August Wrap Up // 2022

Oof…August was a rough month. I think it’s mostly a preview of the school year ahead of me; I am the class sponsor for my son’s class and we are in charge of concessions for all the home sports games. It’s consumed my life in so many ways and mostly takes up all the free time I have, so reading has definitely been put on the back burner. On top of that, school and sports are in full swing, so there is just very little time left over to read. If I do have free time, I am usually too tired to crack open a book. It’s kind of making me sad, but I LOVE this time in life with my kids and I am going to soak it all up while I can!

Because of all the things I’ve mentioned above, I know my reading life is going to be affected in several ways. I can already tell that a book really has to grab me from the beginning or I’ll lose interest quick. I’m finding it hard to remember small details so I may be switching over to more “brain candy” type books – quick, easy to pick up and put down, details not necessary to remember.

Anyway, I read the least amount of books I’ve ever read in a month (6) and my overall rating for the month was terrible (3.33). I really hope this isn’t indicitive of my year ahead and I hope I can find a successful way to adjust, but only time will tell!

What did you read in August and enjoy?

Favorite Book of the Month:

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead (Finlay Donovan #2) by Elle Cosimano

Sometimes reading can be heavy, so I’m grateful to have found a series that allows me the perfect escape. It was fun to reenter the world of Finlay and her crazy co-conspirator/roommate. While the book is mostly just pure silly (unbelievable) fun, I had fun geting caught up in the crazy shenanigans again.

It was so hard to choose a favorite book this month because nothing really stands out. Ultimately, I choose this one because it was the one that was easiest for me to get through – making me think I need to start leaning more towards “brain candy” books.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

No one writes sci-fi quite like Blake Crouch! He has the ability to “dumb it down” in a way that non-science-y people can understand. Beyond that, his writing is absorbing and propulsive; I flew through this one in less than a day. In Upgrade, Crouch writes about a not-too-distant future where gene editing is a thing. The way he tackles the issue is believable and gives the reader a lot to think about.

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler

I can fully appreciate the effort, purpose, and story behind this one, but the execution lacked for me. In the Author’s Note, Fowler writes that her inspiration behind writing this book came after another mass shooting in America. It got her wondering how a murderer comes to be. Does the family influence them? And more importantly, what is the after effects on the family? I was totally intrigued by these same questions and that’s probably why I felt so disappointed in the book. There was a looooong history of the Booths (480 pages) and I learned a lot of fascinating information (I had no idea how involved in the theater the entire family was). But I really wasn’t here for Booth’s childhood…I wanted the lead up to the shooting and the aftermath of this action. The last 10% of the book was the best for me and I would have loved this book had it started at this point and went forward from there. For the most part, I was bored by the book and contemplated DNFing it multiple times. I should have just skipped to the end and called it good! 😬

Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky

I wanted to love this one, but it was just fine for me. I loved the author’s previous book, Very Nice, and was hoping for more with this one. Instead, this felt kind of like a fever dream – some parts flowed nicely and fit in well while others meandered in ways that didn’t make sense and weren’t necessarily connected. I didn’t connect with the characters and, honestly, I just felt like the whole story was too absurd to engage with.

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle

I took a chance on this one because any book compared to A Man Called Ove is a risk for me. It’s not that I didn’t like Ove, it’s just that sweet and saccharine don’t really do it for ,me. I like a darker kind of read, and feel good books just don’t interest me that much. Having said that, I will put this book in the same category as Ove: a nice, simple story that makes you want to give it a hug at the end. If this is your type of book, I’d tell you to give it a try and you won’t be disappointed!

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

I should have known better…but I listened to a podcast where Harnett was interviewed and I thought I should give it a chance. I wasn’t a fan of Rabbit Cake either, but everyone deserves a second chance. Unfortunately, this one falls into the same category I’d put Ove and All the Lonely People (see above) – quirky characters and their stories just usually aren’t for me. Also, I heard a comparison to Lincoln in the Bardo (a book I really liked) and I’m here to set the record straight: this book is nowhere near the caliber of that masterpiece. #sorrynotsorry I knew going into this one that it was outside my reading comfort zone, and I should have listened to my initial instincts. I know many have enjoyed this one, so I may be an outlier. Check out other reviews to decide if this one is for you!