Searching for some bookspiration? Check out everything I read in August 2023 ... from thrillers to historical fiction, family dramas, speculative fiction, and more, there is something here for everyone!
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After a slower reading month in July, I found a lot more time to read in August, and I'm so excited to share some amazing books with you!
The weather here in Texas has been truly abysmal this summer ... pretty much 100+ with no breaks all summer long (ugh). I'm beginning to wonder if I have reverse seasonal order. Thankfully, cooler weather (90s, but I'll take it) is on the horizon. All that time inside has meant more reading, so maybe that's the silver lining.
I ended up reading nine books this month, including three audiobooks. And two of those books were from favorite authors, which is always a plus.
My favorite book this month was Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai! This book follows the lives of three main characters before and after the Việt Nam War. I'd describe it as a cross between historical and literary fiction. I also loved reading Maame by Jessica George, which is totally different from Dust Child, but also amazing. It's more of a coming of age story, and my heart went out to the main character.
New Book Alert ... if you're looking for a compelling family drama, check out Better Left Unsaid by Tufayel Ahmed, which comes out on September 20! I read an advance copy of this book way back in March and rated it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, so you know I loved it! Check out my review here if you're intrigued, or purchase a copy at Amazon or Bookshop!
Did you read anything worth recommending this month? Make sure to let me know in the comments!
Books I Read in August 2023
I've included links for all of these books on Bookshop.org and Amazon so you can easily find them, as well as my ratings for each book (one star is lowest / five stars is highest).
Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta
A favorite character is all grown up (and still struggling) in Tracy Flick Can't Win! In this novel (a follow-up to the popular book / movie Election), Tracy Flick is still ambitious, but frustrated and under-appreciated in her job as assistant principal at a suburban high school. So when the school's principal announces his retirement, she's excited at the prospect of a long-overdue promotion. But nothing ever comes easy for Tracy, no matter how qualified she is or how hard she works. And as she juggles work responsibilities (and politics) with her personal life, she begins to question if she's as much of a shoo-in for the job as she thought.
Election was such a great book and movie, so I'm not sure why it took me a year to finally pick up Tracy Flick Can't Win! I listened to the audiobook, which was read by Lucy Liu (she did a wonderful job). This book has the same sharp humor that made Election so great. Tracy is at the heart of the story, and I felt like this book has a more nuanced (and perhaps more forgiving) perspective on her. There's also has a full cast of characters, each of whom brings a different viewpoint and their own personal issues to the story. A lot has changed since Election came out in 1998, and I liked how the story touched many current cultural issues. I loved the book, and I'm also super excited that it's being made into a moving starring Reese Witherspoon!
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
Discover an overlooked story of women’s heroism in World War II in Good Night, Irene! It's 1943, and Irene Woodward has just abandoned her abusive fiancé in New York and secretly enlisted in the Red Cross. During training, she meets quick-witted Dorothy Dunford. The fast friends are part of an elite group of women (nicknamed the Donut Dollies) who are headed to war's the front line, where they'll provide camaraderie, comfort, and a taste of home to American soldiers. After D-Day, the friends follow the Allied soldiers into France, where they're constantly faced with danger and traumatic circumstances. Through her friendship with Dorothy and her love affair with a fighter pilot, Irene learns to trust again. Her only hope is that they'll all survive the war.
Good Night, Irene was inspired by the Luis Alberto Urrea's mother and her service in the Red Cross during World War II, and it's a lovely tribute. I enjoyed learning for about this mostly forgotten chapter of history, and the challenges female Red Cross volunteers faced both during and after the war. The author did a great job capturing both the trauma of war, but also friendship and love. Irene and Dorothy were both memorable characters, and I loved their snappy dialogue. This book is perfect for anyone who loves historical fiction with strong female characters.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)
I Found You by Lisa Jewell
Past and present collide in I Found You! When single mom Alice Lake finds a man (who has no idea who he is, or how he got there) sitting on the beach outside her house in Ridinghouse Bay, she ignores her better judgement and invites him into her home. Meanwhile in London, Lily Montrose grows increasingly anxious when her husband fails to return home from work. She contacts the police, only to receive even worse news: the man she recently married doesn't exist. Twenty-three years earlier, teens Gray and Kirsty Ross are in Ridinghouse Bay for their family's annual summer vacation. The trip is uneventful until a young man starts paying attention to Kirsty, but there's something about him makes her older brother Gray uncomfortable.
I'm slowly making my way through Lisa Jewell's books, and this one did not disappoint (although none of her others have either, lol). This is one of those stories where you think you have it figured out, but of course things aren't quite as straightforward as they first seemed. As in all of the author's books, the characters are really well-developed. I enjoyed learning bits and pieces of each character's story as the novel progressed, which left me wondering how all the puzzle pieces were going to fit together. The narrator of the audiobook also did a great job.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)
A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey
If you enjoy family dramas, check out A Very Typical Family! Years ago, Natalie Walker made a snap decision that sent her older brother and sister to prison. Soon after, she moved to Boston and hasn't spoken to her family since. Fifteen years later, Natalie's boyfriend steals her dream job on the same day that she receives a letter from a lawyer. Her mother has died, leaving Natalie and her siblings the family's historic Santra Cruz house. However, they will only inherit the house if they all to return home and claim it together. With her personal and professional life in turmoil, Natalie drives cross-country, hoping to see her siblings and quickly sign the papers. Her sister Lynn arrives with her son, but their brother Jake is missing. As Natalie and her nephew search for Jake, she meets a handsome marine biologist who captures her heart, and she faces the guilt she's held onto for years. Can she salvage a relationship with her siblings after all this time?
