in the mail and I opened up my package, so beyond eager to begin my journey with the Greek Gods and badass fighting demi-gods! I was absolutely hooked from page one, mainly due to Rick Riordan's comfortable, HILARIOUS, and easy writing style!

I devoured those books quicker than Grover could devour leftovers, and then I went on getting my hands on everything Rick Riordan had possibly ever written.

And here we are again! Book 6! Back to the ever so nostalgic writing of Uncle Rick and our favourite trio <3 I'm not even sure what's there more to say except, I want more?? and that ending?? Is this going to be a new trilogy Rick???
]]> <![CDATA[What We Kept to Ourselves: A Novel]]> 143010182
1999: The Kim family is struggling to move on after their mother, Sunny, vanished a year ago. Sixty-one-year-old John Kim feels more isolated from his grown children, Anastasia and Ronald, than ever before. But one evening, their fragile lives are further upended when John finds the body of a stranger in the backyard, carrying a letter to Sunny, leaving the family with more questions than ever about the stranger’s history and possible connections to their mother.

1977: Sunny is pregnant and has just moved to Los Angeles from Korea with her aloof and often-absent husband. America is not turning out the way she had dreamed it to be, and the loneliness and isolation are broken only by a fateful encounter at a bus stop. The unexpected connection spans the decades and echoes into the family’s lives in the present as they uncover devastating secrets that put not only everything they thought they knew about their mother but their very lives at risk.

Both a riveting page-turner and moving family story, What We Kept to Ourselves masterfully explores the consequences of secrets between parents and children, hus­bands and wives. It is the story of one unforgettable family’s search for home when all seems lost, and a powerful meditation on identity, migration, and what it means to dream in America.]]> 416 Nancy Jooyoun Kim 166804353X Kasia 3
The story Kim writes about is truly devastating- and one many people can relate to. What I most enjoyed about this story was reading about the struggle between generations, especially between children of immigrants and their parents—a struggle I am all too familiar with.

However, the mystery part of this novel was not really fleshed out in the way I hoped it would be, it felt like the majority of this novel dragged, and only really picked up in the last 40 pages or so. Even by the end, I was left wanting more but also knowing this author couldn’t give it to me.

There was no a-ha moment in this book or an instance where I felt rewarded for the theories I had regarding the whodunit part of this mystery. I agree with other reviewers, Kim did a lot of telling rather than showing, and that’s what made this book fall short.

It’s getting a 3 stars since the writing itself wasn’t bad, the story itself was intriguing, it’s just that more so the structure and pacing needed a huge revamp.]]> 3.40 2023 What We Kept to Ourselves: A Novel
author: Nancy Jooyoun Kim
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/01
date added: 2023/11/06
shelves:
review:
I tried to give this author another chance after reading her beloved “The Story of Mina Lee� but unfortunately this one did not exceed my expectations, and barely met them as well.

The story Kim writes about is truly devastating- and one many people can relate to. What I most enjoyed about this story was reading about the struggle between generations, especially between children of immigrants and their parents—a struggle I am all too familiar with.

However, the mystery part of this novel was not really fleshed out in the way I hoped it would be, it felt like the majority of this novel dragged, and only really picked up in the last 40 pages or so. Even by the end, I was left wanting more but also knowing this author couldn’t give it to me.

There was no a-ha moment in this book or an instance where I felt rewarded for the theories I had regarding the whodunit part of this mystery. I agree with other reviewers, Kim did a lot of telling rather than showing, and that’s what made this book fall short.

It’s getting a 3 stars since the writing itself wasn’t bad, the story itself was intriguing, it’s just that more so the structure and pacing needed a huge revamp.
]]> <![CDATA[Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution]]> 134239327 A novel that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide�

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 545 R.F. Kuang 0063021439 Kasia 2
It is clear that R.F. Kuang is well-versed in her academic studies, and Babel definitely reads as a scholarly literary history. But that's the issue. This book is marketed as dark fantasy/academia, but I felt like the fantastical aspect of Babel felt short and was overshadowed by Kuang's desire to go on and on about her linguistics research.

If you're a linguistics student and are ultimately fascinated by etymologies, translation, semantics, then Babel is the book for you. There are endless footnotes in every chapter that provide translations to words, or historical contexts to situations that arise. Personally, I felt like this book was quite repetitive with the post-colonial themes and alongside many other reviewers who have had similar sentiments, I can't help but wonder what was the overall point of this book?

I think anyone with even a high school education has an understanding of the issues relating to colonialism, and most people with a literary educational background probably studied post-colonialism either in depth or even just scratching the surface, which I feel like Kuang took for granted here with the over-simplistic anti-colonial messaging.

Around the 350 page mark, I simply did not care what was going to happen to our main characters. Even though I found the ending to be quite fascinating, it was not enough to rectify the dull taste left in my mouth from the overly scholarly, yet nothing substantial pages that make up Babel.

I know many people enjoyed this book and I can understand why, I think this is just one of those situations where it's simply not my cup of tea.]]> 4.23 2022 Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/10/25
date added: 2023/10/25
shelves:
review:
This book started out very promising and I am sad to report only a 2 star rating.

It is clear that R.F. Kuang is well-versed in her academic studies, and Babel definitely reads as a scholarly literary history. But that's the issue. This book is marketed as dark fantasy/academia, but I felt like the fantastical aspect of Babel felt short and was overshadowed by Kuang's desire to go on and on about her linguistics research.

If you're a linguistics student and are ultimately fascinated by etymologies, translation, semantics, then Babel is the book for you. There are endless footnotes in every chapter that provide translations to words, or historical contexts to situations that arise. Personally, I felt like this book was quite repetitive with the post-colonial themes and alongside many other reviewers who have had similar sentiments, I can't help but wonder what was the overall point of this book?

I think anyone with even a high school education has an understanding of the issues relating to colonialism, and most people with a literary educational background probably studied post-colonialism either in depth or even just scratching the surface, which I feel like Kuang took for granted here with the over-simplistic anti-colonial messaging.

Around the 350 page mark, I simply did not care what was going to happen to our main characters. Even though I found the ending to be quite fascinating, it was not enough to rectify the dull taste left in my mouth from the overly scholarly, yet nothing substantial pages that make up Babel.

I know many people enjoyed this book and I can understand why, I think this is just one of those situations where it's simply not my cup of tea.
]]> 1Q84 (1Q84 #1-3) 15797663
A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for â€question mark.â€� A world that bears a question.â€� Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s�1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.]]> 1157 Haruki Murakami 0307476464 Kasia 4 mind-fuck
1Q84 has been on my radar for a little over a year now, I first got into Murakami with The Wind-up Bird Chronicle during the pandemic and suffice to say, my mind was blown (or more accurately, discombobulated and wondering wtf was going on but loving every second of it) and I can happily say 1Q84 was a similar experience!

I felt it only appropriate to have read Orwell's 1984 first upon which this book is originally based on, but to be completely honest, I did not feel like I gained much having read Orwell first. Pretty much everyone and their mother is aware of the general premise of 1984, which I feel like should be enough to understand the parallels between the two.

A beast at over 1100 pages, I knew I would only be able to truly settle into 1Q84 once I had some time to myself and in the proper mood, which I finally had both! Obviously some parts dragged, as is to be expected in such a lengthy novel, but for the most part, I was entertained!

1Q84 really kept me invested with the characters due to its length, and I loved feeling like I was escaping to this outwardly world so vastly different and also similar to my own. I became obsessed with trying to decipher, hypothesize, debunk, & UNDERSTAND WHY ARE THERE TWO MOONS?! Who are The Little People?! Who is Aomame’s lost childhood love!? And my edition of the book would flip the page numbers on certain pages, which left me feeling even more confused.

But who is to say these questions are to be answered? That’s for you to find out, by reading 1Q84.]]> 3.94 2009 1Q84 (1Q84 #1-3)
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/18
date added: 2023/10/18
shelves: mind-fuck
review:
Murakami does it again! He leaves you wondering with more unanswered questions, confusion, and loose ends then when you first entered the book!

1Q84 has been on my radar for a little over a year now, I first got into Murakami with The Wind-up Bird Chronicle during the pandemic and suffice to say, my mind was blown (or more accurately, discombobulated and wondering wtf was going on but loving every second of it) and I can happily say 1Q84 was a similar experience!

I felt it only appropriate to have read Orwell's 1984 first upon which this book is originally based on, but to be completely honest, I did not feel like I gained much having read Orwell first. Pretty much everyone and their mother is aware of the general premise of 1984, which I feel like should be enough to understand the parallels between the two.

A beast at over 1100 pages, I knew I would only be able to truly settle into 1Q84 once I had some time to myself and in the proper mood, which I finally had both! Obviously some parts dragged, as is to be expected in such a lengthy novel, but for the most part, I was entertained!

1Q84 really kept me invested with the characters due to its length, and I loved feeling like I was escaping to this outwardly world so vastly different and also similar to my own. I became obsessed with trying to decipher, hypothesize, debunk, & UNDERSTAND WHY ARE THERE TWO MOONS?! Who are The Little People?! Who is Aomame’s lost childhood love!? And my edition of the book would flip the page numbers on certain pages, which left me feeling even more confused.

But who is to say these questions are to be answered? That’s for you to find out, by reading 1Q84.
]]> <![CDATA[The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)]]> 8130423 In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth - a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.]]> 361 Rick Riordan Kasia 5
I felt like the end battle was a bit rushed. It felt like this:

"Oh hey, we are coming to kill you guys, but you already know that. Have a nice day."

*Whole camp is ready for battle, sort of.*

"Hi, we are so outnumbered to you guys, but anyways, we will probably win this fight just cause."

*Battle begins, of course, camp half blood wins for now because of this new thing we learn, Grover's roar of the dead Pan somehow scared everyone away. How convenient.



Oh hell, maybe I complain too much.




Nonetheless, it was a really great book! Just not as good as The Titan's Curse #sorrynotsorry


]]> 4.44 2008 The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/10/16
shelves:
review:
This was once again a really great addition to the Percy Jackson series! It was not my favourite, but it still had many great aspects. We didn't really get to meet any new characters, except the comeback of Rachel, who we first met in the Titan's Curse (my favourite Percy Jackson book so far). The maze theme in this book, having this weird maze which brings out all your fears, tries to trick you, it was really cool. You have to admit, a kind of maze like what is scary yet intriguing. This book had a ton of action, which left me satisfied. However, (SPOILER ALERT)...

I felt like the end battle was a bit rushed. It felt like this:

"Oh hey, we are coming to kill you guys, but you already know that. Have a nice day."

*Whole camp is ready for battle, sort of.*

"Hi, we are so outnumbered to you guys, but anyways, we will probably win this fight just cause."

*Battle begins, of course, camp half blood wins for now because of this new thing we learn, Grover's roar of the dead Pan somehow scared everyone away. How convenient.



Oh hell, maybe I complain too much.




Nonetheless, it was a really great book! Just not as good as The Titan's Curse #sorrynotsorry



]]> <![CDATA[Highly Intuitive People: 7 Right-Brain Traits to Change the Lives of Intuitive-Sensitive People]]> 22323770 Ěý
Do you struggle with small talk and prefer deep conversation? Are you extremely sensitive to other people's moods and feel exhausted after being in crowd? Do people describe you as highly perceptive?

If you've answered 'yes' to any of the above questions, you may be a Highly Intuitive Person—someone who is sensitive to the energies of others and experiences the world through the deeper senses. Also known as Intuitive-Sensitives and similar to Highly Sensitive People, Highly Intuitive People are said to make up 15-20% of the population. They are often described as being calm, caring, and extremely wise and 'knowing'.
Ěý
Based on Heidi Sawyer's years of experience as an intuitive mentor, Highly Intuitive People provides a roadmap for anyone who wants to understand their natural intuitive abilities—how they got them, what they’re for, and how best to use them. Become one of the thousands of people who have benefited from Sawyer’s revolutionary techniques and become a happier, more empowered Intuitive-Sensitive.]]> 256 Heidi Sawyer 1781804761 Kasia 2 3.70 2015 Highly Intuitive People: 7 Right-Brain Traits to Change the Lives of Intuitive-Sensitive People
author: Heidi Sawyer
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2023/10/09
date added: 2023/10/09
shelves:
review:

]]> The Martian 18007564
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error� are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills � and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit � he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

]]> 384 Andy Weir 0804139024 Kasia 4 audiobooks
WOWZA! Another audiobook I flew through, and it's Science Fiction??? Who am I??

Historically, I never touched audiobooks or science fiction because I couldn't stand either. I am not sure what changed but I am now OBSESSED with audiobooks and I am seriously contemplating Project Hail Mary as my next read.

Obviously, this book is quite famous because of the Matt Damon movie, and I shamelessly watched the film before even knowing the book existed, but I loved every second of The Martian! Even though there were times I had no scientific understanding of what was going on, that did not hinder my enjoyment of the book whatsoever. Wil Wheaton did a fantastic job narrating, and I am excited to rewatch the film!

Andy Weir has the exact same type of humour I do- and that's all it took for me to fall in love with The Martian. I actually found myself getting emotional at some points in the story, and I felt deeply attached to Mark Watney and his journey in Mars. I got so far as to google pictures of Mars from Nasa once I learnt they were publicly accessible! I devoured this story in a matter of days, and I am so glad I listened to The Martian rather than read it. I think moving forward, listening to sci-fi specifically has me more engaged with the content than if I had to digest it in a physical book format. I didn't feel as stupid reading this one!]]> 4.41 2011 The Martian
author: Andy Weir
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/05
date added: 2023/10/05
shelves: audiobooks
review:
4.5/5 stars

WOWZA! Another audiobook I flew through, and it's Science Fiction??? Who am I??

Historically, I never touched audiobooks or science fiction because I couldn't stand either. I am not sure what changed but I am now OBSESSED with audiobooks and I am seriously contemplating Project Hail Mary as my next read.

Obviously, this book is quite famous because of the Matt Damon movie, and I shamelessly watched the film before even knowing the book existed, but I loved every second of The Martian! Even though there were times I had no scientific understanding of what was going on, that did not hinder my enjoyment of the book whatsoever. Wil Wheaton did a fantastic job narrating, and I am excited to rewatch the film!

Andy Weir has the exact same type of humour I do- and that's all it took for me to fall in love with The Martian. I actually found myself getting emotional at some points in the story, and I felt deeply attached to Mark Watney and his journey in Mars. I got so far as to google pictures of Mars from Nasa once I learnt they were publicly accessible! I devoured this story in a matter of days, and I am so glad I listened to The Martian rather than read it. I think moving forward, listening to sci-fi specifically has me more engaged with the content than if I had to digest it in a physical book format. I didn't feel as stupid reading this one!
]]> Project Hail Mary 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 Kasia 3 audiobooks
I WISH I could say I loved this one. I WISH I could say it was just as good as the thousands of 5 star ratings both on audible and Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ that hyped me up so much after reading The Martian and loving it.

