Books I Read In August (2022)
This post is all about the books I read in August. It was a great month of reading for me! Check out my Goodreads account if you’re interested in what else I’m reading.
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The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
Elle, a happily-married mother of three, is spending the summer in Cape Cod with her family and close friends. It sounds like the idyllic New England summer, except, she and her childhood love Jonas just had sex for the first time while their spouses were none the wiser.
The story is told in alternating sequences of past and present, taking us through Elle’s childhood and the complicated relationships she has with her family. We learn about a significant, tragic event that changes the course of their lives and the dark secret that ties Elle and Jonas together.
The story is truly heartbreaking at times but I enjoyed putting myself in Elle’s shoes, trying to decide along with her as the story unfolded. Should she choose her doting and charming husband Peter, or Jonas, who has loved her since the beginning and knows her best?
This story is complicated and will make your heart ache but the beautiful and descriptive writing will have you furiously flipping the pages like me.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
What if you were given a chance to try out a different life? That’s the question Haig explores in this book.
Nora’s life is miserable – she’s on bad terms with her brother, she decided not to get married last-minute, and to top it all off, her cat died. Unhappy with the life choices she’s made, she attempts suicide but wakes up in a library. The midnight library exists between life and death and each book represents an alternative life. We watch Nora undo breakups, explore different career options, and more.
This book was a light, easy read. I thought the concept was interesting but it did get repetitive towards the end. It read like a self-help book at times but it was nothing intolerable. Check this book out if you’re in the mood to have gratitude for life haha.
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Book Lovers by Emily Henry
I am late to the Emily Henry game! I know her books have become super popular recently but Book Lovers is the first one I’ve tried. This book is a take on the big-city-person-goes-to-a-small-town-and-falls-in-love trope. We meet Nora Stephens, a literary agent in New York City who has just been dumped yet again for a small town girl. When Nora’s sister Libby begs her to come on a trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, she reluctantly agrees.
Armed with a to-do list including saving a small business and falling in love, Nora’s time in this small town doesn’t go as planned. Instead, she keeps running into Charlie Lastra, a stoic, brooding editor from NYC.
I loved reading about a female protagonist whose personality I could relate to – Nora is super Type A and has a pro/con list for every decision. The setting of Sunshine Falls and its quirky cast reminded me of Schitt’s Creek, one of my favorite shows.
Where Emily Henry shines is her dialogue – I loved Nora and Charlie’s banter. It wasn’t cheesy and actually made me laugh out loud at times. I’m excited to read more from this author!
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Never Let Me Go was one of those books I thought about for days after finishing. You can tell pretty early on that the story will be tragic, but I was still sucked into Ishiguro’s world building and unique writing style.
This story revolves around Kathy and her friends Ruth and Tommy. They are students at an English boarding school called Hailsham, where they are groomed to be upstanding citizens of the world. Despite this, they are allowed very little contact with the outside world. We watch them grow up and realize the true meaning of their time at Hailsham.
Ishiguro explores human relationships and love as we watch these characters go towards an unfortunate fate. It’s the kind of book that gives you the “something is not right here” feeling the whole time, and has a dream-like quality to it. That’s all I will say to avoid spoilers. This book was truly so unique and though reviews are mixed, I recommend giving it a try.
That’s everything I read in August! Have you read any of these? Let me know in the comments and share with me what you’ve read this month.
