August Reads. Here’s What I Read in the Last Month and What I’m Reading Now. What are You Reading?

This was a funny month for reading because I was so all over the place. With wildfires burning close by, reading was not only an escape but necessity for sanity. The first book I read for the month of August was Bridgerton: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn.

The book was okay, but for me it was ruined by the Netflix series which I’d already seen. I normally read the book first but alas this time it was reversed. I so enjoyed the miniseries that the book ended up feeling a bit drab.

Now, that’s definitely not to say that the writing is bad by any means, but if you’re debating reading or watching…you should definitely read the book before because the visual (IMHO) will overshadow the book.

This is not my normal reading material but the story is clever, sexy, and tension filled. The main character Daphne, is a lovely young lady who is of marriageable age but not smitten with any young men. She comes from a large family and knows many of the young men in town as they are friends of her brothers.

With weekly balls, grand dances, and rampant gossip, Daphne plays the part of the demure young woman. Then along comes the Duke. Ahhh….the Duke!

Plans are hatched, secrets revealed, and betrayals discovered.

It’s a fast moving story. I’d definitely recommend the fun read (before seeing the series).Enjoy.

The next book is A Court of Mist and Fury By Sarah J. Maas. I consumed this book via Audio.

This is the second book in a series of three. I listened to the first, A Court of Thorns and Roses, a month or two ago.

This series is fantasy. I don’t write fantasy and normally I don’t read fantasy. It was the suggestion of a friend that encouraged me to read the first so that I could appreciate the second book.

The writing in the second book was much stronger than the first and the action faster paced.

The general premise of the book is that Feyre, a human girl crosses over into the land of fairies and high-lords. By circumstances beyond her mortal strengths, she gets trapped and saved to a point where she is now half human and half fairy.

I really —like super duper— need to stretch my imagination for this mystical story. In this second book of the series, Feyre is faced with many difficult choices in love, loyalty, and conscience.

As I listened to the book, I let the notion of fairies go and just absorbed the story. The topic of wings or flying were easy enough for me to ignore so I could concentrate on the characters and the story which was enjoyable.

This second books was much more sexual and explicit than the first. For me, that’s neither good nor bad but just an observation.

Overall, the author did a good job of building Feyre and her cohorts as emotional beings who had a quest that required completion. Fantasy is still not my choice of genre and will probably never be, but if you like that sort of thing then you’d probably really enjoy this book. Overall a good read: recommend.

I picked this book up for my seven year old nephew who loves to talk –walk, demo, search for–farts.

Lol… So, when I told him Aunties don’t fart, he set out to find out the truth.

We had a a lot of fun.

This book is similar in that the mom gets mad at the boys who toot, fart, pass wind, and otherwise stink everything up, only to have a fairy come to tell the group of boys that girls don’t fart.

This sets off a mission of discovery.

Fun, harmless, and cute.

(this book was published in Australia)

The F Word by Liza Palmer. It’s not what you think.

The F stands for “Fat”.

This is a contemporary novel whose main character, Olivia Morten, has transformed herself into what is considered perfect. But the question is, is it real, is it sustainable, and is it desirable?

There’s a few problems with the idea of perfection as Olivia is constantly hungry, her job keeps her too busy, and her marriage…well, let’s just say there is no such thing as perfect.

Appearances are deceiving and no one knew Olivia before all this good stuff came into her life.

The question begs to be asked…

The fat girl can lose the weight but can she ever shed herself of the stigma and negative internal dialogue to reinvent her self?

This is a very easy and enjoyable read. Recommend.

Writing is not easy. I tell people all the time that if it were easy, more people would be doing it–simple as that. Writing is not about talent, so much as it is about tenacity. While the craft can be learned and talents hones, you’ll get no where if you give up.

I look back on some of my early stuff laced with adverbs, bad attempts at humor, and characters flatter than the page they were written on. But, the story was in my head. It knocked and knocked until I wrote it down. I took classes and worked on my craft because it was a passion to tell my stories and share.

To write, means something different for everyone. For some it’s a compulsion while others see it as an escape.

I really enjoyed this book and the stories and antidotes of all the contributing writers. It’s a reminder we’re not alone. We’re not completely bonkers in our quest to create. This is a great book for writers who want to know how others do it–the ideas, the inspiration, the process… It’s different for all.

Why We Write Edited by Meredith Maran: recommend.

This is a contemporary novel about a frumpy housewife and mom named Frances. She’s an overweight, insecure mom who’s son has issues that demand all her attention.

She desperately wants to support her son so she and her husband enroll him in an expensive private school.

The welcome from the rich, snooty parents isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy but Frances is determined to make it work–until it doesn’t. Things begin to breakdown, but then she meets Kate, another parent who’s also been snubbed.

Frances and Kate bring their families together and everything seems so perfect but the reality is, one of them is a murderer.

This is a very easy, fast read. The author has done a great job in character development, story line, and rising tension. Robyn Harding definitely knows how to wield a pen and weave a story.

However, the end for me, as a Canadian, triggered anger and disgust. While the author did a great job in building believable characters and situations, it still pissed me off–and not in a good way. Sorry.

Read it if you want. I won’t spoil the end for you.

Currently Reading….

Do you read more than one book at a time? I do.

I’m currently reading Girls Need Not Apply by Kelly S. Thompson. I’m about a third of the way through this non-fiction memoir of entering the traditionally masculine world of the Canadian military. Really well written and am enjoying. More later.

Also reading: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I missed this book when it was first out over ten years ago so decided to catch up. I’m currently writing a story with an elderly protagonist so wanted to see how this book deals with issues. So far so good.

Also reading: We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz. This is a psychological thriller that spans the globe. Two young female protagonists, murder, and secrets galore… Stay posted.

And….Last but not least I’m also reading Dark Muse by Philip Mann. A self published book involving the oldest blessing… the oldest curse… Stay tuned.

Keep Reading everyone. Remember to let me know what you’re reading.

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