Unfortunately, PJM was a bit of a disappointment. Let me explain. This book reminded me of why I don’t normally read science fiction and how I’m a bloody idiot. I just didn’t understand what was going on for a big chunk of this book (really throughout if I’m being honest) because I don’t have a science brain. I have a dumb little humanities brain whose science knowledge ends at mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell (which to Weir’s credit, he does mention this fact a few times to my relief) and unfortunately that hindered my experience.

I take my own review with a grain of salt knowing I don’t really ever reach for science fiction because I’m well too aware of my own limitations.

However, I did really enjoy Rocky & the audiobook did a great job portraying the different language Rocky spoke and the audiobook was a well done production. Ray Porter was a fantastic narrator!

Did the whole thing feel kinda cheesy? Yes. The ending surprised me a little but I found it very fitting and will definitely watch the movie with Ryan Gosling when it comes out! ]]> 4.49 2021 Project Hail Mary
author: Andy Weir
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/14
date added: 2023/10/05
shelves: audiobooks
review:
3.5/5 stars.

I WISH I could say I loved this one. I WISH I could say it was just as good as the thousands of 5 star ratings both on audible and Ĺ·±¦ÓéŔÖ that hyped me up so much after reading The Martian and loving it.

Unfortunately, PJM was a bit of a disappointment. Let me explain. This book reminded me of why I don’t normally read science fiction and how I’m a bloody idiot. I just didn’t understand what was going on for a big chunk of this book (really throughout if I’m being honest) because I don’t have a science brain. I have a dumb little humanities brain whose science knowledge ends at mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell (which to Weir’s credit, he does mention this fact a few times to my relief) and unfortunately that hindered my experience.

I take my own review with a grain of salt knowing I don’t really ever reach for science fiction because I’m well too aware of my own limitations.

However, I did really enjoy Rocky & the audiobook did a great job portraying the different language Rocky spoke and the audiobook was a well done production. Ray Porter was a fantastic narrator!

Did the whole thing feel kinda cheesy? Yes. The ending surprised me a little but I found it very fitting and will definitely watch the movie with Ryan Gosling when it comes out!
]]> <![CDATA[The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)]]> 46133968 A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.]]> 830 Samantha Shannon 140888335X Kasia 4
EPICNESS.

That is the one word I would use to most accurately describe this book, epicness. I was sort of in a reading slump and decided to pick this up on a whim last weekend as I was perusing indie bookstores and came upon this beautiful cover once again. I have been meaning to read Priory ever since it came out, but I was a little intimidated by the size.

Glad to say I loved all 800 pages of Priory! It was a learning curve at the beginning to learn the large cast of characters and the world itself, but that's typical of epic fantasy so I am used to being lost for a little bit. And the last 100 pages or so kinda lost me with all the fight scenes my brain can never catch up with, but I loved it nonetheless!

I loved the relationship between Ead & Sabran, as well as Tane's perspective and her relationship with her dragon. I will admit though, I wish there were more scenes with Tane and her dragon (as we saw at the beginning of the story) but I felt like the book quickly shifted to another storyline and it took a while for the reunion to happen.

I bought the prequel, A Day of Fallen Night as I was reading Priory and it came in the mail today! I bought it on Book Outlet for a cheap price ($20 hardcover!!!) and it came as a B&N exclusive edition! As a Canadian who does not have easy access to B&N without a road trip across the border, it's safe to say I was VERY stoked opening my package <3

overall, this book slayed. period.]]> 4.25 2019 The Priory of the Orange Tree (The Roots of Chaos, #1)
author: Samantha Shannon
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/05
date added: 2023/10/05
shelves:
review:
4.5/5 stars

EPICNESS.

That is the one word I would use to most accurately describe this book, epicness. I was sort of in a reading slump and decided to pick this up on a whim last weekend as I was perusing indie bookstores and came upon this beautiful cover once again. I have been meaning to read Priory ever since it came out, but I was a little intimidated by the size.

Glad to say I loved all 800 pages of Priory! It was a learning curve at the beginning to learn the large cast of characters and the world itself, but that's typical of epic fantasy so I am used to being lost for a little bit. And the last 100 pages or so kinda lost me with all the fight scenes my brain can never catch up with, but I loved it nonetheless!

I loved the relationship between Ead & Sabran, as well as Tane's perspective and her relationship with her dragon. I will admit though, I wish there were more scenes with Tane and her dragon (as we saw at the beginning of the story) but I felt like the book quickly shifted to another storyline and it took a while for the reunion to happen.

I bought the prequel, A Day of Fallen Night as I was reading Priory and it came in the mail today! I bought it on Book Outlet for a cheap price ($20 hardcover!!!) and it came as a B&N exclusive edition! As a Canadian who does not have easy access to B&N without a road trip across the border, it's safe to say I was VERY stoked opening my package <3

overall, this book slayed. period.
]]> Holly (Holly Gibney, #3) 81401804 Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.� � BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.]]> 464 Stephen King Kasia 4 stephen-king-read
I will admit, Holly did start out a bit slow and I found myself not coming back to the story as quickly as I would have liked to. But once we got to the meatier part of the narrative (pun intended) I was completely hooked! Once again, King's masterful storytelling skills shine through in Holly and seeing our usual suspects return from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy was a real treat ^_^

I've also watched both The Outsider and Mr. Mercedes with different actresses playing Holly, and I couldn't help but imagine them both while reading this story! I would definitely read more books with Holly and Finders Keepers <3 ]]> 4.10 2023 Holly (Holly Gibney, #3)
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/09/23
date added: 2023/09/23
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
Another fantastic read by the legend himself!

I will admit, Holly did start out a bit slow and I found myself not coming back to the story as quickly as I would have liked to. But once we got to the meatier part of the narrative (pun intended) I was completely hooked! Once again, King's masterful storytelling skills shine through in Holly and seeing our usual suspects return from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy was a real treat ^_^

I've also watched both The Outsider and Mr. Mercedes with different actresses playing Holly, and I couldn't help but imagine them both while reading this story! I would definitely read more books with Holly and Finders Keepers <3
]]> <![CDATA[Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening]]> 55883882
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6

About the Creators:

New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop. Ms. Liu's extensive work includes the bestselling "Astonishing X-Men" for Marvel Comics, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Prior to writing full-time, Liu was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.

Sana Takeda is an illustrator and comic book artist who was born in Niigata, and now resides in Tokyo, Japan. At age 20 she started out as a 3D CGI designer for SEGA, a Japanese video game company, and became a freelance artist when she was 25. She is still an artist, and has worked on titles such as "X-23" and "Ms. Marvel" for Marvel Comics, and is an illustrator for trading card games in Japan.]]> 192 Marjorie M. Liu 1632157098 Kasia 4
Merged review:

Read this for my comic book class. Really excited to discuss it!! I never read comic books so it was an adjustment for sure, but I’m loving the story and illustrations even though I’m finding it a bit hard to follow along.]]> 3.96 2016 Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/13
date added: 2023/09/08
shelves:
review:
Read this for my comic book class. Really excited to discuss it!! I never read comic books so it was an adjustment for sure, but I’m loving the story and illustrations even though I’m finding it a bit hard to follow along.

Merged review:

Read this for my comic book class. Really excited to discuss it!! I never read comic books so it was an adjustment for sure, but I’m loving the story and illustrations even though I’m finding it a bit hard to follow along.
]]> <![CDATA[The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment]]> 6708 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781577314806.

To make the journey into the Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. From the very first page of Eckhart Tolle's extraordinary book, we move rapidly into a significantly higher altitude where we breathe a lighter air. We become connected to the indestructible essence of our Being, “The eternal, ever present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death.� Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart Tolle uses simple language and an easy question-and-answer format to guide us.

A word-of-mouth phenomenon since its first publication, The Power of Now is one of those rare books with the power to create an experience in readers, one that can radically change their lives for the better.]]> 229 Eckhart Tolle Kasia 3
BUT I will say that the main point of this book resonated with me, which is practicing how to get out of your head (aka living in the present or future) which I definitely live rent free in my own head, and learn how to be in the now. I really like the parts where Tolle touched on acceptance and how powerful it is to learn how to let go the emotional attachments we add to our situations. Our mind makes up meanings and attaches emotions to situations that ultimately feed our ego and make us feel worse.

There were some helpful notions for sure I could take out of this book, but there was a healthy balance of sections I didn’t agree with or find relevant at all, so a 3/5 overall. ]]> 4.16 1997 The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
author: Eckhart Tolle
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1997
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/04
date added: 2023/09/04
shelves:
review:
I’m pretty conflicted with my feelings on this one. This book is SO hyped in the self help/spiritual space that I was really hyped for it, but it definitely fell flat for me. There were some sections/chapters that I found completely irrelevant or utter bs.

BUT I will say that the main point of this book resonated with me, which is practicing how to get out of your head (aka living in the present or future) which I definitely live rent free in my own head, and learn how to be in the now. I really like the parts where Tolle touched on acceptance and how powerful it is to learn how to let go the emotional attachments we add to our situations. Our mind makes up meanings and attaches emotions to situations that ultimately feed our ego and make us feel worse.

There were some helpful notions for sure I could take out of this book, but there was a healthy balance of sections I didn’t agree with or find relevant at all, so a 3/5 overall.
]]> <![CDATA[The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)]]> 49392854
Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power � the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring � the ring that rules them all � which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by nineteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee.]]> 412 J.R.R. Tolkien 0008376123 Kasia 3
Ahh. The Lord of the Rings. Arguably one of the most famous book series of all time, and in all my years as a voracious reader, I have not yet managed to start my journey with Frodo in the Shire. Here's how my story with Middle-Earth starts: I read The Hobbit in high school with no intention of committing myself to the LOTR trilogy, because I wanted to pace myself and see how I would like Tolkien's infamous descriptive and sometimes dense writing. I surprised myself in really enjoying the Hobbit, but I just never got around to LOTR.

Flash forward 4 or 5 years later, and having read many fantasy books in that time, I felt I was finally prepared to take on Tolkien's famous trilogy. I honestly do not know exactly how I feel about The Fellowship of the Ring.

I will admit, I found the story hard to follow along in many parts and found myself constantly rereading parts or googling summaries of chapters. Part of it is definitely my difficulty to focus when I read (generally speaking, not just with fantasy) and also the writing style Tolkien employs. I loved seeing Bilbo again and Frodo was an easy character to become invested in.

But once we started going down the rabbit hole of the lore behind the ring and other Middle-Earth related histories, I found myself becoming disengaged and wanting the pace of the story to pick up. I will admit, by the last 100 pages or so, the story really got quicker and more engaging that I finally felt the adventure narrative Tolkien had so cleverly and masterfully created for us to enjoy. I still found myself getting lost in the names of all the different side characters and trying to piece things together, but I think by now I got the big picture.

It was a solid read overall and I am excited to continue my journey! Adventure awaits!]]> 4.60 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.60
book published: 1954
rating: 3
read at: 2023/08/27
date added: 2023/08/27
shelves:
review:
3.5/5 stars

Ahh. The Lord of the Rings. Arguably one of the most famous book series of all time, and in all my years as a voracious reader, I have not yet managed to start my journey with Frodo in the Shire. Here's how my story with Middle-Earth starts: I read The Hobbit in high school with no intention of committing myself to the LOTR trilogy, because I wanted to pace myself and see how I would like Tolkien's infamous descriptive and sometimes dense writing. I surprised myself in really enjoying the Hobbit, but I just never got around to LOTR.

Flash forward 4 or 5 years later, and having read many fantasy books in that time, I felt I was finally prepared to take on Tolkien's famous trilogy. I honestly do not know exactly how I feel about The Fellowship of the Ring.

I will admit, I found the story hard to follow along in many parts and found myself constantly rereading parts or googling summaries of chapters. Part of it is definitely my difficulty to focus when I read (generally speaking, not just with fantasy) and also the writing style Tolkien employs. I loved seeing Bilbo again and Frodo was an easy character to become invested in.

But once we started going down the rabbit hole of the lore behind the ring and other Middle-Earth related histories, I found myself becoming disengaged and wanting the pace of the story to pick up. I will admit, by the last 100 pages or so, the story really got quicker and more engaging that I finally felt the adventure narrative Tolkien had so cleverly and masterfully created for us to enjoy. I still found myself getting lost in the names of all the different side characters and trying to piece things together, but I think by now I got the big picture.

It was a solid read overall and I am excited to continue my journey! Adventure awaits!
]]> The Silent Patient 40097951
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.]]> 336 Alex Michaelides 1250301696 Kasia 5 audiobooks, mind-fuck â� â� â� â� â� rating because WOW this had such great narration, performance, characters, and a punchy ending!

This is my first audiobook I’ve ever completed, and that is honestly a big feat for me because growing up I always detested audiobooks after multiple attempts & failures in finding an engaging audiobook. I thought I’d swore off audiobooks forever! I decided to try audible once more and flipped through their catalogue of popular reads and The Silent Patient stood out to me, mainly because it’s a psychological thriller I’ve been meaning to read and once I sampled the audio and heard the British accents I was sold! ;)

This book kinda gave me Agatha Christie vibes with the red herrings and plot twist, so I was not at all surprised when I listened to Alex's interview at the end of the audiobook that he grew up with Agatha Christie.

I really can’t get over the performance of this audiobook, the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life & the pacing was perfect because I was never bored! I finished this in less than 24 hours

Highly recommend getting this one in audiobook format if that’s your reading style!]]> 4.18 2019 The Silent Patient
author: Alex Michaelides
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/30
date added: 2023/08/04
shelves: audiobooks, mind-fuck
review:
I am also giving this a
â� â� â� â� â� rating because WOW this had such great narration, performance, characters, and a punchy ending!

This is my first audiobook I’ve ever completed, and that is honestly a big feat for me because growing up I always detested audiobooks after multiple attempts & failures in finding an engaging audiobook. I thought I’d swore off audiobooks forever! I decided to try audible once more and flipped through their catalogue of popular reads and The Silent Patient stood out to me, mainly because it’s a psychological thriller I’ve been meaning to read and once I sampled the audio and heard the British accents I was sold! ;)

This book kinda gave me Agatha Christie vibes with the red herrings and plot twist, so I was not at all surprised when I listened to Alex's interview at the end of the audiobook that he grew up with Agatha Christie.

