What I’m Reading This Month
August Reads
Catching Up
June and July were hot, steamy garden months that left me no desire to do anything- even read (gasp!).
August was the month I played catch-up and read my old heart out. There was a good mix of non-fiction and fiction. For whatever reason, I was able to roll through them at a faster rate than I have managed for quite awhile. I go to the library and bookstore usually with a few titles in mind and then I love to wander and see what grabs my attention. Considering my weekly library visits were with three grandchildren, I picked some great ones!
Rating System
This one’s a keeper! I loved it so much I want a copy for myself. Probably most likely has recipes.
Great book! Tell EVERYONE. You need a copy, she needs a copy, he needs a copy, they need a copy….
Return to sender. May or may not have finished it.
All four of these books were great reads!
In Radical Beauty, I learned a lot of helpful advice for simple beauty recipes that I have added to my morning and evening routine. Who knew I’d make it part of my nighttime to routine to chew black sesame seeds to help polish my teeth??? (It’s a thing.)
Life Reimagined was a deep dive into lots of things we can do in our mid-life to make sure we are living it at our best. Barbara Bradley Hagerty formerly worked for NPR but is now a full time writer. I felt like she had done this research specifically for me. Everything I read was helpful and seemed to address the things I am experiencing now.
The Pull of the Moon and The Cloisters kept me wanting to read more. I was nodding my head as Nan drove across America and learned so much about herself. I loved that the story was part narration and partly told in her letters to her husband and daughter. A great reminder that we have this whole new stretch of life in front of us and sometimes what we know, what we believe about life and ourselves- well maybe it’s time to let those thoughts and feelings go.
The Cloisters was an interesting murder mystery. It surprised me because I didn’t see the end coming. And I also did not know The Met Cloisters is an actual place you can visit. Hellllooooo road trip!
Radical Beauty: How to Transform Yourself From the Inside Out by Deepak Chopra M.D. and Kimberly Snyder CN.
Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg
The Cloisters by Katy Hays
Voracious by Cara Nicoletti
This ones a keeper! Cara Nicoletti does a beautiful job of marrying her favorite books and recipes to go with them. A woman after my own heart. I only tried Rosemary Red Wine Bread and my first attempt was a flop. Actually it was a brick, a great smelling brick that failed to be bread. I need this book. To make that bread until I get it right and it becomes a thing at our house.
And not just the bread- Red Flannel Hash! What is it? How does it taste? I have no idea! I must KNOW. There are so many delicious recipes in there. She references books that I love and books that I want to get to know.
Christmas is coming, yes? No one denies you (another) cookbook when you ask for one for Christmas do they?
Something to look forward to…
This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs was a murder mystery. The main character goes back to the scene of a crime many years later. And at this reunion, new murders crop up. Everyone is suspish and tensions run high.
i did like this one. It was a quick and easy read. I kinda had an idea of who the murderer was, but wasn’t sure until the end.
If you like murder mysteries, it fits the bill. I didn’t consider it as great as the others, but it was still a decent read.
What about you?
What did you read in August? Any books you will definitely keep? Please share any and all good books you read over the summer- I am always looking to add to my TBR pile.