The 14 Books I Read in August
The first half of this month was full of a lot of books (although not many winners…) and then I basically stopped reading entirely? Thanks, depression…
I’m mostly just SO GLAD it’s now September and that fall is coming and cozy reading evenings will be happening again!
Some stats:
• 2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reads.
• 3 books by BIPOC authors.
• 4 library books.
• 5 were gifted from publishers.
• 3 nonfiction, 11 fiction, 14 total.
Here are the 14 books I read in August:
The Layover
by Lacie Waldon
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: saw @anniebjones05gave this one four stars, so when i found it at @2ndandcharles last weekend, i snatched it up! it was the perfect summer beach read that i read curled up in bed under blankets and not at all on a beach 😂
loved the classic enemies-to-lovers trope, the fact that the author is a flight attendant herself so it felt really accurate, the ties back to families and childhood, and the happy ending (of course). definitely some sweet home alabama vibes here, and i was a fan!
That Weekend
by Kara Thomas
★★★★★ // amazon
review: this was a WILD ride. the twists! the turns! the layers! gahhhhh! it 100% had to be a one sitting read, there was no way i was putting this puppy down. the ending blew my mind like five different times and i’m still mind blown at how it all played out?!?!? 🤯🥴😅
kara thomas, you wicked, masterful genius, you did it again.
Isn’t It Bromantic?
by Lyssa Kay Adams
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: i looooved that vlad got his own book— the Russian has been such an endearing supporting character in the other books! i totally pictured him as Ovechkin from my Capitals 😂
it was a story of a marriage of obligation/immigration, with some 24-ish/Scandal-ish vibes at times (not just a fluffy romance!), that had a main character with a gluten allergy/IBS i could relate to! the ending had me like 😭🥰🎉
Blood & Honey
by Shelby Mahurin
★★☆☆☆ // amazon
review: did i only finish this bc @laurenlovesto told me it was worth it to get to book #3? yes. it was sloooooow and boring and full of uninteresting “drama” and a lot of fluff and it did not do it for me. 😬 i’m really trying to stick it out with this series but i need a big ole redemption with this third book if i’m going to call this one a win!
Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness
by Kristen Radtke
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: thanks to @randomhouse for this one! // such an incredible, poignant, and relevant graphic novel about loneliness. tbh, it hit me kinda hard. 😭 being single, living alone, dealing with the never ending panny, fighting depression and anxiety… it all adds up and this book found me right when i needed it. it’s so beautifully crafted, full of emotion and insight, and pretty eye-opening and haunting, too. it’s not a fun read, but a tender and important one.
Heartbeat
by Sharon Creech
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: I’m on a mission to read (or reread) all of Creech’s books. They’re suuuuuper quick and easy middle grade reads, and this was a lovely little one.
If I Never Met You
by Mhairi McFarlane
★★☆☆☆ // amazon
review: i don’t usually post about DNF reads, but i want to give a heads up here. strike one was a white author writing about a Black lead character without capitalizing Black or really seeming to do much research into lived experiences of people of color. it felt phoned in. strike two was a character casually making a joke about r*ping and pillaging. HARD PASS.
i literally threw this one away from me after that, and likely won’t read more from this author.
this isn’t to bash the author, but to highlight the importance of awareness and sensitivity in books, and to urge authors to be mindful, thoughtful, respectful, and well-researched, even for romance books!
The Heart Principle
by Helen Hoang
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: we love to see a main character step out of her comfort zone, turn lemons into lemonade (aka ditch a 💩 bf who wants an open relationship), discover more of who she is through therapy, fall in love, vocalize what she wants and needs, heal and reconcile family dynamics, and, of course, end up with a happy ever after!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
also, where can i find me a first date that’s as successful as anna’s with quan, like come ON 😩 i wish tattooed, respectful, endearing men were on dating apps around here…
I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf
by Grant Snider
★★★★☆ // amazon
review: it’s true, i will. 🤷🏼♀️ loved this book of comics/graphic illustrations from @grantdraws, who i discovered in the @nytimes! the perfect book lover collection of art— i felt so seen and understood. 😂
The Box in the Woods
by Maureen Johnson
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: i looooved the truly devious serious and was so glad to see my girl stevie back in action, unpacking murder mysteries and doing her badass teenage detective thing! she’s a mastermind and an awesome character.
this one could stand alone from the trilogy, but links back to elements/plot points from the previous books and has several of the same characters, just in a new setting with a new case to crack.
it didn’t have quite the same magic for me as the ellingham books, but i liked it and loved how the ending came together! (i, of course, didn’t see it coming. 🙄)
We Are the Brennans
by Tracey Lange
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: Thanks to @bookofthemonth for sending this book to me in August! It was a one day read for me-- I got sucked into the story of the Brennan family as it switched between characters and brought new secrets and old drama into the light. It wasn't necessarily a dramatic read, but it had a pretty steady pace and was character-driven and relationship-focused in a way I really enjoyed. (okay, side note though, it bugged me that there were characters named both Kale and Grail... like, why?!?)
Dysfunction, yes, drama, yes, secrets and shame, yes, but overall, it felt like it was missing something to make it truly great for me.
(edited to add: heard the author share at a book club event and it added so much depth to the story for me. it’s fascinating to me to hear more of the writing process from authors, to hear where characters came from, what changes were made in the editing process, etc. it’s so cool. i especially loved hearing her share she wrote an alternate ending— really gave insight into the fluidity of storytelling and how books can evolve over time. but she stuck with her original ending! overall, hearing @tracey_lange share was a really great reminder that authors are so much more than just their work, and even that books are so much more than what we hold on the page. 🙌🏼)
tw: miscarriage, drunk driving accident, dementia
Intercepted
by Alexa Martin
★★★☆☆ // amazon
review: read this book a few weeks ago as a total breezy escape and it was cute/fun/steamy/sporty/full of hashtags (which was weird and p annoying)
this is such a blah review
but also my brain is blah and this is what i’ve got for ya
I Hope This Finds You Well
by Kate Baer
★★★★★ // amazon
review: this little book of erasure poetry packs a mighty punch— baer takes mostly negative messages and comments and turns them into striking poems. it’s a perfect example of making lemonade from lemons, and i loved it so much.