I picked up this book, because it was a Big Library Read for July. The book's description makes it sound quite serious, and while it does deal with some heavy issues like domestic abuse and family estrangement, the tone is pretty light (it would be good vacation read). I enjoyed the storyline, and the main character was likable, but also a mess and not very self-aware. Sometimes the plot felt a little implausible, and the book occasionally veers toward cheesy. Overall though, I enjoyed it.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 out of 5 stars)
Maame by Jessica George
If you're looking for a poignant coming-of-age story, don't miss Maame! Maddie is stuck. Her overbearing mother spends most of her time in Ghana, leaving her alone to care for her father (who has advanced stage Parkinson's). At work, her boss is a nightmare, and she's the only Black person in every meeting. So when her mother returns home, Maddie seizes the opportunity to move out of the family home. She finds an flat share and finally starts living, saying yes to afterwork drinks, pushing for career recognition, and throwing herself into online dating. But when tragedy strikes, she must face her family's true nature and the perils (and rewards) of putting her heart on the line.
I loved this book, which is equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful! Maddie is such a compelling, lovable character, and the book deals with some serious issues (racism, mental health, and more). My heart ached for Maddie, whose family responsibilities have taken over her life. I found myself rooting for her as she stepped (awkwardly at times) into her new life, and finally found the confidence to stand up for herself at work and with her family.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5 stars)
The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis
A luxurious girls trip turns into a nightmare in The Chateau! Séraphine Demargelasse has invited her granddaughter Darcy and three best friends, who met while studying abroad in France twenty years ago, to her beautiful French estate ... and she has something important to tell them. Each woman has a secret reason for returning to the chateau, and after a wild birthday celebration, Séraphine is discovered murdered. Meanwhile, a mysterious Instagram account appears with snapshots of the friend's intimate moments at the chateau, and it threatens to expose more. As the four friends try to uncover Séraphine's killer, they begin to suspect one another.
I had mixed feelings about this book. First, I listened to the audiobook and had a little trouble keeping the characters straight, especially at first. The friends are all kind of whiny, entitled, and not overly sympathetic. It's also clear they'll not all as close as they once were. Second, while the story was interesting, but I felt it moved slowly, and I quickly predicted the killer. I did love the French backdrop though, and there was lots of drama and secrets, along with some surprising twists, that kept me listening.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3 out of 5 stars)
The Do-Over by Suzanne Park
A successful author heads back to school in The Do-Over! Lily Lee is a thirty-something, bestselling author who's on a tight deadline to finish her new book, How to Land the Perfect Job. But when she's offered a dream job at a top company, the employer's background check reveals that she's a few credits shy of completing her college degree. Lily returns to her alma mater to finish her degree, only to discover that her college boyfriend, Jake Cho, is now her computer science TA. Jake, who is working on his PhD, is even more handsome than Lily remembers. Will Lily lose her book deal and her reputation? And does she have a second chance at love?
I spotted The Do-Over while killing time at the airport, and I immediately added it to my TBR pile. Although it touches on serious issues (like mental health), this was a really cute, cozy, feel good book! The storyline focuses on Lily's journey, more so than the romance, which I enjoyed. At times, it did feel a little overly sweet and cheesy, but I liked all the characters and the back-to-school as an adult story.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)
Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
Difficult decisions made during the Việt Nam War have lasting implications in Dust Child! It's 1969 and Trang and Quỳnh are desperate to help their parents pay off debts. A friend convinces them to join her in Sài Gòn, where the sisters become bar girls, drinking, flirting, and more with American GI's in exchange for money. After meeting a charming American pilot, Trang is swept up into a romance. Decades later, Dan (an American veteran) returns to Việt Nam with his wife Linda, hoping to heal his PTSD and reckon with secrets from his past. Meanwhile, Phong (the orphaned son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman) searches for his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. He grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for his family in the U.S.
If you're interested in the Việt Nam War or a fan of historical fiction, you have to check this book out! The story travels between past and present, and it really takes a nuanced look at each character's actions during the war, as well as the war's lasting effects on both the Americans and the Northern and Southern Vietnamese people, who were on different sides of the conflict. Trang and Phong's stories are especially heartbreaking. I did think the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and perfectly, but overall, I love this book!
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 out of 5 stars)
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Take an unflinching look at the American prison system in Chain-Gang All-Stars! In the book, Criminal Action Penal Entertainment (CAPE) is a popular, controversial, and lucrative program in America’s private prison industry that turns prisoners into gladiators in exchange for the ultimate prize: their freedom. The prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches in crowded arenas. Fan favorites Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are teammates, lovers, and stars of the CAPE program. If all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, and as she prepares to leave, she considers how to preserve her follow Link's humanity. However, CAPE’s corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo, and the obstacles they lay in her path have devastating consequences.
I started this popular book in June, and unfortunately, my library loan ran out before I was done reading it ... I hate when that happens! Last week it finally became available again, and I was able to finish the book. This novel takes place in a dystopian future and has a large cast of characters and many important details, all of which I was already having a hard time keeping straight, so the break in reading definitely didn't help. The author does a great job at world building though, and if you know anything about our horrible American prison system, it doesn't seem all that far-fetched. Chain-Gang All-Stars is really dark and violent ... it's definitely not an "enjoyable" or "fun" read. In the end, I struggled with getting into this book (again the break didn't help), but I thought it was really well-written and tells an important story.
Order on Bookshop.org or Amazon | My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5 stars)
And that wraps up my August reads! Overall, it was great month of books ... I hope you found something new to read! Have you finished any of these novels, or did you read anything this month that you'd recommend? Let me know if the comments!
Looking for more great books? Check out everything I read in July 2023 and June 2023, plus this roundup of the best books I read in 2022 that I created for bookshop.org!
