WHEW, what an end to the summer. All in one week, I had a 3,000+ word article due, we went to the MN State Fair (whole day affair), we drove up to the cabin, had an electrical issue at our house, and then had 2 birthday parties for my daughter (one friends, one family) on the weekend.
I. am. pooped. And…kind of glad to be back in the rhythm of school.
I managed to finish 2 books in August despite the craziness, which I’ll take–one audio, one physical. I’ll talk about them below!
Was your August crazy? Did you have time for a few good reads?
Only a few of us had the chance to weigh in this time, but here’s a peek at what we were reading in August.
Cathy
Savior of the Shades by Vasilisa Drake
This is a Hades and Persephone retelling but with werewolf shifters. Avery is the weak Omega in a pack of werewolf shifters whoโs rejected and then murdered by her fated mate. She wakes up in a different realm with a weirdly strong connection to her inner wolf and runs into a mysterious and attractive male shifter who happens to be the King of the Underworld. Avery takes up residence in his castle and he teaches her how to hone her skills as a shifter. The trilogy has multiple storylines that I wonโt document in too much detail as Iโd be here for ages.
I went for Savior of the Shades because I wanted something fun to read over the summer – and it was fun but loooong. I inadvertently read the complete trilogy in one book – which it seems like a lot of people did on Goodreads – and did have to take a pause midway to read something else. Overall, I enjoyed this trilogy and would recommend it. Itโs 3 stars for me.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads | Storygraph
A Court of Thorns and Roses + A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Another series that starts off as a sort-of retelling, this time based on Beauty and the Beast (if my googling is correct). Feyre kills a fae in an unprovoked attack and as compensation is stolen away across the border by a high lord – whoโs secretly hoping that she will break the curse on his court. Iโll not go into loads of detail as these books feel so infamous by now that most of our readers are likely familiar with them.
Iโve been listening to the graphic audio version of the first two books in the series while Iโve been packing up my flat to move. I swing between loving them and finding them a bit cringey – I like the full cast with different voices for different characters but there are some bits that the female narrator who voices Feyre reads out that are probably only suitable for headphones.
Overall, itโs a fun series and the world building is good, although the descriptions have too many adjectives for my taste, and you can get into the story quite easily. This is a re-listen for me and I think this time both books together get 3 stars (I canโt remember what I gave last time).
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads | Storygraph
Joli
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Fiiiinally I got to this highly anticipated read for me. I’m in a book club where we take turns picking the book, and this was my pick. I’m so glad I finally created a time where I needed to read it, because I loved it just as much as I’d hoped I would!
I honestly don’t need a lot of action in my books to love them. If it’s well-written, I like the characters, and there’s some sort of tension to resolve, I’m good. This is one of those kind of “quieter” types of books, and I loved the heck out of it.
The setting, a cherry farm in Michigan, is picturesque. And I think I’m far enough away from the pandemic now to have some sort of weird nostalgia for it–the staying home together bit, anyway. So as the mom tells her three daughters the story of her first real love and her short acting career, she’s also enjoying those bittersweet days where her girls are all “stuck” at home on the farm.
I enjoyed the mom’s story, loved the girls’ personalities and descriptions of their childhood, and thought the story was exceedingly well-written. Ann Patchett is a favorite author of mine, so I’m not surprised that I just ate this book up. A full 5 stars from me.
Bookshop.orgย |ย Amazonย |ย Goodreadsย |ย Storygraph
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (Audiobook)
This was my other book club’s pick for the month, and I decided to listen to it on audio. It’s kind of a hit-you-over-the-head with its theme book, which was fine, but also one of the reasons it wasn’t my favorite.
In a nutshell, a group of women come together and read a book that’s just recently been published: The Feminine Mystique. It sort of opens their eyes to some of the inequalities they face as women in the 1960s. They’re at different points in their lives and they all run into different roadblocks due to the fact that they’re women.
I did find it entertaining and liked the differences in each woman’s story, but took it down a few stars because it really does hit you over the head with feminism, and the one husband that turns out to be an okay guy becomes a little too supportive, bordering on sappy.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads | Storygraph
Molly
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
This was a super fun read that blends high fantasy tropes with murder mystery vibes. There were so many twists and turns, I absolutely devoured it and canโt wait for the next book in the series.
Neema, a low-born scholar, rises to the rank of High Scholar by writing an order of exile for an innocent girl. Hated by her peers and looked down upon for her common upbringing, Neema navigates court life with plans to follow the sitting emperor back to his monastery once he abdicates the throne.
Instead of retreating to a quiet life of study and contemplation in the mountains, Neema finds herself swept up in the violent death of one of the contenders for the throne. Whatโs more, the emperor arranges for Neema to take the dead womanโs place in the competition that will determine the next ruler of Orrun.
While investigating her predecessorโs death, Neema uncovers a sinister plot that puts not only her life, but all of Orrun in danger.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads | Storygraph
Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner
This is the final book in the Fallen Gods trilogy. Although I loved Godkiller in the series, Sunbringer and Faithbreaker both fell a little flat for me.
No spoilers, so I wonโt say much about the plot. Although I found the book slow, I still love the three main characters. Theyโre so tragic, you canโt help but root for them.
I think one reason the latter books in the series struggle is that there are a lot of minor characters who are introduced, and itโs hard to remember whoโs who and why theyโre important. Thereโs not much to distinguish them from each other, so sometimes it felt like I was just reading a lot of names that didnโt mean anything to me.
The ending was beautifully executed, despite the plodding journey to get there, and I teared up at the final pages.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads | Storygraph
That’s it! That’s what we’ve been reading. What did you read in August? Anything of note?
More About Me
- What We Read in August 2025 - September 11, 2025
- What We Read in July 2025 - August 8, 2025
- What We Read in May 2025 - June 10, 2025