It’s time for my first half of August book review! I haven’t read any 5 star books yet this month, so I’m not skipping anything and just sharing all the books I’ve read thus far in August. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: In My Dreams I Hold A Knife
Author: Ashley Winstead
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, 8/8/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
This slow burn of a thriller has been getting rave reviews. It features a group of friends and slowly reveals the secrets each were hiding in college, as they reunite for a reunion.
“Ten years after graduation, Jessica Miller has planned her triumphant return to her southern, elite Duquette University, down to the envious whispers that are sure to follow in her wake. Everyone is going to see the girl she wants them to see―confident, beautiful, indifferent. Not the girl she was when she left campus, back when Heather Shelby’s murder fractured everything, including the tight bond linking the six friends she’d been closest to since freshman year. But not everyone is ready to move on. Not everyone left Duquette ten years ago, and not everyone can let Heather’s murder go unsolved. Someone is determined to trap the real killer, to make the guilty pay. When the six friends are reunited, they will be forced to confront what happened that night―and the years’ worth of secrets each of them would do anything to keep hidden.”
I was able to figure out who the killer was, but not all of the secrets that were hidden at the time. Jess was an awful person who was only out for herself! If you like academia settings, you will certainly enjoy this one.
Title: The Bloom Girls
Author: Amy Pine
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Forever, 8/8/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
I was excited to review The Bloom Girls as a Jewish Own Voices reviewer. Every character in The Bloom Girls is Jewish and that is not something you see very often! Amy Pine mentions in her acknowledgments that she wanted to write a book about women who are living their lives as we all do – and are also Jewish. While I do love a book about being Jewish too, it is refreshing to see Jewish characters in mainstream books that portray them as regular, every day people.
“Gabi Bloom doesn’t believe in signs. She believes in photographic evidence, the view through her camera lens, and the snap of the shutter. It’s why she traveled to Europe—to satisfy her wanderlust and to kick off her photography career. But in Ireland, all of that changed when Gabi gazed into the impossibly blue eyes of an American bartender. She wasn’t prepared for their intense and immediate attraction, or the fact that she’d be bringing Ethan home with her . . . as her fiancé. Gabi’s upcoming marriage is the cherry on top of her mother’s current predicament. Stumbling toward forty, Alissa is a pastry chef who raised her daughter single-handedly while Gabi’s father traveled the globe. Now her baby girl is getting married after a whirlwind romance and Alissa—well, Alissa is pregnant. Again. And not only is her ex the father, he wants her back. For good. Until she can figure out that part of the puzzle, Alissa is hiding her big little secret even as she helps Gabi plan a happily-ever-after wedding. But somewhere between disaster and hope, life might just bloom in a way that is breathtakingly unexpected . . .”
The Bloom Girls are Gabi and her mother Alissa (Adler, not Bloom). The book begins with Gabi meeting Ethan in Ireland and continues with the two navigating a new romance while working to unite their two families. Meanwhile, Alissa finds herself unexpectedly pregnant for the second time and within a second chance love story of her own. She chooses to hide her pregnancy from her daughter and to me this was the main conflict of the story. This book has been likened to The Gilmore Girls and it may be similar, if Rory was older and drank wine instead of coffee and if she and Lorelei lived in Chicago. Oh and if Lorelei owned a bakery! In any event, I’m a fan. The next book will focus on Alissa and Matt’s sisters, but I would like to request a book about the two rabbis that used to date!
Title: Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
Author: Jayne Allen
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Harper Perennial, 9/28/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 3 Stars
Of note – I was a little confused about the publication date on this one! It seems that it is being reissued by Harper Perennial and the version with this cover will be available on 9/28. Since I originally thought it was coming out on 8/3, I actually read it ahead of its publication date! Anyway, this book is about Tabby, who finds out that she needs to get pregnant or freeze her eggs very soon or risk never having children. It is mainly about infertility and being single in your 30s, with a lot of other issues included in the story as well.
“Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to ‘have it all.’ At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a “paper-perfect” boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place. Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own. With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former ‘Sexy Lexi,’ and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother’s age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted.”
This book is more character driven than I prefer. I did enjoy Tabby’s relationship with her grandmother and I was reminded of my own grandmothers at times. The book also contains racism, police brutality, infidelity, and a suicide attempt.
Title: Yes & I Love You
Author: Roni Loren
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dreamscape Media, 3/2/21
Source: Library Audio App (Hoopla)
Why I Read It: Buddy read on Instagram.
My Rating: 4 Stars
I’m a little late to the game on this one because the sequel is already out, but I am even more excited to listen to What If You & Me now that I listened to this one. While Jasper is an improv actor, Hollyn is a writer who would rather avoid getting on camera (or the stage) due to her having Tourette’s syndrome. Jasper gives her private lessons and they begin fake dating (and real making out). I loved the variety of mental health issues represented in this book from anxiety to impulse control issues.
“Everyone knows Miz Poppy, the vibrant reviewer whose commentary brightens the New Orleans nightlife. But no one knows Hollyn Tate, the real face behind the media star…or the anxiety that keeps her isolated. All her life, Hollyn’s tried to hide her true self behind an online façade, but when her boss tells her she needs to reveal the truth to the world or lose her job, she’s forced to rely on an unexpected source to help face her fears. Enter Jasper Deares: actor, improve star, and way, way out of her league. Hollyn thinks Jasper must be joking when he offers private lessons to help overcome her fears. Getting up on a stage? Hello, worst nightmare. But Jasper’s infectious charm has her saying yes despite herself. They’re only supposed to be playing a few improv games, but as the lessons run longer and the lines grow blurrier, Hollyn can’t help but wonder if she’s acting at all…or if a relationship with Jasper might help give her the confidence she needs to say yes to every imperfect part of herself.”
