Tchotchkes and their F*cked-Up Thoughts by Elisabeth Saake. I did not finish reading this title. It was mildly amusing, but did not hold my interest.

Tchotchkes and their F*cked-Up Thoughts is a niche collection delivering precisely as advertised on the title, collected and curated by Elisabeth Saake. Released 15th April 2025 by lifestyle publisher Collective Book Studio, it's 120 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a collection of simply drawn, single page entries with lots of odd tchotchkes (household items, more or less), and what they might think about where they find themselves, and how they're silently judging us.

It's not a book to be read, per se, there's no cohesive narrative at all. The vibe is sarcastic and a little edgy (hula girl reminds everyone to keep their hands off her coconuts). There are some which are clever; the arts is appealing, and overall it would maybe be a good choice for that oddball friend who enjoys finding "odd stuff".

Three stars. Strangely appealing.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Wow! I had no idea my knick-knacks were so dissatisfied and dispirited. I'd have thought they might be grateful to have been plucked from an uncertain future at Goodwill to grace my shelves, and be dusted semi-annually, but apparently none of them are very happy. Now I'm afraid to glance around the room because of their resentful glares.

This was a clever idea, and the illustrations were charming. I just didn't find it terribly funny.

An absolutely fun look at those trinket collections we all seem to have,admit it you know you do. Colorful illustrations along with some hilarious commentary from those collectibles we secretly treasure. This is told from their point of view. I laughed so much at how true it felt as our trinkets view us and our silly collecting.
And yes, I have many of the ones from this book and we have to admit we do cherish them, despite what they think of us! I know I love my Dream Catchers, décorative swords and especially the handmade quilts. Now I think of the silly thoughts from this creative book every time I look at my collections.
Makes a great gift for all trinket collectors in your life. You will enjoy this creative laugh out loud book.

A cute and funny coffee table book. It made me chuckle and I liked the illustrations. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy

This book deserves to be on an oak shelf next to several other humorous books that teach you nothing but to laugh at the little things. I can see a hipster putting this next to all the trinkets they have so meticulously curated to be the perfect mixture of culture and style.

Really enjoyed the book! Thanks to NetGalley, Elisabeth Saake, and The Collective Book Studio for the opportunity to read this! I have written this review voluntarily and honestly!

After learning last year just what my house plants are thinking, author Elisabeth Saake fills us all in on what our trinkets, magnets, and bric-a-brac have on their minds. This slim volume is the perfect palate cleanser for readers who need a quick read full of sass, humor, and snark.

Have a music box? It does NOT want to be touched.

Your leather-bound journal would rather you not share your innermost thoughts. (Or amateur poetry.)

Have you been handling your worry stone overmuch these days? Learn what that worry stone thinks you should do instead.

Grab a snack and get ready to giggle. This is the follow-up that was worth the wait.

I call them knick-knacks and what not’s, colloquially speaking, but the items are the same as what Saake lists in her latest book, Tchotchkes and Their F*cked-Up Thoughts.
The book displays Saake’s irreverent observational humour on full blast — her perceived thoughts about the many collectible items, decorated (scattered) around the house.
Her rich inner emotional cognisance of these whimsical artefacts, a veritable wheel of time for each decade they reigned supreme — the 50’s for the Matryoshka Dolls (placed right up in the front middle shelf of my grandma’s china cabinet display), the 70s for the lava lamp that my dad loved, the souvenir spoon, the decorative chinaware, all of which come alive in a nostalgic wave of musing and amusement in this book.
Saake writes in staccato, instagram-able caption style. This line of writing makes it easier to dive into this book taking in bite sized information with vivid graphics and minimal text.
Each tchotchke is illustrated, accompanied by their “thoughts”, their location, and instructions on care and handling. What piques my interest is that Saake has assigned each of them a zodiac sign. Did she do this to add editorial plugs in for social media? Or is it just another idiosyncratic addition to the personality of the anthropomorphic item?
I recognise some of the objects in the book, and have some of them in my house. On the dining table, a pair of adorable chilly shaped salt and pepper shakers, the cuckoo clock in the hall, the Himalayan salt brick, flanked next to the Turkish evil eye in the corner of the living room, the bamboo fortune plant standing next to the laughing jade buddha in front of a mirror. The dreamcatcher that we hung over the bedframe. I had an inflatable miniature globe —my sister and I used to kick it around during our childhood, and now it is lost to the annals of time. As many of these tchotchkes are want to.
The book is a joyous adornment, something that will become a tchotchke, eventually, on a bookshelf.

This is such a fun read! I really didn't expect to smile this much from the book. Funny and to the point, these tchotchkes are so sassy.

To start with the positives, I really liked the fonts used in this book, the graphics, and the overall layout. It was a nice and short read, and I laughed at some of the star sign sections ("rock" for ex.) However, I am not sure who the target audience is, and I'm not sure if the description was really accurate. I'd give this a 2.5 if I could-- it would make for a really cute coffee table book, but I cannot see myself buying it or recommending it for anyone.

Tchotchkes and their Fucked-Up Thoughts is a hilarious introspection on the minds of tchotchkes that you may have sitting around your house such as Russian matryoshka dolls and your random garden gnome. It's a funny, entertaining, and creative illustrative book.

This made me laugh. It is so silly and adorable. I like the one about the plants more but this was fun too.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book has a fun coffee table/waiting room vibe. The irreverent tone adds to the quirkiness of the book, but sometimes it seems a bit over done.
Overall, this would be a great gift for that friend who likes things a little off kilter.


My review also appears on my Goodreads page at:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/18931417-lucy-marincel

This book was so weird and funny and dumb, I loved it. Definitely an odd one, not for everybody, but if you've ever thought to yourself, what would my Russian nesting doll say if she could speak. this one is for you. Similar vibes to the podcast Everything Is Alive.

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a really weird and quirky book yet oddly charming and funny.
It just shares what your little tchotchkes, trinkets, knickknacks, odds and ends might just be thinking giving them an inner monologue along with there own astrological signs.
This would make a cute gift or just something to have on your coffee table.

Thank you NetGalley

This was a fun, entertaining and quick read. The thoughts of each knickknack were clever and fitting and some made me laugh out loud. I’m not sure who this book is for or if I would recommend it to friends, but I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For people who love a funny book with quick quips, this one should be a hit. It's very cleverly done, and a lot of things are included that I would have never put into the tchotchkes category but am now realizing they totally are.

Who knew my Russian nesting dolls had so much angst? A good gift for your most trinket-pilled friend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This book is little but is packed with laughs. Inanimate objects telling it like it is, what more could you want from a book of tchotchkes? My favourites were the ceramic hummel figurine, the lava lamp and the souvenir spoon. Best line of the book, "May all your teeth fall out, except one, so you can still have a toothache" - Menorah. Such a fun book.

Elisabeth Saake’s “Tchotchkes and their F*cked-up Thoughts: The Messed-up minds of your Trinkets and Treasures” gives voices to the knick-knacks and collectibles around us. It imagines a scenario where these trinkets watch us and pass comments and judgements. Occasionally, they despair about the modern world and express their angst about the neglect they seem to suffer. The book is a quick but humorless read. However, the accompanying illustrations are delightful. Sometimes, the authorial voice is evident and intrudes into the reading process. The author seems to smirk at the reader, saying, “Notice how clever I am”. Personally, this feature was irritating. Nevertheless, this coffee table book has tried to capture the essence of certain cultures. This attempt is heroic but falls victim to hackneyed stereotypes.