Everything I Read in August
August came and went by in the blink of the eye! Actually, I could really say that about Summer as a whole. I feel blessed to have had ten incredible weeks off from work so that I could travel, catch up with friends and family, workout whenever I wanted, and read/listen to so many amazing books. Let’s take a look at my reading this summer (the ten weeks I had off from work) in terms of numbers:
Total # of Books: 14
Total # of Memoirs: 2
Total # of Suspense/Psychological Thrillers: 6
Total # of Beach Reads: 2
Audible: 8 v. Physical Books: 6
Favorite read: When We Were Bright and Beautiful or Can’t Look Away (yes, this isn’t a number, but I wanted to include anyways)
I always wish I had made more time to read (I’m a type A personality to a tee); however, I read some incredible books. Ok, let’s now take a look at what I read in August…
Nora Goes Off Script ~ Annabel Monaghan
I am the first to say, I am usually skeptical of books that are “beach reads,” because they just feel so ridiculously cheesy at times. However, Nora Goes Off Script came highly recommended by a friend, and I am so grateful that I gave it a shot. Is it cheesy? Yes. Is is predictable? Yes. Somehow in this package (or narrative if you will), I bought into it…big time! This book reads like a hallmark television movie. Coincidentally, the main character, Nora, writes these romantic, fluffy movies and ends up falling in love with a movie star, who brings one of her scripts to life. Their unlikely romance has twists and turns, and had me wishing the book was longer since I did not want the book to end!
Taste ~ Stanley Tucci
I find it ironic that I hate cooking and yet somehow I was drawn to read a book that is all about one’s passion for food! Maybe I was inspired by my recent trip to Italy or maybe I was inspired by my love for Stanley Tucci. Either way, I am glad I chose this book. It reads as partially a memoir and partially as a cookbook. Truthfully, I skipped over the recipes (I hope Stanley Tucci is not reading this…sorry), but if you are a cook or foodie, make sure to buy this as a physical book so you can use/reference all of his recipes/tips etc. I loved reading about his upbringing and how food was such an integral part of his identity, which inspired his writing of this book. His humor is interjected in every anecdote and he writes with such humility, even when talking about his celebrity friends, that I found this book delicious!
Wrong Place, Wrong Time ~ Gillian McAllister
Ugh, I wanted to love this book! It is a suspense book (my favorite genre) and it has a stamp of approval from Reese Witherspoon on the cover, so I figured this book would be just up my alley. Somehow those two details did not make me love it. I found it slow to pick up and I wasn’t invested until the end. The premise is intriguing- a woman witnesses her teenage son commit a murder. After the murder, she begins to wake up on days before the murder took place, stuck in a time loop. She realizes she must go back in time, and change the circumstances that led to the event. While the ending was not predictable, that fact was not enough to make me recommend this book. Sadly, this was just so-so for me!
When We Were Bright and Beautiful ~ Jillian Medoff
Book of the Month does it again! They have the best curated selection of books to choose from, and this was my pick for August. I am blessed with an incredible family, but I love diving into a dysfunctional family drama through fiction! Therefore, When We Were Bright and Beautiful was an easy pick. Rich, educated and good looking, the children of the powerful Quinn family seemingly have it made. When the youngest son, a premed student and varsity track star at Princeton, gets accused of rape, the whole family finds themselves and their secrets put on trial. I spent the whole book questioning “did he or didn’t he rape her?”, but I also was questioning the sordid actions and intentions of his family. If you liked Gone Girl, this book is for you. It is dark in the best way possible!
Yerba Buena ~ Nina Lacour
This book was my faithful driving companion on my last road trip of Summer! I sometimes find books that shift narration amongst characters to be a tad confusing on audible, but this was not the case with Yerba Buena. It follows two women, Sara and Emilie, on their path to meeting one another and finding inner peace amongst a difficult past. This story isn’t necessarily heavy or dark, but the characters do experience hardship especially from their upbringing. I found Sara and Emilie both likable, despite not being able to relate to their experiences, and I was rooting for them to find love and success!
This summer presented me so much time to read, and I delved into some incredible books! I pledge to not let September and the start of the school year to derail my reading. I am looking forward to some great books that are coming out this fall (Colleen Hoover…why are you making us wait until October?!). Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading these books posts and engaging with my content. Say hello, leave a comment, or ask a question below. I would love to hear from you!
xoxo,
Lauren
All book posts are dedicated to my dad and bestie, Andy Hook, for letting me steal audible credits!