Hey, hey Monday!
You guys, tomorrow is MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!!!
Eeeeeks, I am so excited!
What better way to celebrate September Eve than with my AUGUST BOOK REVIEW!
BOOKS + THE END OF AUGUST for the win today!
This month, I have FOUR books to discuss with you. Make sure you keep reading…there’s a big twist!
Let’s start with…
Book #1 this month was:
…When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams.
As many of you know, this was our AUGUST BOOK CLUB pick! If you have read this book, please head to THIS POST to discuss. If you haven’t read this book, let me give you a few deets and also encourage you NOT to read the Book Club post as it does contain spoilers.
Curious about this one? Here is my review (without spoilers):
I love, love, love me some Beatriz Williams!
I did not love this book.
It was okay…just not my fave.
This story takes place present day (many of Williams’ novels are historical fiction) about a single mom and her young daughter who head from France back home to the island off of Long Island where her dad had lived. He has recently passed, and she’s heading to this small, charming little island during the off season to go through his home and get it ready to be sold.
This is not a spoiler, but…the twist in this novel is that her dad had always believed there was buried pirate treasure on his property.
This book checked a lot of boxes that I love: cozy little island setting with New England vibes and lots of coastal charm, a cast of characters who are endearing…but in my opinion, the whole story was just a little too farfetched and not flushed out enough.
It was entertaining and wrapped up nicely…but it was also a little clunky.
I really wish I would have selected Book #4 below to be our Book Club pick this month. I realized that about a chapter in to each of them.
Okay, next up…
Book #2:
Life is Good by Fiona Ferris
I shared this book earlier in the month when it first arrived at my house. You ladies know how much I adore Fiona Ferris. Her books are always so encouraging, motivating, practical, and just HAPPY. I have been reading her work for years and years and years. They’re all non-fiction motivational books for women.
This, her latest book, is about her recent breast cancer diagnosis and journey.
Ferris was diagnosed last October, and this book is a very real and honest look at her journey from diagnosis through treatments and everything in between. She writes in such a charming, easy way about the real ups and downs and hard moments and even some humorous moments of her cancer journey. I actually felt like I learned so much reading this book too because she goes in depth about things that I just don’t hear discussed. She details her hospital stays and pre/post op appointments, how she felt as she recovered, how she overexerted herself some days and what made her feel better others.
I’ve always walked away from Fiona Ferris’ books motivated and encouraged and somehow, she was able to be real, raw, and honest about something so scary and yet deliver it in a way that was so optimistic and hopeful that I walked away from this one just as encouraged.
Book #3:
You’ll Love it Here by Natalie Sue
This new novel is all over my feed right now, so I decided to dive in. It’s a cute little chick lit about a Canadian woman who is forced to take a break from work and while she’s off, she accidentally gets put in charge of managing her apartment building. One minute, she’s uninvested in where she lives, knows none of the tenants’ names, and can’t wait to leave…and the next, she’s the one deeply involved in all of their apartments and lives.
Of course, there’s a guy who works in the restaurant across the street who steps in to help.
This books is cute and funny and filled with a big cast of quirky characters. The story isn’t “mature”, but the language certainly is, so buyer beware.
Is it the best book I’ve read all summer? No. Was it easy to read, lighthearted, happy, and cute? Yes.
And finally PLOT TWIST thanks to blog read Alli…
What? What?
Yup.
After YEARS of not listening to an audio book, as you know, I listened to The Calamity Club, and it totally salvaged my experience with the book. Blog reader Alli suggested in the comment section that perhaps I start listening to one audio book a month. I loved this idea and in August, I listened to…
Book #4:
Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
And I LOVED IT!
This was by far one of my very favorite books of the entire summer!
I am giving this one two very big thumbs up!
This was only my second audio book to listen to and while The Calamity Club was such a fun experience due to all the different voices I heard telling the story, this novel sounded like it was being read by Julie Andrews. Ha! It wasn’t, but the narrator had this wonderful Maria Von Trapp voice that made the story even more magical.
This is the fictitious story of the “evil stepmother” in Cinderella.
You guys, I am so sad I didn’t make this our August Book Club selection. This book is layered with topics we could have discussed for days. The characters are all unique and complicated and the plot is not anything like you might expect. Just when I thought the story would unfold one way, it went another. This book covers some serious topics but always with a dash of levity. It’s fun and adventurous and honestly, I’ll probably forever have this new reframe about those evil stepsisters and stepmother.
I don’t typically like “fantasy” books, but this one was just oh so charming. If you are tired of predictable chick lit, here you go. This is quite the epic tale. I loved listening!
On that note, what new-ish book should I listen to next? I would love recs for audio books please! I need specific ones you think I should LISTEN to in September…and of course, I need lots of book recs for me to actually read too. Please comment and share!
And that’s my AUGUST BOOK REVIEW!
Don’t forget…
To see the complete list of books I read in 2015 (all 63 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2016 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2017 (all 62 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2018 (all 61 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2019 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2020 (all 54 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2021 (all 59 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2022 (all 60 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2023 (all 51 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2024 (all 58 of them), click here.
To see the complete list of books I read in 2025 (all 58 of them), click here.
If you want to stay current on all of the books I’m reading in 2026, THIS PAGE HERE is where I keep the books, authors and reviews each month.
We would love, love to have you join us in September for our BOOK CLUB!
Next month, we are reading…
…The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer (one of my favorite authors!) and discussing it on September 22nd.
Happy LAST DAY OF AUGUST!
I hope you all join me tomorrow as we celebrate MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR!
I’ll see you back here then. xx
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