August wrap up

Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog. It’s been a while since I posted! I unfortunately was quite busy these past few weeks. August has been busy, busy busy. Filled with reunions, warm sunny days, cycling under trees, exploring book markets by the river, and a not so very successful readathon.

I will not list all the books I bought in August, because I bought so many books! I went to the Deventer Book Market and hauled all the English, Dutch, cookbooks, series, novels and everything in between. Check out my post about the market itself and the books I bought here. 

DNF: The Girls by Emma Cline

I have always wanted to read this book ever since I heard about it, but to be honest I do not remember why. I bought it on audiobook and unfortunately cannot continue reading it after maybe the 5th chapter. I just felt like the atmosphere of the writing wasn’t what I was in the mood for, and the storyline wasn’t going in the direction I think I will enjoy.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

I first read this book 3 years ago, and gave this book 5 stars and thought it was amazing, and I even put it in my favourite books of that year. This year I decided to pick it up again because I’ve been meaning to reread it for a while, and I know it’s a good, quick summer read.

Unfortunately I didn’t like it as much as I did the first time around. I did like the twist. I did enjoy the atmosphere, and how readable and fun it was to read. However the characters weren’t fleshed out enough, and so I couldn’t care less about their existence, and overall there are underlying problems that I just observed in the second time I read this book. I still appreciate it for how it was, how I cried when I first read it and how it was something I really enjoyed and invested in. But that was me 3 years ago, and me in the present disagrees.

Read my full reviews when I first read We Were Liars and my second time reading it in my Goodreads.

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

This book was such a pleasure to read! It’s my first venture into Malcolm Gladwell and I regret not picking up his books sooner. His writing flows so well, and he discussed such interesting topics that I enjoy learning about. I will write a full-length review of this book once I have the energy to do it. I just want to say here that I really enjoy this essay collection.

The 3-Day Effect by Florence Williams

This Audible Originals mini-audiobook was a pleasure to read. The concept itself really drew me in – I love the nature, ever since I was a child, even though I live in the city and rarely ever go hiking anymore. I always feel a sense of calm and happiness whenever I go to a place filled with trees and greenery.

I really liked the author/narrator/researcher in this book. She’s very positive, insightful and fun to listen to. Overall the performance was excellent. I love how well edited everything was, the combinations of sounds and interviews with jokes here and there.

The Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri

My first book I bought in Deventer that I read! This is the 4th instalment in the Detective Montalbano series by the infamous Italian author Andrea Camilleri. It is also set in Italy and featuring a straightforward, clever detective who is solving a murder that he also found “accidentally”.

Overall the book was fun to read and entertaining. It’s definitely very Italian, and quite insightful for me who know nothing about the Italian geography, people, and how they talk. The mystery itself isn’t very exciting, but it is quite compelling and I think the main character itself makes the story a fun read.

Cantik itu Luka by Eka Kurniawan

I started this sometime in the middle of the month but dropped it after a while as the days get more and more busy. Unfortunately this will be a low priority to read for now. This fantastical novel deals with societal themes and heartbreak and the war in Indonesia at the time.

 

The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

Finally I’m starting this second book of the Liveship Traders series! In this second book we follow Althea and many other main characters in their journey in land and at the sea. I think Althea has become more mature and less spontaneous in this book, and Wintrow is starting to grow on me. This will be quite slow progress considering the size but I’m happy to be reading Hobb’s amazing writing again.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

In the mood for a nostalgic audiobook so I picked this up on Audible. I’m still currently in the early parts of the book, in which Harry hasn’t even gone to Hogwarts yet. This is personally my favourite Harry Potter book and I cannot wait to read/listen more about the Marauders!

What books did you read in August? Let’s talk about them in the comments below!