I really can’t get over the performance of this audiobook, the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life & the pacing was perfect because I was never bored! I finished this in less than 24 hours

Highly recommend getting this one in audiobook format if that’s your reading style!
]]> <![CDATA[My Year of Rest and Relaxation]]> 44279110
Our narrator should be happy, shouldn’t she? She’s young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn’t just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It’s the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a powerful answer to that question. Through the story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs designed to heal our heroine from her alienation from this world, Moshfegh shows us how reasonable, even necessary, alienation can be. Both tender and blackly funny, merciless and compassionate, it is a showcase for the gifts of one of our major writers working at the height of her powers.]]> 289 Ottessa Moshfegh 0525522131 Kasia 1 3.62 2018 My Year of Rest and Relaxation
author: Ottessa Moshfegh
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2023/08/03
date added: 2023/08/03
shelves:
review:
What a stupid book and waste of my time. Maybe I just didn’t get the point of this one, but truly I have never wanted a book to end more than this one� this book was just one mess with no coherent plot or substance to it. As someone who suffers with mental illness, I did not feel like this book accurately depicted depression whatsoever. Just a crazy doctor with an insufferable patient I couldn’t care less about. Way too hyped up in my opinion and I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
]]> My Dark Vanessa 44890081
2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?

Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.]]> 373 Kate Elizabeth Russell 006294150X Kasia 5
I really liked how the book commented on journalism in relation to the METOO movement and the importance of consent when telling someone else’s story. I found myself conflicted a lot mentally throughout the story, siding often with Vanessa when she was cornered into telling a story that was clearly her own and only hers to tell. But I also sympathized with other victims of Strane and their desperation to seek “justice� if we are to even believe that exists. Such a thought provoking read! ]]> 4.09 2020 My Dark Vanessa
author: Kate Elizabeth Russell
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/07/28
date added: 2023/07/28
shelves:
review:
Love love LOVE! This book just hit home for me for many reasons, I absolutely loved reading about Vanessa as a protagonist and her psychological development was so intriguing to read about. This book deeply resonated with me and I found myself thinking about the story throughout the day, which led me to finish it in only a couple of sittings! I don’t remember the last time I was so giddy to finish a book, I am very happy I picked this one up and can’t wait to read more reviews about it! Fantastic story and impeccable writing.

I really liked how the book commented on journalism in relation to the METOO movement and the importance of consent when telling someone else’s story. I found myself conflicted a lot mentally throughout the story, siding often with Vanessa when she was cornered into telling a story that was clearly her own and only hers to tell. But I also sympathized with other victims of Strane and their desperation to seek “justice� if we are to even believe that exists. Such a thought provoking read!
]]> <![CDATA[Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1)]]> 43448 Such wonderful children. Such a beautiful mother. Such a lovely house. Such endless terror! It wasn't that she didn't love her children. She did. But there was a fortune at stake—a fortune that would assure their later happiness if she could keep the children a secret from her dying father. So she and her mother hid her darlings away in an unused attic. Just for a little while. But the brutal days swelled into agonizing years. Now Cathy, Chris, and the twins wait in their cramped and helpless world, stirred by adult dreams, adult desires, served a meager sustenance by an angry, superstitious grandmother who knows that the Devil works in dark and devious ways. Sometimes he sends children to do his work—children who—one by one—must be destroyed.... 'Way upstairs there are four secrets hidden. Blond, beautiful, innocent struggling to stay alive....']]> 389 V.C. Andrews 0743496310 Kasia 3 3.84 1979 Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1979
rating: 3
read at: 2023/07/26
date added: 2023/07/27
shelves:
review:
Took me a while to finish this one but it went better than I expected! The pacing was well done and it was disturbing enough to be fascinating but not too much that I couldn’t finish the book. I found it interesting to read about the effects of abuse and isolation on children, but parts of the book dragged and wasn’t as fleshed out as it could have been. Overall, a mid read.
]]> <![CDATA[Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening]]> 30333227
Collects MONSTRESS #1-6]]> 208 Marjorie M. Liu Kasia 4 3.93 2016 Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/07/12
shelves:
review:
Read this for my comic book class. Really excited to discuss it!! I never read comic books so it was an adjustment for sure, but I’m loving the story and illustrations even though I’m finding it a bit hard to follow along.
]]> Lord of the Flies 29236541 William Golding’s unforgettable classic of boyhood adventure and the savagery of humanity comes to Penguin Classics in a stunning Graphic Deluxe Edition with a new foreword by Lois Lowry

As provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. William Golding’s compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age.

This Penguin Classics Graphic Deluxe Edition features an array of special features to supplement the novel, including a foreword by Lois Lowry, an introduction by Stephen King, an essay by E. M. Forster, an essay on teaching and reading the novel and suggestions for further exploration by scholar Jennifer Buehler, and an extended note by E. L. Epstein, the publisher of the first American paperback edition of Lord of the Flies.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 307 William Golding 0143129406 Kasia 3 reread, classics
...
Edit: Reread 2023

I finally got around to rereading LOTF, it is one of the books I read in high school that I've always been meaning to get around to rereading it but never saw a good chance. A short while ago I was cross border shopping in the States, and at Barnes & Noble I came across this wonderful Penguin edition of the book I took as a sign to buy and read!

The LOTF is a book I distinctly remember not liking very much in Grade 9 (see thoughts above) but I had an inkling that 14 year old me was not sophisticated enough to appreciate the themes and symbolism behind LOTF. Now, almost 9 years later, I can definitely say this book was a lot better than I remember. LOTF was really well paced, it read like a good thriller novel and I found it hard to put down at certain points. The message behind the story is clear, the comments on civilization and the ease in which a society can easily disintegrate was fun to read about. At the same time, I felt like this novel was a bit too short and could have been fleshed out more plot wise to keep me interested. Overall, I give it a 3.5/5 stars!]]> 3.81 1954 Lord of the Flies
author: William Golding
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1954
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/07
date added: 2023/06/07
shelves: reread, classics
review:
VERY BORING AND DUMB!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT READ! Google the summary and you'll get the gist of it without wasting your time. Remember, time = money. ;)

...
Edit: Reread 2023

I finally got around to rereading LOTF, it is one of the books I read in high school that I've always been meaning to get around to rereading it but never saw a good chance. A short while ago I was cross border shopping in the States, and at Barnes & Noble I came across this wonderful Penguin edition of the book I took as a sign to buy and read!

The LOTF is a book I distinctly remember not liking very much in Grade 9 (see thoughts above) but I had an inkling that 14 year old me was not sophisticated enough to appreciate the themes and symbolism behind LOTF. Now, almost 9 years later, I can definitely say this book was a lot better than I remember. LOTF was really well paced, it read like a good thriller novel and I found it hard to put down at certain points. The message behind the story is clear, the comments on civilization and the ease in which a society can easily disintegrate was fun to read about. At the same time, I felt like this novel was a bit too short and could have been fleshed out more plot wise to keep me interested. Overall, I give it a 3.5/5 stars!
]]> Cujo 36334230 Cujo “hits the jugular� (The New York Times) with the story of a friendly Saint Bernard that is bitten by a sick bat. Get ready to meet the most hideous menace ever to savage the flesh and devour the mind.

"Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine."

Cujo used to be a big friendly dog, lovable and loyal to his trinity (THE MAN, THE WOMAN, and THE BOY) and everyone around him, and always did his best to not be a BAD DOG. But that all ends on the day this nearly two-hundred-pound Saint Bernard makes the mistake of chasing a rabbit into a hidden underground cave, setting off a tragic chain of events. Now Cujo is no longer himself as he is slowly overcome by a growing sickness, one that consumes his mind even as his once affable thoughts turn uncontrollably and inexorably to hatred and murder. Cujo is about to become the center of a horrifying vortex that will inescapably draw in everyone around him—a relentless reign of terror, fury, and madness from which no one in Castle Rock will truly be safe...]]> 392 Stephen King Kasia 3 stephen-king-read
This book had a big build up that I felt did not have the greatest pay off in the end, and I felt bored throughout the book. Cujo really picked up when we got scenes with the rabid dog himself, and the chapters from Cujo's perspective were good, but other parts of the story felt flat. I feel like this book better translates into film and I am excited to rewatch the movie!]]> 3.89 1981 Cujo
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/20
date added: 2023/04/25
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
Cujo! For a book titled Cujo we really don't get to see Cujo that much..

This book had a big build up that I felt did not have the greatest pay off in the end, and I felt bored throughout the book. Cujo really picked up when we got scenes with the rabid dog himself, and the chapters from Cujo's perspective were good, but other parts of the story felt flat. I feel like this book better translates into film and I am excited to rewatch the movie!
]]> 'Salem's Lot 17288638
#1 BESTSELLER � Ben Mears has returned to Jerusalem’s Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book.

But when two young boys venture into the woods, and only one returns alive, Mears begins to realize that something sinister is at work.

In fact, his hometown is under siege from forces of darkness far beyond his imagination. And only he, with a small group of allies, can hope to contain the evil that is growing within the borders of this small New England town.

With this, his second novel, Stephen King established himself as an indisputable master of American horror, able to transform the old conceits of the genre into something fresh and all the more frightening for taking place in a familiar, idyllic locale.]]> 653 Stephen King Kasia 4 stephen-king-read
I really enjoyed the writing style of 'Salem's lot, it felt like I was reading about a telenovela with the wide cast of characters King introduced to us. The short chapters made this a very quick read for being over 600 pages, and reading the majority of this in Cuba definitely made this for a more entertaining experience!]]> 4.11 1975 'Salem's Lot
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1975
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/25
date added: 2023/04/25
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
Finally got around to this one! A classic King, the earliest work of his I've read so far.

I really enjoyed the writing style of 'Salem's lot, it felt like I was reading about a telenovela with the wide cast of characters King introduced to us. The short chapters made this a very quick read for being over 600 pages, and reading the majority of this in Cuba definitely made this for a more entertaining experience!
]]> The Lovely Bones 12232938
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.]]> 372 Alice Sebold 0316166685 Kasia 3 3.87 2002 The Lovely Bones
author: Alice Sebold
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/20
date added: 2023/04/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Go as a River 61888081 In the spirit of Where the Crawdads Sing, and set amid the beauty and wilderness of the Colorado mountains, an unforgettable and deeply moving story of a young woman who follows her heart.

Seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash runs the household on her family's peach farm in the small ranch town of Iola, Colorado—the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past, displaced from his tribal land but determined to live as he chooses.

Victoria's chance encounter with Wil on a street corner profoundly alters both of their young lives, igniting as much passion as danger. When tragedy strikes, Victoria leaves the only life she has ever known, fleeing into the nearby mountains. Taking shelter in a small hut, she struggles to survive in the wilderness, with no clear notion of what her future will be. As the seasons change, she also charts the changes in herself, finding in the natural world the strength and meaning that set her on a quest to regain all that she has lost, even as the Gunnison River rises to submerge her homeland—its ranches, farms, and the beloved peach orchard that has been in her family for generations.

Inspired by true events surrounding the destruction of the town of Iola in the 1960s, Go as a River is a story of deeply held love in the midst of hardship and loss, but also of finding courage, resilience, friendship, and finally, home—where least expected. This stunning debut explores what it means to lead your life as if it were a river—gathering and flowing, finding a way forward even when the river is dammed.]]> 320 Shelley Read 0385688776 Kasia 2 dnf
I don’t get the hype, but it could just not be my cup of tea! ]]> 4.23 2023 Go as a River
author: Shelley Read
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/04/03
shelves: dnf
review:
Dnf @ around 70%. This book just completely dragged and I got tired of the writing style pretty quickly. I was simply not engaged and couldn’t bring myself to finish, or care about the characters too much.

I don’t get the hype, but it could just not be my cup of tea!
]]> The House of the Spirits 27248604 “Spectacular...An absorbing and distinguished work...The House of the Spirits with its all-informing, generous, and humane sensibility, is a unique achievement, both personal witness and possible allegory of the past, present, and future of Latin America.� —The New York Times Book Review

The House of the Spirits, the unforgettable first novel that established Isabel Allende as one of the world’s most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch Esteban is a volatile, proud man whose voracious pursuit of political power is tempered only by his love for his delicate wife Clara, a woman with a mystical connection to the spirit world. When their daughter Blanca embarks on a forbidden love affair in defiance of her implacable father, the result is an unexpected gift to Esteban: his adored granddaughter Alba, a beautiful and strong-willed child who will lead her family and her country into a revolutionary future.

One of the most important novels of the twentieth century, The House of the Spirits is an enthralling epic that spans decades and lives, weaving the personal and the political into a universal story of love, magic, and fate.]]> 481 Isabel Allende 1501117017 Kasia 4
I’ll admit, it took me a while to get into the rhythm of the story, I wasn’t really intrigued until maybe 200 pages in, but then I was really invested. The last 80 pages or so with the political drama kind of went over my head, but the last chapter and epilogue brought me back and I feel like the story ended really nicely.

I loved reading about one family and following their progressions through generations, getting to see characters grow up, have children, and have dramatic events unfold. The magical realism aspect of this book was neat, I really like scenes where spirits would randomly appear, and I loved Clara’s eccentric character as a whole.

This felt like a book I definitely would have been assigned while I was at university, and I think it would make for a fantastic book club pick.

Allende’s writing was fantastic, it felt like I was reading from a seasoned writer, even though this is her first novel. I’m excited to pick up more by her! ]]> 4.18 1982 The House of the Spirits
author: Isabel Allende
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/22
date added: 2023/03/22
shelves:
review:
This book really is a one of a kind and I can say I’ve never read anything like it.

I’ll admit, it took me a while to get into the rhythm of the story, I wasn’t really intrigued until maybe 200 pages in, but then I was really invested. The last 80 pages or so with the political drama kind of went over my head, but the last chapter and epilogue brought me back and I feel like the story ended really nicely.

I loved reading about one family and following their progressions through generations, getting to see characters grow up, have children, and have dramatic events unfold. The magical realism aspect of this book was neat, I really like scenes where spirits would randomly appear, and I loved Clara’s eccentric character as a whole.

This felt like a book I definitely would have been assigned while I was at university, and I think it would make for a fantastic book club pick.

Allende’s writing was fantastic, it felt like I was reading from a seasoned writer, even though this is her first novel. I’m excited to pick up more by her!
]]> <![CDATA[In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom]]> 24611623 273 Yeonmi Park 1594206791 Kasia 5
This goes without saying, an absolute 5/5 star read without a DOUBT. The courage and resilience Yeonmi has to share her story with the entire world is nothing short of absolutely amazing and I feel so honoured to have been able to read about her journey.

