What I Read The First Part Of August

The first part of August I was reading on my Kobo in Saskatchewan. I took out books that I had wanted to read for awhile or, books that I had out from the library in physical form and could get immediately as an e-book. Thus my reading for the first part of August was a little eclectic! This was also the blog post where I didn't realize that some of the books I was reading were non-fiction. Ooops.

I actually finished this book in July and forgot to include it in my July reading. I broke the book down into chunks and read a chunk every day. This is a very academic book and I probably need to read it again as I know I didn't take everything in. However, this is a good book to have read, even if it is a struggle to read. I currently have Stamped (for kids) out from the library for my kids to read because the ideas in this book are something we all need to know, and talk about.

This is a fictional account of Winston Churchill's wife. This book made me want to know more about Clementine Churchill. From the impression I got from this book, I think she would have made an excellent politician in her own right. And she definitely fought for the rights of women, especially during World War II. While this book doesn't focus solely on WWII, it definitely covers it. I also like how it openly addressed Clementine Churchill's mental health struggles.

I read this book in one sitting. I CANNOT imagine spending 31 years on death row for a crime I hadn't committed, especially a crime where I clearly could not have committed it. This book was so engaging, I started reading it at 10:30pm and, before I knew it, I had finished it (and it was 2am). Ooops. Be warned though -- it is hard to put down.

After reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, I checked out almost every book of his I could get from our library. One thing I don't like about my Kobo is that I don't have a "blurb" of the book to read so I just jump right in and don't know what the book is about. After about three chapters of reading, I thought, "Is this book non-fiction?" Yes, yes it is. It's a very real account of Haig's struggle with depression. It is beautiful and I think everyone should read it.

 

This was a fun rom-com and I already have the second book in the series on my TBR. This was just a feel good book.

This is another one I didn't realize was non-fiction until after I'd finished reading it and was doing some Google research on it. I found this on a list of "Books to read instead of American Dirt." It was a good book, with hard stories, but I wish I'd realized it was an autobiography. Again, the hazards of reading on my Kobo :(

This book was just really fun. Another love story about opposites attracting. There were moments which made me cry (but I might have been overtired as it was another late night read) and moments which made me laugh. There's another book coming in this series and you can count on me checking it out.

 

Kate Quinn is back to her The Alice Network best in this book. I LOVED The Alice Network, did not enjoy The Huntress, so was wary of having too high expectations for this book. Honestly, this might be one of my favourite books I've read this year. It was soooo good!!! And since it focused around Bletchley Park, you can count on the fact that I've picked up some non-fiction about code breaking, Enigma, and Bletchley Park to continue that theme. I really think the best books send you down paths you weren't expecting.

I started this book before we went on vacation and just couldn't finish it. It's a fun book but didn't suck me in and I was okay to finish the last sixty pages once we got home. This would be a good beach read and I did like the story of female friendships. However, almost every female ends up with a male love interest so you know... predictable.

Sometimes JD Robb's In Death books can be a bit formulaic, which is why I love them. And then sometimes, she writes one which has depth and a gripping story line and you realize why she is such a good storyteller. If you are an In Death fan, be prepared for a GREAT book in this one. I thought the story was really good and I didn't want to put it down.

I picked up this novel because another blogger was reading it and it looked interesting. In short -- I loved it and read it in one day. It was a weekend and I just kept sneaking away to read it. This book made me want to walk from London to The Canterbury Cathedral with a group of women and hear their stories. This was such an unexpected surprise of a book in the best way.

I didn't know Alex Gino had more books out until Sam showed this to me at the library. "Hey Mommy, here's another book by that author." We both read it and I really liked this one. I really want Gino to write more books about pre-teens exploring their gender/sexual identity. I liked that while this book had some of the same characters as George, it was a fresh story.

So that's what I read the first half of August. My last half of August books are coming on Friday (I hope) and let's just say, with not being on vacation, and working full-time, I have not read near as many books. Oh well.