August felt like it went so quickly. I read a ton and had some lovely times with friends and family, and then all of a sudden the month was over. It was a really good month, but it’s end also marks the return to school time so that’s a little too bad. However, you can find out all about what I read and hauled below the cut.
Books I hauled in August:
- Secrets of Blackthorn Hall by Cassandra Clare
- Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
- Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
- The Grandest Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
- Good Bones by Margaret Atwood
- The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
- Dancing Girls by Margaret Atwood
- Victoria’s Most Haunted by Ian Gibbs
- Haunting of Vancouver Island by Shannon Sinn
- Moral Disorder by Margaret Atwood
- The Tent by Margaret Atwood
- Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
- The Coven by Harper L. Woods
- Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood
- Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood
- Murder in the Dark by Margaret Atwood
- Hera by Jennifer Saint
- The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
- Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreighton
- House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
- Incidents Around the Glass by Josh Malerman
- Bridgerton 3 + 4 by Julia Quinn
- Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
- Daydream by Hannah Grace
- Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan
- Sync by Ellen Hopkins
- Wisteria by Adalyn Grace
- Clown in a Cornfield 3: Church of Frendo
Books I read in August:
1. The Exorcist’s House by Nick Roberts
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a fun little spooky read. I really enjoyed the premise and how it kind of read like a horror movie. I liked getting all of the different character perspectives as they dealt with the encroaching horror and the fact that the house was severely haunted. It had some good spooky tension.
2. Secrets of Blackthorn Hall by Cassandra Clare
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: The instant I saw the Kickstarter, I knew I had to back it and was excited to do so. This was a really fun read. I liked all the mixed media elements and getting all the different character perspectives. It was very fun to revisit all of the characters and to see them learn about their family histories. It reignited my love for the Shadowhunter universe. I also loved the art included in the book.
3. 400 Kilometers by Drew Hayden Taylor
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a great continuation of the Someday series. I liked seeing more of Janice/Grace and seeing her continue to grow and come to terms with what happened to her when she was a baby and taken away from her family. It was interesting to see her adoptive parents, and see them all cope with the legacy of the Sixties Scoop. There were some interesting moments of conflict in the book, and I also appreciated the moments of humour to help break the tension.
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender – North and South Part 2 by Gene Luen Yang
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a good story. I liked the art style, and I liked reading about the dilemma of modernization versus tradition.
5. Global by Eoin Colfer
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I enjoyed this graphic novel. It was interesting how the two stories overlapped at the end, and it was good to see their connection. It was an action packed story, and definitely easy to read. I think this would be a great read for younger readers.
6. Tru Detective by Norah McClintock
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was an interesting book. I liked the story and how he had to fight to solve the mystery and clear his name. That’s always a fun element in a book. The art style was interesting and worked well to get the story across. There were some good twists.
7. Fly on the Wall by Jason Brink
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was an interesting collection, but I feel like it was trying a little too hard to be edgy. The drawings that went along with the stories were kind of interesting, but it wasn’t really what I expected of it. I was intrigued enough though.
8. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was such a good book. I appreciated the discussion of Indigenous rights and issues facing Indigenous people such as repatriation and MMIWG2S. The main character was a very interesting character, and I really enjoyed being in her head. I also liked getting to see the main character from Firekeeper’s Daughter all grown up. The book was very well-written, and the author did a grat job plotting it.
9. Good Bones by Margaret Atwood
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was an interesting collection of short stories. I liked the different subjects that Margaret Atwood covers in her stories. My favourite was the one from Gertrude’s (Hamlet) perspective. Others of the stories I didn’t love so much, but on the whole it was a very interesting book.
10. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a re-read for me after watching the show on Netflix. I enjoyed revisiting. It was fun to point out the differences between the book and the show to myself.
11. Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was an interesting novel. I really enjoyed the way that Adrienne Young layers magic into the real world. I liked the mystery element of the story. I also really enjoyed the small town/isolated community vibes. It wasn’t my favourite book by the author, but on the whole I had a fun time reading this book so I can’t complain too much.
12. Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was an interesting graphic novel memoir. The story was a little disjointed at times, but it was interesting to see all the psychology that the author included in the story. The art was well done and the mostly black and white style definitely suited the story.
13. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a fun story. I liked that it was a fantasy novel set in a historical period. The zombies were an interesting element to include. I haven’t read that many zombie books so this was fun. I enjoyed reading about the time period. The story was well done and really suited that time period in young adult literature. Per usual, I love Susan Dennard’s writing.
14. A Dawn Most Wicked by Susan Dennard
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I enjoyed the novella included at the back of my copy of Something Strange and Deadly. It was really interesting to read about Daniel’s origin story and how he came to be involved with the Spirit Hunters. It was a fun and quick read.
15. The Suffering by MJ Mars
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was an interesting spooky story. I enjoyed the physical manifestations of the hauntings. They were definitely spooky. However, I found myself somewhat disappointed by the end of the story. It felt really abrupt, and I guess I just felt they had fought hard to succeed so I was disappointed that they didn’t get to live happily ever after.
16. Victoria’s Most Haunted by Ian Gibbs
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a fun collection of spooky stories. I enjoyed reading the stories from all these places that I was familiar with from living and visiting Victoria. I did want it to be a little bit spookier, but on the whole I had fun reading it and learning about the little snippets of local history.
17. Avatar the Last Airbender – North and South Part 2 by Gene Luen Yang
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
18. Murder in the Dark by Margaret Atwood
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I enjoyed this collection. Some of the stories were strange, but I liked how it was a quick read and how each story was pretty quick.
