August Books

[scm1011]

I finished Atmosphere over the weekend. I enjoyed it, but it seems not as much as everyone else. There were parts that were great and parts that dragged for me. I loved the ending. 3.5 stars.

I'm currently listening to I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue and really enjoying it so far. I need to head to the library to grab another physical book.

[sandandsea]

I’m 1/3 of the way through James. I have such a hard time reading dialects. It’s like my brain has to slow down and reprocess it to read it correctly as written.

[dish2501]

Aug 4, 2025 7:49:12 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

I finished the things we leave unfinished this weekend. It was good, I liked it and I did NOT see that ending coming which is why I liked it so much.
.

I started this as an audiobook and DNF. It was like a weird old romance novel. Very cheesy. And I don’t mind cheesy but this was over the top.

I’m listening to Don’t Open Your Eyes and I like it so far.

I just started Wild Dark Shores for book club and I’m loving it.

I’m traveling this week so I have Blue Hour, Human Rites (book 3 in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series) and From Blood and Ash queued up on my Kindle.

[TR]

Aug 4, 2025 10:52:26 GMT -5 sandandsea said:

I’m 1/3 of the way through James. I have such a hard time reading dialects. It’s like my brain has to slow down a reprocess it to read it correctly as written.

I usually don't do audiobooks, but I switched to the audiobook for this one after trying to read just a few pages and it was SO much better.

[bex1973]

Aug 4, 2025 11:00:16 GMT -5 dish2501 said:

Aug 4, 2025 7:49:12 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

I finished the things we leave unfinished this weekend. It was good, I liked it and I did NOT see that ending coming which is why I liked it so much.
.

I started this as an audiobook and DNF. It was like a weird old romance novel. Very cheesy. And I don’t mind cheesy but this was over the top.

I’m listening to Don’t Open Your Eyes and I like it so far.

I just started Wild Dark Shores for book club and I’m loving it.

I’m traveling this week so I have Blue Hour, Human Rites (book 3 in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series) and From Blood and Ash queued up on my Kindle.

I for sure skimmed the awkward sex stuff LOL

[sometimesrunner]

I just finished What Happened to the McCrays and just started Daisy Jones and the Six. I exclusively listen to audio books at this point, and the female narrator was a little cheesy. I think I would have liked it more if I read the book vs. listed to it. Daisy Jones and the Six is better than I anticipated so far. The book didn't sound interesting, but a friend loved it so I thought I'd give it a try.

[shopgirl07]

Aug 2, 2025 1:30:46 GMT -5 Pibs said:

I can't decide if I want to read Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, Abundance by Ezra Klein, Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson or something else.

Please choose for me!

I read so many books last month that my brain is too tired to decide.

Rules of Civility is one of my favorite books! I’ve read it twice.

[hermione]

I enjoyed We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry.

[bears]

Aug 4, 2025 4:07:41 GMT -5 al dente said:

I did just finish 11/22/63 by Steven King on audiobook. That was good, and interesting to think about. It didn't get me back into the reading mood though.

I read this a few months ago and found it really interesting. I think the ending wasn't particularly well written, but that's my common complaint for Stephen King books.

I just finished House in the Cerulean Sea and, oh my heart, I loved it so much.

[meowmaps]

Aug 4, 2025 22:14:39 GMT -5 hermione said:

I enjoyed We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry.

Oh good! This is on my hold list.

I’ve started and discarded three ebooks in the past week. I’m giving Tartufo a try now but if it doesn’t grab me soon I’m moving onto the next.

[gerberdaisy]

Aug 4, 2025 13:43:18 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

Aug 2, 2025 1:30:46 GMT -5 Pibs said:

I can't decide if I want to read Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, Abundance by Ezra Klein, Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson or something else.

Please choose for me!

I read so many books last month that my brain is too tired to decide.

Rules of Civility is one of my favorite books! I’ve read it twice.

Pibs, I also loved Rules of Civility and read it twice. However, it was by accident as I couldn't remember if I read it, then got part way in and decided to continue. 

[Vally]

Aug 2, 2025 1:30:46 GMT -5 Pibs said:

I can't decide if I want to read Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, Abundance by Ezra Klein, Isles of the Emberdark by Brandon Sanderson or something else.

Please choose for me!

I read so many books last month that my brain is too tired to decide.

Out of these I would choose Amor Towles, based only on I liked A Gentleman in Moscow by him.

I also want to plug the Fable app for their “Scout’s Pick” feature. It will randomly pick from your To Read list.

[Vally]

July was a good book month for me, read and enjoyed all of these:

The Fifth Season, NK Jemisin - first in a trilogy and I will continue on with the other books eventually

The Ride of Her Life, Elizabeth Letts - book club pick about a woman who rode her horse from Maine to California in the 50s

The Invisible Hour, Alice Hoffman - I really like Alice’s writing even though this story jumped the shark with time travel and a cameo by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The beginning was much better than the second half.

One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, Omar El Akkad- the title speaks for itself, heartbreaking but necessary to read.

Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah- this one was my least favorite recently but I still like Hannah’s style and now I’m watching the Netflix show based on the book. Neither are great, lol.

[tacokick]

Aug 4, 2025 22:14:39 GMT -5 hermione said:

I enjoyed We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry.

I thought that was good but had some things that didn’t line up age or time-wise. There were also some continuity issues where she said she wasn’t familiar with something like a park but there were earlier scenes where she was at that park. It read like she had done some major revisions and didn’t go back to fix everything.


My dream job would be reading books and presenting authors telling how to fix mistakes around people’s ages, timeline issues and pop culture references. Nothing else, just that lol

[TR]

Vally - the tv show of Firefly Lane changed so much from the book I couldn't watch it.

