73 Mercury by Amy Jo Burns 8/9 (print/own)★★★
Challenges Met: 52 Bookclub 49. Set In A City Starting With The Letter "M"
This book left no real lasting impression on me, the first half I found rather slow. It's one I heard about through MMD and bought as a BOM- and then suggested for one of my book club picks. It was underwhelming and mildly disappointing. A book about marriage and family dynamics, includes a mystery when a body is discovered in the church attic that was painted shut 10 years ago. For most of the book you know there is a body but don't know who it is or how it got there...
74 Summer Island by Kristin Hannah 8/10 (print/library)★★★
I read this simply because Kristin Hannah. It wasn't my favorite by her so far but it was good. It is one of her older navels published in 2001. A story of mothers and daughters, love lost and found, fresh starts, forgiveness, letting go.
The minute he saw her, he understood what had been missing from his life. It was hokey, he knew, and sentimental and sappy, but that didn't make it any less true. What he'd been longing for, without even realizing it, had been that elusive, magical mixture of friendship and passion that he'd only ever found with her.
75 Familiaris by David Wroblewski 8/14 (kindle/library)★★★★
Challenges Met: 52 Bookclub 16. An Omniscient Narrator
I read this book because it was Oprah's summer book club read. A big, fat book over 900 pages. I initially got out the hard cover from the library to see if I wanted to read it and buy it. I didn't get far into it before my loan ran out and ended up reading it on kindle, also from the library instead. Reading it on kindle felt much more manageable. It's a slow, quiet read spanning years. It is the story of Mary and John Sawtelle beginning in their young marriage in 1919, how they find and start their farm where they raise dogs. It is also the prequel of a previous Oprah book club pick- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle- which I have not yet read but will at some point, probably.
“Suppose,” he said, “you could do one impossible thing.”
76 The Memory House by Rachel Hauck 8/16 (print/own)★★★★
Our Alive Book Club pick. It's one that's been on my shelf awhile, I bought on a whim because of the author on one of our bookshop trips. I devoured it in just a couple days.
Beck a young NYPD finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand with a co-worker. She is suspended and at the same time discovers she as inherited a house in Florida. She has no memory of the woman who left her the house or her childhood summers there. She lost all memory of her father and anything touching him after he died in the 9/11 attacks.
He suspected Mom's prayers had a hand in some of this, but she never spoke to him about God. Or church. Instead, she did something more effective. She talked to God about her son.
Of course, she pointed the way to Jesus every day.
"She was known of a woman of character and integrity, a woman of prayer," Pastor Oliver went on. "If you were impacted by Miss Everleigh's life, her powerful prayers, please stand."
77 Sandwich by Catherine Newman 8/24 (audio/library)★★
Challenges Met: 52 Bookclub 32. Time Frame Spans A Week Or Less
This one is majorly disappointing. I had such high hopes and it started off so well, I love the cover. (A prime example of don't judge a book by its cover). Overall I didn't not like, there were a few parts I liked, other parts bothered me immensely.
Here's where the trouble starts- a- there is a lot about abortion in this book. b- Rocky (Mom) and Willa (daughter) are both pretty horrid. Rocky is self centered and vain. Willa was snotty and condescending. I did not agree with the thoughts and actions and overall life views.
Though Rocky ruminating on her children turning adults- that hit all my feels. There was also a lot of bad language and parts were quite crass. Sadly I think it is a pretty good depiction of our current world.
I loved that they always brought Chicken, their fat, old tabby cat on vacation with them. I loved the cottage and the strong sense of place. You could almost smell the briny ocean air. It makes me wish we had a place we visited every year.
How are these adults my children? is what I really want to say. And why are they so beautiful?
I mean you're never done being somebody's mom, ever, are you?
You wish you knew how to quit me,” he says (Brokeback Mountain). “But you can’t.” It’s true. Even with all the nonintersecting forms of communication, I can’t quite fathom a life apart. He is sometimes mysterious, this man, and often maddening, but he smells like home.
78 Meet Me at the Starlight by Rachel Hauck 8/27 (print/library)★★★★
Auto-read because Rachel Hauck. Bonus this one includes a skating rink. My most beloved memories include roller skating with my cousins. Surprisingly this took much longer to read than expected. I had to put it down to knock out a book club book and then for days on end I thought this would be the day to finish but ended up falling asleep or something. Overall though I really did like the book. Not my favorite by her but a good story.
79 It Could Be Worse by Beth Probst 8/30 (print/own)
I read this book this month in an effort to jump start my love for running again. It's short and a quick read. I felt sad reading the chapter about running groups; I wish I could find my people. I enjoyed it though, made me want to keep getting out there which was my goal in finally reading this one that was on my wishlist for a while and my physical shelf for close to two years.
I discovered that freedom doesn't come from winning first place. It come from being steadfast and moving your body forward, unwaveringly.
And the reality is, if you change nothing about your training you can pretty much expect the same results. That's the hard truth about running. You get out exactly what you put in.
The simple words have to versus get to.
Running isn't a perfect prescription. It means something different for everyone. Let running be what you need - whether it's time to reflect or to challenge your body to go a little farther than previously. Find your intention and "run with it". As dad says, "Set a goal. When you reach it, you set another one and so on."
80 Persuasion by Jane Austen 8/31 (print/own)
I'm still learning to love Jane Austen. I want to, I want to be the type of reader who loves revisiting her books, who finds her wittily funny. I'm not quite there but I feel I am getting closer.
In the month of August the MMD book club did a read along of Persuasion. I fell behind the reading schedule but still finished in August- so counting it a win.
You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago.
DNF: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde - just was becoming to vulgar for my taste decided to drop it. I liked the beginning but it just got to be too much at the time.
Total: 8 2024: 80
Kindle/Ebook: 1 Print: 6 Audio: 1
Library: 4 Owned: 4 Kindle Unlimited: 0
Favorite: The Memory House; although I'm still thinking about Familiaris too.
50 States: no new states this month again. I'm currently reading one partially set in Nevada which I hoped to finish but didn't before August turned into September, also have one set in Rhode Island for September too.
My map was left on my desk in front of an open window in a rainstorm - so its looking a little washed out :P
52 Bookclub: 3 new; 33/52 (on track)
A-Z no new progress on this one this month either, but a couple on the September TBR for this one too 😉
Did you read anything good in August? What was your favorite book of summer?
