August wasn't amazing by any means, I still haven't fully kicked the slumpy feeling at all. Usually I can rely on my Kindle reads getting me through the month but I started two library borrows and just couldn't get in to either of them so I feel like I'm just not in the mood to read much sadly. I read 7 books in August so here's my thoughts on them.
Stats
This is a Love Story by Jessica Soffer
I was highly anticipating this one but unfortunately it just didn't quite live up to my expectations. This is a love letter to a couple who have been together fifty years as they reminisce about their life together as well as a celebration of the city of New York itself. My issues with this book is probably the writing style as the sentence structures just got very repetitive and annoying after a while. The characters themselves were fine but made stupid decisions and sometimes I just didn't understand them at all.
I did really like the little anecdotes about Central Park that were strewn between chapters, they felt really romantic and interesting to read about.
This book did such a good job of blending an adventure, treasure hunting storyline with historical flashbacks centred on a group of witches on the Amalfi coast. The story jumps between these two storylines and whilst they have completely different tones, they're both really solid and I enjoyed both equally.
The vibes for this are immaculate, it was so much fun. I loved the Italian setting, the sunken pirate ships and the witches who control the sea. Definitely recommend if you want Outer Banks mixed with Siren.
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce
From a sun-drenched adventure to a folk horror steeped in English village superstition. We follow a newly qualified child psychologist struggling with family grief who teams up with a journalist to investigate a young girl who seems to be possessed by a ghost.
I think the small English village setting really worked in this books favour, it really ramped up the tension with all the whisperings and rumours that spread throughout the community. The plot felt suitably creepy, there were moments where I was genuinely like WTF! It's a really quick read and although the plot goes in a different direction in the second half, I wasn't mad about it. Probably won't be for everyone but I had a good time.
The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Féret-Fleury
I was feeling pretty slumpy when it came to physical books so wanted a quick, easy read to get my groove back and this was the perfect choice. This follows a young French woman who feels stuck in her monotonous life but a chance meeting with a mysterious bookseller changes everything.
This story really celebrates how a single book can ultimately change a person's life. This was a really sweet story that had a lot of heart. Occasionally it became a little too sweet and I think it needed to be a lot more fleshed out with both the plot and the characters but it was still enjoyable.
The Favourite by Rosemary Hennigan
I grabbed this one in the library on a whim cause I liked the cover and the plot seemed intriguing. It's about an Irish student who goes to the university in the US to study law with a revered professor but she has intentions that go beyond just education.
I've seen a lot of mixed reviews for this since finishing but I actually quite liked it. I thought the plot and characters were interesting and I didn't mind the slower pace. This isn't a twisty thriller, more of a cat and mouse game. I've seen some people take issue with how this book portrays reporting sexual crimes so maybe take that in mind if you decide to pick up this book and check content warnings.
My favourite book of the month and one I just picked up cause I was feeling slumpy and wanted something fun. This has been on my TBR for a while and I've been so eager to get to it, I'm so glad I enjoyed it! The plot is so bizarre, a woman has an endless supply of husbands descending from her attic and she can change her life by sending the last one back up, but it's just done so well!
This had the perfect amount of British humour and had me laughing out loud numerous times, Lauren is so chaotic but in the best way. Some people found this book too repetitive and slow but I just loved anticipating who was going to come out of the attic next. I would have liked to have some more time spent on some of the husbands but obviously the focus here is Lauren and I think she reacted fairly well for someone with a magic attic.
The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy S. Kaufman
My last read of the month was a Robin Hood retelling but focusing on a young woman called Jane who finds herself as an accomplice in Hood's group of outlaws and their schemes. I think this started out really promising and I was eager to read about such an iconic figure through a different viewpoint but I think the second half was a lot weaker.
I did like Jane as a character, she had a bit of grit to her but was still conflicted about whether or not she's doing the right thing or if she's too caught up in the excitement of Robin Hood. I liked that the author based her writing on the original Ballads and not the modern version we're more familiar with. I think I mostly liked the writing and the vibes of this one with the characters probably needed a bit more personality.
Reading Challenge Update
I always start to struggle with these reading challenges in the second half of the year as I scramble to find books that fit the more specific prompts! I'm really hoping I can at least complete Beat the Backlist and get a few more letters for the Alphabet challenge (not holding out much hope for X or Z though!)
PopSugar - Set in or Around a Body of Water (The Amalfi Curse)
Two Books with the Same Title (The Husbands)
Beat the Backlist - Academia-Mania (The Favourite)
Alphabet Challenge - S (Something in the Walls)
What did you read in August? Have you read any of these? Leave a comment below. Happy Reading!
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