August was another great reading month, although I did slow down towards the end of the month while on vacation. Ironically, I am one of those people who tends to read less on vacation not more.
Overall, I read 12 books, half of them were audiobooks, and the other half - a mix of e-books and paper books. I did not finish any non-fiction this month.
I definitely have several favorites:
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is a YA book written in verse that tackles the hard topic of being caught in a vicious circle of vengeance and violence with seemingly no way out. It is a short book that packs a powerful punch. I also really appreciated the author's note at the end.
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler provides a glimpse into an apocalyptic world filled with violence and struggle for survival. It was especially eerie to read since the events of the future described in the book happen in our present - starting in 2024 and spanning 3 more years. Kindred is still by far my favorite book of hers, but this one is definitely worth a read.
- The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox was one of my highly anticipated new releases. I read a novel by this author last year and really enjoyed it. She tends to write historical fiction but with some mystical/magical twist to them. I am definitely planning to read her backlist and follow her future releases. This one follows the story of two sisters separated in childhood and is set in England, France and Belgium in early 1800s when Napoleon makes his last attempt to recapture power.
- The Push by Ashley Audrain was a very disturbing but utterly unputdownable psychological drama/thriller. It took me a long time to pick up this book. I had heard great things about it, but was apprehensive of the subject (it tackles motherhood, death of a child and raising a difficult child). I did discover that I find thrillers much more enjoyable and less anxiety inducing if I listen to them on audio. I definitely recommend this one and will plan on listening to more thrillers this fall.
- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I finally read this classic dystopian tale and I absolutely loved it. Atwood spins a very nuanced story written in a beautiful prose that is so rare to come by these days. She is a real master and this is definitely worth a read. I don't understand why some reviewers find this boring. I absolutely loved it.
The rest of the books I read were OK. with the exception of The Veiled Kingdom and The Hunted Heir (which are part of the same series) - they were terrible (I should give up on TikTok sensations).