In Order to Live truly was the most gut-wrenching, emotional, indescribable book I have ever read in my entire life. There really is no way to even begin to understand the turmoil Yeonmi and her family went through, not only in her life in North Korea, but also her journey in China to escape to South Korea. You get an idea of what Yeonmi went through in her memoir, but the severity of her experience and trauma really cannot be transcribed on the written page. I have nothing but absolute respect for her and her entire family, as well as anyone else who has gone through an experience as a North Korean defector.

I find it difficult to write more on this book because I feel almost inadequate to even be a part of her story as a reader, I feel completely distant from her narrative and at times felt like I was reading out of a grotesque horror novel. But it was all real to Yeonmi, those memories are still alive with her every day, and I can only be nothing but thankful that she had the courage to speak up and work in advocacy to help others like her. ]]> 4.45 2015 In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
author: Yeonmi Park
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/05
date added: 2023/03/05
shelves:
review:
How can you even begin to rate or review a story like Yeonmi's?

This goes without saying, an absolute 5/5 star read without a DOUBT. The courage and resilience Yeonmi has to share her story with the entire world is nothing short of absolutely amazing and I feel so honoured to have been able to read about her journey.

In Order to Live truly was the most gut-wrenching, emotional, indescribable book I have ever read in my entire life. There really is no way to even begin to understand the turmoil Yeonmi and her family went through, not only in her life in North Korea, but also her journey in China to escape to South Korea. You get an idea of what Yeonmi went through in her memoir, but the severity of her experience and trauma really cannot be transcribed on the written page. I have nothing but absolute respect for her and her entire family, as well as anyone else who has gone through an experience as a North Korean defector.

I find it difficult to write more on this book because I feel almost inadequate to even be a part of her story as a reader, I feel completely distant from her narrative and at times felt like I was reading out of a grotesque horror novel. But it was all real to Yeonmi, those memories are still alive with her every day, and I can only be nothing but thankful that she had the courage to speak up and work in advocacy to help others like her.
]]> <![CDATA[Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine]]> 39961982 No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . .

The only way to survive is to open your heart. ]]> 325 Gail Honeyman 0735220697 Kasia 5
Eleanor Oliphant is definitely NOT Completely Fine which was pretty obvious, but I had no idea what to expect for her reasons of not being so fine. This book took a much darker turn than I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the synopsis definitely leads you on for a much more light-hearted read, which to be fair, a good chunk of it was. But by the time we learn more about Eleanor's past and all the little hints Honeyman drops throughout the novel comes together, I was completely hooked!

A fantastic novel that packs a punch and definitely resonated with me a lot harder than I expected it to. There were a lot of aspects of Eleanor's life and personality that hit home with me, it was so refreshing to read about a protagonist I saw myself in so much. Really really happy about this one :)]]> 4.17 2017 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
author: Gail Honeyman
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/26
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves:
review:
What an unexpected charming little novel! I picked this one up on a whim a few days ago during one of my bookstore splurges, and boy am I glad I did!

Eleanor Oliphant is definitely NOT Completely Fine which was pretty obvious, but I had no idea what to expect for her reasons of not being so fine. This book took a much darker turn than I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the synopsis definitely leads you on for a much more light-hearted read, which to be fair, a good chunk of it was. But by the time we learn more about Eleanor's past and all the little hints Honeyman drops throughout the novel comes together, I was completely hooked!

A fantastic novel that packs a punch and definitely resonated with me a lot harder than I expected it to. There were a lot of aspects of Eleanor's life and personality that hit home with me, it was so refreshing to read about a protagonist I saw myself in so much. Really really happy about this one :)
]]> The House Across the Lake 58909880 The New York Times best-selling author of Final Girls and Survive the Night is back with his most unexpected thriller yet.

Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple who live in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.

One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths that turn a tale of voyeurism and suspicion into a story of guilt, obsession and how looks can be very deceiving.

With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy surprises, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake unveils more than one twist that will shock readers until the very last page.]]> 369 Riley Sager Kasia 0 dnf, dont-read-this 3.58 2022 The House Across the Lake
author: Riley Sager
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves: dnf, dont-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]]> 58784475 In this exhilarating novel, two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.]]> 401 Gabrielle Zevin 0735243344 Kasia 3 “We are all living, at most, half of a life, she thought. There was the life you lived, which consisted of the choices you made. And then, there was the other life, the one that was the things you hadn't chosen.�

3.5/5 stars

This one was a rollercoaster. In that, my feelings towards the story changed dramatically as I progressed through the plot. The first half of this book started out strong, and I found myself greatly invested in the characters. However, the second half of the book fell flat for me and I began to dislike Sadie, her choices, and felt really bad for Sam. The "sad" part of this book was not really sad in my opinion, and the last part of this book felt sluggish.

The writing style was the saviour of this book, and I found a lot of quotes that resonated with me and I'll be saving for future reading. I think this book is worth the read, but it's not something I would reread again. ]]> 4.12 2022 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/12
date added: 2023/02/12
shelves:
review:
“We are all living, at most, half of a life, she thought. There was the life you lived, which consisted of the choices you made. And then, there was the other life, the one that was the things you hadn't chosen.�


3.5/5 stars

This one was a rollercoaster. In that, my feelings towards the story changed dramatically as I progressed through the plot. The first half of this book started out strong, and I found myself greatly invested in the characters. However, the second half of the book fell flat for me and I began to dislike Sadie, her choices, and felt really bad for Sam. The "sad" part of this book was not really sad in my opinion, and the last part of this book felt sluggish.

The writing style was the saviour of this book, and I found a lot of quotes that resonated with me and I'll be saving for future reading. I think this book is worth the read, but it's not something I would reread again.
]]> Survive the Night 61151257 THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

One of New York Times Book Review's summer reads guaranteed to make your heart thump and your skin crawl; An Amazon Best of the Month Pick; Named a must-read summer book by The Washington Post, USA Today, Vulture, BuzzFeed, Forbes, Entertainment Weekly, CNN, New York Post, Good Housekeeping, E!, PopSugar, CrimeReads, Thrillist, and BookRiot.

It's November 1991. Nirvana's in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it's guilt and grief over the shocking murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it's to help care for his sick father--or so he says.

The longer she sits in the passenger seat, the more Charlie notices there's something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn't want her to see inside the trunk. As they travel an empty, twisty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly anxious Charlie begins to think she's sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie's jittery mistrust merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

One thing is certain--Charlie has nowhere to run and no way to call for help. Trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on pitch-black roads and in neon-lit parking lots, Charlie knows the only way to win is to survive the night.]]> 352 Riley Sager 0593183185 Kasia 2 3.65 2021 Survive the Night
author: Riley Sager
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2023/02/06
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves:
review:
I’m honestly really unsure how to feel about this book. Except it was so fucking stupid it’s laughable honestly and I’m not even mad
]]> Us Against You (Beartown, #2) 36373463
Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.

As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.
]]> 448 Fredrik Backman 1501160796 Kasia 3
Following such a fantastic book as Beartown, Us Against You had some big shoes to fill. I did not enjoy the sequel as much as the first book, and I feel like one of the main reasons was pacing, repetitiveness, and not a seamless continuation from the first story. I don’t like how the main plot of the first book was neatly wrapped up in the sequel and pretty much “dealt with� when truly, it should have been dealt with differently in my opinion.

As well, the first good chunk of this book dragged and I didn’t find myself picking it up as eagerly as Beartown.

I will say, Backman’s writing style remained strong and consistent from the first book, which is what really kept me going. The story finally started to pick up in the last 80 pages or so, which is why I decided to give it a higher rating.

Overall, I’m interested in finishing this trilogy, but not overly eager to the point where I’ll pick up the finale immediately. ]]> 4.34 2017 Us Against You (Beartown, #2)
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/05
date added: 2023/02/05
shelves:
review:
3.5/5 stars

Following such a fantastic book as Beartown, Us Against You had some big shoes to fill. I did not enjoy the sequel as much as the first book, and I feel like one of the main reasons was pacing, repetitiveness, and not a seamless continuation from the first story. I don’t like how the main plot of the first book was neatly wrapped up in the sequel and pretty much “dealt with� when truly, it should have been dealt with differently in my opinion.

As well, the first good chunk of this book dragged and I didn’t find myself picking it up as eagerly as Beartown.

I will say, Backman’s writing style remained strong and consistent from the first book, which is what really kept me going. The story finally started to pick up in the last 80 pages or so, which is why I decided to give it a higher rating.

Overall, I’m interested in finishing this trilogy, but not overly eager to the point where I’ll pick up the finale immediately.
]]> Beartown (Beartown, #1) 52292127
People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

Beartown explores the hopes that bring a small community together, the secrets that tear it apart, and the courage it takes for an individual to go against the grain. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.]]> 432 Fredrik Backman Kasia 5
Holy shit, that was an unreal book. An unreal experience. I haven’t been so excited to finish a story in so long, haven’t felt so gripped by the edge of my seat in forever!!

I’ve read Fredrik Backman before, but Beartown was a totally different beast. The story was gripping, the characters were real, raw, and I felt very emotional throughout the entire day and a half I binged this. As a woman, it’s always particularly difficult to read about sexual assault, so I warn anyone to consider that before they go into this book.

His writing style is just so captivating and I literally wanted to skip class to finish the last 20 pages ]]> 4.24 2016 Beartown (Beartown, #1)
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/26
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves:
review:
6/5 stars

Holy shit, that was an unreal book. An unreal experience. I haven’t been so excited to finish a story in so long, haven’t felt so gripped by the edge of my seat in forever!!

I’ve read Fredrik Backman before, but Beartown was a totally different beast. The story was gripping, the characters were real, raw, and I felt very emotional throughout the entire day and a half I binged this. As a woman, it’s always particularly difficult to read about sexual assault, so I warn anyone to consider that before they go into this book.

His writing style is just so captivating and I literally wanted to skip class to finish the last 20 pages
]]> <![CDATA[The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes, #2)]]> 53457102 A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it...

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win.]]> 482 Elizabeth Lim 1529356784 Kasia 3
The first 35% of this book held real promise, and I was really fascinated to read about Shiori in the land of the Dragons, once again reunited with Seryu (who has my whole heart btw<3) I, like many other fans, was afraid of the dreaded love triangle that is basically mandatory in every YA it seems, but we only got a tease of it, and then it quickly faltered. However, as what usually ends up happening, the main character always ends up choosing the guy I don't prefer, and I am disappointed. Nothing new here lol.

I think The Dragon's Promise reminded me of why I have stayed away from YA as a genre for a while now, the tropes are so predictable, the plot is mediocre at best, and what only kept me reading was my investment in the characters. Once we strayed away from the Dragon land plot and into the main quest Shiori had, I felt like this book hit a lull. It is unfortunate because the first book was really awesome, but this one fell flat for me. Glad to see I wasn't the only one!]]> 3.78 2022 The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes, #2)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/23
date added: 2023/01/23
shelves:
review:
I am debating ranking this between a 3 or a 3.5/5 stars, but I think this book unfortunately deserves the dreaded middle rating of 3 stars.

The first 35% of this book held real promise, and I was really fascinated to read about Shiori in the land of the Dragons, once again reunited with Seryu (who has my whole heart btw<3) I, like many other fans, was afraid of the dreaded love triangle that is basically mandatory in every YA it seems, but we only got a tease of it, and then it quickly faltered. However, as what usually ends up happening, the main character always ends up choosing the guy I don't prefer, and I am disappointed. Nothing new here lol.

I think The Dragon's Promise reminded me of why I have stayed away from YA as a genre for a while now, the tropes are so predictable, the plot is mediocre at best, and what only kept me reading was my investment in the characters. Once we strayed away from the Dragon land plot and into the main quest Shiori had, I felt like this book hit a lull. It is unfortunate because the first book was really awesome, but this one fell flat for me. Glad to see I wasn't the only one!
]]> <![CDATA[Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1)]]> 57028076
Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear--no matter what the cost.

Weaving together elements of The Wild Swans, Cinderella, the legend of Chang E, and the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.]]> 464 Elizabeth Lim 1529356555 Kasia 4
This book blew me out of the water! I was definitely not expecting to enjoy a YA fantasy as much as I enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes, but I guess it goes to show that you should not let your biases affect your perception of a book too much until you actually read it. I have not read YA in a very long time, so it felt strange, yet oddly familiar to be back in the realm of younger adult fantasy.

Lim's writing was fantastic, but more importantly, the story she weaved was absolutely magical and a joy to read about. I adored the characters she created for us, and I couldn't help but love the relationship between Lina/Shiori and Takkan! The conversation Lina had with Takkan at his palace before he knew who she was.. adorable! And as someone who typically rolls their eyes at cheesy romance, this one actually made me laugh and warmed my heart.

I already snatched myself the sequel (not only for the beautiful matching covers of the UK edition) but because I am wholeheartedly invested in Shiori's quest! Haven't felt this way about a new series in a while (especially YA) so I am really excited! :) ]]> 4.20 2021 Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/21
date added: 2023/01/21
shelves:
review:
4.5/5 stars

This book blew me out of the water! I was definitely not expecting to enjoy a YA fantasy as much as I enjoyed Six Crimson Cranes, but I guess it goes to show that you should not let your biases affect your perception of a book too much until you actually read it. I have not read YA in a very long time, so it felt strange, yet oddly familiar to be back in the realm of younger adult fantasy.

Lim's writing was fantastic, but more importantly, the story she weaved was absolutely magical and a joy to read about. I adored the characters she created for us, and I couldn't help but love the relationship between Lina/Shiori and Takkan! The conversation Lina had with Takkan at his palace before he knew who she was.. adorable! And as someone who typically rolls their eyes at cheesy romance, this one actually made me laugh and warmed my heart.

I already snatched myself the sequel (not only for the beautiful matching covers of the UK edition) but because I am wholeheartedly invested in Shiori's quest! Haven't felt this way about a new series in a while (especially YA) so I am really excited! :)
]]> The Secret History 29044 559 Donna Tartt 1400031702 Kasia 3
Let me start by saying that this book instantly gave me vibes of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara just based on the synopsis, so I had similar expectations going into it.

I will say, I greatly enjoyed Donna's writing style and even though the story fell a bit short for me in places, I am not deterred from reading any more of her works. Her writing was very pleasurable to read and is probably what motivated me most to keep going with this story.

But by God, the characters were terrible! Every single one of them became insufferable by the very end (clearly, some more than others) and although I know this was probably the point, it's not a great feeling to be reading a story whereby you don't root for any of the characters. Julian was the only one I sorta felt bad for, but even at the beginning he was also annoying and unlikeable. I get that the book was supposed to be a character study, but honestly, I didn't learn anything new or profound that I didn't know already. So in my mind, the story was uneventful.

