natreadthat's reviews
385 reviews

I wish I had read this sooner. It feels almost dystopian after the overturn of Roe v. Wade (what doesn’t feel dystopian lately?). As you can imagine, this isn’t a fun read you chit-chat about. It is, however, a crucial book, especially in today’s political climate. Why are the decisions of pregnant people—often made together with their partner—political? Who the hell knows. 

What I do know is that abortion has become a major political argument, and the loudest voices are not the people who have actually had the procedure done. One in four American women will have an abortion, for a multitude of reasons, at some point in their lives. You’re the Only One I’ve Told shares the accounts of people who have. People who were young, people who couldn’t financially support another child, people who were in abusive relationships, people whose babies wouldn’t survive or would only know a life of pain, people who so badly wanted a baby. People shouldn’t have to be vulnerable in order for the world to listen and it shouldn’t be considered brave for doing so, but these people are. It’s the least we can do to listen. 

As a Texan/US woman, it’s been horrifying to have my rights stripped away. As a woman who has fortunately never had to make this decision, I learned so much from this book and what people seeking reproductive health care truly face. Stats, high costs, arbitrary waiting periods, time limits, restrictions, state-sponsored scripts not based on medical science, misinformation. 

Written by Dr. Shah, a reproductive health doctor, believes that medical care should be patient-centered and evidence-based. I’m not sure how you couldn’t agree with that. As someone who’s obviously pro-choice, I believe people who live in the Land of the Free deserve the freedom to choose what happens with their body. I hope you take the time to read this book and do so with an open heart.

Book club pick of the month! This one was definitely a slooooow burn, but in the end, it burned bright. 🔥

Martha Ballard is the town of Hallowell’s midwife and healer. In a place full of secrets, gossip, and drama, Martha knows everyone and knows a little bit about everyone too. She keeps her diary in meticulous order, noting births, deaths, and general happenings in the town. So when a body is found on the frozen river, Martha is called to examine it and provide the cause of death in court, and her diary is at the center of it all. 

I love a ‘based on true events’ story where the author takes some liberties here and there. Martha really was a renowned 1700s midwife whose diary was passed down for generations. As mentioned in the author’s note, Martha Ballard is the great-aunt of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, and great-great-grandmother of Mary Hobart, one of the first female physicians in the United States. She is an outstanding woman in America’s history, but one we rarely, if ever, learn about. Will we ever know what really happened in the town of Hallowell? Probably not. But we do get to see Lawhon’s version. And it’s a damn good rendition. What a story.

“Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without partiality. That, I believe, is why so few women are taught to read and write.”

Oooof. What an exceptionally difficult, yet important read. This memoir is, in many ways, a love letter to the author’s mother. It’s a classic dissection of the model minority myth alongside the societal pressures and demands that come with trying to achieve the ‘American Dream’. 

 

This is an emotional rollercoaster of a book; it’s raw and heartbreaking. The story itself is a mesh of retelling and reflection, and oh how brave it is to share the darkest parts of your life with anyone who picks up your book. I found it particularly difficult to read because of the abuse Prachi, her mother, and older brother go through at the hands of her father. Prachi does a wonderful job showcasing what non-physical abuse looks like. It left me wanting to give this whole family a hug, even her father. 

 

“In our family, we learned to love one another for how well we were able to conform to the story they wrote for us—not as who we really are.” 

 What a cute read! And not your typical romance, which I enjoyed. 

 

After minor brain surgery, Sadie Montgomery wakes up with face blindness. She can see faces—eyes, nose, mouth—but her brain struggles to recognize who is who. As a human, it’s horrifying. As an artist, it’s potentially career-ending, especially when you’ve landing a top spot in a prestigious photorealistic portrait contest. 

 

This feel-good fiction is about so much more than falling in love. It’s about growing up, finding independence, realizing asking for help isn’t the end of the world, learning to let go, dealing with medical battles, and being true to yourself. I won’t say that it was predictable (read the acknowledgments!), but the anticipation throughout the story was a fun ride. 

