Sweater: Sezane
I feel like I’m a bit of a broken record with these posts, but August was another great reading month! I read four books- three I really loved despite them all being very different and one I was glad I read, but not sure I actually liked if that makes sense. With the new school year starting, I always kind of act like it is my own “back to school” and routine time so I will be trying to keep up with reading more before bed instead of scrolling mindlessly 🙂
What books have you read recently? Have we read any of the same books this summer? You can find more of what I’ve read here too!
What I Read in August 2023:
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow- This book… just WOW! Okay, so I know I’m a little behind as so many bookstagrammers had it in their top books of 2022, but I finally read it and I understand the love for it so much. Don’t judge it by the summary because I really don’t care too much about video games, but I loved this book! It actually maybe made me think video game creation is interesting!
At a subway station in Boston, Sam sees his childhood friend Sadie, a fellow video game lover. When the two reconnect Sadie shares a game she created with Sam and from that moment on he knows he wants to create a game with her. Sadie and Sam dedicate themselves to creating a game and their first video game, Ichigo is a huge success. The story follows their friendship and it is truly a beautifully written book and a great story. I’d love to chat with anyone who has read it and can’t recommend this one enough! My grade: A
The Guest- This book has been getting a lot of buzz this summer. It was on my radar earlier this summer as I loved Emma Cline’s prior book, The Girls, but then suddenly the book was everywhere. The Guest follows Alex, a 22 year old woman and the ultimate guest in the Hamptons. After making a mistake at a friend’s party, her 50-something year old boyfriend, Simon, who she has been living with over the summer wants to send her back to the city. With unrest waiting for her back in the city, Alex is convinced she can win Simon back if she can make it to his Labor Day party in five days. And so begins Alex’s stay as a guest of the Hamptons, moving from place to place. Even as I’m writing this I don’t want to say conning her way from place to place, but it is kind of true! I am glad I read this book- Emma Cline is seriously talented- but it gave me serious anxiety the entire time I read it! I had to keep going because I was having second hand severe anxiety. I’m not really sure I would recommend it, but you may want to read it anyways just to see what the hype is about- up to you! My Grade: B- (I truly feel bad saying this as the writing is great, but the story was a lot)
Icebreaker – I was in serious need of a palette cleanser after The Guest and it was like the book gods knew because just as I was finishing it, I got a notice that my library hold for this book was available. I downloaded Icebreaker and basically had to finish it in one day! Anastasia is a dedicated figure skater working her way up to Team USA with her partner. Nate is the very good looking captain of the hockey team. When a mishap with the hockey team’s rink results in them having to share a rink with the figure skating team, Anastasia is unhappy and basically targets her anger at team captain Nate. Maybe predictably however, the two have lots of chemistry and the story unfolds as they both go after their personal and team success with some steamy scenes! I liked how the book was told from both of the main characters’ points of view and I also thought they did a great job describing college friendship. This is a romance novel so there are definitely sex scenes as maybe an obvious warning 🙂 My Grade: A- (could be influenced by being a palette cleanser, but I really liked this romance)
Tom Lake– The latest book from Ann Patchett, a must read author for me, did not disappoint! It is spring of 2020 and Lara’s three adult daughters have joined her and her husband, Joe back at home on their family cherry orchard in Michigan. To pass the time, her daughters beg Lara to tell them more about Peter Duke, a famous actor who she acted alongside in a stage production of Our Town and had a summer romance with. The daughters learn more about their mother and their assumptions of her. I feel like Ann Patchett’s novels always have interesting family dynamics and this one was the same. I loved the story and loved ending my day reading this book. Definitely recommend! My Grade: A
I always love your book recs so be sure to leave them here or on Instagram! And let me know if you’ve read any of these books too 🙂
xoxo, Jenna
Shop The Post