[windyseas]

I'm finishing up The Favorite Girl/The Caged Girl series. It's....dark. Way darker than I expected, despite three pages of trigger warnings before The Caged Girl. I'm going to need to read something less dark next.

[wise_rita]

Aug 5, 2025 5:42:53 GMT -5 bears said:

Aug 4, 2025 4:07:41 GMT -5 al dente said:

I did just finish 11/22/63 by Steven King on audiobook. That was good, and interesting to think about. It didn't get me back into the reading mood though.

I read this a few months ago and found it really interesting. I think the ending wasn't particularly well written, but that's my common complaint for Stephen King books.

you 🤝 me

[Vally]

Aug 5, 2025 8:41:56 GMT -5 TR said:

Vally - the tv show of Firefly Lane changed so much from the book I couldn't watch it.

This is such a peeve of mine even though I haven’t quit the show yet (3 eps in) Why make a show based off a book and then not follow the book!? Just call it “Lightning Bug Alley” and make it a totally different show!!

Station Eleven changed a lot from the book but still held true.

It makes me nervous for The Nightingale movie, what are they gonna change about that from the book 😏

[fiddles]

Finished What Happened to the McCrays last week.  Wow.

SPOILER: Click to show

Definitely a tough story to read.  Normally I don't get emotional with books, but I sat on my deck and had tears when the kids dedicated the trophy to the son that passed away.

[meowmaps]

Finally reading something that’s holding my attention - Detective Aunty. It’s by the same author who wrote Ayesha at Last.

[wanderlustmom]

Aug 1, 2025 11:47:20 GMT -5 fernweh said:

I’m almost done with The Boy of Chaotic Making which is the third book in the Wimbrel House series.

I have the Thursday Murder Club lined up to read next but I’m not sure I want to. I’m considering taking it back to the library unread. I’m not sure why because it interested me when I picked it up but now I’m not excited about it.
Does anyone have thoughts on the book?

I did not like it at all! My older sister and my book club really enjoyed it. I found myself not interested in the characters and didn't find them well developed

[Tacocat]

I’m currently reading A Death in White Bear Lake by Barry Siegel. This is a true crime book and local to me.

TW: child abuse. This specific case triggered a lot of changes to laws about child protection and how child abuse cases are handled today. Super interesting story but there are a lot of details about what happened to this specific child that are disturbing.

I’m also reading The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros for my book club. It’s good so far. A little bit cheesy at times, but I’m enjoying the story. It’s a good palate cleanser when I need a break from the other book above.

Tomorrow I’m picking up The Next Mrs Parrish which is the sequel to the Last Mrs Parrish. My friends that read it told me it’s a must read so hopefully it’s a good follow up. I enjoyed the first one.

[scm1011]

fiddles, that moment gutted me too. I was on the train sobbing, it was awkward lol.

[kitchenreno]

Aug 7, 2025 8:40:47 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

fiddles , that moment gutted me too. I was on the train sobbing, it was awkward lol.

same for me - except on a plane

[hermione]

The ending of the unting Wives book makes so much more sense the ending of The Hunting Wives show.

[fiddles]

Aug 7, 2025 8:40:47 GMT -5 scm1011 said:

fiddles , that moment gutted me too. I was on the train sobbing, it was awkward lol.

kitchenreno It totally came out of nowhere!  I'm like "Why is my face wet? OMG I'm crying!"

[litskispeciality]

Aug 5, 2025 11:18:06 GMT -5 Vally said:

Aug 5, 2025 8:41:56 GMT -5 TR said:

Vally - the tv show of Firefly Lane changed so much from the book I couldn't watch it.

This is such a peeve of mine even though I haven’t quit the show yet (3 eps in) Why make a show based off a book and then not follow the book!? Just call it “Lightning Bug Alley” and make it a totally different show!!

Station Eleven changed a lot from the book but still held true.

It makes me nervous for The Nightingale movie, what are they gonna change about that from the book 😏

I'm the same way. So many of my friends are in to "We Were Liars" and "The Summer I Turned Pretty" (both Amazon Prime?), but I'm weary to watch. I tried TSITP but the plot was soooooo different from the books I didn't want to start the show until I finish the last book in the series to not confuse things. The end of We Were Liars (no spoilers) stuck with me so much too I don't know if I want to see it on screen. Anyway I could rant so much I might just start a new thread. The Firefly Lane book was so painful it took me forever to read it. Not sure why I didn't just put it down. I never started the show because it seemed so different, and why waste time a second go-round if I hated the book?

[litskispeciality]

July was a better month for me. I read/listened to/finished:

1. Death in the Downline by Maria Abrams - 3.5*'s. This was a good one, esp if you like to follow the downfall of MLM's. The only downside is it had a LOT of spelling and grammatical errors, and I'm not usually the one to go too for proofreading. (Didn't listen to this one.)

2. The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop - 4*'s. I learned so much about her life and Broadway and all things non-Gilmore Girls. Some very sad parts, but well done. Great audio book.

3. What the Wife Knew by Darby Kane - 3*'s. I feel like the ending was pretty rushed, but then it dragged on post what happened. The audio was kind of annoying, and the male character was creepy so I only read some parts.

I just started:

1. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
2. A Love Letter to Whiskey

I need to really get reading as I need to finish 3 books this month (August) just to get back to goal.

[eb777888]

H wanted to read a memoir together so I picked Molly Shannon's Hello, Molly! I've heard great things about it and we're both fans. My H reads less than I do and I want to match his pace, so I'm also reading When You Disappeared by John Marrs. Strong start!

[lust2hart]

Vally, how did you like the Elizabeth Letts book? Have you read anything else by her / how did it compare? I've only read "Finding Dorothy" and LOVED it.