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What are you reading in August 2025?
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Finished Absolution and I did not like it how I did the previous three. The first part was ok, but near the end it was way too much. YeeshI have got to read something that isn't SF or Horror.
Didn't get much reading done over the weekend, so I still haven't gotten far on Baking Bad.
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Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid: this was just lovely. I've adored everything she's written but this is up there with the best.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab: Loved it. Schwab's take on vampires is both emotional and sensual.
Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara: book two of the series and I liked it even better than the first. onward!
Now I'm partway through a nonfiction book, Daughter of Daring: The Trick-Riding, Train-Leaping, Road-Racing Life of Helen Gibson, Hollywood’s First Stuntwoman by Mallory O'Meara (who is one of my favorite podcasters). I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I hadn't gotten to know the author through her podcast, but I'm so glad I did, I'm learning a lot about the history of Hollywood along with learning of Helen Gibson!
Loving Lonesome Dove so far. I use it every night to help me fall asleep, and then I pick it up in the morning before I'm ready to get out of bed. Finishing Golden Son this weekend, and I am so excited to finish the trilogy. I will jump right into the 3rd book, Morning Star.
A spew of library holds on Libby have come in over the last few days for me, and I'm trying to get through a bunch over the weekend and tomorrow.Just finished We Do Not Part by Han Kang, as part of my attempt to read books for Women in Translation month and solidifying my opinion further that she really did deserve the Nobel.
Will be reading Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, also for WiT month, after I finish Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein, which I'm currently reading today for my Booker prize project. But I think I need to slip in some lighter reading in between those, so I plan to read a bit more of the media-tie novel Entanglement (Stargate Atlantis #6) by Martha Wells.
I'm plugging dutifully away at my slow reads for Les Misérables, Anna Karenina and Emma. I'm enjoying the first two but Emma is especially going slowly because I just do not like the titular main character and her nonsense.
My hold for The Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow finally came in after a several months' wait on Libby after having to cancel the hold at my local library because of their only copy going MIA and never replaced. I hope to find the time to start that either today or tomorrow. Also hope to get to On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Balle next as well--I loved the first book.
Oh and also reading Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, and so far it's living up to the hype. A nice gothic horror book to read after my last horror read, Grey Dog by Elliott Gish, another gothic-style queer woman-centric horror story.
CJ wrote: "A spew of library holds on Libby have come in over the last few days for me, and I'm trying to get through a bunch over the weekend and tomorrow.Just finished We Do Not Part by H..."
.....I'm plugging dutifully away at my slow reads...
Speaking of slow reads, I have to start The Count of Monte Cristo soon. It's certainly a genre type -- adventure and all that. But Ive never attempted it. More to the point of sci fi, the same group I'm reading it with started 2666 by Roberto Bolaño a few months ago, but abandoned it due to -- well, it's a "real life" book club, so real life gets in the way. Though the GR genres dwell on Mystery and such, it has fantasy vibes, and I'll probably go back to it sometime. But that's a lot of pages for just two books.
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Return to Night by Mary Renault, 5/10. I found this to be an odd book. It tells the story of a woman doctor in her mid-thirties who gets involve with a troubled young man, an aspiring but thwarted actor, in his early twenties, just before the outbreak of WWII. Parts of it felt very true to the time period, yet other parts seemed bizarrely contrived. I will say I have read & enjoyed several of Renault’s historical fiction books, which were quite successful & for which she is best known. This was one of her earlier books when she wrote mostly what were then contemporary romances.
Where the Wandering Ends by Yvette Manessis Corporon, 6.5/10. I visited Greece in 2024, which drew me to this historical fiction based in Corfu (with scenes in other European countries as well as New York City). I listened to the audiobook & the narrator (Myrto Stylou) was excellent. Strengths: well-researched; evocative prose; unique and likable characters; a balance of humor & gravity. The author really brought the settings and people to life! Weaknesses: very slow pace (almost dragging in parts); difficult to follow the jumps back and forward in time; some side plots felt unnecessary and disruptive to the flow of the main storylines.
