August Reads

Hi y’all! I say it every month, but how is it already September?! I feel like I was just writing about how fast July went by and now August is gone too. 

Although I’m sad to see summer come to an end, I’m thrilled for the start of fall. Tonight kicks off one of my absolute favorite seasons—football! If you know me, you know how much I love football season (Go Pack Go!). I’m also super competitive, so naturally, I’m all in on fantasy football as well. I used to hate when fall rolled around but I think it’s starting to become my absolute favorite time of year, I just wish it stuck around longer before winter rolls around, but I I’m going to soak it up for as long as I can.

With football season kicking off, a lot of my time will be spent watching games, so we’ll see how well I keep up with my reading. My goal is still to read about a book a week, so I can share at least four each month with you. I originally aimed to read 25 books in 2024, and I actually surpassed that goal this month—time to set the bar even higher!

That said, I want to share my August reads with you. While this month didn’t quite measure up to July in terms of how much I enjoyed the books, I still found some definite winners!

Let Me In follows the story of a married couple, Helen and George, who recently bought a house in a remote village, however, Helen has never seen the house. George buys it as a surprise for Helen and when they arrive Helen has a weird feeling she has been here before but cannot recall anything more specific about being there. Her negative feelings about the house only get worse when they begin to renovate and find disturbing items in the house leading Helen to uncover the house was previously owned by a triple murderer. Helen and George become distrusting of everyone – including each other as they have both been lying to one another. 

I gave this book 3.5 stars because while the plot throughout the book was enjoyable, the ending fell flat for me. I wouldn’t say this was a bad book, I was just waiting for this wow moment at the end and it was pretty underwhelming. I think there are better books out there to spend your time on. 

Brooke Sullivan accepts a position as a nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security prison, but what the other staff don’t know is that she has a history with one of the inmates. Shane Nelson, one of the most dangerous men in the prison, shares a past with Brooke as they were once high school sweethearts but it was ultimately her testimony that led to his conviction. The Inmate tells their story, from their teenage romance to the night that landed Shane behind bars, and the impact of the conviction on both of their lives.

Frieda McFadden is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I’ve read several of her books, and I’ve loved every one! While some reviews mention that parts of the plot seem unrealistic—like the idea that the key witness in a case would end up working at the same prison where the person she helped convict is serving time—I didn’t mind. While that is a bit of a stretch, it didn’t take away from how much I liked this book!

Finally a non-fiction read on the list! If you read my recent post about turning thirty, you know one of my goals for this decade is to become more financially literate and build my wealth. I have followed Chloe on Instagram for a while and have been waiting to get my hands on her book. 

Deeper Than Money is perfect for people in their 20s or 30s who want to focus on their financial goals without completely giving up their lifestyle. It made me rethink how my spending aligns with my goals and the actual value I get from purchases. I love how relatable Chloe is and her approach to thinking about money without guilt or shame. While the book is geared more toward beginners—covering basics like which accounts to open and which debts to prioritize—I still found it valuable. Even for someone more established, it offers great insights on developing a healthy money mindset.

His & Hers is told from two alternating perspectives—Jack Harper, a local detective, and Anna Andrews, a news anchor. Jack and Anna are assigned to the same murder case, but there’s more than just a professional connection. They were once married, and not only do they have a shared past, but they also each have a connection to the murder victim. As evidence builds up, suspicion begins to point to Jack, but when more bodies start to surface, it becomes clear that both Jack and Anna are hiding secrets related to the murders.

I love stories that alternate between two main perspectives, especially when they do so quickly, keeping the plot fast-paced and engaging. This was one of my favorite reads in a long time, and I highly recommend it!

Last but not least, Gone Girl. I could go on about this one, but first, let’s talk about the premise. On Amy and Nick Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, Amy suddenly goes missing, and Nick quickly becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. The story alternates between Nick’s present-day perspective and Amy’s diary entries from the past, which paint very different pictures of their marriage. As the search for Amy unfolds, secrets about both characters come to light, revealing unexpected sides to each of them.

Now, onto my thoughts—I have to admit, this book made me so mad! I gave it 2 stars, which might seem harsh, but I couldn’t get over the ending. I actually loved 99% of the book; it was fast-paced and kept me hooked, which is probably why the ending felt like such a letdown. It had all this build-up, only to feel like it came to a screeching halt. That being said, I still recommend it to fans of thrillers. While the ending wasn’t for me, a lot of readers love that twist, so it’s worth reading to form your own opinion! I also found out after reading the book, that Gone Girl was made into a movie as I am very intrigued by how they played out the ending in the movie version.

August was another good month of reading and I have some good ones coming up on my to be read list! If you’ve come across any must-reads lately, please share them with me and connect with me on Good Reads!

I hope you all have a great rest of the week and your favorite NFL team pulls off their first win this weekend!

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