The Books I Read in August

Oh I just hate that summer is coming to an end!  I found so many wonderful books this entire summer that I am sad to see it ending.  Of course I'll still make lots of time for reading and while I'll still squeeze in plenty of fun little romance novels and beach reads it just won't be the same.  I really lucked out with some fantastic books this month; in fact I'd be real hard pressed to pick just one or two favorites!  They were all so good in their own way.

1. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis-- Oh I just loved this historical fiction mystery about Marion who tries out to be a dancer for the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in the mid 1950's. In that same time frame the city was plagued with a bomber that was randomly attacking popular, crowded spaces. Dubbed "The Big Apple Bomber" by the press. Marion and her new friends get caught up in helping the police search when Radio City Music hall is bombed. It was so interesting to read about the development of the case, the first use of psychological profiling, and to find out that all these story events were based on real life happenings. 

2. Hidden in Snow by Viveca Sten (the Are Murders book 1)-- This was such a great mystery book that at even over 400 pages I read it in one weekend.  Stockholm police officer Hannah has her whole life upended when she's dumped from both her boss and her boyfriend in the same day.  Licking her wounds she retreats to her sister's ski lodge in the Swedish town of Are. While she's there a local girl goes missing and Hannah ends up joining the local police force to help them.  I can't wait to read the second book in the series!  

3. All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers-- I listened to this book on my Libby app and enjoyed the duo timeline and the suspense.  Margot has moved home to care for her elderly uncle struggling with dementia. Margot is a journalist and while there a local girl goes missing; the case reminds Margot of her best friend and next door neighbor January Jacobs who went missing at age 6. She decides to dig into both cases and find that everyone seems to be hiding something. 

4. Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore-- This story about Amy, Timothy, and Sam was so cute!  Timothy is a famous yet aging actor who has agreed to direct summer theater for his ex-wife on Block Island.  He ends up getting his sister Amy to be the production manager despite some tension between the two over past events. Amy's daughter Sam decides to live with her uncle on the Island while recovering from whatever trauma happened in New York that sent her home for summer in the first place. With the play and it's success central to all the characters and their real life drama cropping up quite often it was a very entertaining summer read. 

5. I Quit Sugar: Your Complete 8-Week Detox Program & Cookbook by Sarah Wilson--  Building on what I learned last month in Glucose Revolution, I'm delving more into how and why to give up all sugar.  I'm still not 100% sold that this is what I want to do but I figure every little bit helps in cutting back on my sugar consumption. I do find it fascinating to read about how sugar (and so many of those hidden sugars/fructose/etc.) all impact our health. Unfortunately, so many of the recipes in all these books do not appeal to me at all.  I have a real problem with texture so things like avocado, chia seeds, and kale are hard no's for me. 

6. Better Than The Movies by Lynn Painter-- A completely predictable and totally adorable story complete with quotes from all the famous Rom Com movies.  I loved that this book brought in little snippets of every rom-com trope-- boy next door/ fake dating/ mini makeover/ enemies to lovers.  It was so darn cute and I loved the main characters. I honestly think it would make a fantastic rom com and could see the whole thing playing out like some adorable movie I'd happily watch over and over again. 

7.  Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto-- This book was hilarious and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Vera Wong owns a tea shop in Chinatown in San Francisco. When she stumbles over a body in her tea shop one morning she calls the police and decides to start her own investigation into who murdered this man when the police don't seen to suspect any foul play.  She figures the murderer will return to the scene of the crime so she begins by taking note of her new customers and asking them questions.  

8. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson-- Amy's family is struggling after a major loss and everyone has scattered; her brother is in rehab, her mom moved across the country from California to Connecticut and Amy is expected to move with her mother as soon as her school year wraps up.  Amy's mom needs her car though and since Amy no longer drives her mom arranges for a family friend to drive Amy cross country in Amy's mom's car.  Roger and Amy end up taking Amy's mom's itinerary and figuratively tossing out the window while coming up with their own plan to make it across the country  while making up their own stops and memories. It was a really cute and sweet story and the unexpected journey turned out to be just what both main characters needed in order to heal. 

9. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy-- I listened to this book on my Libby app and hearing the story told the author herself was very powerful.  I felt so sad listening to how dysfunctional Jennette's relationship with her mother was and while I think many people are shocked at how harsh the title is... I really do get it.  