[spoilers removed]

This book feels like a rip-off of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and even that book was a bore when I read it in high school. The book only gets a 3 star rating from me because of the writing style and somewhat thrilling plot, but quite frankly, not worth any more of my time.]]> 4.17 1992 The Secret History
author: Donna Tartt
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2023/01/15
date added: 2023/01/15
shelves:
review:
This is one of those weird ones... where I don't really know how to reconcile with my feelings over it but I strangely sorta liked it?

Let me start by saying that this book instantly gave me vibes of A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara just based on the synopsis, so I had similar expectations going into it.

I will say, I greatly enjoyed Donna's writing style and even though the story fell a bit short for me in places, I am not deterred from reading any more of her works. Her writing was very pleasurable to read and is probably what motivated me most to keep going with this story.

But by God, the characters were terrible! Every single one of them became insufferable by the very end (clearly, some more than others) and although I know this was probably the point, it's not a great feeling to be reading a story whereby you don't root for any of the characters. Julian was the only one I sorta felt bad for, but even at the beginning he was also annoying and unlikeable. I get that the book was supposed to be a character study, but honestly, I didn't learn anything new or profound that I didn't know already. So in my mind, the story was uneventful.

[spoilers removed]

This book feels like a rip-off of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and even that book was a bore when I read it in high school. The book only gets a 3 star rating from me because of the writing style and somewhat thrilling plot, but quite frankly, not worth any more of my time.
]]> <![CDATA[The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture]]> 58537332 In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.

In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal� when it comes to health?

Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of “normal� as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society—and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Co-written with his son Daniel, The Myth of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.]]> 576 Gabor Maté 0593083881 Kasia 4 mental-health �
I love this quote so much, that I immediately sent it to a friend to share Gabor’s message. Let me start off with, I really, really enjoyed the last part of this book. The entire section on healing came into a point in my life where I needed to be reassured about how we all suffer under the human condition, and Gabor brought a lot of things to my awareness (see: the way I sticky tabbed this book to death)

It took me a while to get through the book (life got in the way) but I remember the first half of this book kind of dragged in the sense that Gabor relied a lot on scientific speak that I felt difficult to comprehend and apply in my life. However, as the book continued, the scientific speak lessened and I could appreciate Gabor’s message and lessons. I will definitely be returning to parts of this book because he had some truly profound observations to make.]]> 4.30 2022 The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
author: Gabor Maté
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/08
date added: 2023/01/09
shelves: mental-health
review:
”I wish I could tell you that healing is as straightforward as applying a particular mental exercise a certain number of times a week. Alas, the quest for wholeness is not reducible to any one or two (or three, or twenty, or fifty) practices, modalities, or approaches. Far from a one-and-done proposition, returning to ourselves is a road we choose, with all the twists and turns and seeming cul-de-sacs that come with following—or indeed, forging—an uncertain path. In my experience we are never as close as we hope, and never as far as we fear.�
�
I love this quote so much, that I immediately sent it to a friend to share Gabor’s message. Let me start off with, I really, really enjoyed the last part of this book. The entire section on healing came into a point in my life where I needed to be reassured about how we all suffer under the human condition, and Gabor brought a lot of things to my awareness (see: the way I sticky tabbed this book to death)

It took me a while to get through the book (life got in the way) but I remember the first half of this book kind of dragged in the sense that Gabor relied a lot on scientific speak that I felt difficult to comprehend and apply in my life. However, as the book continued, the scientific speak lessened and I could appreciate Gabor’s message and lessons. I will definitely be returning to parts of this book because he had some truly profound observations to make.
]]> <![CDATA[The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)]]> 18248381 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, Book One of the Stormlight Archive begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making.

Speak again the ancient oaths:

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination.

and return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again.]]> 1007 Brandon Sanderson 0765376679 Kasia 5 favourites, reread
Let's start with a quote from one of my favourite characters,

" 'I shall offer you this, Sadeas. If you can speak, yet say nothing ridiculous, I will leave you alone for the rest of the week.'
'Well, I think that shouldn't be too difficult.'
'And yet you failed,' Wit said, sighing. 'For you said 'I think' and I can imagine nothing so ridiculous as the concept of you thinking.'" (Sanderson, 229)


What even is Sanderson? What a concept this man is.

Sanderson just has this way of writing that captivates you to the point that even if his characters aren't doing much, just chilling and hanging, you still love it because you are just that invested in the people he's written about.

I could go on and on about everything I loved, but I'll just break it down to a few points:

Characters: Dalinar, Wit, & Jasnah ultimately rank as my favourite characters. They are all epically awesome. Kaladin was great as well, but these 3 surpassed and my head is blown just thinking about them. As I said, you will care about every single character that's made important enough to the story, you will feel enraged, happy, frustrated, all alongside them.

World Building: I can be somewhat of a moron when it comes to reading about worlds being built, because I misunderstood a lot of things in the beginning of this book, mainly due to not having enough knowledge to put two and two together. But Thank the Heralds for the starlight archive wiki, which helped out a lot (and almost didn't accidentally give me spoilers. It gave me 2, but they weren't that big.) Brandon is a genius when it comes to creating these fantastical worlds and the depths of Roshar have barely been uncovered, but I'm hungry for more.

Writing style: Despite this tome of a novel, Brandon has very accessible writing that I am not over. You definitely have to like fantasy enough to like Brandon, but despite it being high fantasy, was still very understandable.

My God. 1000 pages but honestly, did not feel that big.

That one friend that's constantly telling you to pick up this book, or your favourite book tuber, or your grandma, whoever, I am telling you, THEY ARE RIGHT. This book really can't go wrong if you're into fantasy. It really can't. It has everything readers are looking for.

I'll end this review off with another of my favourite character's iconic quotes,

" 'Atheism is not a disease, your Majesty.' Jasnah said dryly. 'It's not as if I've caught a foot rash.'" (Sanderson, 466)


PS: Brandon Sanderson is a disease I am glad to have caught and will now proceed to read the next 2 books, possibly everything he's ever written, and cry waiting for the next 7 books to be released.

—â¶Ä�
Reread 2020
Almost one year to the day later and I find myself craving the world of bridgemen and radiants alike. It’s crazy how much I forgot even though I only read this for the first time a year ago. Nonetheless, am very eager to read the next few books and the new release in November!! ]]> 4.69 2010 The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2019/07/21
date added: 2023/01/08
shelves: favourites, reread
review:
How does one even begin to write a review for such an epic masterpiece?

Let's start with a quote from one of my favourite characters,

" 'I shall offer you this, Sadeas. If you can speak, yet say nothing ridiculous, I will leave you alone for the rest of the week.'
'Well, I think that shouldn't be too difficult.'
'And yet you failed,' Wit said, sighing. 'For you said 'I think' and I can imagine nothing so ridiculous as the concept of you thinking.'" (Sanderson, 229)


What even is Sanderson? What a concept this man is.

Sanderson just has this way of writing that captivates you to the point that even if his characters aren't doing much, just chilling and hanging, you still love it because you are just that invested in the people he's written about.

I could go on and on about everything I loved, but I'll just break it down to a few points:

Characters: Dalinar, Wit, & Jasnah ultimately rank as my favourite characters. They are all epically awesome. Kaladin was great as well, but these 3 surpassed and my head is blown just thinking about them. As I said, you will care about every single character that's made important enough to the story, you will feel enraged, happy, frustrated, all alongside them.

World Building: I can be somewhat of a moron when it comes to reading about worlds being built, because I misunderstood a lot of things in the beginning of this book, mainly due to not having enough knowledge to put two and two together. But Thank the Heralds for the starlight archive wiki, which helped out a lot (and almost didn't accidentally give me spoilers. It gave me 2, but they weren't that big.) Brandon is a genius when it comes to creating these fantastical worlds and the depths of Roshar have barely been uncovered, but I'm hungry for more.

Writing style: Despite this tome of a novel, Brandon has very accessible writing that I am not over. You definitely have to like fantasy enough to like Brandon, but despite it being high fantasy, was still very understandable.

My God. 1000 pages but honestly, did not feel that big.

That one friend that's constantly telling you to pick up this book, or your favourite book tuber, or your grandma, whoever, I am telling you, THEY ARE RIGHT. This book really can't go wrong if you're into fantasy. It really can't. It has everything readers are looking for.

I'll end this review off with another of my favourite character's iconic quotes,

" 'Atheism is not a disease, your Majesty.' Jasnah said dryly. 'It's not as if I've caught a foot rash.'" (Sanderson, 466)


PS: Brandon Sanderson is a disease I am glad to have caught and will now proceed to read the next 2 books, possibly everything he's ever written, and cry waiting for the next 7 books to be released.

—â¶Ä�
Reread 2020
Almost one year to the day later and I find myself craving the world of bridgemen and radiants alike. It’s crazy how much I forgot even though I only read this for the first time a year ago. Nonetheless, am very eager to read the next few books and the new release in November!!
]]> Invisible Man 1057142
He describes growing up in a Black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood," before retreating amid violence and confusion.

Originally published in 1952 as the first novel by a then unknown author, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century.ĚýThe book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land , James Joyce, and Dostoevsky.]]> Ralph Ellison 0808554123 Kasia 5 favourites, classics, reread
While it was longer than I liked, it was not as dense as I expected it.

This book is important. It was very important for the time it was written, but the message it stands for still stands the test of time even today, which I feel this is why it is so important to read it. Going into this book, I was sort of rolling my eyes because I didn't want to read an almost 600 page to learn that racism is wrong. I already know that. But after reading this, I understand that this book serves a different purpose. It shows how someone can be invisible no matter how visible they aim to make themselves be in the world, and how you are only truly invisible if you don't recognize your own identity.

Definitely one of the better books I've had to read for school.

**REREAD 2022

There is a lot to unpack here. And I really mean a lot. I don't think Grade 12 me even had the slightest clue just how profound this book is. Which is why I'm grateful to have re-read it and now impose my slightly older views on Ellison's masterpiece. Where do I even begin?

" 'Yes, you are my fate, young man. Only you can tell me what it really is. Do you understand?' "

I have so many quotes saved on my ebook but I felt this one summarizes the unnamed narrator's journey the best. Many different people view the narrator as a tool to be used; we see it first with Mr. Norton, then Jack and the Brotherhood, and also other minor characters in some way, like Mary. Everyone thinks the unnamed narrator is destined for some greater purpose, and the book painfully takes us through the narrator's exploitation and eventual downfall (quite literally).

But what I think makes Invisible Man stand out from the crowd of American discourse on racism is the book's exploration of identity. The narrator struggles right until the very end to feel important, to feel like he belongs with a group of people. From the start, it's obvious he does not fit in at home, because he runs away to college and desperately tries to conform with the campus life there. He performs an identity of an educated black man, but in reality, he and people like Dr. Bledsoe are performing whiteness . Once he gets kicked out from the school (good riddance!) he finds himself in the Brotherhood, and there we see the most profound exploration of identity in the novel. Not only does the unnamed narrator literally receive a new name (which we never learn anyways) but he is programmed by the Brotherhood's doctrine. Again, we see themes of identity and also exploitation in the novel. Brother Jack does not see the narrator as an individual, but merely a cog in the well-oiled machine destined to think for the people, not listen to their wants and needs.

As an English student, I couldn't help but pick on the literary devices littered throughout the novel, and in particular, the eye motif. I find it so fascinating to see how Ellison toys us by placing these important figures (the Reverend and Brother Jack) and then discrediting them with their own eyes. Or lack thereof. From my previous reading, I remembered about the Reverend being blind but it was a quick revelation in the novel, unlike Jack. With Brother Jack, we are destined to wait until the final few chapters of the book to see that Brother Jack, in fact, cannot see. He has a glass eye that the narrator is shocked (like us!) to find out about. In that instance, the narrator's suspicions are finally confirmed: Brother Jack doesn't see him, the Brotherhood doesn't see him, and most importantly, he doesn't see himself.

Along with the themes of identity and exploitation as I mentioned, what I personally find most interesting about the novel is the narrator's struggle with his own identity. Once he realizes that no one can give him an identity, we see him quite literally in a dark hole. The narrator seems to find some solace in identifying as an "invisible man" but what does that really mean? Sure, metaphorically, being invisible to society because of your skin colour is well justified in the novel. But literally, does this mean the narrator cannot find self-worth because he thinks no one can see him? What about seeing himself? What about establishing confidence in yourself and living life to the fullest despite what people think of you? I understand in the historical context of the novel, the narrator still faces a lot of barriers due to his racial identity and does not have the privilege to move around as easily as others. But, I still think he can ground himself enough to know who he is and try to live the life he wants. Sort of like Ras the Exhorter, who, albeit some of his radical behaviour, still knew who he was.

By the end we see the narrator thinks invisible people are important:
"there's a possibility that even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play."
In some ways, maybe the narrator is grounding his identity in being invisible and trying to use it to his advantage. However, I don't think invisibility will work very long for him in a world that demands to be seen, even if people misinterpret your character, they will still see some distorted image of you.

Now, I've rambled long enough, but quite honestly, there is so much more to say. I really hope I get the opportunity to maybe write on this book for a paper one day, it's just that good! If not, I'll remain satisfied with this review and hope someone is inspired to read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, because it is most certainly worth your time.]]> 4.11 1952 Invisible Man
author: Ralph Ellison
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1952
rating: 5
read at: 2022/04/12
date added: 2023/01/08
shelves: favourites, classics, reread
review:
**disclaimer. I had to read this for my AP English class.

While it was longer than I liked, it was not as dense as I expected it.

This book is important. It was very important for the time it was written, but the message it stands for still stands the test of time even today, which I feel this is why it is so important to read it. Going into this book, I was sort of rolling my eyes because I didn't want to read an almost 600 page to learn that racism is wrong. I already know that. But after reading this, I understand that this book serves a different purpose. It shows how someone can be invisible no matter how visible they aim to make themselves be in the world, and how you are only truly invisible if you don't recognize your own identity.

Definitely one of the better books I've had to read for school.

**REREAD 2022

There is a lot to unpack here. And I really mean a lot. I don't think Grade 12 me even had the slightest clue just how profound this book is. Which is why I'm grateful to have re-read it and now impose my slightly older views on Ellison's masterpiece. Where do I even begin?

" 'Yes, you are my fate, young man. Only you can tell me what it really is. Do you understand?' "

I have so many quotes saved on my ebook but I felt this one summarizes the unnamed narrator's journey the best. Many different people view the narrator as a tool to be used; we see it first with Mr. Norton, then Jack and the Brotherhood, and also other minor characters in some way, like Mary. Everyone thinks the unnamed narrator is destined for some greater purpose, and the book painfully takes us through the narrator's exploitation and eventual downfall (quite literally).

