Hello, friends, and happy September! Fall is definitely on the way, but before I settle in with autumnal reading, here's a quick wrap-up of my August books.
August was a good reading month for me. I only read four books, but they were all winners. Two were backlist titles from favorite authors, one was a classic reread (a long annotated edition this time) and I enjoyed one popular new release.
Books Read in August
Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout
literary fiction, I'm an Elizabeth Strout completist! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The House on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman
literary fiction, a favorite author, backlist ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Annotated Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard
classic, reread, MMD Austen in August ⭐⭐⭐⭐
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
contemporary fiction, new release ⭐⭐⭐⭐
September Reading Possibilities
Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki
World Lit Digital PBC, in translation (completed)
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Volume 1 by Beth Brower
historical fiction, buddy read project, (completed)
This Motherless Land by Nikki May
MMD September selection (in progress)
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén
literary fiction, in translation, new release
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
reread, literary fiction
No More Tears: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson by Gardiner Harris
nonfiction, read/listen combination
I finished the two short books already, so my September reading is already off to a good start. What was your favorite August book? What are you looking forward to reading this month?
What did you end up thinking of Emma M Lion??? It looks like you are off to a great start with you September reading!
ReplyDeleteCindy - I thought the Emma Lion book was a lot of fun! I'm going to *try* and wait until October 1 to start Volume 2. My library has the audio editions available through hoopla, but I kind of want to treat myself to the colorful paperbacks!
DeleteI hope you will tell us some of those dark secrets of Johnson & Johnson!
ReplyDeleteMae - Definitely! This book sounds like my kind of nonfiction reading.
DeleteIve been wanting to read the Summer Storm book!
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila, good to see you! These Summer Storms was a fun summer read... great family dysfunction and a romance, too.
DeleteI hadn't heard of When the Cranes Fly South, but it seems to have my name written all over it! :) In August I loved Barbara Pym's Excellent Women and Charlotte Woods' Stone Yard Devotional. I continue reading Louise Penny's Detective Gamache books in order, and they just keep getting better.
ReplyDeleteAmy - When the Cranes Fly South is an IndieNext selection and I just bought a copy at our local indie. It'll be up next. Excellent Women is my favorite Barbara Pym novel (probably time for a reread!) and Stone Yard Devotional has been on and off my tbr list more times than I can count! I think it's available on hoopla, so should just give it a try...
DeleteI call that an excellent reading month. I shall look for your five-star read and see if it resonates as well with me.
ReplyDeleteI am very curious about No More Tears.
Deb - As a retired hospital pharmacist, No More Tears is right up my alley. Sounds like a great read!
DeleteI am glad that you enjoyed all of your August reads!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erin. Think I did a good job choosing my books last month:)
DeleteYes. I also have When Craves fly South on my radar and of course Lily King has a new novel coming out, yay! Good for you on the reread. Happy September!
ReplyDeleteSusan - I don't think Heart the Lover is a sequel, but my understanding is that it's somehow related to Writers & Lovers. I really enjoyed that book and have borrowed the audio for a reread. Hope I'll get to it!
DeleteIt's always a good month when you are enjoying your books. August sounds like a great month for you. Hope September is a good one too. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne. I was glad that the book choices were all good last moonth.
DeleteWhat beautiful flowers! We've hit the point of summer where everything just looked baked but it's starting to cool down. Wonderful books! I'm curious about The House on Fripp Island. I'll have to look at that one. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - The flowers are starting to look a little withered and ratty, but the mums and a few other plants will be blooming soon. I love fall! The House on Fripp Island is two families on a beach vacation for a week... lots of drama and someone drowns! I thought it was great, but the goodread ratings are surprisingly low.
DeleteI'm a big fan of the Emma M. Lion books. Bowers can't write the next one too soon for me. Happy September! :D
ReplyDeleteLark - I thought Emma M. Lion was so much fun! Ended up treating myself to the colorful paperback collection of Volumes 1-7 and it makes me happy just to see them on my shelf. I'm doing a buddy reading project and we're trying to read one per month, but sticking to the schedule is turning out to be hard!
DeleteWhat a great month of reading! I also liked These Summer Storms and the Fripp Island book also sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I think Rebecca Kauffman is a great writer! She has a new novel coming out this winter called The Reservation which I'm already looking forward to.
DeleteI think I saw a Lily King book on another blog, looks like an author I would try. Thanks for your comment and I can't believe it's been 3 months here either! Now a tank of gas lasts me almost 4 weeks. Before I was filling up every 5 or 6 days. It's wonderful.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite August book is a toss up between the nonfiction The Day the World Came to Town and the Australian book Wild Dark Shore. Couldn't put them down.
I suppose you are headed back to Florida now. Have a safe trip!
Tina - There are some big advantages living in town. Our place in CT is the more walkable than anywhere we've ever lived and I love that. I remember loving The Day the World Came to Town. It's the most uplifting book about 9/11 I've ever read. The author still writes for the Miami Herald. All my siblings are having a 90th birthday party for my parents in November, so we'll stay up here at least that long.
DeleteMother Nature is teasing us here in Southern California with slightly cooler temperatures, but it will start getting warmer again soon enough. Fall weather doesn't come this way and stay until about mid to late October here. I am glad you had a good reading month in August. I really need to read Mansfield Park. I hope you enjoy your September reading and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteWendy - Mansfield Park is my least favorite Austen novel and I get the feeling only diehard Austen fans actually read it. Glad you're getting a little taste of cooler weather... hope it lasts a bit longer.
DeleteI liked Writers and Lovers, but I confess that I couldn't tell you a single thing about it without looking at my post on it!
ReplyDeleteI love the title and cover of When the Cranes Fly South. I will have to check into that one.
JaneGS - I don't remember much about Writer & Lovers either, but the beginning of the audio does sound familiar. Hoping to start When the Cranes Fly South by the weekend... it's got a great cover!
DeleteHow can it be that we are almost halfway thru September?! I'm looking forward to being an Elizabeth Strout completist. Almost there! Same with Maggie O'Farrell and Barbara Kingsolver. Nice to have goals, right? Since we're on the road (currently in Bodega Bay), I'm not doing much in the way of reading. I don't look forward to the rainy season, but I do get more reading in during the winter months, so there's that. Enjoy your fall weather. We had sun, fog and rain this week in California, with temps in the 60s. Pretty much like Oregon!
ReplyDeleteLes - I can't believe we're nearly halfway through September! We're up in central NY this week with my parents, so there hasn't been much reading here either. The weather has been picture-perfect all week and it's beautiful seeing trees with just a hint of the fall colors coming soon.Today we are meeting my best friend from college and her husband for lunch at a brewery in our old town. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip and there will be plenty of time to read later!
DeleteInteresting reads for September
ReplyDeleteMystica - They're shaping up to be very good so far!
DeleteGood to hear what you've been up to, JoAnn. I'm finally commenting a bit on blogs. Have been busy since we got back from vacation, but I do intend to start posting again soon. Lots of family stuff for us this month. Like your flower picture above. I thought I would get some wildflower shots when we were in Yellowstone, but not too many. Most flowers seemed to be fading out. Ah well. Eventually I'll get some pictures posted. Have a good weekend!
ReplyDeleteKay - Now that we're heading into fall, it's good to get back to familiar routines and schedules. We're in central NY now visiting my parents, but next week we'll settle back into 'normal' life, too. Look forward to hearing about your summer adventures and reading.
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