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For the Love of Reading: August 2021

It’s the beginning of the month and that means it’s time to take a look back over what I read in August. While I didn’t read much at all in Iceland (although I did listen to an audiobook on the plane) I read a whole lot when I was on vacation on the Cape. I finished the month with only one square left on my Summer Book Bingo card.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I feel like this book is a mixed bag, the parts that are good (the whiteness of the publishing industry, microaggressions in the workplace, talking about diversity but not actually doing anything about it) are excellent and important topics. But the parts that are not so good (and I can’t really name them without giving things away) feel farcical and contrived. Now, perhaps that’s the author’s point. Or perhaps it just needed stronger editing. Either way, the ending is pretty brilliant and I do recommend reading it for the timeliness of the whole thing.
Bingo Square: About art/artists

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is quite different from anything I’ve read before and I learned a lot about transgender culture and lifestyle. The plot is pretty much all given away in the description of the book, so what you really get is a character study of 3 individuals and how they navigate relationships, friends, and family dynamics in a cisgender and transgender world.
Bingo square: An LGBTQIA+ author

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is just so charming. I loved the story-within-a-story parts as well as the main story. The who-done-it kept me guessing right until the end and the narrators of the audio version are terrific. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.
Bingo Square: a retelling

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A romance with a twist, as the main character is a woman with autism and the male is a hired escort. Even though you can see the ending coming right from the start, it’s worth reading for the sweet characters, tender backstory, and fresh perspective.
Bingo Square: an author with a disability

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is fabulous and so much more than a romance. It’s contemporary and sexy, with realistic portrayals of trauma, disabilities, and modern parenting. The character are fresh and witty and the plot is full of hope and humor. Highly recommended.
Bingo Square: month or day of the week in the title

The Winter Soldier by Daniel       Mason

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is excellent, from the writing to the storyline to the character development. It’s heartbreaking and brutal but also a story about love the possibility of redemption for our mistakes. Highly recommended.
Bingo Square: set in a different season

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I adored this final book in the Practical Magic series. Alice Hoffman writes beautifully of things, like flowers and herbs and bees and chocolate, and also people, with all of their flaws and dreams and hopes. And love. Love, which can end curses and bring people together and make the world an infinitely better place. Highly recommended. I was provided with a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
Bingo Square: already own

Why We Write About Ourselves by Meredith Maran

Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists on Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) in the Name of Literature by Meredith Maran
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Memoirs hurt people. Secrets hurt people. The question to ask yourself is, if you tell your story, will it do enough good to make it worth hurting people?
I enjoyed this book about writing memoirs from people who have actually written and published one – or more. The advice is excellent, the perspective is useful, and I recommend this to anyone considering writing their own story.
Bingo Square: subtitle on the cover

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lastly, if you should ever doubt that a series of dry words in a government document can shatter spirits and demolish lives, let this book erase that doubt. Conversely, if you should be of the conviction that we are powerless to change those dry words, let this book give you heart.
When it comes to a book by Louise Erdrich, I feel like I don’t so much read the words, I absorb them. The characters, the setting, the story are all perfection . . . she creates beautiful and meaningful books that touch my soul and this one is no exception. Highly recommended.

Technically, that last book shouldn’t be included in this post as it’s actually the first book I finished in September. However, I’m including it for one very special reason: it was the final book for my Summer Book Bingo cover all!

I wasn’t sure I’d get a cover all this year but I managed to sneak it in under the wire and I read some really great books. Thanks to Mary for hosting once again this summer!

I hope you had a great summer of reading that you will find something on my list that you want to read.

This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. Congratulations on your cover-all and some great reading! I wonder (and hope) you are seriously considering writing your story!

  2. Congratulations on your cover-all! Excellent reads this month (and thank you for helping my “to-read” list grow!)

  3. Congrats on finishing your bingo card, and officially before summer ends. I absolutely loved The Winter Soldier and The Night Watchman, and totally agree on your ratings. I will investigate your other reads, and as always, I so appreciate your book posts. Have a great week!

  4. Congratulations on completing your Bingo card! I enjoyed both The Winter Soldier and The Night Watchman and I agree with your review of The Other Black Girl. I hope more good books fall into your hands!

  5. A great run down of you completed books, I did read more during Summer BINGO than I did all of last year, but still no BINGO row.

  6. WOW, what a great wrap-up of summer reading – and WOOHOO for that coverall!! I have a paper copy of that Alice Hoffman book and cannot wait to find out how the story ends (of course, I also need to read last year’s Magic Lessons first!) I heard a little preview of Louise Erdrich’s new book – out Nov 9? – about a haunted bookstore and now I’m definitely on team pre-order … also still working my way through her EXTENSIVE backlist!

  7. Congrats on finishing your card!

    I got word today that I also finished mine because I took a major risk on one of my squares (Booker Prize shortlist or winner). The Booker Prize shortlist was announced a few hours ago, and I had two books from this summer on the list. (Whew.) But talk about squeaking it in!

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