August Books

It’s definitely the hot, sticky days of summer, but reading inside is the best way to avoid that outside stuff. 😉 Here’s what I’ve been reading…

–Marissa

The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters was an audiobook listen, and I’ll be honest, it’s didn’t really grab my attention nor keep it, and I can now barely remember the plot, other than it taking place in the rich section of Lagos.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett was hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. Her writing is just so gentle and transportive and atmospheric, and I loved the timeline switches from the present day, when mother Lara is telling her three daughter’s about her summer spent at Tom Lake drama camp while they are harvesting in Michigan’s orchards during the COVID lockdown, to the past, when Lara is a budding actress filled with drama, insight, love, longing and loss. There’s no way to adequately sum up the plot, but simply to encourage everyone to dive in, stay a while, and be transported into this world. This was everything I needed, and I loved it.

Under the Influence by Noelle Crooks is one of those “car crash you can’t look away from” novels where young, broke, idealistic Harper spontaneously applies for and is given an elite job with a high-level influencer who lives in Nashville. What follows is exactly what you expect – the weirdness of the influencer’s “world” and demands, overwork, drama, an office romance, and a spectacular downfall. This was some thinly veiled Rachel Hollis territory (Crooks used to work for her!) right down to the pre-meeting dance parties, and I was here for it.🙂

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda was an audiobook listen and, like, it was fine. Seven people reunite every year because they survived a trauma together a decade ago, but then one of them commits suicide before the meet up. The write-up of this called it “propulsive”… um, that was not my vibe. It was… fine.

The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner was just what I needed… a return to Weiner’s winning combo of romance, women’s issues, fun and flirtiness, personal growth and a satisfying ending. This time, our heroine is Abby, who doesn’t have it all figured out, but takes a breather from life by leading a two-week bike tour across New York State… only to find that one of her fellow riders is a one-night stand from a couple of years ago. This novel was sparkly, warm, serious at times, romantic and escapist… and made me want to grab my neglected bicycle.🙂

Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie was an audiobook listen, and I was intrigued by the premise of Kathleen taking a job as a professional cuddler while also navigating her sticky relationship with her mother Marissa. Mix in some cultural background, a fraught mother-daughter relationship, an awkward cuddlee, a wedding and mid-life angst, and you have this book. It lost me on the second half (a rat, Vegas, etc.), but ’twas still okay.

The Traitor by Ava Glass is the sequel to the very fun Alias Emma, and we again go way, way undercover with British agent Emma Makepeace, this time as she tries to infiltrate a Russian oligarch’s yacht to find out who he is selling weapons to. Filled with tension, wealth, stealth and secrets, I tore through this one, rooting for Emma all the way!