What I Read in August
We’ve had a wild ride here this August. Heat waves, wildfires, and smoke have made us stay indoors, and you’d think that’d make for some steady reading time, but I found myself still too anxious to sit still and read for very long.
I’ve leaned heavily on audiobooks this year to still keep my love of books alive while keeping myself physically busy. It’s actually been a great distraction from pandemic anxiety.
Anyway, these are the books I’ve enjoyed this August! All shop links go to a black-owned bookshop.
Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
4.5/5 Stars
A young black woman is wrongly accused of kidnapping while babysitting a white child.
This storyline is so tightened and strong, I can honestly say there were no lags. Obviously it's topical for the events of racism and microaggressions (although when has racism not been topical for America?), but even beyond that, this is just straightforwardly an excellent novel.
The opening scene was expertly rendered and infuriating, and as the plot progresses, everyone's behavior just gets worse and worse in the most delicious way. I empathized for Emira's jaded attitude about racism, like it's just something she has to live with and isn't worth the hassle and discomfort of fighting, when she's just trying to go on with her life. In the end she does find redemption, and I love that Reid came to the conclusion in a nuanced way that I wasn't expecting.
Even as a non-Black reader, I was able to relate to Emira's identity as a young woman struggling to be taken seriously, to take herself seriously, and kickstart her career path. A fun age indeed...
The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning
3/5 Stars
A jewelry historian investigates a legendary treasure and discovers her personal connection to it.
This book shows its research, so much so that it is actually about a woman who is researching the jewels. In some ways, this is a good thing: there is an abundance of details describing the jewels, which is fun to read, but in other ways, the research feels like it constricts the plot. As a historical fiction reader, I want to feel absorbed in that historical time period, but instead with this book, I just felt like a companion to the main character who is conducting research in the present day. I would have preferred more depth to the historical scenes, and I never felt like I spent enough time in the past with this book.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
4/5 Stars
Set around the 2008 financial crisis, multiple lives are woven together: the head of a Ponzi scheme loses grip, estranged half siblings circle each other’s lives, and more.
I have a lot to say about this book. On the one hand, the structure annoyed me to no end. Scattered, hard to follow, and at times unnecessarily convoluted. On the other hand, I loved this book, and it's exactly the kind of book I enjoy in terms of content and tone.
Starting with the pros: this is a book that is incredibly rich with meaning, plot strings that tie people together in unexpected ways, and just so much depth to the plot. Symbolism is everywhere. It has the same tone as Station Eleven of impending doom, but with a weird slow and beautiful quality to it. Things are obviously going south right off the bat in multiple ways, but the book is not so concerned with righting them but rather seeing how characters deal with hardships.
I loved that this book is truly unique; I can't put it in a box or compare it to any other book besides Station Eleven. It is the first book in a long while that has me thinking so much about it after reading. Definitely unforgettable.
Now for cons:
I can't even describe to someone what this book is about. I can't say who the main character is. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and indeed the same can be said about some of my favorite books of all time, but I do find it a detriment to a book because it makes me feel held at arm's length from the story. I can honestly say I didn't connect with any character personally.
The structure jumps all over the place. This wouldn't be so bad if there were just a little more effort in transitioning, like having character A's section end with character B walking in, so you can at least get a sense of how these characters relate to each other. Instead, it's like we're transported to an entirely different book when a new part begins. The new character has no context with what came before it, and obviously eventually the ends are tied, but it just makes for a lurching effect, and important details get lost in the scuffle as I try to orient myself with every new story arc. The only saving grace for me is that the disjointed structure does echo thematically; characters' lives are disjointed, huge rifts happen between characters, and at the very least, the structure fits that. But I do wonder if those themes would be any lesser if the story were told linearly. Was the jumping necessary? I'm not convinced.
The setting of the glass hotel wasn't entirely fulfilling to me, other than the symbolism of glass for seeing through people and for the fragility of appearances. Besides that, I didn't get a huge sense that this hotel was a meaningful place, as much of the story takes place away from it.
I have to say the sentence craft is just phenomenal, and I'm adding Emily St. John Mandel to my favorite authors list! I look forward to rereading this one someday, and I have a feeling I'll be bumping this review up to 5 stars.
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
3.5/5 Stars
Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh asks her to be her bridesmaid.
I enjoyed the first half of this book, but then it takes a turn I was not really prepared for, and the denouement was ultimately deflating.
It starts out strong; I like Daphne's character and her struggles with body acceptance, really relatable and easy to root for. I also like the main question of the book, which is, can people change/should you forgive people who have wronged you? The novel has a lot more substance than your typical beach read.
Halfway through, the plot takes a turn so out of left field; the book jacket doesn't even hint at it, but it's a major shift, like changing-genres shift. It ultimately kept my interest still, but it was just jarring.
Then when secrets finally come out at the end, they are exposed through really long passages of a character just explaining everything. No matter how juicy the details are that they're telling, it's still really boring to just listen to a character talk with zero action and for so many pages. I found myself wanting to just get the book over with in the end. In short, this book has a great setup and build, but ending for me fell flat in execution.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
4/5 Stars
A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge to write a book in each other’s genres.
A solid romance, and as someone who doesn't regularly read the genre, I think this one appeals to everyone. The setup was interesting, the relationship was believable, and it had heart in the end. There wasn't really a lull either, so overall a solid summer read.
Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
4/5 Stars
Set around the time of emancipation, a slave mother and daughter have equal expertise in healing and conjuring curses.
The writing is lush and gorgeous, lyrical and praiseworthy. The imagery is remarkable. Characters are diverse and complex, fully developed. This is definitely a standout book. However, I had trouble following the plot at times. It jumps around in time and switches points of view. Sometimes events felt random and not like they were leading one to the other. But overall, this was an amazing read.
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang
3/5 Stars
Set at the end of the California gold rush, two orphaned Chinese immigrants try to survive and discover their parents’ history in this land.
I really wanted to love this book because there are some really genius elements, but most of the time I had trouble figuring out what was even going on. I was asking questions as broad as "where even are we?" But there were some excellent passages, especially the part narrated by the father (5 stars!) and the backstory of the mother. In my opinion, the ending felt rushed, and overall the beautiful writing's downfall was being too abstract at times so as to lose the plot.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
4.5 stars
Set in the 90s and in the South, a women’s book club protects their community from a newcomer whom they suspect is a vampire.
This horror novel was on par with any Stephen King novel in my opinion. It really goes there in terms of darkness and squirmy discomfort. The pacing was solid: a definite page turner. Excellent sense of the 90s, the nuclear family, the gender roles. There was also a great deal of humor, which helped balance out the squirmy parts. Really enjoyable read.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
3/5 Stars
On the eve that corporate lawyer and perfectionist Dannie gets engaged, she has a very vivid dream of waking up in an apartment with another man. Five years later, she meets the man—and it’s her best friend’s boyfriend.
This book was enjoyable, but I wish it were a little deeper with the relationships. I would not call this a romance because neither of the two romantic interests seem that developed. It is more a story about female friendship, but even that felt undercooked. There were definitely emotional moments, but overall I just found myself wanting more from this very short read.
