What I Read in August
August was a month filled with some subpar romance novels, page turning mysteries, a standout nonfiction and three (or 4?!) books that might make it to my favorites of the year list!
Favorite parts:
- I loved reading a romance between “middle aged” adults. It felt so much more relatable to read about someone in a similar season of life.
- I loved the organization/decluttering subplot…IYKYK 😉
Parts I could’ve done without:
- Perhaps a little too “perfect” of a storyline?
Overall: I loved it! A quick paced, relatable, light hearted summer read, with just enough depth to make me care about the characters. Solid 4.5/5 stars and easily the best romance novel I read this month.
Favorite parts:
- I loved the description of the setting. I saw many reviews that compared it to “Where the Crawdads Sing”, and although the settings take place in different geographic locations, the descriptions of the settings were very similar. I also especially loved them, being from the PNW myself.
- The story was interesting and kept my attention. I wanted to keep reading and was invested in the characters and their outcome.
Parts I could’ve done without:
- I thought it was strange she made up the Indigenous tribe, it almost seemed lazy and like she didn’t want to put effort into researching one of the hundreds of existing tribes that do exist.
Overall: I enjoyed reading this and it would have been a solid 4 star read without the imagined Indigenous tribe. 3/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a digital ARC of the book to read and review.
I adored this book. There was the perfect balance of heavier topics and real life combined with LOL moments and an ultimate feeling of hope. I listened to it on audio and it was very well done but loved it so much I bought a copy to add to my “all time favorites” shelf. 5/5 stars
This novel is written from the perspectives of different family members over the time period of one summer. I didn’t find myself invested in the story or connecting with the characters. This is the second Erin Hilderbrand book I have read and they’ve both been “just okay” for me. I think a reader who has vacationed near Nantucket might be more interested in her stories (I’m not familiar at all growing up on the West coast!) 2.5/5 stars
We read this for book club and despite its great reviews- I didn’t love it. It felt reallyyy far fetched and unrealistic to me. I’m also coming to realize I’m not a huge fan of books about celebrities, movie stars, etc so maybe it was a “me” problem. 3/5 stars
I recently saw “It Ends with Us” and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it! This sequel though- not as much. I’m not sure why, but I have a hard time with Atlas’ character. He’s almost TOO perfect/sweet/etc and doesn’t feel like a real person to me. I just didn’t find myself invested in this story at all. 2.5/5 stars
Cute, predictable, easy summer read. I did listen to it on audio and didn’t think it did the book any favors. 3/5 stars
After a romance heavy summer of reading, this very real book (that almost reads like a memoir) was just what I needed. It definitely won’t be for everyone, but I really really loved it. Despite not being in that stage of life, I could relate to several aspects of Rocky’s character (not sure what this says about me since I’ve read several reviews calling her “crazy”- ha) I can see this being a book I return to year after year, and relating to it more with each rereading. It was so refreshing to read about “taboo” topics such as the highs and lows of: parenthood, marriage, mental health and being a woman. I appreciated that she didn’t only focus on the positives or negatives of each subject, but included both, such is real life. 5/5 stars
I randomly picked this book up after seeing it on display at the library and loved it so much that I bought my own copy! It is a nonfiction book of the author’s experience writing 365 thank you cards over the course of a year. I loved the idea of expressing gratitude, as well as the author’s commentary and reflections on the practice. I love when a book gives me inspiration and something to think about or implement in my own life- 5/5 stars
I’m not easily impressed by thrillers these days, but this one was really good! Full of great twists, cleverly written and had a satisfying ending. 4/5 stars