10. The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont-- Told from the point of view of "the mistress" this book was a captivating tale about the week and half that Agatha Christie went missing in 1926. Hurt and spurned by her husband Archie's desire to leave her for a younger woman, Agatha's household wakes the next morning to find her missing.  The police get involved and quite a little mystery unravels.  It was a fun historical fiction novel and unlike any I had read before. I knew nothing at all about Agatha Christie (other than that she wrote murder mysteries) so this was really fun to read. 

11. Mrs. Nash's Ashes by Sarah Adler-- Oh this was such a cute story!  Millicent is trying to take the ashes of her dearly departed (and MUCH older) roommate's ashes to be reunited with her one true love.  Only Millicent is racing against the clock as Mrs. Nash's love is in hospice.  Then an airport snafu finds her spending a mutli-day journey in the car with an old acquaintance Hollis, who definitely does not believe in happy ever afters.  It was actually 2 cute love stories in one and I read the story in record time. 

12. The Rewind by Allison Winn Scotch-- This was a cute book; it reminded me a bit of the movie The Hangover. When both Frankie and Ezra wake up in the same dorm room bed one morning after a raging party celebrating their friend's upcoming wedding they are startled to find themselves wearing wedding bands.  Neither one can remember what happened the previous night and spend a day running here there and everywhere trying to piece together their night.  Making everything a bit more tense is the fact that both Frankie and Ezra had a horrible breakup 10 years earlier on graduation day and have never spoken since. 

13. Don't Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino-- I have enjoyed both of Sara's other books so when I saw this book as a Kindle First Reads pick I just knew I had to give it a go.  It was really cute!  Marilyn is making out with the rabbi's son when the whole congregation sees them & her father tries to get her to marry the boy. Marilyn argues it's 1960 not 1860 an refuses to get married so her parents ship her off to her great aunt Ada for the summer.  Ada turns out to be nothing at all like Marilyn pictured her to be and as the summer unfolds Marilyn starts to realize that she can do more to shape her own future than she had originally thought. The ending was just brilliant too and I loved these characters so much. 

14. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley-- Another Libby app audiobook that I just loved! Daunis is only 19 and struggling to settle into a new normal after her uncle dies and her grandmother has a stroke. Changing up her college plans and preparing to start school with her best friend by her side, Daunis starts falling for the new guy on the hockey team. Though she senses Jamie is hiding something Daunis starts to feel seen in a way she usually isn't. Part Ojibwe/ part Caucasian, Daunis struggles to fit fully into either world and Jamie has admitted the same. Then Daunis witnesses a murder and is thrust into the middle of an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. Reluctantly going undercover to help track down the source Daunis struggles with balancing the loyalty of family and her people with the investigation that doesn't always feel right and just. A very powerful young adult novel.

15. Silver Alert by Lee Smith-- This was a sweet story but the ending left me wanting more.  Herb and his wife Susan have lived a very good life but with Susan needing full time care and Herb's own health deteriorating things are slowly starting to fall apart.  Then Renee shows up one day to paint Susan's toe nails and Renee has a wonderful way of reaching and dealing with Susan that seems to bring some peace to the household. But there is more to Renee's story then anyone knows and as Herb and Susan's family stages an intervention to put them both in a long term care facility it seems like both Herb and Renee's lives are unraveling.  When Herb suggests one last joy ride in his Porsche, Renee happily agrees and the two take off not knowing they've set off a silver alert. 

16. Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J D'Adamo-- Not actually knowing my blood type I probably didn't get as much out of this book as I should have but I am really enjoying taking a book about nutrition/ diet/ healthy eating each month and broadening my horizons. 

DNF-- It. Goes. So. Fast; The Year of No Do-Overs by Marie Louise Kelly-- I figured I'd relate a lot to this book written during her son's senior year of high school and all those milestone moments of college tours and whatnots but maybe because I'm not a working mom I really didn't relate that much.  I've noticed that I have a very different look at parenting than most people and while so many are sad to see each stage of parenthood ending, I often feel an overwhelming joy--  perhaps because, by default really, I learned early on to enjoy and embrace each stage of parenting and I'm excited to see what happens next.  I don't feel like this is my last year to get thing right or my last chance to show up big because I've been so fortunate to have done that right along. I'm touring campuses with Alec this summer and more than anything I think he looks like he belongs there and he is so excited about each of the schools we have toured and the opportunities there.  I'm sure I'll be so sad when move-in day rolls around but I also know we're ready for it.  He's got this; so I don't need or want any do-overs and time seems to be moving at just the right speed. 

With 2 more books fitting the challenge this month, I just have 2 more left for my 52 books challenge! 

Linking up with: Spread the Kindness, Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot,