My August Reading List: What I read last month featuring a few 5-star reads!
When August came to a close, I felt as though I had barely read. As if I hadn’t finished a single darn book all month.
So, I was more than pleasantly surprised and quite thrilled when I looked back on my Goodreads account and realized I had, indeed, read. In fact, I started and finished seven books!
I’ve been reading closer to 4-5 books per month so, needless to say, I was quite proud of myself.
And, better yet – two of last month’s books were 5-star reads! When I deem a book a 5-star read, it means that my experience with that book was a 5-star experience. Rating books can feel so trivial and harsh and I never want reading to feel that way! I rate based on how I felt while reading the book. Not on the author’s talent because who am I to say an author wrote a 2-star book?
So, I prefer to rate books purely based on my reading experience. What I deem a 5-star read may not be for someone else, and that’s okay! We each have our own preferences and likes, the world (and books) would be quite boring if we didn’t, right?
Okay, let’s get to my little August reading list!
August reading list: What I read this month to wrap up the summer
One of Us Is Next
by Karen M. McManus
4-stars
We’re back at Bayview, friends! After flying through One of Us Is Lying on audiobook a while back, I realized that there was a sequel! So, I opened up my libro.fm app immediately (I love that they support local bookshops!) and downloaded it with a quick tap.
I proceeded to listen to it and finished it in just two runs – anyone else love listening to audiobooks while running?
This one’s another whodunnit sort revolving around a game of truth or dare. And, you’ll surely want to find out what’s actually going on over at Bayview.
If you enjoy audiobooks, I highly recommend giving this one a listen!
The Summer Job
by Lizzy Dent
5-stars
I zipped right through this one on audiobook, it was gripping Five massive iridescent stars for The Summer Job.
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This is the book that I’ve been craving all summer long. It’s a breath of fresh air, a novel bursting with heart, and a proclivity for (mis)adventure.
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If you enjoy 👇
1. A glass of bold, peppery red or a refreshing chilled picpoul
2. Spontaneity
3. A bit of drama
4. A quirky bunch of characters
5. Men who know their way around a kitchen
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Then right this way my friends, The Summer Job is for you. Follow along as a celebrated sommelier shows up for her gig in the Highlands. Oh right, there’s just one thing – she’s not a sommelier nor is she the woman they hired.
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ps. Be sure to have a glass of wine on hand for this one!
A Slow Fire Burning
by Paula Hawkins
3-stars
I zipped right through this one on audiobook, it was gripping and had me curious and questioning throughout. It kicks off with a gruesome murder in a London houseboat which sets off a chain of discoveries and stories amongst three women who knew him.
Though they all knew him separately, they’re all simmering with resentment and wanting to right the wrongs they were victims of. A Slow Fire Burning walks us through multiple storylines and happenings that are not without consequences.
I recommend this one on audiobook if you’re looking for something to hold your attention and reel you in quickly!
The Guilt Trip
by Sandie Jones
3-stars
I wanted more out of The Guilt Trip. I had seen it in countless places that deemed it an explosive novel that takes place in one of my favorite countries, Portugal!
Yet, I felt like I spent the entire novel waiting for something to happen, waiting for the shoe to drop, waiting for an alarm to sound…something! Anything!
And, that may be a product of expecting one thing and getting another. I felt like all the action was packed into the last 30 pages and I was hoping to have more leading up to it. If you’re in for a very slow burn, this may be what you’re looking for!
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Eliza Stars a Rumor
by Jane L. Rosen
5-stars
My gosh, I loved Eliza Stars a Rumor. This book was SO good, I could barely put it down! 5 stars, all around.
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Here we’ve got Eliza, who’s experiencing another bout of crippling agoraphobia, whose Hudson Valley Ladies’ Bulletin Board that she founded 15 years prior, becomes her lifeline to the outside world.
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And when a rival, seemingly shinier and newer bulletin board gains popularity, Eliza realizes she needs to spice hers up. With some hot goss. She posts this salacious rumor and bam, sets off a chain of events she can’t backpedal even if she tried.
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We meet Olivia, new mom and new Hudson Valley transplant, who begins to spiral when she reads Eliza’s post. We’ve got Allison finding herself *maybe* in a catfish situation. And, we have Amanda, Eliza’s best friend and neighbor who returns home and finds Eliza, once again, can’t go outside.
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This book is full of so much heart and the power of women connecting. It touches on so much more than Eliza’s rumor — how we deserve to be cared for, how supportive a community can be, how putting yourself out there can change your life.
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It also touched upon infidelity and sexual assault, so please know that while it may appear on the surface to be an easy and light read, there’s so much more depth there.
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I hope you’ll read this one! I would love to hear how you enjoy it. We talked about this one a good bit on @andherbooks, too!
Nightbitch
by Rachel Yoder
4-stars
Nightbitch is a wild ride you’ll want to buckle up for before sinking your teeth right in.
We have the mother who is convinced she’s turning into a dog. dog. What follows is an adventure of intrigue, exhaustion, rage, a distant and uninvolved husband, strange instincts, new habits, and happenings that support her claim.
Rachel Yoder is a true talent; she weaves this story with unyielding vigor and will have you questioning whether the mother is, indeed, becoming a dog in the nighttime.
We read this with Literary League, and wow it was one heck of an end-of-summer read!
The Cousins
by Karen M. McManus
3-stars
I listened to this book on audio after listening to One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next by Karen McManus. While I did prefer those two to The Cousins, I enjoyed the setting and premise for this one.
Three cousins are invited to an island from their families’ past, out of the blue, by their uninvolved grandmother who disinherited their parents years ago. What follows is a summer of mystery and intrigue and secrets waiting to be discovered.
Shop my August reads
Have any of these books piqued your interest? Shop my August reading list right on Bookshop.org, which supports local bookshops while you shop from the comfort of your own home! A win-win.
What’s up next on your own reading list?
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