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Time to check in with our August reads. Did we manage to read all the books on our TBR for August 2024?
No. No, we didn’t.
BUT! We did still read 6 books. That’s amazing! Well done us! Even if you only managed to pick one book up this month, we’re proud of you.
A lot of our August reads were nominated on award lists. As you can see from the star ratings we gave though – this doesn’t always mean that the book will resonate with you, and that’s ok.
Book Awards can be a great source of inspiration and introduce you to authors or stories you might not otherwise have read.
Read on, friends! Read on!
Series or Standalone?:
This is a standalone novel.
Back Blurb:
In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessey is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of ‘Southie’, the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart. One night Mary Pat’s teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched – asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don’t take kindly to any threat to their business.
What did we think?: 3 Stars
This was our Fishbird Central Book Club book this month. Did you read along? Let us know what you thought!
I’m conflicted about this one. I think Lehane writes well, the story was well paced, and I’ve continued to think about it since reading it. I can’t say that any of the characters were particularly likeable though (not that they always have to be), and I can’t think of who I’d recommend this book to. Mary Pat is a strong and damaged central character, living through a period of high tension personally, along with a lot of societal changes – so the language can be confronting to read. I’m glad I read this one, and will pick up another of Lehane’s books – but this was ultimately a middle-of-the-road read for me.
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Series or Standalone?:
This is Book 2 in the ‘Kinsey Millhone’ series.
Back Blurb:
Female, age thirty-two, self-employed and wiser than she used to be. For Kinsey Millhone, private investigator, only one thing stays the same. When a client sits down in the chair across the desk, she never knows what’s going to happen next. There was nothing about Beverly Danziger to cause Kinsey concern. She was looking for her sister. There was a will to be settled. She paid up front. And if it seemed a lot of money for a routine job, Kinsey wasn’t going to argue. She kicked herself later for the things she didn’t see – Beverly Danziger did not look as if she needed a few thousand dollars and she didn’t seem like someone longing for a family reunion. But just as Kinsey begins to suspect foul play and start asking questions, Beverly Danziger pulls her off the case and fires her.
What did we think?: 4 Stars
I think I liked this book more than the first Kinsey Millhone book – ‘A is for Alibi‘. I like Kinsey as a character, and the plot moved along well. These books feel very cosy and low stakes – even though Kinsey gets herself into some tight corners. I’ll keep reading the series – bring on ‘C is for Corpse’! It’s already bugging me that Grafton wasn’t able to complete the full alphabet in the series before she passed, but lots to go yet!
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Series or Standalone?:
This is a standalone novel.
Back Blurb:
Trying to investigate the Secret Service is like trying to get rid of the stink of dead badger. Hard. For two years the government’s Monochrome inquiry has produced nothing more than a series of dead ends. The Service has kept what happened in the newly reunified Berlin under wraps for decades, and intends for it to stay that way. But then the OTIS file turns up. What classified secrets does it hold? And what damage will it create? All Max Janacek knows is that someone is chasing him through the pitch-dark country lanes and they want him gone. We all have jobs to do in the daylight. It’s what you do in the secret hours that reveals who you really are.
What did we think?: DNF
I love the ‘Slough House’ series Herron writes, so was very excited for this standalone spy thriller. Sadly, after the initial chase around the countryside in the opening chapters, I got a bit lost in the slow dreary corridors of bureaucracy. Though marketed as a standalone, I think readers would gain more from the story if they were already familiar with the ‘Slough House’ series.
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Series or Standalone?:
This is a standalone novel.
Back Blurb:
Jade Nguyen has always lied to fit in. She’s straight enough, Vietnamese enough, American enough – at least for this summer with her estranged father in Vietnam. Just five weeks of ignoring the quietly decaying French colonial house he’s fixing up, then college and freedom are hers. But soon Jade begins waking up every morning certain that something has clawed down her throat. . . from the inside. Then the ghost of a beautiful bride visits her with a cryptic warning: DON’T EAT. When her father and little sister don’t believe her, Jade decides to scare them into leaving by staging some haunting events of her own. She recruits Florence, the daughter of her dad’s business associate (and more of a distraction than Jade bargained for) to help. But the house has other plans. It’s hungry. A home, after all, is only as powerful as those who breathe new life into its bones. And this one is determined never to be abandoned again.
What did we think?: DNF
This one had potential, as I love a spooky house story. At the end of the day though, there was too much time spent on the family history between Jade and her dad and not enough ghost/creepy house action to keep me interested. A ghost does show up (but is fairly underwhelming and seems more interested in the fridge), and the house obviously had plans – but this one wasn’t for me, I’m afraid.
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Series or Standalone:
This is Book One in
Back Blurb:
Rita Todacheene is a forensic photographer working for the Albuquerque police force. Her excellent photography skills have cracked many cases-she is almost supernaturally good at capturing details. In fact, Rita has been hiding a secret- she sees the ghosts of crime victims who point her toward the clues that other investigators overlook. As a lone portal back to the living for traumatised spirits, Rita is terrorised by nagging ghosts who won’t let her sleep and who sabotage her personal life. Her taboo and psychologically harrowing ability was what drove her away from the Navajo reservation, where she was raised by her grandmother. It has isolated her from friends and gotten her in trouble with the law. And now it might be what gets her killed. When Rita is sent to photograph the scene of a supposed suicide on a highway overpass, the furious, discombobulated ghost of the victim-who insists she was murdered-latches onto Rita, forcing her on a quest for revenge against her killers, and Rita finds herself in the crosshairs of one of Albuquerque’s most dangerous cartels.
What did we think?: 5 Stars
This was a nice surprise and I really enjoyed it! We largely follow Rita’s history of growing up with her grandmother – with alternating chapters of Rita being annoyed by the ghost of a murder victim, but it was weaved in with the plot enough not to slow the pacing. I love that Rita’s been able to see ghosts all her life, and is still trying to control it. I had fun following along with the forensic photography as she documented the case, and would totally read the next book in this series. I’ll keep an eye on other books by Emerson.
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Series or Standalone:
This is a standalone novel.
Back Blurb:
Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. A high school English teacher specialising in the Gothic writer R. M. Holland, she teaches a course on it every year. But when one of Clare’s colleagues and closest friends is found dead, with a line from R. M. Holland’s most famous story, The Stranger, left by her body, Clare is horrified to see her life collide with the storylines of her favourite literature. To make matters worse, the police suspect the killer is someone Clare knows. Unsure whom to trust, she turns to her closest confidant, her diary, the only outlet she has for her darkest suspicions and fears about the case. Then one day she notices something odd. Writing that isn’t hers, left on the page of an old diary: Hallo Clare. You don’t know me. Clare becomes more certain than ever: The Stranger has come to terrifying life. But can the ending be rewritten in time?
What did we think?: 3 Stars
I never think it’s a good sign when I’m able to guess the killer. While the story kept my interest til the end, I didn’t see the gothic attraction or feel any ominous vibes – and can’t say I really cared about any of the characters. We swap perspectives in alternate chapters and there’s a bit of plot duplication as we see the happenings through a different set of eyes – which I found slowed the pace a little. All in all, this is an average whodunnit. I’d pick up another of Griffiths books, but not sure I’ll remember this one in a few days.
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Instead of focusing on my August reads, I spent a lot of time this month adding to my ‘Want to Read’ list.
25 of the books that peaked my interest this month included:
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