But what I think makes Invisible Man stand out from the crowd of American discourse on racism is the book's exploration of identity. The narrator struggles right until the very end to feel important, to feel like he belongs with a group of people. From the start, it's obvious he does not fit in at home, because he runs away to college and desperately tries to conform with the campus life there. He performs an identity of an educated black man, but in reality, he and people like Dr. Bledsoe are performing whiteness . Once he gets kicked out from the school (good riddance!) he finds himself in the Brotherhood, and there we see the most profound exploration of identity in the novel. Not only does the unnamed narrator literally receive a new name (which we never learn anyways) but he is programmed by the Brotherhood's doctrine. Again, we see themes of identity and also exploitation in the novel. Brother Jack does not see the narrator as an individual, but merely a cog in the well-oiled machine destined to think for the people, not listen to their wants and needs.

As an English student, I couldn't help but pick on the literary devices littered throughout the novel, and in particular, the eye motif. I find it so fascinating to see how Ellison toys us by placing these important figures (the Reverend and Brother Jack) and then discrediting them with their own eyes. Or lack thereof. From my previous reading, I remembered about the Reverend being blind but it was a quick revelation in the novel, unlike Jack. With Brother Jack, we are destined to wait until the final few chapters of the book to see that Brother Jack, in fact, cannot see. He has a glass eye that the narrator is shocked (like us!) to find out about. In that instance, the narrator's suspicions are finally confirmed: Brother Jack doesn't see him, the Brotherhood doesn't see him, and most importantly, he doesn't see himself.

Along with the themes of identity and exploitation as I mentioned, what I personally find most interesting about the novel is the narrator's struggle with his own identity. Once he realizes that no one can give him an identity, we see him quite literally in a dark hole. The narrator seems to find some solace in identifying as an "invisible man" but what does that really mean? Sure, metaphorically, being invisible to society because of your skin colour is well justified in the novel. But literally, does this mean the narrator cannot find self-worth because he thinks no one can see him? What about seeing himself? What about establishing confidence in yourself and living life to the fullest despite what people think of you? I understand in the historical context of the novel, the narrator still faces a lot of barriers due to his racial identity and does not have the privilege to move around as easily as others. But, I still think he can ground himself enough to know who he is and try to live the life he wants. Sort of like Ras the Exhorter, who, albeit some of his radical behaviour, still knew who he was.

By the end we see the narrator thinks invisible people are important:
"there's a possibility that even an invisible man has a socially responsible role to play."
In some ways, maybe the narrator is grounding his identity in being invisible and trying to use it to his advantage. However, I don't think invisibility will work very long for him in a world that demands to be seen, even if people misinterpret your character, they will still see some distorted image of you.

Now, I've rambled long enough, but quite honestly, there is so much more to say. I really hope I get the opportunity to maybe write on this book for a paper one day, it's just that good! If not, I'll remain satisfied with this review and hope someone is inspired to read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, because it is most certainly worth your time.
]]> <![CDATA[Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder--From Childhood Through Adulthood]]> 11402219 Ěý
Through vivid stories and case histories of patients—both adults and children—Hallowell and Ratey explore the varied forms ADHD takes, from hyperactivity to daydreaming. They dispel common myths, offer helpful coping tools, and give a thorough accounting of all treatment options as well as tips for dealing with a diagnosed child, partner, or family member. But most importantly, they focus on the positives that can come with this “disorder”—including high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm.]]> 357 Edward M. Hallowell 0307743152 Kasia 4 mental-health
Some of the claims made in the book seemed like a reach, partially due to when the book was released, which is why I gave it one star less. Overall, would encourage anyone who has ADHD or suspects they do to read! Especially if you know someone with the disorder and want to be more helpful :) ]]> 4.26 1992 Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder--From Childhood Through Adulthood
author: Edward M. Hallowell
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/23
date added: 2022/12/27
shelves: mental-health
review:
Solid read about ADHD! As someone who is self discovering and exploring their own mental health, it was fascinating to read a more clear cut and scientifically based perspective on ADHD.

Some of the claims made in the book seemed like a reach, partially due to when the book was released, which is why I gave it one star less. Overall, would encourage anyone who has ADHD or suspects they do to read! Especially if you know someone with the disorder and want to be more helpful :)
]]> The Girl With All the Gifts 18656044
Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don't like her. She jokes that she won't bite, but they don't laugh.

Melanie loves school. She loves learning about spelling and sums and the world outside the classroom and the children's cells. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she'll do when she grows up. Melanie doesn't know why this makes Miss Justineau look sad.

The Girl with All the Gifts is a sensational thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King, Justin Cronin, and Neil Gaiman.]]> 407 M.R. Carey 0316278157 Kasia 3
This was an ok read. I have never read a zombie book before, quite frankly, I avoid zombie movies like the plague because most adaptations I just don't give a flipping fuck about.

But, The Girl With All the Gifts managed to not annoy me, for the most part.

I do feel a little duped by the synopsis (at least on my edition, it's very short and only relays an excerpt from the first chapter which drew me in), and the title itself.

Melanie's only gift really is being a zombie, but not entirely. She is able to think and process emotions like a human. Is that really "all the gifts" ? Not for me, at least.

Lastly, this was classified as “horror�, and unless you are morbidly terrified of anything having to do with zombies in the slightest, this book is not scary. At all. I was not looking for a scary story, and honestly, even Stephen King hasn’t managed to scare me that much. Horror films are a different story, but reading about scary things usually don’t have an effect on me, visually seeing it will have a better chance of scaring the beejesus out of me. At best, this was a typical YA novel, at worst, it was a poorly written dystopian-horror wannabe.

This story read like an action novel (at least after the first major event in the book) and that disappointed me. I was hoping for more time to be spent in the classroom, in Dr. Caldwell's laboratory, etc. I wanted the remainder of the book to take place back at the military base, not running away from zombies and junkers, this made it feel very stereotypical to other zombie movies and tv shows.

However, I think the characters were strong enough for me to sympathize with, get angry with, and all in all care about what was going to happen to them. This book was much stronger in characters than its plot, which I found to be pretty predictable and underwhelming.]]> 3.90 2014 The Girl With All the Gifts
author: M.R. Carey
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2019/07/15
date added: 2022/12/20
shelves:
review:
3/5 stars.

This was an ok read. I have never read a zombie book before, quite frankly, I avoid zombie movies like the plague because most adaptations I just don't give a flipping fuck about.

But, The Girl With All the Gifts managed to not annoy me, for the most part.

I do feel a little duped by the synopsis (at least on my edition, it's very short and only relays an excerpt from the first chapter which drew me in), and the title itself.

Melanie's only gift really is being a zombie, but not entirely. She is able to think and process emotions like a human. Is that really "all the gifts" ? Not for me, at least.

Lastly, this was classified as “horror�, and unless you are morbidly terrified of anything having to do with zombies in the slightest, this book is not scary. At all. I was not looking for a scary story, and honestly, even Stephen King hasn’t managed to scare me that much. Horror films are a different story, but reading about scary things usually don’t have an effect on me, visually seeing it will have a better chance of scaring the beejesus out of me. At best, this was a typical YA novel, at worst, it was a poorly written dystopian-horror wannabe.

This story read like an action novel (at least after the first major event in the book) and that disappointed me. I was hoping for more time to be spent in the classroom, in Dr. Caldwell's laboratory, etc. I wanted the remainder of the book to take place back at the military base, not running away from zombies and junkers, this made it feel very stereotypical to other zombie movies and tv shows.

However, I think the characters were strong enough for me to sympathize with, get angry with, and all in all care about what was going to happen to them. This book was much stronger in characters than its plot, which I found to be pretty predictable and underwhelming.
]]> Fairy Tale 60209871
Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and his ageing master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world.

King's storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale about another world than ours, in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781399705417]]> 579 Stephen King Kasia 2 stephen-king-read
But once we got to the fantasy world? My god it was SO BORING. This book absolutely dragged and I had to keep checking the cover to remind myself if this was King or not� I’m not sure if King is just not super experienced or good at fantasy writing, or my high fantasy expectations since I’ve read Sanderson, Rothfuss, etc.

Suffice to say, this book sucked. I skimmed the last 100 pages because I really just couldn’t take it anymore. I still love King and this book doesn’t deter me at all from my admiration for him, but nonetheless I can’t lie about my feelings.]]> 3.93 2022 Fairy Tale
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/10/15
date added: 2022/10/15
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
This might be the saddest review I’ve ever had to write. But damn this book sucked. I am shocked and majorly disappointed, because I really was very hyped for this book. The only enjoyable part of this book was the beginning and very very end, which is where King’s storytelling shines developing characters and relationships we all adore.

But once we got to the fantasy world? My god it was SO BORING. This book absolutely dragged and I had to keep checking the cover to remind myself if this was King or not� I’m not sure if King is just not super experienced or good at fantasy writing, or my high fantasy expectations since I’ve read Sanderson, Rothfuss, etc.

Suffice to say, this book sucked. I skimmed the last 100 pages because I really just couldn’t take it anymore. I still love King and this book doesn’t deter me at all from my admiration for him, but nonetheless I can’t lie about my feelings.
]]> <![CDATA[The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom]]> 6596 The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Word, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best.]]> 152 Miguel Ruiz 1878424505 Kasia 0 mental-health 4.20 1997 The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
author: Miguel Ruiz
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at: 2021/12/06
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: mental-health
review:

]]> Unwinding Anxiety 55628986 A step-by-step plan clinically proven to break the cycle of worry and fear that drives anxiety and addictive habits

We are living through one of the most anxious periods any of us can remember. Whether facing issues as public as a pandemic or as personal as having kids at home and fighting the urge to reach for the wine bottle every night, we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. But in this timely book, Judson Brewer explains how to uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques and small hacks accessible to anyone.

We think of anxiety as everything from mild unease to full-blown panic. But it's also what drives the addictive behaviors and bad habits we use to cope (e.g. stress eating, procrastination, doom scrolling and social media). Plus, anxiety lives in a part of the brain that resists rational thought. So we get stuck in anxiety habit loops that we can't think our way out of or use willpower to overcome. Dr. Brewer teaches us map our brains to discover our triggers, defuse them with the simple but powerful practice of curiosity, and to train our brains using mindfulness and other practices that his lab has proven can work.

Distilling more than 20 years of research and hands-on work with thousands of patients, including Olympic athletes and coaches, and leaders in government and business, Dr. Brewer has created a clear, solution-oriented program that anyone can use to feel better - no matter how anxious they feel.]]> 287 Judson Brewer 0593330447 Kasia 5 favourites, mental-health
I've read A TON on anxiety (seeing how anxious I am to 'cure' my own) but Judson's kind and guided techniques taught me there is nothing to "cure." It's all about acceptance and being curious about yourself, not judgemental. I felt at peace throughout this book, and I absorbed every word fully. I honestly cannot remember the last time I could say that about a book. I am never fully able to read and appreciate the work authors put in. But with "Unwinding Anxiety" it was only too easy to sit back and absorb all his helpful advice.

Seriously, Judson, if you're reading this, thank you. What a fantastic book, it is one I will be recommending for years to come! All because of a random trip to the bookstore... life works in mysterious ways :)]]> 3.88 2020 Unwinding Anxiety
author: Judson Brewer
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/07
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: favourites, mental-health
review:
Wow wow wow. I randomly stumbled upon this at Indigo yesterday and figured I'd give it a shot. I had no idea how much this book would open my eyes.

I've read A TON on anxiety (seeing how anxious I am to 'cure' my own) but Judson's kind and guided techniques taught me there is nothing to "cure." It's all about acceptance and being curious about yourself, not judgemental. I felt at peace throughout this book, and I absorbed every word fully. I honestly cannot remember the last time I could say that about a book. I am never fully able to read and appreciate the work authors put in. But with "Unwinding Anxiety" it was only too easy to sit back and absorb all his helpful advice.

Seriously, Judson, if you're reading this, thank you. What a fantastic book, it is one I will be recommending for years to come! All because of a random trip to the bookstore... life works in mysterious ways :)
]]> <![CDATA[The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response]]> 58385699 From an acclaimed functional medicine psychiatrist, a groundbreaking approach to understanding and managing anxiety from a holistic perspective.

More than 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety in any given year, which has only worsened with the Covid-19 pandemic. To help patients cope with this often-debilitating mental health disorder, doctors tend to reach for the prescription pad, subscribing to the conventional wisdom that anxiety is "all in our heads." Ellen Vora, MD contends that what we need is an all-encompassing approach that looks beyond the brain and considers the whole person.

Backed by the latest scientific research and Dr. Vora's clinical work, The Anatomy of Anxiety offers a fresh, much-needed look at mental health, offering actionable strategies for managing our moods. Much of our anxiety begins in the physical body, often the result of seemingly innocuous states of imbalance, such as a blood sugar crash or sleep deprivation. This type of anxiety is far more preventable than we may realize, through straightforward adjustments to our diet and lifestyle, such as reducing caffeine intake, stabilizing blood sugar, prioritizing rest, and rethinking our relationship to technology.

Other forms of anxiety are not pathologic but come as a course correction to help nudge us back onto our paths. In this instance, anxiety is not what's wrong with us, but it's here to alert us to the fact that something else is out of balance--in our bodies, our lives, or in the world around us. This more intuitive version of anxiety, Dr. Vora suggests, is meant to be listened to and honored, and we can learn simple strategies for tuning into this anxiety and allowing it to protect and guide us. In The Anatomy of Anxiety, Dr. Vora walks beside us through a healing process to reframe our relationship with anxiety, and in turn create a more joyful and fulfilled life.]]> 337 Ellen Vora 0063075091 Kasia 5 mental-health
Ellen Vora touches upon a lot of aspects of anxiety (considering she is a holistic physician, her approach is fitting) which made for a wholesome read. I related to most of the concepts she touched upon in The Anatomy of Anxiety and this is a book I will catalogue and reference for myself in the future.

She also touched upon the book I just read (which almost felt like the universe winking at me) and many other great novels I will have to note and potentially check out. I felt at peace reading this book, just like with Brewer's, which is a positive sign that this book was helpful. I encourage anyone who suffers from anxiety to read this :)]]> 3.81 The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response
author: Ellen Vora
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.81
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/11
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: mental-health
review:
Once again, another fantastic book on the topic of anxiety. I just read, a more, let's say, abstract book on anxiety (Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer) and stumbled upon this at work yesterday. I read this book in less than 24 hours. It was that good.

Ellen Vora touches upon a lot of aspects of anxiety (considering she is a holistic physician, her approach is fitting) which made for a wholesome read. I related to most of the concepts she touched upon in The Anatomy of Anxiety and this is a book I will catalogue and reference for myself in the future.

