everything i read in august | 2020
Hi y’all!
How was your weekend? It was a little cooler in Seattle and I was… so ready for fall. H and I watched Palm Springs on Hulu on Saturday night (a kooky but also heartwarming movie!) while sipping on some Chaider (spiked cider + chai = ultimate fall vibes) and then made sourdough pancakes on Sunday morning. I did zeroooo studying on Sunday because I was ahead of schedule, and it felt so great to have a lazy rest of the weekend.
Now to wrap up my reading for August! So… I read 13 books this month. It has been a MINUTE since I’ve last read this much in a month, but you already know how I did it: audiobooks! As always, links go to Goodreads so you can read the synopsis and add to your to-read shelf.
If you want to wrap up summer with a romance…
The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
This one is the sequel to The Kiss Quotient, which I read last month and really enjoyed. I felt like this companion-sequel wasn’t quite as good but I still appreciated the representation nevertheless. The romance didn’t feel quite as believable… it felt more lusty than love, you feel?
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
If you want a twisty, why-done-it story set on a college campus…
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Wow — what a story. My roommate explained The Secret History to me as “not a who-done it, but a why-done-it” story, and I think that’s 100% accurate. I spent most of July reading this one because it is slow-paced but I loved the setting in academia and the character development in our main cast. Richard, the perspective through which the story is told, reminded me of Nick from The Great Gatsby: extremely passive but incredibly observant, and somehow gets caught up in the middle of things without even trying.
I’d love to see this done as a movie; I definitely recommend this one!
Rating: 4.25 out of 5
I honestly wouldn’t recommend this one…
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
Okay, what? This book was low-key a hot mess. At first I liked the female protagonist’s, Darcy, badass attitude, but hearing the story through her perspective… it was illogical, she was possessive, and she really thought she was unlike other girls. I liked the male protagonist: Sally Thorne wrote a pretty good dream man but what was with the “animal” side of him?
The romance had its sweet moments, but there wasn’t enough backstory, and overall I didn’t understand why they didn’t get together for so many years. It was frustrating.
I loved Thorne’s The Hating Game dearly, and this one fell pretty short.
Rating: 2 out of 5
If you love following drama in a small town…
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Classic Emma Straub. I didn’t like this one as much as her other ones; I wasn’t as engaged with the full cast of characters as I usually am. I was drawn a lot more to the children’s stories – Cecilia and August – but otherwise, the other family members weren’t 100% intriguing.
Also, I hate to think that all of Straub’s stories I’ve read involve infidelity. *sigh*
The audiobook was fantastic! An extremely enjoyable listening experience!
Rating: 3 out of 5
If you want thought-provoking essays about self-delusion…
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion by Jia Tolentino
A fantastic essay compilation. My expectations were sky-high for Trick Mirror– it’s compulsively highlight-able– but I felt that some of her essays could have been stronger in tying back to the overall theme of self-delusion; either that, or I completely missed the connection on some of the essays, lol. A lot of Jia’s essays felt factual, like too much evidence but not enough analysis on the evidence. Specifically, her Pure Heroines essay had so many lovely references to literature that could’ve provided a bit more context to those who are unfamiliar with the text.
I highly enjoyed the topics explored in her essays though: the relationship between ecstasy and religion, barre & its history, and also her time at UVA. I would’ve loved to read more about her time in the Peace Corps – I thought that was a surprising fact about Jia and am curious how that experience has shaped her opinions.
Overall, Trick Mirror is brilliant with a few misses, but I would highly recommend it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
If you want to browse a bookstore…
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
What a charming, nerdy, and mysterious read! Robin Sloan sets up this story so well: the details among each character plays a part in uncovering the bookish mystery behind Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. I was so satisfied with the way the plot turned out. I’m obsessed!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
If you love The Bold Type TV show…
Most Likely by Sarah Watson
A really sweet story! I think the problem with having multiple main characters in any story is that the reader is naturally drawn to only one or two of the characters’ stories and not so much for the others. Unsurprisingly, as the creator of The Bold Type TV show (one of my favorite shows of all time!!), Sarah Watson incorporated diverse backgrounds and situations among the four main girls. Their journey during their senior year and applying to colleges had me super nostalgic for sure! I can’t say I’ll be continuing with the series, but Most Likely was enjoyable nevertheless.