I always question how to rate memoirs. Like, who am I to rate someone’s personal story? It seems others feel similarly.

The majority of Carrière’s life was incredibly hard to read. It certainly did not shy away from childhood neglect, self harm, addiction, paranoia, psychiatric malpractice, self indulgence, and so much more. 

This wasn’t a read most people I know would enjoy. I’m still digesting it. One of my book club friends said that writing this memoir seemed therapeutic for Carrière, but traumatic for readers. That I agree with. Definitely check the trigger warnings before reading.

 Domestic mystery. Estranged siblings. Family secrets. 

 

Beth, Nicole, and Michael reconvene at their small town childhood home after the death of their mother. As they begrudgingly sort through her belongings, an old family VHS leads to a gruesome revelation: their parents know what happened to the young neighbor who disappeared without a trace…and they never told anyone. 

 

Rose did a great job weaving addiction, family dysfunction, loss, and secrets into the story and serving up realistic characters. Outside of that, I had the high-level plot figured out pretty early on. While it’s sometimes fun to guess the plot and fill in the missing details, this one lacked the “ah ha!” shocking moment I’m always looking for in thrillers and mysteries. The audiobook did have a full cast, which always gives a book a few more dimensions. Quick and easy read! 

This book was beautiful and hard and heavy. 

I can only imagine the debilitating loss that comes after your spouse dies. This book captured that grief—losing yourself, becoming a single parent, having to return to “normal”—so well. Despite being overwhelmingly sad at times, there was still joy, humor, and a bit of romance. 

It’s a little over two years after Kate’s husband died and she’s holding it together for her young son. Being thrown suddenly into being a single parent has forced her to grieve inwardly and only when time allows for it—which isn’t often. But when a work trip goes haywire, she finally has the time away from her son to process the depth of her loss. 

Expect to be a bit heartbroken with this one.

“I knew my life would be a fight, and I realized this: I had it in me.” 

 

Oooooof, this was hard to read. Viola candidly shares the story of her life—through every trauma she’s faced—as well as the reality of how hard it is to actually, finally “make it” as an actor. 

 

Viola’s story is one of resilience. Racism, shame, abuse, food insecurity, poverty, assault, domestic violence, infidelity, grief and trauma were all a part of the long, arduous journey to find herself. Today she is healed (though there’s always work to do), strong, and full of joy. One must read this book themselves to trulybeare witness to the struggles she faced and how she overcame them. 

 

Finding Me humbled me. It reminded me that you never know what someone has gone through or is going through. While gut-wrenching to hear about the horrors she experienced, her grace shined through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Plus, the audiobook is narrated by Viola herself which was a treat. This is one hell of a memoir.

Diplomatic marriage, forced proximity, sarcastic, witty behavior, plus werewolves and vampyres? Say less. I devoured this one day. 

Misery will do anything to find her best friend, including marrying the vampyre’s arch nemesis, Lowe Moreland, the Alpha werewolf. Thus begins her year long stint—alone—in Were territory. 

Bride felt like a light-hearted fantasy rom-com; it was fun! The world building was brisk and the politics were believable for the most part, which was refreshing. A great little read!

After watching the author's wholesome reaction to the reveal of his book cover in front of his class, I knew I had to read this book. 

Although this is definitely geared towards teens, I still found it enjoyable. There’s action, resilience, familial drama, and the small matter of survival. 

Conrad vows to avenge his father, save his sister, and get his beloved mother out of the lowest of lows…despite being under the rule of the notorious, new king, his very own uncle. To do so, he must join the Selection and Rise. And so begins his treacherous tale.

Note that this is more sci-fi than fantasy in my opinion, reminiscent of Dune or the Hunger Games. So what should you expect? Duels, sky-ships, floating islands, adventure, monsters, and some enemies x friends.