7 Books I Read in August
7 Books I Read in August
By: Brittany Shields
There are four new releases in this bunch! All in different genres.
Now that two of my kids are in school again, I have to figure out my new routine each day. But don’t worry, I won’t forget to pencil in my reading time!
August tends to be the start of new things. Maybe you can fit in more reading time or learn something new from a non-fiction book that interests you.
I will always be an advocate for reading— I hope I can inspire you to read even one book this school year.
If you want to keep up with what I’m reading, get other book recommendations, play book-related games, and see when I’m offering book giveaways, follow me on my Facebook page!
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Spotlight of the Month:
I Remember You by Brian Freeman
If you’ve followed me for any amount of time you’ve probably seen me recommend Brian Freeman’s books. While I did read one of his earlier books and didn’t like it, most of his books are great thrillers!
This is his latest and is a standalone novel!
These days it’s hard for me to find books that I don’t figure out, but this ending actually surprised me. So of course we need to showcase it!
Read it for yourself and see if you can figure it out.
Thanks for checking in and enjoy your next book :)
1. Heir of Blood and Secrets by Linda Xia
Genre: YA/Dystopian
“The Castle might be home to the wealthiest and most powerful people in Devovea, but it’s also home to the nosiest. Secrets are the currency here, where nothing is as simple as it seems.”
This is a YA dystopian murder mystery.
The author specifically wanted to write a story that pushed back against the trope that heroes were ‘appointed’ and that characters can just decide to be heroes.
She also wanted to portray a strong female lead that can be both powerful and wear dresses. Strength doesn’t mean you have to be masculine.
This isn’t a hard-hitting thriller but the series has potential. Read my full review for a plot summary and what I did/didn’t like within the story.
2. I Remember You by Brian Freeman
Genre: Psychological Thriller
“You’d think that once you die, things can’t really get much worse, but oh no, you’d be wrong. That was when my nightmare began.”
This is a stand alone psychological thriller.
Hallie ‘dies’ but is resuscitated only to start seeing visions of a murder and knowing things about places she’s never been.
The subtitle for this book should be ‘I see dead people.’ Because Hallie, our protagonist, seems to have a hobby of witnessing murders.
There were a couple things that kept this book from being 5 stars, see full review, but overall it was a pretty good read with an ending I surprisingly didn’t figure out.
Would recommend, from Las Vegas to Boston, it’s a wild ride!
(Also see review for trigger warnings)
This book just released August 9, 2022. You can use my affiliate link below to order.
3. On the Road with Saint Augustine: A Real-World Spirituality for Restless Hearts by James K.A. Smith
Genre: Non-Fiction
“The heart’s hunger is infinite, which is why it will ultimately be disappointed with anything merely finite. Humans are those strange creatures who can never be fully satisfied by anything created— though that never stops us from trying.”
“On the road, you’re always already following somebody. The question is: Who are you following and where are they headed?”
James K. A. Smith has written this book because he believes Augustine’s story is all of our stories. Augustine has experienced the restlessness of the road, the pain of failure, the loneliness of achievement. He has asked the questions and ultimately he found his way home.
This is not a biography of Saint Augustine. Smith uses Augustine’s writings (like his Confessions) as a guide for us to traverse through a variety of topics like freedom, ambition, sex, mothers, fathers, friendship, enlightenment, identity, justice, and death.
We encounter questions like- What is freedom? What is authenticity? Why do we fear death? Who are we?
This is a book to challenge us in our journeys. To look at the road we are on, to ponder who we are following, to consider where we are going, and to honestly ask ourselves where ‘home’ is.
Read my full review to see what my favorite chapters were and read some more quotes.
4. The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Genre: Mystery
“It’s a strange thing when you consider that the dead on this island far outnumber the living.”
The back of the book reads: “The bride. The plus one. The best man. The wedding planner. The bridesmaid. All have a secret. All have a motive. But only one is a murderer.”
A celebrity-caliber wedding is happening on an isolated, perhaps haunted island. The entire book takes place between two days. The day before the wedding through the wedding night.
Someone is murdered and the killer is among them.
This is a very popular book but didn’t live up to the hype for me. For me it was just average.
Read my full review for a cast of characters, what turned me off, and a few trigger warnings.
5. Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity by Neil Shenvi
Genre: Non-Fiction/Apologetics
“Christianity . . . , if false, is of no importance, and, if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.” — C.S. Lewis
Why should you believe Christianity?
Maybe you think it’s foolish. Maybe you’ve encountered questions you don’t have answers for and it’s caused you to doubt everything you’ve been told. Maybe you’ve been hurt by someone who was or claimed to be a Christian. Maybe you’re deterred by all religions. Maybe you just really don’t care. Maybe you do believe but you don’t really know why.
This is a really good book for those who question the truthfulness or goodness of Christianity or outright object to it. It’s also for people who are Christians but are finding themselves wondering if it makes sense anymore.
Neil Shenvi (PhD, University of California, Berkeley) has worked as a research scientist at Yale University and Duke University and has published over thirty peer-reviewed papers.
He addresses all the most common topics, questions, and objections, framing both sides of the arguments in a fair and balanced way. He is quick to acknowledge where arguments are taken too far or when we come to a place of mystery.
His writing style and use of logic, tables, and analogies make this a very understandable apologetics book and will be one of my top recommendations now for that topic.
Read my full review to see more of the specific questions he addresses in his book and a link to further resources.
This book just released May, 2022. You may use my affiliate link below to purchase a copy.
6. We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu
Genre: Memoir
“I became more than just a comic book character— I became a part of an idea that everyone deserves to see themselves as superheroes, as the leads of their own stories.”
“This book tells the story of an immigrant dream that is shared by tens of millions of families… who continue to fight every day for their happy ending.”
Every superhero has an origin story, right?
Simu Liu is Marvel’s Shang-Chi, kung-fu master.
Liu was also in a lesser known Canadian show called Kim’s Convenience (which is on Netflix and should definitely be watched).
This book is the story of how he went from living with his grandparents in China to finding himself in arguably the largest cinematic universe in existence.
This was an entertaining read, although it won’t provide much in the way of behind-the-scenes info on his show or movie.
Check out my full review for some other comments and details about his book
This book just released May, 2022. You may use my affiliate link below to purchase a copy.
7. Dune: The Graphic Novel, Book 2: Muad’Dib by: Brian Herbert (Adaptor), Kevin J. Anderson (Adaptor)
Genre: Graphic Novel/Sci-Fi
How you dune?
If I could describe this book in one word it would be: dry.
Okay but seriously. I’m mature and you can trust me.
So I saw the first Dune movie and since I don’t have the dedication to read the original series, I decided to try the next best thing: the graphic novels. I reviewed the first graphic novel HERE.
The next movie isn’t coming out until next year so I obviously had to read this because I’m impatient. (Even though I 100% won’t remember any of it by the time I see the movie.)
Read my full review for some things I found funny, some pictures of inside the book, and everything else you could possibly need to know about this book.
This book just released in August, 2022. You may use my affiliate link below to purchase a copy.
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