Nolyn by Michael J. Sullivan, 8/10. While the author & many reviewers say you can read this, the first book of The Rise & Fall series, without having read any of the other books that take place in the world of Elan, I think it would be challenging & maybe not as enjoyable. There are just so many references & connections to the other books, especially the 5 books in the Legends of the First Empire series (which precedes Nolyn by 800 years). More explanation of the afterlife & the magic of the Myralyith would have been helpful; even thought I’ve read the Legends series, my memory was fuzzy on some of that. Having said that, the book is very good—a wide variety of interesting characters, a nice mix of humor, action, & serious drama, & a well-developed world (thank you for including a map!). I especially like the way the secondary characters are adequately fleshed out as individuals & not just supporting props for the main characters. Above all, the story is engaging & well-paced. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Next up is Baking Bad for our BotM discussion.
Finally finished To the CityA book about Istanbul. Very good. Stories from locals
Took me a while to read, I was house sitting and realised I really like reading only at home, on my couch,
Weird
Started an interesting find
My friends dad passed away and had a large SF collection. I went through the books and came across this
The Texas-Israeli War: 1999
I have continued on with the Parasol Protectorate books, and have read Changeless, Blameless, & Heartless. Just waiting for the last one form the library to finish the series. First book was the best but it is a fun series anyway.
Also continued with the Mercy Thompson series, reading book #2 Blood Bound, and again, waiting for the next book from the library.
While I wait for those I started Kushiel's Chosen. I read this series some 20 years ago but then never kept up with the new books, so I'm re-reading to refresh my memory, and I still really like these books, which is good because I have a tattoo based on them.
And then I also started Hounded, a book I read 10 years ago and now I want to finish the series so I have to re-read it too.
I see why some people refuse to read read unfinished series, I am doing a lot of re-reading lately, which is not something I do normally. Too many books and not enough time, to be spending it on re-reads!
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I have this series on my shelf but have not read any of them. I’ll be interested in your perspective on these books.
Finished The House in the Cerulean SeaHonestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it. A lot of back and forth.
I was afraid of the romance part, but that was one area I didn't need to worry about. It was cute and sweet and was more my thing than most books labeled romance.
Linus felt a little overly naive and obtuse to me for some reason.
The kids sometimes felt a little too adult once in a while.
The surprise I saw the moment we got the hint. (view spoiler)
I guess in some ways it felt a bit like a YA book to me. Everything seemed just a little too easy and simplistic.
I still enjoyed it though I don't know if I will continue the series. Maybe 3 stars for now.
Kathi wrote: "Dawn wrote: "And then I also started Hounded, a book I read 10 years ago and now I want to finish the series so I have to re-read it too."I have this series on my shelf but have not read any of them. I’ll be interested in your perspective on these books...."
I'm going to try the next book in the series but I actually think I liked the first book less than I did before. The concept is good but I thought the storytelling was rushed. It either needed less characters or more time. It is like reading an epic fantasy book that has been condensed.
I am in a mood. I have started half a dozen books this weekend and haven't been able to get very far on any of them before I stop. Currently on Isaac Steele and the Forever Man
Maybe I'll finish it.
Ok, technically I don't know if I can call it a book as its audio only. But hey, if I can finish it, I'll take it.
Dawn wrote: "I see why some people refuse to read read unfinished series, I am doing a lot of re-reading lately, which is not something I do normally. Too many books and not enough time, to be spending it on re-reads!."So true. I have started so many series over because of my bad case of CRS (can't remember s**t). Sometimes I just do not pick up a new book in a series because I cannot remember.
I am making a concerted effort to remember The Book That Wouldn’t Burn (wonderful, BTW) so that I can continue. I read it mid-June, and most books I wouldn't remember well or would have forgotten completely, but I know the other two are getting read soon, so I am trying to remember it. (I just finished the first Alice Worth book in May-June and liked it, but when someone started to talk about reading the series, I had completely forgotten, even though I really liked it.)
I'll have to remember the term CRS, it seems to be getting worse. It's one thing not to remember a book I read 10 years ago, quite another not to remember a book I read last year!I had a problem between books 2 and 3 in that series, I had a year before it came out and the series is a little complicated anyway, it was a bit of a struggle. I like Mark Lawrence, but I seldom like how he ends a series, first 2 books are great, didn't love the third.
