My little girl started Kindergarten this week! She went for three glorious days and loved it all. I’m definitely living vicariously through her as I remember my own early school years…discovering the glories of lunch and recess and friend making in the classroom.
We had a pretty great reading month in August! Here’s what we got through.
Cathy
What You Are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts
“What are you looking for?” is the infamous question you’re asked when you approach Sayuri Komachi’s desk in the library. And your response can lead you in a number of different directions.
I absolutely adored this book, I think it’s now one of my all time favourites. Ms. Komachi has an uncanny ability to know exactly which book you need to read to help you deal with what’s going on in your life. Her approach definitely gave me Nanny McPhee vibes (“If you need me but don’t want me, I’ll stay. But when you no longer need me, I’ll go.”) as she helps five people living completely different lives help to find themselves again (before they even realised it). It was such a feel good book, each chapter is a self-contained story focused on one person with an uplifting and happy ending. I felt so happy reading this book so it’s 5 out of 5 stars.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Immersion: A Linguist’s Memoir by Linda Murphy Marshall
This is the second of Linda’s memoirs that I’ve read and I’ve enjoyed it much more than the first memoir (I think this is due to my own expectations of the first memoir).
In Immersion, Linda walks you through her adventures with learning foreign languages. She starts with Spanish at uni, then adds Portuguese, Russian, German. After getting a job working for a government agency in the USA, she picks up Xhosa (a click language), Sotho, Swahili, and Amharic (all languages spoken in Africa) before she’s sent on different assignments around the world.
I think I like Immersion more than her first memoir, Ivy Lodge, because I can relate to it so much in terms of learning foreign languages (I speak 2 foreign languages) and how language affects your understanding of the world and who you are as a person. Reading about Linda’s experiences in different countries in Africa in the book has been fascinating. I know bits and pieces about Africa but learning more about parts of the continent and its history has been eye-opening. I have really really enjoyed this memoir so it’ll be 4 out of 5 stars.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Jess
Declutter Like A Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your Life by Allie Casazza
I picked up this book from the library in the middle of one of my “get out of the house with the baby to avoid the chores” trips. It seriously changed things around my house!
Declutter Like A Mother takes the stress out of minimalism. It’s not about only owning 3 towels, or even about only owning what “brings you joy.” It’s about making your house work for you. It’s about giving meaning to your sentimental items rather than losing meaning by making everything “sentimental.” It’s about clearing both physical and mental clutter to allow you to be more present with your family.
It’s a good book. I couldn’t put it down, and I actually decluttered my house for the first time since having my son.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Joli
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Audiobook)
You know, I think I need to start looking into books more before I decide to listen to them vs. read them on paper or ebook. Any time something is going to be slightly more complicated, with lots of character names or, in this case, years like 1857 in place of names (ugh), the written word should be my first choice! Haha I just have a hard time following books completely on audio when they’re so multi-faceted, and this one could definitely be described that way.
There really was a LOT going on here. There was time travel, romance, the ethics of time travel, a dystopian future, flashbacks from John Franlkin’s lost expedition in the arctic, and a crazy ending with lots of action. I think it could have benefitted from being a little more focused and better paced.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Going to Maine: All the Ways to Fall on the Appalachian Trail by Sally Chaffin Brooks
I loved Going to Maine. I’ve always loved the part of reading where you get to live vicariously through the lives of real people and/or characters who’re doing something you find endlessly interesting. Through-hiking a long trail is always an idea that just sounds so…commendable, romantic, potentially life-changing. In reality, though, I have an autoimmune disease, I’m terrified of the woods in the dark, bugs drive me crazy, and I can’t sleep outside at all. Thanks to people like Sally, though, I get a little taste of what it was really like.
Here’s my full review of Going to Maine.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Audiobook)
Now this was a good audiobook choice — and just a dang good choice in general. There’s a reason this book is on backorder right now on bookshop.org…it’s that good! Really, everything about this book I thought was really good. The pacing worked for me, even when it was just back-story. The character development was pretty on-point. The narrator was fantastic. I loved the female investigator. I guessed all the way up to the end.
I highly recommend putting this one on your list!
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
I liked this book, but couldn’t quite understand all of the hype. The Collected Regrets of Clover was nominated for best fiction 2023 and best debut novel 2023 on Goodreads, and was named a Best Book of 2023 by NPR. To be fair, there’s a lot to like here! I enjoyed the fresh perspective and wonderful sound bites about grief. There’s a lot of insightfulness and lovely moments here.
It’s just that I felt like Clover’s character wasn’t very…real? She seemed too timid to be the same woman who went in and helped folks pass with so much dignity and openness. There’s one part that plays out like a soap opera I thought, but I don’t want to get into it in case you read the book. The love story bit was also just too easy, I thought.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Molly
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei
This anti-colonial space heist features a thief-turned-academic named Maya and her alien friend and former smuggling partner, Auncle, who agree to one last job. While racing against Earth’s military, they must attempt to recover an important object that belongs to Auncle’s species, the Frenro. It has the power to save the dying Frenro species, but is also the key to ensuring Earth is not cut off from the rest of the galaxy.
Due to some pacing issues, I rated this one 3 stars.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Fabled Earth by Kimberly Brock
Cleo Woodbine dreams of following in her grandfather’s footsteps and becoming the artist in residence on Cumberland Island, where the Carnegie family and their guests enjoy hunting, fishing, and drinking the summers away. Before she can take up her paints, she must first attend Joanna Burton, a merchant’s daughter, during her stay at Plum Orchard, one of the many Carnegie mansions on Cumberland. Mysterious circumstances resulting in the death of two young men cast a dark shadow over the summer and Cleo’s life.
