Show Us Your Books Reading Recap — What I Read in August

Wow, the long weekend really threw me off. I thought last night was Sunday and today was Monday, but here we are — already Tuesday, and why this post is just a little bit late this time! But Tuesday means it’s time for Show Us Your Books, where I do a quick recap of everything I read over the last month. Get excited because I have some really awesome reads to share, including my first 5-star read of 2020! 

As a reminder: Last Month’s Edition & How I Rate Books

5-Star Reads ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - At its most basic, this novel is about a group of children living in an orphanage on a remote island, and the government employee who is there to determine whether it should remain open or be shut down. But it so much more than that — it’s a novel about acceptance and love and home and family. It’s a novel about finding yourself. It is truly wonderful and I can’t recommend it enough. [full review + recipe]

4-Star Reads ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beartown by Fredrik Backman (4.5) - This is a re-read that I disliked when I first read it. This novel about sports culture in a small hockeytown in Sweden is commonly well-liked, so when we were reading it for our latest book club, I decided to give it another try. As you can tell by the rating, I really liked it this time around. Look out for my review and a book-inspired recipe later this month.  

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds - We read this or Stamped from the Beginning for my office’s book club, and though I started the longer original first, I ultimately ended up reading this remixed version because it was quicker. It is a look at the history of racism and anti-racism in America and is chock full of historical facts that will probably make you see things differently than you did before. It’s written in a really accessible way (and is, in fact, geared towards a YA audience), and while I think it’s well-done and an important read, having started with Stamped from the Beginning, I did often feel like I was missing key parts of the story. It did lead to a super thoughtful book club discussion, and everyone agreed these books are a must-read.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis - A novel about living in the library! The big branch of the New York Public Library! Honestly that’s why I picked this book up and why I really liked it. If you like books about books or are a huge library fan, you’d probably enjoy this one too. Longer review and recipe to come later this month. 

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3-Star Reads ⭐⭐⭐

*A House Is a Body by Shruti Swamy - I’m not usually a huge fan of short stories, and this collection is really no different. While I appreciated the author’s point of view, I liked some stories and disliked others. In most of them I felt disconnected from the characters. I wrote a longer review here, if you’re interested.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson - I read this as a buddy read, and I’m really glad I did because there was a lot to talk about. This is not the kind of book I usually read, and the description that got me to pick it up honestly was pretty misleading. I thought this would be like Handmaid’s Tale meets the Salem witch trials, but it wasn’t. It was actually a pretty gory and creepy supernatural thriller for the first half, which neither I nor my buddy read partner loved. The characters were a bit one-note, and the whole story felt pretty unbalanced — the feminist aspects seemed more like an afterthought to the over-the-top grotesque scenes in the first half and then sort of hit you over the head towards the end.

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Did Not Finish

Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi - As I mentioned above, I started this one but put it down in favor of the remix in the interest of time. (There was no way I was getting through 500+ pages of dense history no matter how interested in it I was.) That being said, I still have my copy and may get back to it. It really is eye-opening and I learned a lot just in the 80 or so pages I read; I have literally never used so many post-it flags in my entire life. 

Currently Reading ????

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - I loved Brit Bennett’s The Mothers and I have been highly anticipating this follow-up ever since I heard about it. Buddy-reading with Deanna, and we’re about halfway through. Loving it so far. More to come!

Afterland by Lauren Beukes - I’ve read two of Lauren Beukes previous novels and really love her writing. This novel about a dystopian world where most men have died due to a pandemic disease is right up my alley, even more so because it’s about a fierce mom doing everything she can to protect her son in this new world. Also about halfway on this one and really into it.

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Plus, coming up on Kids Edition this Saturday: Dr. Seuss’ ABC + Chocolate Donuts

I’d love to hear what you’ve read and loved lately! Please share in the comments, and if you’re interested, the linkup information is below:

Linkup Guidelines:
This linkup happens the second Tuesday of every month. The next is October 13.
1. Please visit and comment with both of your hosts, Jana & Steph
2. Please display the button or link back to me and the linkup hosts on your blog post.
3. Please visit a few other blogs who've linked up and get some book talk going!

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*I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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