I am finishing up the Six of Crows duology this month: Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. At this point, I prefer the second book to the first as the stakes are more interesting and the emotions are running higher... There is another YA book by the same author that looks interesting for a future read: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. This month, I also finished the second and third books in the Red Rising sci-fi trilogy by Pierce Brown: Golden Son and Morning Star. Book 2 had middle-book syndrome and just seemed too much space opera with little payoff--every scene seemed like one ruse after another. However, Book 3 made me appreciate Book 2 a bit more when it was referential, and I loved the hook at the end of Book 3. Red Rising is still my favorite in the trilogy, as it has a bit more of the "hunger games" setup, which was more enjoyable for me.
As for cozy-fantasy this month, I felt Baking Bad fell a little flat for me. My fingers are crossed that the next book will be a step-up as this series is something I should really enjoy given my interests. For now, I'm going to start the recently released The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst, as The Spellshop was an enjoyable read in July and the hardcover just arrived.
Dawn wrote: " I like Mark Lawrence, but I seldom like how he ends a series, first 2 books are great, didn't love the third."that's too bad. I'm going to read book 3 of the library series next month. I'm finding book 2 not as good as book 1. Too many story lines.
Forrest wrote: "I am finishing up the Six of Crows duology this month: Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. . . . There is another YA book by the same author that looks interesting for a future read: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.I have read Ninth House and it is more Urban Fantasy, which is my favorite genre, and I recommend them. But I did have to start the book over a couple of times before I could figure out what was going on. It drops you in in the middle.
Eventually, I think I read the chapters in chronological order instead of the order in that they are in the book. I know I did that with the second one in the series, Hell Bent. Really liked it too, and hope there will be more in that series. But you can definitely read the first one and quit. There's an ending. Not too many strings left hanging.
There's supposed to be a third one next year. It's untitled so far.
I am interested in The Enchanted Greenhouse also
I just read
The Inheritance-fantasy, 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5
and
Blind Lake-SF and really good, too 4 stars
I do want to recommend an obscure book that I really liked, read in July, called The Man Who Saw Seconds.
I read some other good stuff lately, but no time to write more now
Kateblue wrote: "Dawn wrote: " I like Mark Lawrence, but I seldom like how he ends a series, first 2 books are great, didn't love the third."that's too bad. I'm going to read book 3 of the library series next month. I'm finding book 2 not as good as book 1. Too many story lines..."
And with all the timeline changes I found it difficult to keep track of what was going on. Which considering that I love epic fantasy series with lots of characters/storylines....but I did listen to it vs. read it and that always makes it more difficult for me to follow characters.
My library has the entire Mercy Thompson (https://www.goodreads.com/series/4093...) series on e-book and I could get them with no holds required, so I have been binging and I've read 8 of them in five days. I think that means I only have four more books to catch up with the series. Helps to have a few extra days off work. I've also started the next Phedre's Trilogy book Kushiel's Avatar. Audible has a bunch of the authors work available for free but that ends on the 26th, so I'm trying to finish this trilogy before I have to pay for it. Which is a bit of a struggle as it's a 31 hour long book. Good thing I can listen to it on double time.
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Kushiel's Avatar is an amazing book but be warned there are a few parts that are hard to read! No surprise given Phedre's ... interests... but oof. So good though. I love those books so much.
I just finished Yule Be Sorry, the Baking Bad sequel, and I liked it better than the first! I will continue the series for sure, but I'll probably save them for when I need fluff.
Yesterday I started my re-read of The Gunslinger for the group series read. It's been probably 20 years since I read it the first time so it's like reading it fresh.
Have you read the Alpha & Omega series? I didn't know they fit into the Mercy series when I started or I might have read them in the appropriate order, but I'll give them a try once I finish the Mercy series.
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I figured it would be okay, I'll read them while I still remember everything.
Finished The Texas-Israeli War: 1999, not badDifferent but it was ok
Read a Inspector Rebus book
Rather Be the Devil
Not one of the better ones
Started some SF
Foundation's Edge
So I finished the Isaac Steel seriesIsaac Steele and the Forever Man and Isaac Steele and the Best Idea in the Universe
They were ok.
