August is my favourite month as I usually find some kind of excuse to spread my birthday celebration for days, if not weeks! For my birthday this year I indulged myself in writing a list with 34 things I would love to do over the year! I’m intrigued to see how much I will be able to tick off and what I might put off (running 5k lol).
The weather picked up again and this summer felt like it has lasted forever, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be layered in knitwear, wrapped in a blanket drinking copious cups of tea. I’ve seen a lot of people pining for autumn clothes. But that is not me!
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I honestly read so much in August, I have no idea how it happened. After a few months of not really picking up actual books and focusing on mainly ebooks and audio I found myself in bookshops and creating a Sunday evening habit of curling up with a paperback.
Medusa by Jessie Burton- I chose this as a possible read along with subscribers. Whilst I enjoyed Burtons adaptation and the fact it was under 300 pages I did feel that the book was a little lacking. Not to pit two books against each other but I do much prefer Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes as it felt a little bit more gritty. Medusa was a nice book and the dialogue between characters was written very well. I definitely felt empathy for Medusa, but I’m not sure whether Burton’s writing caused this or because I’m familiar with her tragedy.
I’ve actually really enjoyed a whole selection of greek myths recently and have posted about this here. Summer feels like the perfect time to indulge in mythology.
Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami - I previously thought that this book might be nominated for the booker prize, however since finishing I can understand why it didn’t. I fell for the hype for the first half of the book but as I got into it more I found myself picking it apart or not feeling as moved or angered as I wanted to. Don’t get me wrong it is a good book and I did enjoy it but I also felt that it lacked much character growth or development from the protagonist Sara, she fell on the page fully formed which I didn’t dislike but it didn’t give the chance for her to go much further. Or alternatively I would have liked it to have had a shared POV with her husband who’s world suddenly changes when she is detained. This could have been an added voice to juxtapose Sara’s situation. A good book but I feel it misses a punch.
Fair Play by Louise Hegarty I am shocked that this has such a terrible rating on Goodreads, 2.84! I’m not sure whether the people leaving 1* reviews missed the point or whether I just took a total different meaning to the book. Abigail is a slight control freak (think Monica in friends) who throws a NYE murder mystery birthday party for her brother Benjamin every year. This year is different as the next day Benjamin is found dead in his room. The novel then splits into two, one where Abigail hires detective Auguste Bell, a parody of Poirot. he goes on to explain the rules of a murder mystery novel setting out who could and could not be the murderer. The other side of the novel is Abigails grief, how she has to go on living. Her anger at everything continuing despite her brother being dead. My take on the book was that Bell was not real, that he was a figure of Abigails imagination to help her blame someone else for Benjamins death when in fact she blamed herself for not spotting his depression, for not being able to save him. I listened to this on audio, which wasn't great with the inconsistencies of accents. Maybe reading the novel left more room for interpretation. Essentially I need someone else to read this to exchange notes!
Dr No by Percival Everett I’m not afraid to admit I’m not sure I entirely understood what was going on throughout this book. I want to say it’s about a supervillain, who wants to be a Bond villain, but essentially a series of chaotic events. I don’t even know how one goes about writing something like this in a punchy short novel. I loved the humour and constant play on the word nothing which was often confused with the mathematic professors focus “nothing.” It’s genius, without taking itself too seriously. It’s my second Everett novel and for sure not my last!
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado This was a classic case of picking up and putting down this book until the time was right. I’m so glad I waited until now to read it. A queer memoir toxic and abusive relationship told in second person in short and precise chapters. Some as short as one sentence. It was enjoyable but it also felt as if she built a bit of a barrier between herself and the reader.
The Boy from The Sea by Garret Carr I loved how this book was written in first person as a collective we of the villagers from Donegal Ireland. They tell the account of Ambrose a fisherman who adopts a boy who he names Brandon who was left by the sea. It is so beautifully and delicately written following the life of Brandon, his adoptive father and brother. The complexities of relationships, belonging and identity.
The Wager: A tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
Something a little different to my usual book. After my husband read this he raved about it so much that I put on hold at the library. Since reading I’ve even bought it as a gift for someone.
Narrative non fiction I have decided is my favourite way to consume and absorb non fiction. I find when it is told in a narrative manor it stops being too formulaic and instead for me comes alive!
Grann effortlessly tells the story of The Wager, a British warship which set sail in 1741. He paints the picture of how the Navy pulled a mish mash of men to reach the bare minimum crew to set sale. There were men in their 70s (which in 1741 might as well be 90yo) as well as boys, one as young as 14.
He brings the story alive giving the reader a true sense of daily life, how dangerous it was. I mean I knew it wasn’t a glamorous affair. But from the get go the reader gets the feeling something big is going to go wrong.
As it says in the title, it’s a story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder. Not only that but it feels like a mix of Hunger Games and Castaway. Get ready to learn some interesting facts, like where the phrase “turn a blind eye” comes from. But also be ready for the descriptions of Scurvy to sit under your skin.
The narrative style helps the story come alive. I did feel the last 5th of the book was a little unnecessary, post the aftermath and the drama it felt that it could have ended. But as a whole it was an extremely engaging and effortless read.
More narrative fiction that’s been recommended to me and I plan to check out:
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
August really felt like the month of two halves, the sunny one and the stormy. I also love how the month seems to drag on forever. Reminding you to savour what you can of summer. As, before we know it there will be weeks of rain, dark mornings and summer will be a distant memory.
I started a subscription with Apple TV. Although I didn’t really watch much this month I did really enjoy Stick I’m not really a huge sports fan. To the point I don’t watch or partake in any. It was my husband who chose this for us to chill out to. I really enjoyed it. The casting was really great and despite being about golf, possibly one of the most boring sports it was engaging and fun. Owen Wilson, of course just played himself but the characters all worked together. The show leaned on some typical tropes but it also didn’t try to be something fancy.
I also watched the first half of Wednesday on Netflix. I’m confused to the choices made that led to Wednesday being released in the summer and not in October? I found season 2 so far fine. But I’m really hoping the second half picks up in one way or another.
As previously mentioned it was my birthday in August. This year I was blessed with finding a grey hair (thanks kids) great food, a good book, cocktails, family and friends. We also got childcare headed into the New Forest and went for a long walk followed by a very long lunch/dinner at my favourite place The Pig.
Then for the bank holiday we had a little weekend get away to the Lake District one of my favourite places in the UK! We ate ice cream, threw rocks into the lake and actually managed to hike up a mountain with two little ones in toe. I’m thinking of creating a couple of itinerary posts of some of my favourite places. Let me know if you’d be interested!
I’m worried September will bring the blues once I’m ready to say goodbye to Summer.
I totally agree with everything you said about The Dream Hotel.
A belated happy birthday!
Nice roundup - it's refreshing to see more honest and less overly positive reviews. I see some reviewers giving 5 stars to everything they read, but with your more discerning writeups, I feel less pressure to add to my TBR.
However, I think you've convinced me to give The Wager a go. I see it all the time just staring at me in bookshops, saying 'buy me!' One of my reading resolutions this year was to give audiobooks more of a go, but I've struggled with them.
Highly recommend The Warmth of Other Suns, though it's not exactly light reading. If you want some exhilarating non-fiction narrative, and it sounds like it might be similar to The Wager, check out Long Lost Log: Diary of a Virgin Sailor my Mick Chapman. It was a highly entertaining adventure and I'm eager to read the sequel.