40. What I Read in August

apologies for the delay! eleven reads: mostly romance with a pinch of fantasy and magical realism

Would you believe me if I said I didn’t realize last weekend was the actual last weekend of August? Because time has been flying. So, while she is a week late, here is my recap of my August reads!

Note: thank you to those of who who have answered my town hall survey! I appreciate your feedback & kind words. For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, I would love your feedback!

Where Time Stands Still by NS Perkins (romance)

I read this and Where We Belong because I received the ARC for Where Happiness Begins, and as these are an interconnected series, I wanted to be fully informed! This one made me cry. It’s sad. It’s beautiful. Wren is a twenty-six year old lawyer whose family and best friends are her sweet dogs. Wren’s family has early onset Alzheimer’s running through their genes. She is convinced she’s going to get it, and she refuses to put anyone through what she has gone through with her own loved ones. Aaron gives up the life he loves to be there for his family after his father is left unable to run their Christmas tree farm due to doctor error. He is angry but loving, willing to give up everything for those he loves. As Wren helps his family get their justice, she finds it harder and harder to keep her boundaries up. It’s hard to put into words the way this affected me, and many other readers. This is a real life problem, and there is no solution. To choose to live, to enjoy what you have now? What a message.

Maybe not all love stories need to last a lifetime. Maybe the most beautiful ones are the ones that develop despite the fact that they won’t.

Where We Belong by NS Perkins

Book two in this trilogy. Lexi’s only goal in life is to make it to the Olympics for gymnastics. After she gets dumped from her old gym, she travels across the US to take a coaching job. Finn finally came home to take over his friend’s family business. He is often overlooked by locals - and even his own family - due to his more wild behavior in high school and his world travels. A not-so meet cute makes these two frenemies, but they’re also the ones there for each other. Sweet Finny. He is so pure. I love him. Lexie is more of a ‘black cat’, which I can totally relate to. Her family situation was heartbreaking, but seeing Finn step up for her was humbling and beautiful. This one is a story to show you that you are worthy of anything.

Where Happiness Begins by NS Perkins (arc)

Oh my sweet ARC. Lili is a bubbly and happy soul, despite everything she has gone through in her life. Carter has completely changed his life after seeing how it was destroying him. The two form a mutually beneficial arrangement - Lili will promote the band he produces and he will provide her with medical insurance to afford her medicine - and they wind up married. Poor Carter. His past is rocky, to say the least, and we see it slowly unfold throughout the book. Lili’s ability to remain positive despite so much loss in her life is a sight to behold. These two are lonely, and they are able to slowly help each other heal. One of my favorite things about this book is the realistic ending. Carter kept a very intense secret from Lili, and Lili took her time to come to terms with it. If this was thrown aside to end the book sooner on a happier note, it would have dropped much lower in my eyes. I respect realistic because so many of us reach for romance books to help us through our own life problems.

The Story Collector by Evie Woods (arc)

The bones of this book are great. I love a dual timeline, one in the past and one in the present. I love exploring magic and faeries. I adore seeing old Ireland through Anna's eyes and exploring grief through Sarah's. However, this one did not hit home for me. I wasn't a huge fan of Sarah. I really hoped we would have a recovery moment for her, but the added romance felt unnecessary, especially considering how she left America. A lot of her storyline felt not wrapped up as I didn't feel like she progressed much as a character. I really loved reading Anna's parts, but the ending left me wanting more. I enjoyed reading about her family and following along with her and Harold. Magic and faeries are always incredibly fascinating. Quite frankly, I'm not entirely sure how these two storylines overlap. I guess they brought Sarah the peace and distraction she needed to allow herself to begin to heal? There is a lot about this book that was interesting and could have been wonderful, but I wish it dug a little deeper.

Truly Madly Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

You guys, the banter in this book is absolutely top notch. Truly is a quirky character who isn’t afraid to be herself. Colin is so funny, knows what he wants, and is a good person down to his bones. As you might have noticed, this was a romance reading month. It was so nice to escape into these books during a more hectic time of my life. My only complaint was that Truly was immature for her age, to an unrealistic degree. She created the problem that served as the basis of this book, and for a twenty eight year old woman, it seemed unrealistic. Otherwise, this one was fun. I enjoyed our characters and Alexandria has a talent for dialogue/banter!

Play Along by Liz Tomforde

I’ve enjoyed the other three books in this series a whole lot, and this one lives up to those. Isaiah is simply awesome - manifestation is real, just ask him! I love how close he is to his brother, and how they have created a family for themselves. He loves deeply and wholly, and he knows what he wants. Kennedy frustrated me sometimes, but I think it makes sense in terms of her background. Her unease with physical touch or basically any kind of love hurt my heart and also made me reflect on myself. It’s so nice to see parts of yourself reflected in books and see how it is possible to overcome your own problems. Isaiah helped show Kenny that she is worthy of love and all good things. He was willing to do whatever she wanted and needed, even if that took her away from him. Isaiah was the first person in her life to put Kenny first.

Summer Romance by Annabel Manoghan

Gosh I loved this. This is for my friends who don’t want to read another romance about a twenty something meeting the love of her life. In this one, we have kids and divorce and grief. We are shown that you live so many lives, and it is never too late. You aren’t always going to find the person you will spend you life with at twenty one. And what a good thing is that. Annabel did a really, really great job unraveling these characters - we see some unravel in a bad, toxic way and others unravel in a vulnerable, healing way. Despite the focus on relationships, grief and loss are an underlying theme. Despite many fabulous quotes, I wanted to share the one below.

