August was a great summer reads month. Its been a good mix of beach reads, romance, serious stuff and Booker books – and books I just did not get or understand.
Fiction
- Both of You by Adele Parks 4/5
This was a weird one. Its a difficult book to talk about giving away the most basic spoiler of it all but I would definitely recommend it. I liked how its covered something you don’t easily come across in airport bookshops (or even other bookshops?).
2. Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane 4/5
I am not a major romance reader but do read some now and then but I am quite picky about the ones I read. Mhairi McFarlane is so well recommended I wanted to try one of her books. This was very enjoyable but also not exactly a laugh riot. The story is about 4 friends, one of whom has a crush on another and in the first chapter itself one of the friends dies in a car accident which sets off a chain of events. The writing is very good – I barely knew these people but the first chapter itself made me cry it was so realistically portrayed. I will be reading more of hers for sure.
3. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee 5/5
I don’t want to say anything more about this book than I already have. But what a read! Let me leave you with this – its a book about a love affair between a 40 year old gallery owner with a 20 year old boy band pop sensation (think Harry Styles). Super frivolous on the outside, intense with fantastic social, cultural and moral issues being discussed on the inside.
4. Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner 4/5
As domestic thrillers go this was a really good one. I didn’t see the twists coming and was on the wrong side of the story the whole time which took me aback. I also really love these thrillers which are based in specific parts of London and always makes me want to live in that area.
5. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood 3/5
I have been wanting to read this book for a really long time and once it made the Booker long list this year, I thought it was my excuse to get a copy which I did.
6. Strange Hotel by Eimear McBride 1/5
Another book I did not get. I don’t want to be mean but I don’t know why this was a book. Its basically a verbal thought journal of a women staying in various hotel rooms in various countries in the world. It was not for me, I did not find it interesting.
I don’t understand how a book discussing sex, hotel rooms and travel can be so dull. I read about 65-70% of this book and it was painful and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I don’t understand what the point of the book was, where it was going and honestly, why it was written. I picked it up after listening to an interview with the writer (not about the book) which was interesting. I am still going to try and read her other book since its gotten some great reviews but this one was not for me.
7. What You Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton 4/5
The only other book I have read that narrates from the perspective of someone who is dead is The Lovely Bones which is a fantastic book by the way. This was the second one like this. I thought the narrative was used to lesser effect although it didn’t really take away from the impact of the book but it just didn’t add anything to it in my opinion. Other than this, its a good story told well and I thoroughly enjoyed it with a solid ending which a lot of the books in the thriller drama genre don’t seem to be able to pull off.
8. Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid 4/5
Love her books. This woman is a marvellous story teller. I loved the book, its a great read although I have to say the ending itself was a bit of a fizzle. This is such a summer book; and its absolutely made me want to try surfing.
Non-fiction
9. Natives by Akala 5/5
This book is mind blowing. Every person needs to read this. You need to read this.
I thought I knew about racism and colonialism till this book smacked me in the face. The best part is the discussion about racism in the UK which is not something I come across very often and which is very different than the racism in the USA. The Black Lives Matter movement has brought about a lot of focus on racism in the USA but I do
10. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig 3/5
This was a light read but nothing special. Some obvious advise and words of comfort but nothing life changing or mind blowing. I don’t think its his best work but wont stop me from reading more of his.
Short Stories
11. Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro 3/5
I really enjoyed this collection. Beautifully written and gorgeous stories. I have to say I have enjoyed Ishiguro’s short stories more than his novels I have read. All the stories are about music and travel and totally manages to transport you to the location the story is based on.
Have you read any of these books? Please come and discuss on Instagram or leave a comment below. I love chatting about books. I would especially love to know if you had a different opinion than me about any of these books! I always find it to interesting that one person can love a book while another can dislike it.
– Anisha
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