A Busy August and Some Great Reads
August was a whirlwind of activity. From a 3,000+ word article due at work to a full day at the MN State Fair, a trip to the cabin, an electrical issue at home, and two birthday parties for my daughter, it was a week packed with everything. I’m exhausted, but I’m also glad to be back into the rhythm of school.
Despite the chaos, I managed to finish two books in August. One was an audiobook, and the other was a physical copy. Here’s what I read and how I felt about them.
Cathy's Picks
Savior of the Shades by Vasilisa Drake
This is a retelling of Hades and Persephone, but with werewolf shifters. Avery, an Omega in a pack of werewolves, is rejected and murdered by her fated mate. She wakes up in a different realm with a strong connection to her inner wolf and meets a mysterious and attractive male shifter who turns out to be the King of the Underworld. The trilogy has multiple storylines that I won’t go into too much detail here.
I chose this book because I wanted something fun to read over the summer, and it was fun, though quite long. I ended up reading the entire trilogy in one book, which many people on Goodreads did as well. I had to take a break midway to read something else. Overall, I enjoyed the trilogy and would recommend it. I give it 3 stars out of 5.
A Court of Thorns and Roses + A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Another series that starts off as a sort of retelling, this time based on Beauty and the Beast. Feyre kills a fae in an unprovoked attack and is taken across the border by a high lord who secretly hopes she will break the curse on his court.
I’ve been listening to the graphic audio version while packing up my flat. I swing between loving it and finding it a bit cringey. I like the full cast with different voices for different characters, but there are some parts where the female narrator reads lines that might only be suitable for headphones. The world-building is good, and the story is easy to get into, though the descriptions have too many adjectives for my taste. This is a re-listen for me, and I think both books together get 3 stars.
Joli's Picks
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Finally, I got to this highly anticipated read. I’m in a book club where we take turns picking the book, and this was my pick. I’m so glad I created a time to read it, because I loved it just as much as I hoped I would!
I don’t need a lot of action in my books to love them. If it’s well-written, I like the characters, and there’s some sort of tension to resolve, I’m good. This is one of those quieter types of books, and I loved it. The setting, a cherry farm in Michigan, is picturesque. I think I’m far enough away from the pandemic now to have some sort of weird nostalgia for it—the staying home together bit, anyway.
As the mom tells her three daughters the story of her first real love and her short acting career, she’s also enjoying those bittersweet days where her girls are all “stuck” at home on the farm. I enjoyed the mom’s story, loved the girls’ personalities, and thought the story was exceedingly well-written. Ann Patchett is a favorite author of mine, so I’m not surprised that I devoured this book. I give it a full 5 stars.
The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (Audiobook)
This was another book club pick for the month, and I decided to listen to it on audio. It’s kind of a hit-you-over-the-head with its theme book, which was fine, but also one of the reasons it wasn’t my favorite.
In a nutshell, a group of women come together and read a book that’s just recently been published: The Feminine Mystique. It opens their eyes to some of the inequalities they face as women in the 1960s. They’re at different points in their lives and run into different roadblocks due to being women.
I found it entertaining and liked the differences in each woman’s story, but I took it down a few stars because it really does hit you over the head with feminism, and the one husband that turns out to be an okay guy becomes a little too supportive, bordering on sappy.
Molly's Picks
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
This was a super fun read that blends high fantasy tropes with murder mystery vibes. There were so many twists and turns, I absolutely devoured it and can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Neema, a low-born scholar, rises to the rank of High Scholar by writing an order of exile for an innocent girl. Hated by her peers and looked down upon for her common upbringing, Neema navigates court life with plans to follow the sitting emperor back to his monastery once he abdicates the throne.
Instead of retreating to a quiet life of study and contemplation in the mountains, Neema finds herself swept up in the violent death of one of the contenders for the throne. What’s more, the emperor arranges for Neema to take the dead woman’s place in the competition that will determine the next ruler of Orrun.
While investigating her predecessor’s death, Neema uncovers a sinister plot that puts not only her life, but all of Orrun in danger. I give it 5 stars.
Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner
This is the final book in the Fallen Gods trilogy. Although I loved Godkiller in the series, Sunbringer and Faithbreaker both fell a little flat for me.
No spoilers, so I won’t say much about the plot. Although I found the book slow, I still love the three main characters. They’re so tragic, you can’t help but root for them.
I think one reason the latter books in the series struggle is that there are a lot of minor characters introduced, and it’s hard to remember who’s who and why they’re important. There’s not much to distinguish them from each other, so sometimes it felt like I was just reading a lot of names that didn’t mean anything to me.
The ending was beautifully executed, despite the plodding journey to get there, and I teared up at the final pages. I give it 3 stars.
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