Life is going to do what it’s going to do, Alice. You might as well have a dog.

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

I feel the need to live in Spunes, Washington. Sage has a joy for life that only loss can create. She lives quietly and fully, with her brothers and her farm and her town. Fisher and Indy really stole my heart. I felt so horrible for Indy, and I just adored how Fisher put her first before anything. We see how small town life can be amazing, but also how it causes problems. That is so realistic, as someone who grew up in a small town herself. Lately, I feel like it’s been romanticized. Sure, some of the small town elements are stereotypical, but they serve the purpose of digging deep to find who you are in your bones. Life causes heartbreak, but it also gives joy. What will you choose to hold onto?

Picking Daisies on Sunday’s by Liana Cincotti

A heartwarming romance. I would say this leans more YA. Levi is literally the definition of a man written by a woman. LIKE … I wish I could tell you the things he does but honestly, you’ll thank me for not telling you. Daisy is in her early twenties and she struggles with something every single woman does - lack of self confidence. Reading this as a woman is like reading a past version of yourself. You want to shake Daisy - you are amazing! - but you get it. I really, really enjoyed reading this even though it leans heavily into the miscommunication trope. As one of my least favorite tropes, I am always hesitant, but I do think it circles back to the self confidence issue. If high school and college girls can read this and recognize that, I think this book can do some good in the world.

Apprentice to The Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

So, this was a reread. It is kind of nuts, but I also love it? Eva becomes the apprentice to The Villain. Seeing them become friends and unfold what is actually going on in this world is so fun. I was definitely surprised by the reveal at the end the first time I read this. Also, I really enjoy the unraveling of good versus evil - nothing is black and white. Sure, does it have much of a deeper meaning? No, but not all books need to. This one always encompasses me. I laugh and smile at the banter and pure ridiculousness of it all. It makes me happy. I think that is enough.

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

The first in a new fantasy series. I have mixed feelings. The first thirty or so percent had me wary. It wasn’t unique to the point where I was getting a little frustrated. However. HOWEVER!!! It quickly becomes incredibly unique. I read this book in one work night - that is definitely the sign of a well paced plot and good book. I like how our main two characters literally hate each other at first, and I hated the guy sometimes too. I didn’t really like how our heroine was pretty whiney for a bit, but also no one told her what was going on so I get it. I like how plot lines that seemed random came together at the end. And the ending? So, so unique, and it had me baffled. I think this has turned into an incredibly unique and interesting book by the end. I think it does a great job of showing how depression can formulate into anger. I think there is a lot you can take from this, and I am very eager to pick up book 2 when it releases in October.

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A beautifully wide array for you this week. Also: affiliate links!

1. Somewhere Beyond The Sea by TJ Klune (Fantasy, Cosy/Family): September 10, 2024

2. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell (Fantasy, Magic, Action): September 10, 2024

3. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Thriller): September 10, 2024

4. Fall Into Temptation by Lucy Score (Romance): September 10, 2024

5. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (Women’s Fiction): September 10, 2024

6. Vilest Things by Chloe Gong (Fantasy): September 10, 2024

7. Sleep Tight by JH Markert (Horror): September 10, 2024

8. Never Date The Minister by Julia Kent (Romance): September 10, 2024

9. The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin (Historical Fiction): September 10, 2024

10. The Examiner by Janice Hallett (Thriller): September 10, 2024

Books I’ve compiled from mainly the NYT Bestsellers List, but also the B&N Top 100 and Amazon Bestsellers in no particular order. I’ve decided to simply add the books I haven’t before, since I’ve caught up to the new additions. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.

1. Daydream by Hannah Grace (Romance)

2. The Dark Wives by Ann Cleaves (Mystery)

3. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand (Romance, Mystery)

This author will always hold a special place in my heart because I share her books with my grandmother. Let’s chat about Liane Moriarty.

via lianemoriarty.com.au

Oh my gosh I love her!! This woman is absolutely hilarious, and I highly encourage you to explore her website and about page. Liane grew up in Sydney Australia as the oldest of six children. While she wrote in her childhood, she went to university for a marketing degree. She worked corporate for awhile as well as freelance, before her sister announced she had written a YA novel. Liane immediately wrote her own novel (if you have siblings, you get it), only for it to be rejected by everyone. She enrolled in a Masters program where she wrote her first published piece, Three Wishes. You might have heard of The Husband’s Secret, which became a bestseller internationally, as well as Big Little Lies which became a TV series that won Emmy’s.

Of the six children in their family, three girls are authors. Liane herself lives in Sydney with her family and Labrador. While she is incredibly funny, she also loves coffee, skiing, and her friends and family.

You can learn more on her website or her Instagram.

Just a reminder to comment any recommendations or email me: thesundayreads@gmail.com!

1. Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross

   1. A stand alone fantasy about sisters. Rebecca never ceases to blow me away with her beautiful writing and unique magical settings. It took a moment for me to get into this book, but wow. Once I did, it really emphasizes the love between sisters versus the dispute between magic versus the ordinary, the balance of grief and found family, the costs of magic. Beautiful.

That’s all for today. Much love

Izzy