What I Read in August

August was a much slower reading month fo me, as you’ll see below. Now that we’re over a full week into September, I can confidently say I’m in a bit of a reading slump. Which isn’t fun.

I’ve started so many books that I wanted to get through, but slid deeper into my slump as the month went on and just wasn’t able to finish the books I started. Even thought I was enjoying them! Still, I managed to read 3 books in August, and I can already feel myself coming out of the reading slump. Fingers crossed that the slump ends soon!

As always, you can shop these books in my Bookshop.org shop (affiliate link).

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Rosanne Brown
Rating: 4/5 stars
My thoughts: I’ve really been in the mood for fantasy lately, and this YA fantasy was at the top of my list. If you enjoyed Children of Blood and Bone, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well!! First, I have to call out the beautifully done grief and anxiety representation. I think the author did a fantastic job of showcasing what it’s like when your mental and emotional health starts to impact your physical presence, without making the characters seem weaker or lesser than. If anything, those were the characters superpowers. I loved both main characters so much! They were both strong, dynamic and multi-dimensional people trying to do the right thing, even when they weren’t clear what that was. I really enjoyed the magic system, but I do wish there was more of it! I think this was a set up to really unleash the full scale of the magic system in the second book, but I read fantasy for a magical good time, and this one built it up slowly.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
My thoughts: I’m so thankful that Ashley and Phoebe of Read It Or List It sent me a copy of this book! If you’ve followed me for a while, you know dark and spooky books aren’t my thing at all (because I’m a scaredy cat haha). This book definitely had me spooked from day one, but I still devoured it in 24 hours and ate up every word. The writing is so strong, and the world is so clear to picture and well built. If this hasn’t already been optioned to be a film, I’d be shocked. Immanuelle, our main character, was super strong and handles the challenges of the hyper religious patriarchal society she lives in with so much poise. I hope that there is a second book coming (that I will read during the day time).

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Rating: 5/5 stars
My thoughts: This book is receiving a lot of hype right now, and I totally think it’s warranted! If you’re a fan of the Bachelor or its spinoffs, which admittedly I’m not, you’ll probably have fun with this one! There were parts of this book that were honestly hard to read, as we follow Bea, a plus size blogger as the lead on a Bachelorette-type show. I had to sit with some passages and ask myself if I was finding issue with them because they were true, or because they weren’t being done well in the book. I had to come to terms that it was the former, the way Bea is treated definitely hits close to home. As far as fat representation goes, I thought it was well done! And as far as romance goes, I was rooting for Bea and really had no idea who she’d end up with, or if she’d end up with anyone! The ending was satisfying and I’d definitely reread this one!

Let me know what the best book you read in August was in the comments!