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Another GREAT month for reading!! This might honestly be my best year of reading ever. Here’s what I read in the month of August.
As always, follow me on Goodreads or Instagram for routine reading updates.
Summerlost // Ally Condie
This is a middle grade book but Y’ALL. So magical and cute. Grownups can enjoy it too! Sweet and innocent and I so enjoyed it. 4 stars.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky // Mark Sullivan
Unbelievable and stunning story of courage and sacrifice. For some reason I found the story choppy and had a hard time connecting even though this book combines two of my favorite things to read about – WW2 and my beloved italy. . 3.5 stars.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies // John Boyne
This was one of my BOTM August pics. And honestly I was a little bit intimidated by it because it is THICK. Guys. GUYS. This book is so darn good. It reminds me a bit of my beloved A Little Life, although it is NOT as hard and uncomfortable to read. But gosh, it breaks your heart at times. I cried pretty hard throughout and had some happy tears at the end too. 5 stars.
Startup // Doree Shafrir
Meh. Just a bunch of unlikeable characters doing shady and dumb stuff. And good God I’m thrilled I’m not in the tech world! 2 stars.
Good Behavior // Blake Crouch
Ahhh so good!! No one does suspense and twists like Blake Crouch. I also really enjoyed hearing the insights from Blake at the end of each chapter. Super entertaining- now I want to watch the show!! 4 stars
Necessary Lies // Diane Chamberlain
I really loved this one although it broke my heart. I cannot believe that a thing like eugenics actually existed in this country… So disgusting and terrifying. I have to say that I hated the character of Robert so much that it almost ruined the book for me. Other than that I loved this one…and now I want to read more Diane Chamberlain! 4 stars
The Lost Wife // Alyson Richman
I loved this love story. I got swept into the time period and the struggles and heartbreaks and hopes and dreams of each character. However, my pet peeve was bad editing and holy cow this editing was B A D. Mispellings and “than” instead of “then”. It made me lose focus and lose track. I did love the story though. 4 stars.
The Book of Polly // Kathy Hepinstall
I really enjoyed this one. It was quirky and funny and had a wild southern streak to it. Polly was an epic character and I LOVE that she was based on the author’s mother. Love me some quirky southern fiction. My only issue was that it ended abruptly and randomly. 4 stars
The Night the Lights Went Out // Karen White
This was a great light read. It reminded me a lot of my beloved Mary Kay Andrews books. I figured out the ending pretty early on and I got kind of annoyed with how clueless the main character was, but I still really enjoyed it. 3.5 stars.
Lies She Told // Cate Holahan
This one was interesting, especially the book within a book part. I read it in one day. However, I knew what happened from the very beginning. And that’s not an exaggeration. I might have read too many books in this genre. So I guess what I’m saying is that it seemed really obvious to me. And the other problem I had is that I truly didn’t connect with the characters. Most of them were pretty gross people. 2.5 stars.
For September , I chose:
- Lies She Told– review above
- Little Fires Everywhere– Just okay for me, although I love Celeste Ng. Full review to come next month, since I finished it in Sept.
- Sing, Unburied, Sing– Just started this yesterday, really liking it so far.
September Deals:
- Try one, two or three months for $9.99 each
- Sign up with code THESINNER and get The Sinner by by Petra Hammesfahr
WHEW! There you go! So what did you read/love/hate in August?
Love y’all!!
xoxo
I read They All Fall Down by Roxanne St Claire which I finished in 2 days. It’s a YA novel and just grabbed me from the beginning. It was fast-paced and fun. A nice way to kick off my vacation time. I then read Diary of a Mad Bride by Laura Wolf which was also a quick read (2 days again) that just made me laugh and relive what it was like to plan my wedding. The phenomenon of Bridezillas is very strong in this book – LOL!
I went on a little YA spree and read “The Girl From Everywhere” and it’s sequel “The Ship Beyond Time” by Heidi Heilig. Loved them both. (I am now at the stage in life where my 11 year old is recommending books to me, and I LOVE it.) I re-read “When You Reach Me” by Rebecca Stead, and loved it just as much as the first time. Then two books that were dumb and I do not recommend: “Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line” and book three in the Tearling series by Erika Johansen, “The Fate of the Tearling.” (I loved the first 2 Tearling books, but book 3 was a disaster.). I am now reading and loving “The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie” by Alan Bradley, in which an 11 year old girls solves a murder that takes place at her family’s English estate, set in the 1950s.
And I have about a million books in my TBR pile from the book festival. September is going to be an awesome reading month!
I am reading The Hearts Invisible Furies and seriously love it. I totally agree with you on the startup. I did not enjoy it. Also, for my book club we just read The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and I did not really like it, but a bunch of people in the group loved it. I’d be interested in what you think!
Oops, I meant to say, Diane Chamberlain wrote the CeeCee Wilkes book.
I haven’t read any of those! And thanks for the tips on the books where the characters aren’t likeable. I have a really hard time getting through books like that!!
In August, I read The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson. It made me realize how much I missed reading a good Sourthern novel! I also read Everything You Want Me to Be, which was just okay, and The Glass Castle, which will stay with me for a very long time!
Great review!!
I’ve only read two books by Diane Chamberlain and liked them both.
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and Midwife’s Confession.
I’ll have to add yours to the list.
I got Celeste Ng’s book as my BOTM pick. I’ve seen so many mixed reviews.
Happy belated 40th!
I so agree with your opinion of Startup. What an insufferable bunch of characters! I also thought it had a very abrupt ending. I’m currently loving the Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood.