Hi friends!!! I’m back with a wrap-up of my reading in August.
August was a good reading month for me. I finished four fiction books and one non-fiction audio-book.
AND with the addition of these books, I have officially completed my goal of reading forty books this year…yay!!!
Here are the books I read in August:
The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams
I read this book after we returned home from our vacation this summer and it was a great summer read! It had all of the aspects that makes a summer book so delightful…water, romance, murder, upper class power, and dark secrets.
This book takes place in two different time periods.
In the summer of 1951, Miranda Schuyler arrives on elite, secretive Winthrop Island in Long Island Sound as a naive eighteen year old, still reeling from the loss of her father in the Second World War. When her beautiful mother marries Hugh Fisher, whose summer house on Winthrop overlooks the famous lighthouse, Miranda is catapulted into a heady new world of pedigrees and cocktails, status and swimming pools. Her new stepsister, Isobel, is eager to draw Miranda into the customs of Winthrop Island. But, uneasy around Isobel’s privileged friends, Miranda finds herself drawn to Joseph Vargas, whose father keeps the lighthouse with his mysterious wife. At the end of the summer there is a catastrophe that shatters Winthrop’s hard-won tranquility and banishes Miranda from the Island for nearly two decades.
Now, in the summer of 1969, Miranda returns as a renowned actress hiding a terrible heartbreak. Miranda is no longer a naive teenager, and she begins a fierce quest for justice for the man she once loved—even if it means uncovering every secret that binds the families of Winthrop Island together.
I really enjoyed reading this book and got lost in the story.
Rating: 4/5 stars
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir
I received this in my August Book of the Month box. I didn’t choose it when it was first available, but saw some intriguing reviews and decided to give it a try.
The Book of Essie tells the story of Essie Hicks, a the youngest child on a reality television show called Six for Hicks. Essie has grown up in the spotlight in an extremely dysfunctional family. When her mother discovers that Essie is pregnant, she comes up with a plan to arrange a marriage and wedding and, in turn, boost their show’s ratings. At the same time Essie has a plan of her own to bring to fruition.
This book is critical of conservative mega-church and reality TV cultures and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam
I purchased this book from Amazon after hearing it recommended on the podcast What Should I Read Next. I thought the premise sounded really interesting.
This is a novel about families, the ones to fight both to build and keep. The main character in the story is a wealthy diplomat’s wife, Rebecca Stone. Rebecca is a first time mother who finds herself overwhelmed at the tasks at hand. She reaches out to the only person in the hospital who offered any help, Priscilla Johnson, and convinces her to come work in her home as a nanny.
Rebecca is a naive white woman and Priscilla is black. Through their relationship, Rebecca confronts her white privilege for the first time. She feels a deep connection to Priscilla who dies unexpectedly during child birth. Rebecca steps forward to adopt the baby, but is unprepared for the struggles she will face being the white mother to a black son.
I liked this book, but I had much higher hopes for it. I was not surprised to find out that the writer was a male because I felt that he didn’t connect well with the feelings of Rebecca as a woman. I found Rebecca to be a much weaker character than I wanted her to be. Maybe I just had my own perceptions and expectations that were just too high and, unfortunately, were not met.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
This detective mystery novel was one of my August selections for Book of the Month.
I didn’t have a lot of expectations going into this story, but I found that I really enjoyed this book and the story it told.
Detective Cat Kinsella was always suspicious about her father’s involvement with Maryanne Doyle, a girl who went missing when she was a young girl. She finds herself involved in solving the murder of Alice Lapaine, a woman found strangled not far from the pub her father runs. All of Cat’s old fears and suspicions of her father resurface when Alice is discovered to be Maryanne.
This was a fast-paced mystery that kept me turning pages to solve the crime and find the truth along with Cat.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
I listened to this book on Audible and I enjoyed it immensely!
This is the first book of Kelly Corrigan’s that I have read, but I will definitely be reading more. This book also has me wanting to read more essay collections.
This is the collection of essays on the twelve powerful phrases we use to sustain our relationships.
I felt that Kelly had a lot to say, but I didn’t always like the way that she said them. On a personal level, I also found myself feeling very sad for Kelly, especially when she spoke about her lack of faith and her struggles with religion. She seemed to be without hope.
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing many of her thoughts and especially loved the last several chapters dealing with grief and her friend’s death. She was real, honest, and vulnerable.
Rating: 4/5 stars
I’m looking for another great month of reading!!!