19. Woom by Duncan Ralston
Rating: 2 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This book was gross. Yes, the blurb and the cover both warn you that it’s gross, I just feel like it wasn’t enough. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about the genre this falls within, but I feel like the point was to be disgusting and that is just not something that I’m into.
20. Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was such a good book. I loved book one, and I loved this one too. Neil and Rowan are such lovely characters. It was really great to see them adapt to the “real world” and come into their own as characters. I also liked seeing them adjust to life after high school. The audiobook was really well done, and I actually ended up getting a bit emotional. It dealt with the topic of mental health very well.
21. Mall Goth by Kate Leth
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a very well done graphic novel. I liked the main character a lot and really felt for her as she navigated a new school and new people and friends and honestly some terrible men. It was well-written and well-illustrated. I felt the author did a good job at developing emotional tension to show you what the main character felt.
22. The Day the Towers Fell by Heather Schwartz
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a quick and solid read that had a good message. It will be a very appropriate read for the age group that its intended for. I enjoyed it.
23. Anne of Green Gables (Graphic Novel) by Mariah Marsden
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a really great adaptation of this story. Ann is such an interesting character and it was really cool to see it all illustrated out. It hit all those good emotional beats, and it was really well done. I would recommend this to fans of the novels.
24. The Kite Runner (Graphic Novel) by Khaled Hosseini
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This is a hard to read book. I haven’t read the novel, but I feel like it was probably a pretty good adaptation. I didn’t expect the themes of sexual violence in the books, so I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading it. The art was well done, and I found it very powerful.
25. The Lumberjanes, Volume 1 by ND Stevenson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a very cute graphic novel. The supernatural twists were fun, and I really enjoyed seeing the friendship dynamics. There were some pretty good hijinx going on. I would love to continue on with this series. I bet it’s a lot of fun.
26. Ms. Marvel, Volume 1 by G. Willow Wilson
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a fun read. I didn’t know too much about the character, but it was really interesting to read about her powers and her origin stories. I thought her powers were really interesting. I would definitely continue on the series and her adventures.
27. Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth LaPensee
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a really good graphic novel. I liked the main character and watching her navigate the world she was faced with. I liked how it played with the story of Alice in Wonderland and utilized elements of Indigenous stories in that familiar story. It was beautifully illustrated, and I loved the character arc.
28. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search, Part 1 by Gene Luen Yang
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I really enjoyed this continuation of the Avatar universe. The characters are growing so well, and I liked the hints of finding out what happened to Zuko’s mom. I’m really looking forward to continuing the series.
29. Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a really good read for me. I liked the main character a lot. She was really unique in her overall character presentation, and it added a really fun element to this murder mystery. I also liked the dual timelines with the multiple past historical perspectives. It was fun to get two mysteries in one book. I had a great time reading this, and will forever love Maureen Johnson’s writing style.
30. Captain America: The Ghost Army by Alan Gratz
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I haven’t read much of Captain America so I don’t know too much about him outside of the movies. However, that’s what made it fun to read this story. It was definitely a different vibe from the movies. However, I still really enjoyed the story. The whole ghost army part was very interesting.
31. Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search, Part 2 by Gene Luen Yang
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
32. Enola Holmes, Book 1 (Graphic Novels) by Serena Blasco
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a fun, quick read. I liked the three different mysteries included. I love Enola as a character. She is very smart and ingenious and that is very fun to read about. I liked the way she tackled being a girl during her time period and the limitations that came with that. She did a great job at outsmarting her brothers. The art style was very fun and unique.
33. Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I had a lot of fun listening to this audiobook. The storyline was interesting, and I really enjoyed the throuple aspect of the story. It was fun watching them connect with each other, especially on the emotional level. I was really happy with how the story played out at the end.
34. Living With Viola by Rosena Fung
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was such a lovely story. I really appreciated the way the topic of mental health was handled, and the way the negative self-talk was incorporated into the story. The story was really well-composed, and the art was great. I felt that it was very powerful.
35. Apocalypse Taco by Nathan Hale
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a very strange story, but I would say on the whole that I definitely enjoyed it. The premise was very strange, and a little weird. However, I would say it was a fun read, though definitely a little creepy.
36. The Teacher by Freida McFadden
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This was a very twisty and twisted story. It definitely took me a while to get through thanks to the overall premise of the book. However, I found it a compelling read once I got into it. I definitely didn’t see any of the twists coming, which was fun because it kept me guessing.
37. Elle(s), Volume 1 by Kid Toussaint
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a really interesting graphic novel. It felt very much like a first volume, but it provided enough intrigue to make me want to keep reading the story. I wanted more, and I wanted to find out what was going to happen to the main character and why she was the way that she was.
38, The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: I really enjoyed this romance. They had a really great vibe together. The way it played out was interesting as well. I liked the setting and seeing them navigate the complicated family relationships they had, well mostly Wes. The story was fun, and I had a great time reading it.
39. Unfamiliar, Volume 1 by Haley Newsome
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a really cute graphic novel. I liked the witchy vibes, and the way they could talk to their animal familiars. I also enjoyed the friendships beginning to develop as the story processed. I would like to continue the series for sure.
40. The Runaway’s Diary by James Patterson
Rating: 3 Stars
Format: eBook
Review: This was a decently well paced story. I thought the main character was interesting, and I completely understood her motivations. The art was well done and brought the story to life well.
41. The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoyed this book though I felt that the structure of the dual point of views was a little strange. I really would have preferred alternating perspectives between Theo and Kit. However, that being said, I overall really enjoyed the vibe of this book. The descriptions were really beautiful, and it made me so hungry. I really want to try all the things they mentioned eating on their tour. It was beautifully written, and I loved watching Theo and Kit come back together.
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