I had heard them described as HHGTTG-esque
Its more like the world/galaxy is silly like HHGTTG, but the story is very different. Ridiculous environment, but no laughs.
Work has been hectic for a while and adding in some car problems (the 26 mile tow was just the start), my brain just has not been able to focus very well and I am seeing it in my reading.
So I'm going to go back to Craig Alanson and try out the Convergence series, starting with the aptly named Convergence
Was really hoping to relax and take it easy this weekend but we're in a small heat wave and so have spent most of the time sweating and trying to play a game to keep my mind distracted.
Oh, and for those who watch, the most recent Strange New Worlds episode is really good.
I just read The Book That Broke the World 4 stars not higher because
1. Not as good as the first book in the series 5 stars for me , and
2. too many POV's but they did all come together pretty well at the end, though I still have many questions.
Demon Daughter. 23 stars. # 12 in the series and LMB always makes me feel as if she has wrapped me in a warm fuzzy happiness of story, so comfy even when she is writing about a hot climate. These books are SO great
Random wrote: "Was really hoping to relax and take it easy this weekend but we're in a small heat wave and so have spent most of the time sweating"I hear you. This summer has been rough. I am loath to turn on the Air Con unless I absolutly have to and my bed room does not have air do only a fan.
Lots of laying around, reading and sweating
I am finishing up Legendborn by Tracy Deonn as my last book of the month... I'm going to gift this book to a coworker whose last day is approaching. The author's excerpt at the end of the book is truly excellent. I'm looking forward to the The Raven Scholar next!
I just spent 2 days on the lake kayaking, with lots of breaks to jump in and cool down. Though being in a tent didn't really make it any easier to sleep in the heat. I started the last of the Parasol Protectorate books, Timeless.
And finished 2 more Mercy Thompson books, 2 more to go before I'm all caught up.
And listening to Rage the Night by Donna Morrissey. Only book I had with anything even close to my name in my whole TBR for the Q3 challenge.
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Last two finishes were The Gunslinger - my comments on the spoiler thread - and Cast in Secret, the third Elantra book. REALLY enjoying these!
I am not sure what's up next. School starts up next week so probably a re-read of sorts so I can save my brain for managing the first few days of the school year.
Shel wrote: "I love the Parasol Protectorate books SO much!..."Have you read the authors other series at all? Finishing School and Custard Protocol? Or the San Andreas Shifters?
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I've been re-reading this week - Avatar and Revenant, the sixth and seventh book of Louise Cooper's Indigo series, an old favorite. I reread the first five earlier this year and then got distracted before I finished. I'll probably zip through the last one next before picking up something new.
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Also read The Way to Glory, by David Drake, the 4th book in the Lt. Leary series, 7.5/10. Another fun adventure among the stars. Adele Mundy continues to be my favorite character.
And The Chessmen by Peter May, 7/10. Although this book was filled with Peter May’s evocative prose & colorful characters, it seemed less cohesive than the previous two books in the Lewis series. The author uses flashbacks extensively in this series & signals them by switching from third person to first, but the past & present seemed to blur somewhat together. I felt like May was juggling a few too many plot lines & a couple of these stretched my ability to suspend disbelief almost to the breaking point. Still, it was a solid read, atmospheric & complex.
I finished listening to The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home by Joseph Fink, 8/10. This is book 3 in the “Welcome to Night Vale” series (based on the Night Vale podcast)—I was not at all familiar with Night Vale & I received this audiobook as a bonus for doing some market research. It was part historical fiction, part pirate adventure story, & part fantasy/horror novel; a weird mix, I know. What can I say? I enjoyed it.
Currently reading The Strange Nation of Rafael Mendes by Moacyr Scliar and listening to Cold Storage by David Koepp.
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Beyond Reality
Books mentioned in this topic
The Strange Nation of Rafael Mendes (other topics)Baking Bad (other topics)
Cold Storage (other topics)
The Way to Glory (other topics)
The Chessmen (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
David Drake (other topics)Kim M. Watt (other topics)
Peter May (other topics)
Moacyr Scliar (other topics)
Joseph Fink (other topics)
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