She also touched upon the book I just read (which almost felt like the universe winking at me) and many other great novels I will have to note and potentially check out. I felt at peace reading this book, just like with Brewer's, which is a positive sign that this book was helpful. I encourage anyone who suffers from anxiety to read this :)
]]> <![CDATA[Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder]]> 39899253 Scattered Minds explodes the myth of attention deficit disorder as genetically based � and offers real hope and advice for children and adults who live with the condition.

Gabor Maté is a revered physician who specializes in neurology, psychiatry and psychology � and himself has ADD. With wisdom gained through years of medical practice and research, Scattered Minds is a must-read for parents � and for anyone interested how experiences in infancy shape the biology and psychology of the human brain.

Scattered Minds:
- Demonstrates that ADD is not an inherited illness, but a reversible impairment and developmental delay
- Explains that in ADD, circuits in the brain whose job is emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy � and why
- Shows how â€distractibilityâ€� is the psychological product of life experience
- Allows parents to understand what makes their ADD children tick, and adults with ADD to gain insights into their emotions and behaviours
- Expresses optimism about neurological development even in adulthood
- Presents a programme of how to promote this development in both children and adults]]> 368 Gabor Maté 1785042211 Kasia 5 mental-health
As someone with self-suspected ADHD (awaiting diagnosis) and definitely an individual with anxiety, I learned a lot from this book. Maté's writing style was really accessible and I already bought and plan to read his latest release, The Myth of Normal .

Highly recommend to readers curiously learning more about ADHD from a more environmental perspective rather than genetics.]]> 4.28 1999 Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder
author: Gabor Maté
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/09
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: mental-health
review:
I've heard only raving reviews about Gabor Maté and I am happy to report they are all true! Scattered Minds was a fantastic read that really opened my eyes up to the nature vs. nurture debate of ADHD and how parental attachment to a child really impacts their development. Having read on attachment theory, I found the aspect of parental attachment fascinating in relation to ADHD.

As someone with self-suspected ADHD (awaiting diagnosis) and definitely an individual with anxiety, I learned a lot from this book. Maté's writing style was really accessible and I already bought and plan to read his latest release, The Myth of Normal .

Highly recommend to readers curiously learning more about ADHD from a more environmental perspective rather than genetics.
]]> The Dead Zone 10859100
Meet Johnny Smith. A young man whose streak of luck ends dramatically in a major car crash. Followed by blackness. A long, long time in cold limbo.

When he wakes up life has been turned upside down. His fiancee has met someone else. And Johnny is cursed with the power to perceive evil in men's souls. He's had these hunches since he had an ice-skating accident as a child. Now he has an ability to see into the future. An ability which will bring him into a terrifying confrontation with a charismatic, power-hungry and dangerous man...]]> 595 Stephen King Kasia 3 stephen-king-read 4.03 1979 The Dead Zone
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1979
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/06
date added: 2022/09/06
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
The book started off very strong, but all the politics got me disinterested. The concept was fascinating and I only wish King took it in a slightly different direction plot wise.
]]> Red Rising (Red Rising, #1) 20766595 Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it.
The Reds are humanity's last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie.

That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought. Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.

But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

Break the chains.

Live for more.]]> 416 Pierce Brown Kasia 0 dnf, dont-read-this 4.16 2014 Red Rising (Red Rising, #1)
author: Pierce Brown
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/28
shelves: dnf, dont-read-this
review:
DNF with only 100 pages to go. I just couldn’t do it anymore. The choppy writing style kept bugging me and I wasn’t invested in the story AT ALL. I couldn’t keep up with character names, or honestly what was happening at all. I think this book taught me I’ve definitely outgrown the dystopian genre. Also, this totally read like a YA novel even though it was shelved under adult. So tbh, I feel kinda duped. Waste of my time.
]]> The Book Eaters 58724745
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.]]> 298 Sunyi Dean 1250810183 Kasia 5 3.60 2022 The Book Eaters
author: Sunyi Dean
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/07
date added: 2022/08/07
shelves:
review:
What a bloody fantastic book! I had no expectations of liking The Book Eaters this much, seeing I just picked it up on a whim from work the other day. But Sunyi’s writing is refreshing and made me fall in love with the fantasy genre all over again. Also� that ending?!?!? Sequel�?
]]> <![CDATA[Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love]]> 9547888 Is there a science to love?

In this groundbreaking book, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel S. F. Heller reveal how an understanding of attachment theory-the most advanced relationship science in existence today-can help us find and sustain love. Attachment theory forms the basis for many bestselling books on the parent/child relationship, but there has yet to be an accessible guide to what this fascinating science has to tell us about adult romantic relationships-until now.

Attachment theory owes its inception to British psychologist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby, who in the 1950s examined the tremendous impact that our early relationships with our parents or caregivers has on the people we become. Also central to attachment theory is the discovery that our need to be in a close relationship with one or more individuals is embedded in our genes.

In Attached, Levine and Heller trace how these evolutionary influences continue to shape who we are in our relationships today. According to attachment theory, every person behaves in relationships in one of three distinct ways:

*ANXIOUS people are often preoccupied with their relationships and tend to worry about their partner's ability to love them back.
*AVOIDANT people equate intimacy with a loss of independence and constantly try to minimize closeness.
*SECURE people feel comfortable with intimacy and are usually warm and loving.

Attached guides readers in determining what attachment style they and their mate (or potential mates) follow. It also offers readers a wealth of advice on how to navigate their relationships more wisely given their attachment style and that of their partner. An insightful look at the science behind love, Attached offers readers a road map for building stronger, more fulfilling connections.]]> 304 Amir Levine 1585428485 Kasia 4 4.11 2010 Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love
author: Amir Levine
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/04
date added: 2022/08/04
shelves:
review:
Been recommended and heard about this book a lot, thought I’d give it a shot! Lot of interesting concepts on attachment and I felt like I learned a lot. Highly recommend :)
]]> 11/22/63 13547452 Dallas, 11/22/63: Three shots ring out.
President John F. Kennedy is dead.

Life can turn on a dime—or stumble into the extraordinary, as it does for Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a Maine town. While grading essays by his GED students, Jake reads a gruesome, enthralling piece penned by janitor Harry Dunning: fifty years ago, Harry somehow survived his father’s sledgehammer slaughter of his entire family. Jake is blown away . . . but an even more bizarre secret comes to light when Jake’s friend Al, owner of the local diner, enlists Jake to take over the mission that has become his obsession—to prevent the Kennedy assassination. How? By stepping through a portal in the diner’s storeroom, and into the era of Ike and Elvis, of big American cars, sock hops, and cigarette smoke. . . . Finding himself in warmhearted Jodie, Texas, Jake begins a new life. But all turns in the road lead to a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald. The course of history is about to be rewritten . . . and become heart-stoppingly suspenseful.
(back cover)

------------------------------------------------------------

The following is the Library of Congress Summary

On November 22, 1963, three shots rang out in Dallas, President Kennedy died, and the world changed. What if you could change it back? The author's new novel is about a man who travels back in time to prevent the JFK assassination. In this novel that is a tribute to a simpler era, he sweeps readers back in time to another moment, a real life moment, when everything went wrong: the JFK assassination. And he introduces readers to a character who has the power to change the course of history. Jake Epping is a thirty-five-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students, a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night fifty years ago when Harry Dunning's father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk. Not much later, Jake's friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane, and insanely possible, mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake's new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake's life, a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

------------------------------------------------------------

This is the full sized trade paperback, nearly identical to the first hardback edition. The back of the dust jacket from the hardcover edition, became page one on this full sized trade paperback.

~]]> 849 Stephen King 1451627297 Kasia 4 stephen-king-read
Wow!!!! What a fascinating book, I really really enjoyed this one. I’ve always been a fan of time travel, and there’s no one like Stephen King to take you on a ride. I definitely didn’t expect the direction this one took, but honestly, I enjoyed it even more because of that. The last lines� ❤️ ugh my heart. I found it so cool to see how going back in time and returning to the present affected reality in many different ways. I really enjoyed the conversation at the end between the green card man and Jake, it was so interesting to see his perspective. Overall, really fantastic book I’m sure I’ll reread one day. And there’s a show!!! I gotta find it and watch it ]]> 4.46 2011 11/22/63
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/04
date added: 2022/08/04
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
4.5/5 stars

Wow!!!! What a fascinating book, I really really enjoyed this one. I’ve always been a fan of time travel, and there’s no one like Stephen King to take you on a ride. I definitely didn’t expect the direction this one took, but honestly, I enjoyed it even more because of that. The last lines� ❤️ ugh my heart. I found it so cool to see how going back in time and returning to the present affected reality in many different ways. I really enjoyed the conversation at the end between the green card man and Jake, it was so interesting to see his perspective. Overall, really fantastic book I’m sure I’ll reread one day. And there’s a show!!! I gotta find it and watch it
]]> Firestarter 60438471
Andy McGee and Vicky Tomlinson were once college students looking to make some extra cash, volunteering as test subjects for an experiment orchestrated by the clandestine government organization known as The Shop. But the outcome unlocked exceptional latent psychic talents for the two of them—manifesting in even more terrifying ways when they fell in love and had a child. Their daughter, Charlie, has been gifted with the most extraordinary and uncontrollable power ever seen—pyrokinesis, the ability to create fire with her mind. Now the merciless agents of The Shop are in hot pursuit to apprehend this unexpected genetic anomaly for their own diabolical ends by any means necessary...including violent actions that may well ignite the entire world around them as Charlie retaliates with a fury of her own...]]> 512 Stephen King 1668009927 Kasia 3 stephen-king-read 3.98 1980 Firestarter
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1980
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/03
date added: 2022/08/03
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
3.5/5 stars. Not gonna lie, this book started off on a bit of a rough patch for me. I was kinda bored and not super invested in the story. By the second half, however, the pace and storyline really picked up and I breezed through it. Not King’s best, but still a solid read. I didn’t see the ending coming, and I’m so curious to know what happened. But that’s typical King, leaving us hanging�
]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 54263774 This edition of Oscar Wilde's classic novel features a suede-like custom cover with beautiful metallic foiling and a ribbon marker.

Widely recognized as a philosophical masterpiece in Gothic literature, The Picture of Dorian Gray presents a twisted take on Victorian morality and controversial topics prevalent during this era. The story follows a charming young man who sells his soul in exchange for eternal youth and beauty. Meanwhile, his portrait slowly ages as it documents every sin. Oscar Wilde's expressive and scandalous writing caused a lot of turmoil when it first appeared in 1890, contributing to the novels historical significance.]]> 245 Oscar Wilde 1774021692 Kasia 5
It was a fascinating but short read that I think packed a punch about human nature. Easily would put in in my favourite classics list!

And that ending though?? That was so damn cool. ]]> 4.06 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1890
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/09
date added: 2022/07/09
shelves:
review:
What a charming little novel. I didn’t expect to like “The Picture of Dorian Gray� this much, but every character was pretty much so insufferable to the point where I throughly enjoyed reading about their stupidity. Dorian reminds me of Raskolnikov (yes I had to google his name) from Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment.�

It was a fascinating but short read that I think packed a punch about human nature. Easily would put in in my favourite classics list!

And that ending though?? That was so damn cool.
]]> <![CDATA[Ordinary Monsters (The Talents Trilogy, #1)]]> 58725025
What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theaters of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts--like Komako, a witch-child and twister of dust, and Ribs, a girl who cloaks herself in invisibility--are forced to combat the forces that threaten their safety. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. With this new found family, Komako, Marlowe, Charlie, Ribs, and the rest of the Talents discover the truth about their abilities. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, a new question arises: What truly defines a monster?

Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world--and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.]]> 672 J.M. Miro 1250833663 Kasia 3
Unfortunately, I put the book down for a wee bit too long and I think that hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. However, I can say, for a first novel, the writing was solid. I was captivated pretty quickly and enjoyed learning about the talents. The ending though! I am definitely intrigued for the sequel :)]]> 3.75 2022 Ordinary Monsters (The Talents Trilogy, #1)
author: J.M. Miro
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/07/07
date added: 2022/07/07
shelves:
review:
3.5/5 stars

Unfortunately, I put the book down for a wee bit too long and I think that hindered my overall enjoyment of the book. However, I can say, for a first novel, the writing was solid. I was captivated pretty quickly and enjoyed learning about the talents. The ending though! I am definitely intrigued for the sequel :)
]]> Monstress, Volume 3: Haven 37491890
Maika has spent most of her life learning how to fight, but how will she fare when the only way to save her life� is to make friends?

Collects MONSTRESS #13-18]]> 152 Marjorie M. Liu 1534306919 Kasia 3 4.26 2018 Monstress, Volume 3: Haven
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/05/28
date added: 2022/05/29
shelves:
review:
A good book, but suffered from middle book syndrome nonetheless. The volumes are so short it feels weird/unfair to rank them individually? After I’m done the series I’ll just the overall series one ranking I think
]]> <![CDATA[We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story]]> 55507037 Marvel's newest recruit shares his own inspiring and unexpected origin story, from China to the bright lights of Hollywood.ĚýAn immigrant who battles everything from parental expectations to cultural stereotypes, Simu Liu struggles to forge a path for himself, rising from the ashes of a failed accounting career (yes, you read that right) to become Shang-Chi.

Our story begins in the city of Harbin, where Simu's parents have left him in the care of his grandparents while they seek to build a future for themselves in Canada. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up at the door; it's Simu's father, who whisks him away from the only home he had ever known and to the land of opportunity and maple syrup.Ěý

Life in the new world, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu's new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to - although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.Ěý

As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious son well; he gets A's, crushes national math competitions, and makes his parents proud. But as time goes on, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the expectations placed on his shoulders, and finds it harder and harder to keep up the charade.Ěý

Barely a year out of college, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Unemployed, riddled with shame and with nothing left to lose, Simu finds an ad on Craigslist that will send him on a wildlyĚýunexpected journey, into the mysterious world of show business.Ěý

Through a swath of rejections and comical mishaps, it is ultimately Simu's determination to carve out a path for himself that leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also open the door to reconciling with his parents. After all, the courage to pursue his ambitions at all costs is something that he inherited from his parents, who themselves defied impossible odds in order to come to Canada.

We Were Dreamers is more than a celebrity memoir - it's a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance.]]> 289 Simu Liu 0063046490 Kasia 5
Having fallen in love with Simu through Kim’s Convenience and then getting to celebrate his win of landing Shang-Chi was an amazing experience.

What’s even more amazing is that in a couple weeks I’m going to see him live in Toronto talking about the book!! I’m sure it’s a night I’ll never forget and I’m super excited for!!!