Decades later, the summer before the schools integrate, two young women arrive in the town of Revery. Frances has come on her way to see Cleo on Cumberland Island and fulfill a final wish of her mother, Joanna Burton. Audrey has taken a job running her aunt’s inn after her husband was killed in a train accident, leaving her a widow at twenty.
All three women must reconcile with the past and find a way forward in a town on the brink of social change.
Full review to come!
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Renee
The Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey
This was such a great, atmospheric summer read. It’s about 3 women (Daphne, Lanier, and Mary Stuart) who have been best friends since they were bunkmates as first-year campers at Camp Holly Springs. Daphne’s Aunt June has been running the summer camp for decades and it was a special place, full of memories for all the girls.
Past their young adult years but not yet middle-aged, the women are in their “settling down” phase of life, but facing some challenges and past ghosts that cause tensions to run high. On top of their personal struggles, Aunt June has revealed that she can’t afford to keep the camp open, so the three take on the task of saving Camp Holly Springs.
A little corny at times (I can’t imagine being 3 years old and email being my regular form of communication with my best friends, much less signing off with our old summer camp slogan, for example), but I enjoyed it. I never went to summer camp and this gave me the feeling of being there and why people love it so much.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal
The book interweaves stories of 3 women: Cora, Angel, and Donita. All 3 are from the Philippines and living in Singapore as domestic workers. They have a group chat on WhatsApp where they blow off steam.
Cora works for a lovely woman who was recently widowed and, more than help around the house, wants Cora to be her friend and equal, which creates issues for Cora. Eventually you learn that the 2 have more in common than one would think as they each process grief differently.
Angel works for a family in which the mother has died, the father had a stroke, and the college-aged son is making Angel very uncomfortable in his advances towards her since his mother died.
Donita is young and dresses a bit freer than the others might. She works for Mrs. Fann, a cantankerous, devoutly religious woman who doesn’t trust Donita at all, is critical of everything she does, and doesn’t mind telling everyone.
A woman, Carolyn Hong, is found dead in her own home, discovered by her teenage daughter. Their Filipino helper, Flordeliza, is immediately taken into custody.
Cora, Angel, and Donita know their friend didn’t do this, but they have to prove it in ways that won’t cause them to stand out. They need to blend in so they aren’t sent away. Their families back home are relying on them for money.
As they set out to try to prove Flor’s innocence, they learn even more about themselves, each other, and the way society views women like them, so often in the background.
While there is a mystery in this book, I wouldn’t call it a mystery. It’s beautifully written and at times quite amusing. The way the stories are all so perfectly woven together is seamless. I savored it as I read it, able to picture it all happening in my mind.
Wonderful book.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Murder Road by Simone St. James
April and Eddie are on their honeymoon, but Eddie takes a wrong turn on the way to their destination. They end up on a dark, desolate road and find a bleeding woman there with no one around. They put her in their car and drive her to the nearest hospital in Cold Lake Falls, but she doesn’t make it. She dies in their back seat, and they’re stuck staying in this odd little town while they’re questioned and their car is processed.
They soon find out about the lore that surrounds this town and the number of hitchhikers who have been murdered on that road. That road, they learn, is said to be haunted by The Lost Girl, the first murder victim there, and the only one who hasn’t been identified since her death 20+ years before.
Lots of weird things happen while they’re in town and their own experiences have made it personal. They want to find out who this ghost is and what she wants. They also want to find out how they got there since neither of them remembers turning off the highway….
As usual, St. James does a great job of hooking you into the story and making it spooky without being scary. There’s mystery, a little bit of the supernatural, and a cast of interesting characters. Narration was also really good on this audiobook. Some parts were a little predictable, but not to the point of it being frustrating. Great early spooky season read.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
This is the 4th book in the Thursday Murder Club series, and Richard Osman does it again.
The series is about a group of friends living in Coopers Chase, a retirement community in England. They bonded over their mutual affinity for true crime, and now they solve crimes together.
In the 4th book, they’re working to solve the mystery of who killed their friend and why. He was an antiques dealer but had inadvertently found himself as a middle stop for a lot of illegal substances — and something very valuable.
The gang encounters corrupt antique dealers, art frauds, catfishing, money launderers, and more.
I’ve been both eager to read this one and kind of dreading it because I knew it was going to deal quite a bit with one character’s dementia, which is something very, very close to me. And it did. I was so glad for the funny parts of this book and the banter among the gang (and Joyce…. I adore Joyce) because this book broke me into little pieces. I don’t think I’ve ever cried as hard reading a book as I did while reading this one. I even cried while reading the acknowledgments when the author sends love to everyone living with dementia and all those who love them.
I was emotionally exhausted when I finished this book, but in many ways it was the best one yet, in my opinion. It won’t affect everyone like it affected me, so if you like the other books, definitely read this one.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
It’s been a little bit since I’ve read a Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen book, but this audiobook was available when I had a long drive to make, and was a great way to pass the time on the turnpike.
This psychological/domestic thriller is about Marissa and Matthew, who are going through a rough patch in their marriage, and their couples therapist, Avery. It’s told partially from Marissa’s point of view and partially from Avery’s. Both are unreliable narrators and so we can’t really trust anything we learn about the other characters.
Reading this book is like peeling back layers of an onion. Deceit layered on deceit until you don’t really know who you can trust. Which character is responsible for the weird things happening to Avery and why? Who is responsible for the weird things happening to Marissa, and why?
Solid narrator. Fun story with good twists.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
That’s our list! What did you read in August?
