Books - What I've been reading
Lots of books and 2 letters to august videos
This summer I’ve sped through quite a few books.
Taking a break from social media played a hand in that but I’ve managed to continue on my voracious trajectory in choosing page turners. I feel like I’m on a lucky streak and I’m hoping it doesn’t end anytime soon.
Quick note about the painting above by Maynard Dixon- This was painted in Sedona Arizona in 1941 but it’s also exactly what it looks like here in SoCal at the moment. Every August-September we get these large billowing thunderstorm clouds over our eastern mountains.
I made this Letters to August video a few years ago about them:
Also, that hillside in the bottom right with trails on it used to be an active volcano. Maybe something you didn’t know about SoCal :)
Books I’ve read this summer:
I was going to give a little synopsis but to save length I’ll just link the books and let you know my thoughts on each one instead. (linking to amazon for convenience, no affiliate).
Rating is 1-5 stars (1- nope, 2- almost dnf’d but pushed through, 3- it was fine/good, 4- great, 5- stellar)
Just for the Summer - Abby Jimenez - It seemed like this was the It book on bookstagram this summer so I had to see what the hype was about. I thought it was ok. It’s supposed to be a feel good summer book but the issues they had with their mothers weighed it down for me. 3 stars.
My Husband - Maud Ventura - Ahhh this woman’s obsession with her own husband was so out there. It was almost… deranged. I love a good plot twist and this had one. Good if you want to read someone else’s overthinking. 3.5 stars.
Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin - Still making my way through all of James Baldwin’s books this year and this one is another gem. What is there to really say? His writing is like the nectar of a ripe peach. 5 stars.
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto - Tricia Hersey - I really enjoyed this book on how important it is to rest and push back against capitalism and white supremacy. 5 stars.
The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller - Love. I’m a sucker for Greek Mythology retellings. I can’t believe it took me so long to read this one. 5 stars.
Bad Summer People - Emma Rosenblum - Accurately titled. This group of people were all bad. Not a single likeable character imo. It was ok, not my ideal summer book but you may like it if you’re into things like the real housewives and watching people argue. Lol. 3 stars.
Nora Goes Off Script - Annabel Monaghan - I thought this was really cute. If you like Emily Henry books, you’ll like this one. 4 stars.
Until August - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - I was fairly entertained. It’s a short novel and it’s the last one Marquez wrote before his death. Would recommend reading his other books before this one. 3 stars.
Simple Passion - Annie Ernaux - Looking back I think I had a knack for choosing books with a lot of overthinking this summer. It was good but I do like her other books better, particularly Exteriors. I’m looking forward to the release of The Use of Photography in October. 3 stars.
Just My Type - Falon Ballard - Cute. Would make a good hallmark movie. 3.5 stars.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe - Laurie Gilmore - This has been glaring at me on my kindle since last august so I finally read it when I was in a little slump at the beginning of summer. It’s a cute, cozy, autumnal, small town story. Honestly thought it would be better than it was but it was fine. 3 stars.
Off The Map - Trish Doller - When I’m reading a book synopsis and it takes place in either Ireland or Scotland it’s usually an immediate add to the tbr. Came for the atmosphere, stayed because it was “cute” (apparently my default word choice for this genre). 3 stars.
The Enchanted Life - Sharon Blackie - Enjoyed this as well as most books about living in close proximity to the natural world. Would recommend if you’re looking to bring back some childlike wonder and magical thinking into your life. 4 stars.
Journal of a Solitude - May Sarton - Loved this one. I read it over a few months and it was like reading an old friend’s daily journal about life at her country home. If you like Upstream by Mary Oliver you’d like this one too. 4 stars.
Gifts of the Crow - Tony Angell, John M. Marzluff - Read it because I’ve been feeding crows and scrub jays peanuts this summer and I wanted to know more about them. They are SO smart. I loved the chapter describing how they hold grudges against humans who aren’t nice to them. They can remember your face for many years and will get revenge. Highly recommend this book if you’re interested in corvids.
5 stars.
Upstream - Mary Oliver - Love. You can see my dedicated post here. 5 stars.
All Fours - Miranda July - Oop. Not for me. Another overthinker and this time it was a midlife crisis. I really found the protagonist irritating. The beginning of the end for me was spending 20k on a motel room she doesn’t even own. I almost dnf’d but pushed through to see if the end was redeeming and it really wasn’t. 2 stars.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - Washington Irving - leaning into the end of summer and entering autumn vibes. Lovely novella. It’s a story in the same way The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a story. Classic examples for story structure. Effective and entertaining. 4 stars.
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop - Hwang Bo-reum - Loved. Cozy bookshop vibes. 4 stars.
Divine Rivals - Rebecca Ross - This has also been glaring at me on my kindle for at least a year. Finally read it and jefoiawejdlkldsfvnogoeai I cannot handle books with cliffhanger endings!!! Now I have to read the second one.
Stayed up past my bedtime reading it. With most books I fall asleep with my kindle staring at me but this one kept me awake so it’s an immediate winner. 4.5 stars.
This Summer Will Be Different - Carley Fortune - Enjoyed this one and Carley Fortunes other books as well. 4 stars.
Women Who Run With Wolves - Clarissa Pinkola Estes- This is my slow read for the summer. I’m not quite done with it yet. I listened to it years ago but wanted to read the physical book. It has a lot of great stories but makes me slightly narcoleptic so I take it in small doses. 🙃 4 stars.
An Anthem For The Dreaming Lost - Samuel Hurley - A beautiful collection of poetry. I’ve been slowly making my way through this one as well. I love his use of words and like to sit with them for a while. 5 stars.
Next reads:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - I borrowed this on Libby and as of right now I have 8 days left so I need to get to it fast. I've never read it and I’m excited to finally do it. Ever since I watched the Mary Shelley film it’s been on my TBR. I recommend that film if you haven’t seen it.
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo - I have a hold on this on Libby and it’ll be available in a few weeks. It sounds interesting but I have low expectations after Ninth House.
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross- This is the second book to Divine Rivals. I think it’ll be my next kindle book so I still remember what’s going on with the war.
The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood- Ok.. I’m really excited about this one. It’s been categorized in Dark Academia along with The Secret History and it sounds so good. I don’t see people talking about it very much when mentioning DA books. It’s set in Cambridge and there’s a haunting organ that is believed can heal people and it becomes an obsession which then becomes dangerous. I have really high hopes for this!
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - I downloaded this on Libro.fm the day it released last November. It’s the second book in a trilogy (3rd comes out in January) and I was looking forward to seeing what happens next but the 895 page count has deterred me. I’m hoping to listen to it soon, likely after the books above.
I think that’s about it for now. As you can see, I’m heading down the darker autumnal book path. I’d like to find a few more really good poetry collections to read if you have any suggestions.
What have you been reading? Anything to recommend?
Letters to August - on the fates perhaps
See you soon.
x,
Courtney