August added another 22 books (some novellas and a mix of audiobooks and paper) to add to this year’s reading list – some really good ones, some okay ones, some informative ones, and a lot of loves stories mixed in!
I’ve decided to change up my posts with a little summaries with what I’ve been reading rather than individual posts. You can always find reviews of books as I read them over on Goodreads.
Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown: 5 stars | hardcover | self-help | vulnerability, courage, boundaries | I’ve read this a few times, but a friend and I decided to buddy read. We read it chapter by chapter each month and discussed, which was a great way to read the book! Full Review
The Little Flower Shop (Indiana Summers Series #2) by Lori Foster: 3 stars | hardcover| series | small town, closed door | I liked the first in this series earlier this year so was delighted to have number two to read. It’s a sweet story without a ridiculous breakup at 92-95% that needs resolving ridiculously quickly – but it was also not a complex story. Full Review
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak: 5 stars | paperback | stand alone | civil war, agriculture, grief, daughters | This was our book club choice for August. It was really good – full of a ton of knowledge about a lot of different things, would highly recommend! Full Review
The Merriest Magnolia (The Magnolia Sisters #2) by Michelle Major: 4 Stars | audiobook | series | sisters, closed door, small town | This is the second in this series of the daughters of a famous artist who found each other after their father died (only 1 grew up knowing he was her father). This was a good second installment! Full Review
The Road to Magnolia (The Magnolia Sisters #1.5) by Michelle Major: 4 Stars | audiobook | series | road trip, small town | This is a sweet novella set between books #1 and #2 that comes at the end of the audiobook for #2 on Hoopla. Full Review
How to Make Your Enemy Fall for You (How to Rom-Com #6) by Camilla Evergreen: 4 stars | kindle unlimited | stand alone from a series | rom com, closed door, enemies to lovers | I’ve appreciated a few of the others in this series so I was delighted to read the newest one when it came out in late July. The author of the self-help books featured in the previous series is getting her own love story. Full Review
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink: 5 stars | paperback | non-fiction | investigative journalism, tragedy, disaster, medical ethics | I received this as a gift from my sister-in-law a few years ago for my birthday and waited to dig in because it’s big and long. Once I committed to reading 5 to 10 pages a day it became more manageable though. So for the past six weeks I’ve been reading a little bit each morning to dig in a little deeper into the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. It’s fascinating – and interesting looking back and thinking about being prepared for the future. The book was written pre-Covid, but I’d be interested in reading something from Sheri Fink as a follow up to our disaster preparedness and how it played out during the pandemic. Full Review (and it’s a long one)
Kiss the Girl (Meant to Be #3) by Zoraida Córdova: 5 stars | hardcover | standalone series | retelling the classics, closed door, music industry | This is the 3rd in the Meant to Be series which are modern retellings of Disney classics. We’ve already had Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, so getting The Little Mermaid was a delight! This follows Ariel who’s trying to break out from her the musical group her sisters and she have had for 15 years and Eric, and up and coming artist. It’s super delightful!! Full Review
The Last Magnolia Sister (The Magnolia Sisters #3) by Michelle Major: 4 Stars | audiobook | series | sisters, closed door, small town | This is the third in this series of the daughters of a famous artist who found each other after their father died (only 1 grew up knowing he was her father). I loved reading through Meredith’s story! Full Review
Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan: 4 stars | paperback | stand alone | Christmas, business, family | I was attracted to this cover so I picked it up from the library shelf last week. It’s super sweet and holiday filled! Oh and it’s set in Scotland! Full Review
The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley: 4 stars | audiobook | stand alone | enemies-to-lovers, closed door, roommates | This was shared in an email from Hoopla with a list of books I might like, so I borrowed and listened while driving this week. It was a delight! Full Review
Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth: 5 stars | audiobook | series | dystopian, young adult, Chicago, young love | I saw this on a list a while back and put it on hold and then pushed it back repeatedly – but finally downloaded it this week to listen while driving around Indiana. I love a dystopian novel – and it gave me The Giver by Lois Lowry vibes, which I was all for! Full Review
Would You Rather by Allison Ashley: 4 stars | audiobook | stand alone | friends-to-lovers, marriage of convenience, family dysfunction | This follows the best friends of the MC in The Roommate Pact which doesn’t need to be read in order, but it’s definitely set in the same world. Full Review
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa TerKuerst: 5 stars | audiobook | self-help | Christianity, boundaries, relationships | A friend and I have read many of Lysa’s books together, but didn’t choose this for a buddy read this time around so I listened to it while driving this week. It’s an excellent exploration of boundaries – what they are, when to set them, and how to enforce them. Full Review
So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park: 3 stars | paperback | foodie culture, starting over, finding oneself, closed door romance | Jessie got unexpectedly laid off in kind of the worst way (that’s why I picked it up) so she moves back home to Nashville and starts up a Korean Cooking online show with product. All while working with and against her childhood nemesis. Full Review
Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder (Happily Ever Homicide, #1) by Gracie Ruth Mitchell: 5 stars | audiobook | series | murder, mystery, chaste love story, second chances | I really loved the cover of this one so I borrowed it to listen while on my trip last week. It’s just a delight – and filled with a mix of bookish things, second chance romance, foster care, local murder, and more. Full Review
Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries (Camper & Criminals #1) by Tonya Kappes: 3 stars | audiobook | series | mystery, murder, starting over | This was on a list I tagged on Libby awhile back. I needed another audiobook for a car ride on Wednesday, so I listened to it in one day (it’s only 5ish hours and I listened at 2x speed, so quite quick). Full Review
The Wife App by Carolyn Mackler: 5 stars | hardcover | starting over, women in tech, mental load | I was intrigued by the cover and synopsis when I saw this on the library shelf a few weeks back. The book follows three divorced, female friends on their quest to help other recognize the work that carrying the mental load in a family is. Full Review
How to Kiss a Movie Star (Hawthorne Brothers #4) by Jenny Proctor: 5 stars | kindle unlimited | series | chaste love story, celebrity, small town | This is the final installment in the Hawthorne Brother’s series of “how to” books – and it’s a delight! Full Review
A Cross-Country Wedding (Road Trip Romance #2) by Courtney Walsh: 4 stars | kindle unlimited | series | chase love story, friends-to-lovers, road trip | I was about to write “I really loved the first in this series so I picked up the second” and then I realized I don’t think I read the first in this series… So maybe I’ll go back to it. This is Maddie’s story of how she traveled to her best friend’s wedding along a cross-country road trip. Full Review
Strawberry Fields for Never (Sweet as Sugar Maple Book #1) by Kate Watson: 4 stars | kindle unlimited | series | small town, rebranding, enemies-to-lovers | Jane started “Jane & Co” with her friends after getting her MBA – a small boutique marketing firm – and now, on the brink of going under, they’ve landed a multi-million dollar client. All she needs to do is rebrand the farm and make the guy’s grandson fall in love with it so he’ll stay. Full Review
Before I called You Mine by Nicole Reese: 5 stars | paperback | stand alone | adoption, single life, chaste love story | I love this book and couldn’t resist picking it up from the library shelf for a re-read this month. I laugh at Joshua and his Dino loving ways, cry at Lauren’s heartache to be a mother, and want to just hug it out with their family. Full Review
My Virtual Bookshelf 