Let’s talk about what I read in August! I’m back again with another monthly reading recap. This post contains affiliate links.
I have six books to share with you during this month’s recap. As always, if you’ve read anything noteworthy lately, please share it with me in the comments! Love talking books with you guys and I’m so glad you love hearing about what I’ve been reading.
I have an affiliate account with Bookshop.org! (I still also have my Amazon shop page, if that’s where you prefer to get your books). Bookshop is a great way to get books online while also supporting local bookstores. I HIGHLY encourage you to shop through Bookshop and support Black-owned bookstores if you can. I have made two “shelves” on the site: my 2020 reads and some books that are on my TBR/books I’ve bought recently.
2020 READING GOAL UPDATE.
As I’m writing this, I am now ELEVEN books ahead of my reading goal of 52 books! I’ve got my reading goal in the bag which I’m super excited about. We bought a house in August, so the last two weeks I struggled to read as much as I normally would!
Now let’s talk about the books I read in August, my ratings, and reviews!
38. All You Can Ever Know
4/5 stars.
Read for BBBC’s Summer 2020 CelebriTEA Challenge.
This was a memoir about adoption and Nicole’s life growing up as an Asian child in White family. So well written and interesting. I always like reading books/memoirs about a human experience different from my own, and this one was very good and ticked that box. Not only did I learn so much, but the story was well-told and had a great sequence as I think some memoirs struggle with. BBBC had the pleasure of talking with Nicole after reading this as a group and she was wonderful!
Find it on Goodreads. | Buy it here.
39. The Mothers
3/5 stars.
I decided to finally read Brit Bennett’s debut since BBBC did a Q&A with her this month. I love Brit’s writing; there were some quotes that were just exquisite. But I was not fully engrossed in this story until more than halfway through.
The book is mostly about abortion, among other things, which honestly can still feel very taboo. I appreciated the deep dive into this choice and how it can affect different people. The whole thing was written in a really raw and real way and I loved it.
I really felt for both Nadia and Aubrey throughout this story. It was hard for me to root for one character over the other because they were both pretty complex and had their own troubles and insecurities. I did have a hard time mentally picturing a lot of these characters, though, which may just be me not paying attention to details… still worth noting.
In conclusion, I was really not into this until over halfway through so I cannot in good conscience give it above 4 stars even though the last 25% was interesting and there were moments of true literary brilliance throughout!
Find it on Goodreads. | Buy it here.
40. Beautiful Day
3/5 stars.
Read for BBBC’s Summer 2020 Nantucket Nights challenge.
Another one from Elin Hilderbrand! This might have been my least favorite so far. I felt like it was super long and I never found myself fully hooked/engrossed. As always, most of the characters are unlikable but in Beautiful Day, they aren’t even fun to dislike? I thought the storylines were even more all over the place than usual and I honestly did not care about anyone’s drama (and there was a lot of drama). I expected much more from a wedding on Nantucket type of story!
Find it on Goodreads. | Buy it here.
41. Ghost Boys
5/5 stars.
A truly heartbreaking but important middle grades novel that should be shared & read widely.
Find it on Goodreads. | Buy it here.
42. Parachutes
4/5 stars.
BBBC August BOTM.
Was unexpectedly obsessed with this book. Parachutes tackles so many important issues in a way that’s not obnoxious or obvious. I loved how raw and real these characters & experiences were portrayed. Highly recommend. This book should be getting so much more hype!
Find it on Goodreads. | Buy it here.
43. 28 Summers
4/5 stars.
Capped off the BBBC Nantucket Nights challenge with Elin’s latest release! This was classic Elin — everything we’ve come to love from her was wrapped up in this book.
Loved the characters and the story though I felt like I was constantly screaming at everyone involved for the entire book lol. Definitely recommend this one for fans of beach reads & messy drama. Grab your tissues for the ending.
Find it on Goodreads. | Buy it here.
BOTM PICK(S).
I always get a ton of questions about which book I picked for my BOTM box so I decided to add it into my monthly reading round-ups! For September, I picked: The Lost Story of Mina Lee with Full Disclosure and Emma in the Night as add-ons.
BOOKS I BOUGHT IN AUGUST.
The Night Swim (BOTM), The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes (BOTM), The Comeback (BOTM), The Bright Side of Going Dark, ACOTAR series books 1-4, Little Secrets, American Royals, Winter in Paradise, The Death of Vivek Oji, You Had Me at Hola, Luster, Winter Street series, Boyfriend Material, Party of Two, Silver Sparrow, I’ll Be the One, City of Flickering Light, Upstairs at the White House.
CURRENTLY READING.
I’m currently reading A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore and Hood Feminism!
