Reading Roundup: August 2023

In August I read 4 books and abandoned one – not bad!

August reads were modest, but it has been a very busy and mentally taxing month!

I got through 4 whole books and abandoned one!

• 1 Paperback
• 1 eBook
• 2 Audiobooks
• 1 I did not finish

1 Paperback to finish The Lunar Chronicles

I finally finished my reread of The Lunar Chronicles! I did enjoy it, sometimes its a joy to read something so fun and easy in between the heavier fiction I gravitate towards.

Winter is 830 pages and felt like a bit of a slog in the end, but still worth it! I was very glad to get back to reading on my Kindle again I find so much more comfortable now, especially for reading in bed or while eating. And the Cat definitely prefers it too!

You can read my series review which will link to the individual book mini reviews!

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (Series Review) 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

1 delicious eBook

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a fun one! I love a bit of black comedy and it got me thinking about the movies and books I’ve enjoyed in the past that this reminded me of. I might explore this a little more in another blog post, there were also quite a few books I’d put in this “fucked up but I kind of love it?” category that I read last year pre-blog that I think need some space on here (My Year of Rest and Relaxation; Eileen; My Sister, the Serial Killer; Convenience Store Woman). I spoke more about this in my mini review, linked above.

The book itself was a satirical joy to read (the words! Oh the words!) but it was all surface level, it needed more substance or a twistier plot to get a 5-star rating.

2 Audiobooks

August was the month that I fell for Lisa Jewell! Following a recommendation from a friend I borrowed an audiobook from the library and I was hooked!

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I find it hard to review a mystery because you really don’t want to give anything away! This one is my favourite so far, the mystery was so well woven and the characters were complex, varied and believable. I sat for 30 mins at the end just rapt listening without fiddling around with any chores or anything! The audiobook is also read by Joanne Froggatt and was a masterclass.

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In my second Jewell I once again found complex, convincing characters and a very different type of story that I actually found a lot creepier and more disturbing. I didn’t love it as much for those reasons, and one character (and audiobook narrator) I didn’t really click with.

1 failed Romance

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry 💀👎

I hated this and for my own sanity, I had to abandon it. I was really disappointed after loving Book Lovers, but one is like the opposite book. It hits every trope hard, and really has everything I hate about “friends to lovers.” I still might try Beach Read if I find it cheap, the premise of that one is promising, but I think I definitely need to swerve Happy Place!

Adding to my TBR Collections

I was very restrained this month (after I went a bit nuts in July!). I’ve also had a lot of other things on my mind with interviewing for and being offered a new job!

1. All’s Well by Mona Awad – we all know I won’t shut up about how much I loved Bunny so it’s time to try my second Award. Currently reading this one and I am loving it!
2. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton – I saw this recommended somewhere and had it on my watch list for a while, finally snagged it for 99p.
3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov – I have been thinking about reading this since I listened to the Lolita podcast last year (highly recommend) and A Certain Hunger made me think of this too (suspect, criminally unreliable narrator) so when it was 99p it seemed fated!

Overall a good month and a new favourite author! Right now I’m about halfway through All’s Well so I should get a review for that done in the next couple of weeks. I am thinking I might delve a bit deeper and do a closer reading on that one than I usually do!

I hope you ha da good month! Have you ready any of these? What was your favourite read of August?