This book was quite steamy and a lot of fun! I’m excited to discuss this one and the second in the series with my buddy read group!
Title: Mindfulness On The Go
Author: Padraig O’Morain
Genre: Self-Help
Publisher: Yellow Kite, 5/8/14
Source: TLC Book Tours
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
Slow down your actions. Relax your shoulders. Notice the pause at the end of your out-breath. Breathe in for 7 counts and out for 11. These are all methods for Mindfulness On The Go as explained by Padraig O’Morain.
“You lead a busy life. You’re constantly running between tasks, notebook in one hand, iPhone in the other. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of mindfulness and added “Start doing mindfulness” to your ever-growing to-do list. But frankly, who has time to meditate every day, chant in the lotus position or read long books on finding inner calm? This brilliant handbook is packed with suggestions for ways to help you slow down, refocus and practice a form of mindfulness that actually fits in with your hectic life. Wherever you’re going, whatever you’re doing, you can make these mindfulness techniques a seamless part of your daily routine, without having to put any special time aside for them—and so feel calmer and less stressed—at work, at home, as a parent, in your relationships or when traveling.”
Mindfulness is coming back to the present moment when your attention drifts or when you get lost in emotions. It is about giving attention to the physical present rather than letting your mind wander to the past or future. The book gives tips for doing this when on the move, when eating, at home, for teens, in relationships, at work, and when experiencing emotional distress. It is a great little handbook and I learned a lot from it!
Title: We Are The Brennans
Author: Tracey Lange
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Celadon, 8/3/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 3 Stars
We Are The Brennans has been pretty popular on Bookstagram, but for me it was a bit boring. It is a family drama focused on an Irish American family and the circumstances around when the daughter, Sunday, left and moved away, now that she has returned.
“When twenty-nine-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. But it’s not easy. She deserted them all―and her high school sweetheart―five years before with little explanation, and they’ve got questions. Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets―secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. In the aftermath, the Brennan family is forced to confront painful mistakes―and ultimately find a way forward, together.”
The story is told from multiple characters’ viewpoints, but to me they all sounded the same. I didn’t like or care about any of the characters, except for maybe one. There was a lot of victim blaming in this book and I’m not sure anyone ever said “it wasn’t your fault,” which needed to be said. Also, I found the ending to be predictable. However, if you enjoy character driven family dramas, you may like this one more than I did.
Title: For Your Own Good
Author: Samantha Downing
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Berkley, 7/20/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
The second campus set book that I read this month takes place at a high school rather than a college, and with short chapters and a bit of confusion as to what was happening, it moved along much quicker.
“Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the prestigious Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest. He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while. Teddy really can’t be bothered with a few mysterious deaths on campus that’re looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is pushing these kids to their full academic potential. All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way. If not, well, they’ll get what they deserve. It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.”
Like Downing’s previous book, I found this one fun to read and entertaining. I loved all the varying viewpoints and coming to understand that almost everyone in the story was their own type of awful. They also all felt that they were doing what was best for all, and it was amusing the lengths that they would go to for their cause!
Title: She Wouldn’t Change a Thing
Author: Sarah Adlakha
Genre: Sci Fi (ish)
Publisher: Forge, 8/10/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 4 Stars
I love books involving time travel and this one had some very interesting theories and things that I usually love in a book, but maybe needed some more editing to make everything a bit more understandable and to tie things together better.
“A second chance is the last thing she wants. When thirty-nine year old Maria Forssmann wakes up in her seventeen-year-old body, she doesn’t know how she got there. All she does know is she has to get back: to her home in Bienville, Mississippi, to her job as a successful psychiatrist and, most importantly, to her husband, daughters, and unborn son. But she also knows that, in only a few weeks, a devastating tragedy will strike her husband, a tragedy that will lead to their meeting each other. Can she change time and still keep what it’s given her?”
I liked how the characters tied together and the idea of changing certain events to fulfill a purpose. I wasn’t quite so happy with the religious references to God and prayer throughout the book. It also contained a graphic suicide attempt, grief, and loss. It took me one day to read this whole book!
Title: Tokyo Ever After
Author: Emiko Jean
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 5/18/21
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review / Buddy Read
My Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this YA about Izumi, a Japanese American teen who finds out that her father is the crown prince of Japan and sets off to Japan to meet him and to connect with her cultural background.
“Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in―it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izumi―or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”―and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity…and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess. In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight. Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself―back home, she was never ‘American’ enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s ‘Japanese’ enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after?”
Izumi has a great personality and the audio narrator brought her to life. There were many funny parts in the book and I felt for Izumi with her difficulties fitting in, as well as dealing with her evil twin cousins. I also liked the love story with her bodyguard – a bit of forbidden love which I always enjoy. I also liked her Asian Girl Gang and would have loved to read more about them. This is the first in a series, so I will be excited to read the next book when it comes out!
There you have it – 9 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 7 were print and 2 were audio books. 8 were adult and 1 was YA. Genres included thriller, rom com, contemporary, and sci fi.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
