August was not a great reading month, tbh. With school starting, my brain was definitely somewhere else. I read a lot of books with strange, suspicious characters, and the good books were SO GOOD. Unfortunately, there were probably more not-so-good books.
This month was my lowest book count (tied with May at 6) and my lowest in page count (the first time all year that I’ve come in under 2,000 for the month). I had two 5 star reviews, and two 2 star reviews. Overall, it was definitely a mixed month for me, and I’m hoping September goes much better than August did.
Books are listed in the order they were read. For more mini-reviews, check out my What I Read tag.
Quiet by Susan Cain
Premise: Being an introvert in an extroverted culture can be difficult, especially if you don’t know that you are one. This book breaks down what it means to be an introvert, the quiet strengths that introverts possess, and how they can learn to work within the extroverted world we’ve created.
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Thoughts: This book was our required summer reading for the teachers at my school, but I had it on my list to pick up anyway. As an ISTJ, I knew I had strong introvert in me, and every introvert that I know that has read this book has loved it (the extroverts, not so much). The whole book read like a really enjoyable research paper, with anecdotes thrown in there. I was actually surprised at how many famous people were referenced, and I really enjoyed all of the stories used to emphasize the science.
I did think a lot of the author’s suppositions were generalizing, and they were speaking about someone on the extreme side of the introvert spectrum. There were a few parts I didn’t connect with on a personal level because I’ve never been super shy or super analytical, but there was so much I connected with, including the idea of being pseudo-extraverted for things you care about (like me in the classroom, putting on a show everyday). I really enjoyed this one, for what it was (definitely not a beach read or a page turner, but a good deep analytical piece of writing).
Who Should Read It: Anyone who is an introvert. Anyone who loves an introvert. Anyone raising an introverted child.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Premise: Death has encountered Liesel Meminger three times in her life before her actual death. This is the story of Liesel Meminger’s life (and also WWII).
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: I had a lot of thoughts about this book. On the negative side of things, this was a 553 page book about WWII and death. There’s not a lot that is uplifting about that. There was also A LOT about Leisel’s soccer games and classroom antics and… stuff that felt a little pointless, considering this book was 553 pages. But also, this book made me laugh at loud and sob while driving (thanks, audiobook), and the words are just so. damn. pretty. Like seriously… Zusak is masterful at description and imagery. So while I was a bit bored through the first half and mostly horrified through the second half, I enjoyed listening to the beautiful writing.
Spoiler alert: This is not a happy book. Don’t expect a happy ending. This is WWII Germany, and it will make you cry.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes crying. Anyone who enjoys WWII books. Anyone who wants to read pretty words (while also crying).
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Premise: Ten people were invited to an island that was recently bought by a Mr. Owen. None of them knew each other, but by the end of their stay, it didn’t really matter, because all 10 were dead.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Thoughts: I had every intention of picking up another book this week, but with school starting, I needed a quick and easy read, and Agatha Christie did not disappoint. This is arguably her most famous novel, and I can see why. It’s definitely creepy, and even though I knew everyone would end up dead, I still had some suspense about how and why these people were dying. In true Christie style, the killer isn’t revealed until a chapter after the epilogue. The final result was surprising and intriguing and just as twisty as people expect when they read classic murder mystery. It wasn’t a showstopper for me, but it was a solid read in a week where I needed something that wasn’t too intense.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who likes classic mystery. Anyone who likes horror. Anyone wanting a quick and intriguing read.
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
For more about this book, check out this post.
Premise: The subtitle of this book explains it all: Stop believing the lies about who you are so you can become who you were meant to be. Translation: You’re lying to yourself, and you should stop that.
My Rating: 2.5 Stars
Thoughts: Let me preface this by saying that I am certainly not Rachel Hollis’s target audience. Not real religious (although Christianity doesn’t play as large a role in this book as I thought it might). Not a parent. Not really into being called “sister” and “girlfriend” by an author or the way she presumed she knew what I was thinking (my biggest pet peeve — just ask my English students).
The ah-ha moments for me came in the first couple chapters… I actually gasped out loud in Chapter 2, which talked about the lies we tell ourselves, because HI! I’m super guilty of that. I was really into this book… and then it lost me a bit. Her chapter about sex was painfully awkward. I obviously couldn’t really related to the chapters about kids. Her chapters got a bit muddy and she would often reference something that she hadn’t really discussed yet (shame on her editors for not fixing that kind of stuff after they decided the chapter order). I skimmed her talking about achieving her goals A LOT because they got very repetitive. Then the end picked back up again. Her honesty about her struggles with fostering surprised me; her chapter about her brother was poignant. Her last paragraph summarized everything that needed to be said. Overall… it just wasn’t the book I needed right now.
Who Should Read It: Anyone who has a big goal they want to achieve. Anyone who likes a bit of preaching with their self-help.
The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLein Weir
Premise: Essie’s entire life has been caught on video. Her father, a prominent Evangelical pastor, allowed for his family’s life to be the feature of a hit TV show, and Essie’s mother has kept up appearances and navigated the show’s direction since before Essie was born. But when Essie turns up pregnant, her life will change forever.
My Rating: 5 Stars
Thoughts: I’ve read some amazing books this summer, but this book is at the top of the list. Maybe it’s because I’ve been in a bit of a slump, maybe it’s because school started, but either way… this book was just what I needed. This novel was deceptively easy to read, but it tackled the big ideas: who are we apart from our family? how can judging people keep us from happiness? what is the cost of a secret? how do we make our own path in a world that feels predestined?
The best parts of this book, were when the characters were surprising one another. There is so much to be said in this story about judging people and jumping to conclusions, and I especially applaud Roarke’s character. Although his secret isn’t the most surprising, his actions and his love for Essie are generous and abundant, and so heartwarming to read. Ironically (or maybe that’s what Weir intended…), Roarke’s character ended up being the most Christian character in the novel. Ugh. I just really enjoyed this one.
Who Should Read It: Anyone looking for a good “stick-it-to-the-man” novel. Anyone who hate watches reality TV. Anyone looking for a kickass teen character.
It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell
Premise: Aubrey, Kate, and Jenny are roommates at an Ivy League college, but they come from very different backgrounds. They are awful human beings, and 20 years after leaving college, one of them ends up murdered.
My Rating: 2 Stars
Thoughts: Spoiler alert: You probably won’t care who gets murdered, and you may actually wish they were all murdered. The premise of this book was so good, but the execution was… not. There was not one redeeming quality about any of the characters in this novel… not one single thing that made me sad for them or made me feel like they deserved to live a good life. I love to hate characters, but I need something that makes me want to root for them, and this was not the book.
Also, you spend half of the book in college, and it’s kind of like the author never met a college freshman in their life. The dialogue was so forced and obvious and I just really hated most of it. It definitely picked up in the second half when we reverted back to present day and there were actually husbands in the novel (like the title would suggest…). I gave this book 2 stars because I finished it (mostly… may have skimmed large portions of the last 75 pages). I probably would not have finished it if it weren’t a book for my book club.
Who Should Read It: Just maybe don’t.
What do you think? Did I miss the mark on any of these? Are there some that you are excited to read? Leave a comment below!