Audiobook review: I kick myself for continuing to listen to YA on audio, because frequently when the narrator is trying to sound younger/more teen-like, they often come across sounding whiny. I probably would have preferred the written text version of this one, but the narrator was just alright for Most Likely.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
If you love following drama in a corporate world…
Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
Sexual harassment in the workplace. It took me about halfway through the Whisper Network to really get into the story, as I feel like it’s more plot-driven than character-driven. I felt like most of the characters were unlikable and didn’t really stand up for each other. It’s an engaging plot though, and it was jarring to read something that probably happens more often-than-not in corporate cultures.
Audiobook: the narrator did a fantastic job with all of the accents, I really appreciated it!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
If you don’t want to stop reading Black fiction!
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
I don’t have too many thoughts on this one; it’s short but packs a punch. I love generational stories – I think when done right, they are so meaningful! I definitely want to read more by Jacqueline Woodson though; from what I read in Red at the Bone, I loved her writing style.
Rating: 4 out of 5
If you want to feel nostalgic…
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
I have zerrooooo shame for loving Twilight. I haven’t reread Twilight in years (I read Life and Death when it first came out but I remember very little of it?), so this was like reuniting with an old friend. Bella was so much more interesting through Edward’s perspective – spunky, confident, and sarcastic.
The chase at the end of the story made me soooo anxious; tbh throughout most of the story, reading it through Edward’s perspective made me anxious, lol. BUT I loved it and I ended up listening to the soundtracks for days after because I was just.. emotional. I’m doing a movie marathon soon hahah don’t @ me!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
If you want to learn where the ‘power pose’ came from…
Presence by Amy Cuddy
Before deciding whether you want to read Presence, I highly recommend first reading this NYT article about the validity of Amy Cuddy’s research. I remember years ago being excited about her TED talk and this concept of the power pose, but the NYT article sheds a lot of light on the psychology research field, and more specifically, Cuddy’s research tactics.
After reading Presence, I gained a few self-improvement tips, but none of the research particularly stood out to me. I’ll be more aware of body language and posture going forward, but that’s about it.
Rating: 2 out of 5
If you want to be immersed in a virtual world (that isn’t Zoom)…
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
This was such a fun, geeky ride!! I can feel how much fun Ernest Cline had writing this novel. Before reading Ready Player One, I was told I wouldn’t understand the pop-culture references of the 80s… and I didn’t, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story. If you do get the references – more power to ya!
Cline did a great job balancing between plot and world-building. I wish he gave a bit more background as to what the physical world looked like in 2044, just because I’m curious… Also, what could the upcoming sequel POSSIBLY be about? I feel like the story wrapped up so perfectly. There’s also a movie adaptation of this book but I’ve heard terrible things about it; but it has a 71% rating from Rotten Tomatoes?? 👀
The audiobook: perfection! Loved it!
Rating: 4 out of 5
If you’re not ready for summer to be over…
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Beach Read is SO CHARMING. I think it ultimately boils down to: Beach Read is what I imagine YA author Morgan Matson would produce if she wrote an adult fiction story. It’s definitely not really set at a beach… but it is still a good book to read at the beach in the summer. The banter & sexual tension were fantastic; the substance was there so that the plot wasn’t too light and fluffy. Highly recommend this one, I flew through it!! This book is the definition of the heart-eyes emoji!!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
If you got to the end of this post… props to you haha I hope you found something that sounds up your alley!
As always, I’d love to know what you’ve read and loved recently! Thanks for reading 😊
Jen xx