it’s time to talk about all the books i read in august! i read a total of 12 books and so many of them were amazing so let’s get into it:
TOP THREE READS:
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (5⭐️) -> this is one of my new ALL TIME favourite books ever. i think this book is so important to read (especially now) because of the themes surrounding oppression, resistance, protests, and the state of the world as a whole. this is one of the best dystopian books i’ve read and this will stick with me for a long time (probably forever).
My Friends by Fredrick Backman (5⭐️) -> WOW. this book put me through all the emotions and i haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since i finsihed. the way fredrick backman created such a layered story with discussions surrounding life, death, mental illness, and friendships was absolutely spectacular. this was funny, heartwarming, and absolutely devastating all at the same time. highly recommend this one!
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone (5⭐️)-> one of my new alllll time favourite romance books! sometimes with romance i have a hard time not getting bored throughout if nothings happening lol BUT THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE ROMANCE!! the tension, the yearning, the ACTUAL SLOW BURN friends to lovers??? absolutely ate this up. the exploration surrounding grief and loss was spectacular. definitely a new fav!
EVERYTHING ELSE:
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson (3.75⭐️)-> this was my first book by this author and definitely not my last! this was the perfect dark academia, spooky, creepy read that i was looking for and i adored those aspects of the book! the only issues i had with this was the pacing (sometimes sooooo many things happened and sometimes nothing happened) and the romance. i didn’t feel connected to the characters enough to care about it but overall i enjoyed myself!
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (4.5⭐️) -> i don’t read a lot of literary fiction but this book was absolutely spectacular! i felt so deeply for cyrus and his story, and i was hooked from the first page. i can see why this book is so loved in the book community, it was so beautiful and definitely one i’ll be thinking about for a long time.
Between Broomsticks & Beating Wings by Marissa Serrao (4.25⭐️) -> this is an indie sapphic fantasy book that absolutely delivered! in this book we follow a human witch and a valkyrie where they strike a deal and have to venture into the underworld together. i thought the romance was so sweet and i loved the two characters individually and together. my favourite character was definitely the ghost cat tho :)
The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas (4.5⭐️) -> after reading the vampires of el norte, i knew i had to read this one and i loved it even more! this one was definitely more focused on the horror aspects than the romance but i thought both were so well done. the yearning was impeccable and i was so scared throughout most of the book lol. loooved this one sm!
Blood Moon by Brittany S. Lewis (3.75⭐️) -> this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and i had a fun time with this one! this one felt so nostalgic and it very much reminded me of twilight lol. i thought the plot was so interesting (even though it was a little predictable) but i wasn’t invested in the romance that much. hopefully book 2 is even better!
An Unlikely Coven by A. M. Kvita (4.5⭐️) -> this debut cozy fantasy was SO ADORABLE! this is one of my new favourite cozy fantasy books with such an adorable cast of characters! joan was such an intriguing character to read from and i loved her little found family that she found <3 i HIGHLY recommend you get this one when it comes out in October!
Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver (3⭐️) -> unfortunately this was my least favourite book of the month. this is a scifi thriller that started off so strong but the farther i got into it, the less i started caring about the characters. i felt that this was very predictable and i wasn’t connected to anyone in this book. i was sad this didn’t work for me but you may enjoy it more than i did!
I, Medusa by Ayana Gray (4.5⭐️) -> one of THE BEST medusa retellings i’ve ever read! the writing was absolutely phenomenal, and i felt so much for medusa as a character. it was so interesting to see how she went from maiden, to mistress, to monster, and finally to myth. this was so hard hitting and I can’t recommend this one enough! definitely buy it when it comes out in October :)
Climate of Chaos by Cassandra Newbould (3.25⭐️) -> i’m so sad i didn’t like this one more. this is a YA dystopian that follows a disabled protagonist (AMAZING!!) where she will do anything to get her sister back. i loved the representation in this, but i thought the plot was lacking. i also was not a huge fan of the romance lol because its lowkey second chance (ish?) but the mmc was not justifying cutting off the mmc. unfortunately this didn’t work for me :/
