What I Read in August

August was a month of travel: we spent three days on a sailboat, another four in a cabin up north, a day in Illinois with family, and a weekend hosting family ourselves. Luckily, all that travel involved a lot of books – I read 9 books, all fiction. Here’s what I read in August:

All Fiction, All Month

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

I’ve been meaning to read this book for years. Achebe’s novel was referenced in almost every literature class that I took and it seemed like I was missing such a big puzzle piece in my classics department. While I can see why this was such an important novel at the time – and why it has so influenced other African writers – I felt like the book was nothing that I expected. It was hard to follow, it jumped from person to person and topic to topic, not following a clear narrative for most of the book. Perhaps it is meant to echo an oral history in the tradition of the area, but it was hard to read as a novel.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

This was one of my favorite books when I was in junior high, and a friend recently gifted it to me as part of my very bookish surprise birthday party. It follows Kit, a young girl moving from Barbados to Puritan New England to live with relatives and the very different culture she finds when she arrives. Re-reading it as an adult allowed me to see the agenda that Speare had for the book – and while a worthy agenda, it read very much like a novel written for the education of young people in schools. I enjoyed it anyway, the way it tidily wraps up all the loves stories at the end and includes a happy finale for all. Truly a fun summer read, and a good one if you have children around ages 11-14.

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

I’d not heard a whit about this book before a friend gave me an extra ARC she had laying around. Since then, I’ve seen it pop up everywhere around the internet! I hadn’t gotten a chance to read it yet, but did while on vacation and can see what the fuss is about. My full review coming soon. 

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

This was a book I was looking forward to with much anticipation. It got a lot of buzz when it was released earlier this year, and a friend told me I had to read it. I love stories set in remote places, and the Janus lighthouse is just that. You can read my full review here.

The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman

I discovered this series on the Greenlight Bookstore Radio Hour podcast. Pitched as a “Harry Potter for adults,” I could not wait to read them, Harry Potter-fanatic that I am (I threw Harry a birthday party this year, in case you doubted). It was a great discovery: three books filled with bits of Hogwarts, Narnia and other fantasy elements all at once, but truly original in the end. Full review coming soon, but do take caution that this is not a series for children. 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Oh, this book. Reading it is like being 15 all over again. Rowell tells a simple, lovely story of falling in love but makes it so, so much bigger than a high school romance. This was our book club pick for September, and I was so happy to have an excuse to read it again. Full review coming soon!

Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori, Book 1) by Lian Hearn

This was the second book that I read this month from my Very Bookish Birthday. My friend Cassie gushed about it – and she has good taste, so I was excited to dive in. It’s the story of a semi-mythical island in Japan, full of strong characters and action and empires to be won or lost in an instant. It ends in a bit of a cliff hanger, so I’m hoping to get ahold of the second book in the trilogy soon.

Phew.

So that’s what I read in August. Next up, I think I might tackle some non-fiction – we’ll see. :)

I tend to read lighter, more “fun” books when I am on vacation. What about you?