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book before it came out, and found myself relating to a lot of sentiments Simu talks about as a first generation Canadian myself.

Keep doing you Simu, we love you!!

Edit May 2022: Got to see Simu in person talking about this book and it was amazing. Simu not only is so humble, but hilarious and relatable as well. It was a treat to read his story before hearing him speak about it live. Also� JUNGCHEE REUNION AHH!!!]]> 4.34 2022 We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
author: Simu Liu
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/04/27
date added: 2022/05/21
shelves:
review:
I absolutely adored every second of this book and my only complaint is that it wasn’t longer. Simu is such a fantastic writer, I was most pleasantly surprised.

Having fallen in love with Simu through Kim’s Convenience and then getting to celebrate his win of landing Shang-Chi was an amazing experience.

What’s even more amazing is that in a couple weeks I’m going to see him live in Toronto talking about the book!! I’m sure it’s a night I’ll never forget and I’m super excited for!!!

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book before it came out, and found myself relating to a lot of sentiments Simu talks about as a first generation Canadian myself.

Keep doing you Simu, we love you!!

Edit May 2022: Got to see Simu in person talking about this book and it was amazing. Simu not only is so humble, but hilarious and relatable as well. It was a treat to read his story before hearing him speak about it live. Also� JUNGCHEE REUNION AHH!!!
]]> <![CDATA[Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood]]> 33540347 152 Marjorie M. Liu 1534300414 Kasia 4 4.29 2017 Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood
author: Marjorie M. Liu
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/20
date added: 2022/05/20
shelves:
review:
Even better then the first! We are finally diving deeper into the world and I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel]]> 55711764 Green-growing secrets and magic await you at Misselthwaite Manor, now reimagined in thisĚýgraphic novelĚýadaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’sĚýtale.

Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at a secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors with a scowl and a chip on her shoulder. First, there’s Martha Sowerby: the too-cheery maid with bothersome questions who seems out of place in the dreary manor. Then there’s the elusive Uncle Craven, Mary’s only remaining family—whom she’s not permitted to see. And finally, there are the mysteries that seem to haunt the run-down place: rumors of a lost garden with a tragic past, and a midnight wail that echoes across the moors at night.Ěý

As Mary begins to explore this new world alongside her ragtag companions—a cocky robin redbreast, a sour-faced gardener, and a boy who can talk to animals—she learns that even the loneliest of hearts can grow roots in rocky soil.]]> 192 Mariah Marsden 1524858153 Kasia 4 3.74 2021 The Secret Garden: A Graphic Novel
author: Mariah Marsden
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/16
date added: 2022/05/16
shelves:
review:
Love love love! Considering that The Secret Garden is one of my all time favourite books, I knew the graphic adaptation would only add to my enjoyment of the story. The story is so pure and every time I return to it in any way I’m reminded of how beauty lies in simplicity, and that we all need each other to realize that beauty.
]]> Desperation 441239 with someone else, if you're lucky...because it's a scary place. Headed down Route 50 in the brutal summer heat are people who are never going to reach their destinations. Like the Jacksons, a professor and his wife going home to New York City; the Carvers, a Wentworth, Ohio, family bound for a vacation at Lake Tahoe; and aging literary lion Johnny Marinville, inventing a gonzo image for himself astride a 700-pound Harley.

A dead cat nailed to a road sign heralds the little mining town of Desperation, a town that seems withered in the shade of a man-made mountain known as the China Pit. But it's worse than that, much worse. Regulating the traffic there is Collie Entragian, an outsize uniformed madman who considers himself the only law west of the Pecos. God forbid you should be missing a license plate or find yourself with a flat tire.

There's something very wrong here, all right, and Entragian is only the surface of it. The secrets embedded in Desperation's landscape, and the evil that infects the town like some viral hot zone, are both awesome and terrifying. But as young David Carver seems to know--though it scares him nearly to death to realize it--so are the forces summoned to combat them. In Desperation Stephen King's sweeping brush paints an apocalyptic drama of God and evil, madness and revelation. His genius for suspense has never been so finely honed, his imagination so shudderingly vivid,as when his wayfarers--and readers who dare to follow their course--begin to discover the true meaning of the word desperation.]]> 690 Stephen King 0670868361 Kasia 4 stephen-king-read
We are given your classic group of misfits from all walks of life versus an ancient force of evil. The overused but well-done stereotype by King of good versus. evil. And of course, evil prevails! Just kidding.. or am I?

I was fascinated to read about the religious allegory the novel portrays (i.e. David as a Jesus figure, especially with the whole fish and loaves illusion with the sardines and crackers) I typically don't like religious context to be present in the books I read, but King does it masterfully. As he does with pretty much everything.

I was disappointed to see some insensitive terms being used to describe some people (i.e. the term "Indian" to describe Indigenous peoples) but I also know historical context is key. These were different times. I can only hope King has adjusted his perspective on Indigenous peoples, especially when deciding to write about them.

I came into Desperation expecting a classic King thriller, and that's exactly what I got. It satisfied my expectations but it did not wow me enough to grant it a 5 star rating. King's writing is always easy to get into; he really is the master of storytelling. If you're into King, I'd give this one a read!]]> 3.81 1996 Desperation
author: Stephen King
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/15
date added: 2022/05/15
shelves: stephen-king-read
review:
Damn what a fantastic book. Once again, Stephen King does not disappoint.

We are given your classic group of misfits from all walks of life versus an ancient force of evil. The overused but well-done stereotype by King of good versus. evil. And of course, evil prevails! Just kidding.. or am I?

I was fascinated to read about the religious allegory the novel portrays (i.e. David as a Jesus figure, especially with the whole fish and loaves illusion with the sardines and crackers) I typically don't like religious context to be present in the books I read, but King does it masterfully. As he does with pretty much everything.

I was disappointed to see some insensitive terms being used to describe some people (i.e. the term "Indian" to describe Indigenous peoples) but I also know historical context is key. These were different times. I can only hope King has adjusted his perspective on Indigenous peoples, especially when deciding to write about them.

I came into Desperation expecting a classic King thriller, and that's exactly what I got. It satisfied my expectations but it did not wow me enough to grant it a 5 star rating. King's writing is always easy to get into; he really is the master of storytelling. If you're into King, I'd give this one a read!
]]> Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 46041199 A fierce international bestseller that launched Korea’s new feminist movement, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 follows one woman’s psychic deterioration in the face of rigid misogyny.

Truly, flawlessly, completely, she became that person.

In a small, tidy apartment on the outskirts of the frenzied metropolis of Seoul lives Kim Jiyoung. A thirtysomething-year-old “millennial everywoman,� she has recently left her white-collar desk job—in order to care for her newborn daughter full-time—as so many Korean women are expected to do. But she quickly begins to exhibit strange symptoms that alarm her husband, parents, and in-laws: Jiyoung impersonates the voices of other women—alive and even dead, both known and unknown to her. As she plunges deeper into this psychosis, her discomfited husband sends her to a male psychiatrist.

In a chilling, eerily truncated third-person voice, Jiyoung’s entire life is recounted to the psychiatrist—a narrative infused with disparate elements of frustration, perseverance, and submission. Born in 1982 and given the most common name for Korean baby girls, Jiyoung quickly becomes the unfavored sister to her princeling little brother. Always, her behavior is policed by the male figures around her—from the elementary school teachers who enforce strict uniforms for girls, to the coworkers who install a hidden camera in the women’s restroom and post their photos online. In her father’s eyes, it is Jiyoung’s fault that men harass her late at night; in her husband’s eyes, it is Jiyoung’s duty to forsake her career to take care of him and their child—to put them first.

Jiyoung’s painfully common life is juxtaposed against a backdrop of an advancing Korea, as it abandons “family planning� birth control policies and passes new legislation against gender discrimination. But can her doctor flawlessly, completely cure her, or even discover what truly ails her?

Rendered in minimalist yet lacerating prose, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 sits at the center of our global #MeToo movement and announces the arrival of writer of international significance]]> 163 Cho Nam-Joo 1631496700 Kasia 4 4.17 2016 Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
author: Cho Nam-Joo
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/09
date added: 2022/05/09
shelves:
review:
A very eye opening book to men who don’t understand the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated society. I could relate to a lot of the sentiments Kim Jiyoung experienced in the novel, and I leave this story feeling sad at the reality we live in. I can only hope societal change is slowly coming for women around the world to destigmatize women in the workplace getting pregnant and having children.
]]> A Man Called Ove 18774964
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.]]> 337 Fredrik Backman 1476738017 Kasia 4 4.35 2012 A Man Called Ove
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/04
date added: 2022/05/04
shelves:
review:
What a sweet, wholesome book! I loved reading about grumpy old Ove and how he eventually warms up a bit to his neighbours. Also, saw the ending coming, but it was very bittersweet nonetheless.
]]> Better Together 50708360 Freaky Friday meets The Parent Trap in this sparkling and heartfelt story about sisters, second chances, finding romance, and finding yourself.

Jamie’s an aspiring standup comic in Los Angeles with a growing case of stage anxiety.

Siri’s a stunning ballerina from New Jersey nursing a career-changing injury.

They’ve both signed up for the same session at an off the grid Re-Discover Yourself Retreat in Colorado. When they run into each other, their worlds turn upside down.

Jamie and Siri are sisters, torn apart at a young age by their parent's volatile divorce. They’ve grown up living completely separate lives: Jamie with their Dad and Siri with their Mom. Now, reunited after over a decade apart, they hatch a plot to switch places. It’s time they get to know and confront each of their estranged parents.

With an accidental assist from some fortuitous magic, Jamie arrives in New Jersey, looking to all the world like Siri, and Siri steps off her flight sporting a Jamie glamour.

The sisters unexpectedly find themselves stuck living in each other's shoes. Soon Siri's crushing on Jamie's best friend Dawn. Jamie's falling for the handsome New Yorker she keeps running into, Zarar. Alongside a parade of hijinks and budding romance, both girls work to navigate their broken family life and the stresses of impending adulthood.]]> 400 Christine Riccio 1250760070 Kasia 0 dnf, dont-read-this 3.49 2021 Better Together
author: Christine Riccio
name: Kasia
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/02
shelves: dnf, dont-read-this
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Naked Don't Fear the Water: An Underground Journey with Afghan Refugees]]> 58132545 In this extraordinary book, an acclaimed young war reporter chronicles a dangerous journey on the smuggler's road to Europe, accompanying his friend, an Afghan refugee, in search of a better future.

In 2016, a young Afghan driver and translator named Omar makes the heart-wrenching choice to flee his war-torn country, saying goodbye to Laila, the love of his life, without knowing when they might be reunited again. He is one of millions of refugees who leave their homes that year.

Matthieu Aikins, a journalist living in Kabul, decides to follow his friend. In order to do so, he must leave his own passport and identity behind to go underground on the refugee trail with Omar. Their odyssey across land and sea from Afghanistan to Europe brings them face to face with the people at heart of the migration crisis: smugglers, cops, activists, and the men, women and children fleeing war in search of a better life. As setbacks and dangers mount for the two friends, Matthieu is also drawn into the escape plans of Omar's entire family, including Maryam, the matriarch who has fought ferociously for her children's survival.

Harrowing yet hopeful, this exceptional work brings into sharp focus one of the most contentious issues of our times. The Naked Don't Fear the Water is a tale of love and friendship across borders, and an inquiry into our shared journey in a divided world.]]> 336 Matthieu Aikins 0063058588 Kasia 4
�
What a captivating book with amazing writing. Matthieu is a very talented writer and many times throughout the novel I felt like I was reading fiction. In the sense that the writing felt so magical and lyrical that I had to remind myself that it’s all a true story. I’ve saved many quotes on my ebook edition and I opened my review with one of my favourite quotes. I love how Matthieu incorporates other people’s worldview and situates them in the context of his story with Omar.

It’s devastating to read about how borders divide people. Humans, in many ways, are our worst enemy. Our bigotry fuels such hatred that we are blind to compassionate people who are simply fleeing their war stricken country. Especially countries like Afghanistan, who have been funded by the American military and then withdrawn twenty years later, leaving behind a horrible mess. And the audacity of some Americans (and Canadians!) to be racist and prejudiced against them. Honestly, it’s quite appalling.

It’s crazy to me to think we all live on the same planet as human beings, but we have such vastly different experiences. Interestingly, I felt as if I could relate to Matthieu in many ways through his learning experience as an underground refugee. One quote that sticks out to me,

“For the first time in my life, I had an inkling of what the border meant to so many others: a wall between you and someone you loved�

Having Canadian papers makes Matthieu privileged and we see a lot in the novel of him reflecting on this. Matthieu really opened up my eyes to a whole world I knew only existed in passing, but now I got to read a first hand experience of the underground and how refugees really are extraordinary people, but also ordinary at the same time.]]> 4.18 2022 The Naked Don't Fear the Water: An Underground Journey with Afghan Refugees
author: Matthieu Aikins
name: Kasia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/02
date added: 2022/04/02
shelves:
review:
“But in truth, we can’t leave ourselves behind. We get only one story, which we narrate looking backward. Our choices and chance encounters, the trembling of another’s hand, all matter because of where they lead us. Alasdair MacIntyre defined us as a story-telling animal; our endings give us meaning.�

�
What a captivating book with amazing writing. Matthieu is a very talented writer and many times throughout the novel I felt like I was reading fiction. In the sense that the writing felt so magical and lyrical that I had to remind myself that it’s all a true story. I’ve saved many quotes on my ebook edition and I opened my review with one of my favourite quotes. I love how Matthieu incorporates other people’s worldview and situates them in the context of his story with Omar.

It’s devastating to read about how borders divide people. Humans, in many ways, are our worst enemy. Our bigotry fuels such hatred that we are blind to compassionate people who are simply fleeing their war stricken country. Especially countries like Afghanistan, who have been funded by the American military and then withdrawn twenty years later, leaving behind a horrible mess. And the audacity of some Americans (and Canadians!) to be racist and prejudiced against them. Honestly, it’s quite appalling.

It’s crazy to me to think we all live on the same planet as human beings, but we have such vastly different experiences. Interestingly, I felt as if I could relate to Matthieu in many ways through his learning experience as an underground refugee. One quote that sticks out to me,

“For the first time in my life, I had an inkling of what the border meant to so many others: a wall between you and someone you loved�

Having Canadian papers makes Matthieu privileged and we see a lot in the novel of him reflecting on this. Matthieu really opened up my eyes to a whole world I knew only existed in passing, but now I got to read a first hand experience of the underground and how refugees really are extraordinary people, but also ordinary at the same time.
]]>