August 2020 Wrap Up

I read 11 books in August, with a total of 3747 pages. My average rating was 3.25 which seems low because I really did have some real gems in my 4-star books this month. However, there were also books that were 1 star... which shall not be named (unless you look at #4 on this list). Somehow August was the shortest and longest month--it seems like it was just July yesterday, but I also feel like I finished Clap When You Land forever ago! In other news, I changed my Goodreads goal from 104 books in 2020 (2 books/week) to 125. I'm currently at 102 for the year, and 125 seems like a nice round but still attainable number. Anyhow, here are the books I read in August:

1. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.00/5)

This was enjoyable and emotional. It didn't end the way I expected, but I'm not complaining about. The imagery really helped set the atmosphere, and writing in verse helped add to the emotion.

2. House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.29/5)

The last 25% of this book was so much better than the first 75%... So many things happened in this book that I can't even wrap my head around all of it, which is why it's surprising that the first half the book dragged so much. To be honest, it might have been a bit too busy with all the different components of the plot, but it is still a solid 3 star plot. Characters were solid except of course Camille and the triplets were infuriating most of the time. I really like how this book mixed genres: it was a fantasy standalone revolving around a murder mystery with intense horror moments sprinkled in here and there. This was definitely an interesting and refreshing fantasy story. 

3. Love, Creekwood (Simonverse #3.5) by Becky Albertalli

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (1.93/5)

I'm actually not mad at the pointlessness of this book like some people were (I mean come on, it's a novella, what were you expecting? Novellas are pretty much the author writing fanfiction of their own book). However, this was a bit cringey. At some times I was really feeling the ship, but most of the time I was just rolling my eyes at how many "I miss yous" there were. Maybe that's just realistic, but the way the characters are portrayed as not being able to be their own person, like they're only interesting and novel-worthy if they are part of a couple, was exhausting. Then with the marriage talk and how the novel ended... I'm just torn because part of me lives for the ship and the other part of me is screaming at how pathetic their codependency is. Just my honest opinion. It was kind of nice to see the kids in college, it just would have been nicer if they had also developed and matured as characters and as people as they got older. 

4. Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1.00/5)

This was a hot mess. Read more HERE.

5. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.57/5)

I saw that plot twist coming from a mile away, but I still enjoyed this! I was constantly very intrigued and wanted to continue reading, and there weren't many times that I was bored. My only other complaint is that some of the things weren't explained at the end, so I still have some questions which leaves me feeling just slightly unsatisfied. 

6. Contagion by Erin Bowman

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.07/5)

The plot and the atmosphere in this book made it really pretty enjoyable for me. I can't say I loved it just because some of the characters were insufferable to the point implausibility (I'm looking at you, Dylan). I probably won't be continuing with the series, but if the sequel happens to fall into my hands I might read it. 

7. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.07/5)

I really appreciated what this book did. The premise of the story was really interesting, but the book also executed it really well. Seeing Charlie's growth as a character in both intelligence and emotion was really fascinating. There were many times Charlie stopped to think about the fact that he was a person before the surgery - that he wasn't created by the surgery; he existed before it. On one hand I thought this was a really important metaphor for the struggles that we as the majority put many disabled or other marginalized people through daily - it calls society out on its casual dehumanization of people who are "other" in an almost juvenlian satyrical way. On the other hand, it is disappointing to realize that this is a topic that even still needs to be taught. This is a new favorite classic of mine though, and I highly recommend. 

8. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.86)

This book was such a good discussion on queer identity and what it means to be deserving of love. I enjoyed it so much, and this is one of those books that gets better the closer you get to the end. By the last chapter I was so wrapped up in this story, and I loved it. It was a little difficult to get attached to the characters at first, especially when there are so many bad ones introduced (I'm looking at you, Marisol). The book needed those bad ones so that it could call out the bigotry so it made sense, but I wish there was a little bit more resolution between Felix's friend group about Marisol's actions. Then again, that wouldn't be the most realistic ending, and one thing I appreciated about this book was the how realistic it was. Not every single issue gets to be tied up with a neat little bow, and that's okay. Felix was a really compelling character by the end of the novel, and his character growth (in realizing he was deserving of love and that he can't control everything - like the situation with his mom) was amazing. 

9. Starport by George R.R. Martin

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5)

This was a fun, quick read. I have read very few graphic novels in my life, but I enjoyed this one. The plot was intriguing, if a little predictable. I liked the characters, and I shipped Bobbi and Lyhanne a lot considering how quickly I got through the novel. 

10. The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.35/5)

This was equal parts devastating and hopeful, heartbreaking and heartwarming, beautiful and tragic. I truly don't have the words to describe it. Everyone should read this book. The characters--amazing. The writing--phenomenal. The journey--incredible. I am awestruck and dumbfounded. I want a sequel so bad, I have so much hope for Adunni's future, and I am desperate to see what becomes of her. Wow. 

11. The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.07/5)

I would recommend this to people who love loads of twists/connections in their thrillers, and anyone who likes the secluded-setting murder mystery. I understand why people love this book; it just personally wasn't my idea of a 5-star book. Check out my full review HERE.

Review for "The Guest List" by Lucy Foley

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.07/5)

I feel pretty indifferent about this book; my reading experience was average for most of it. I ended up giving it 3 stars because I did actually like the twists in it and how everything is connected together. Part of me doesn't really believe it (find it believable), but the bigger part of me likes secret ties and connections too much to care about the lack of logic (extreme plot conveniences) in it.

I didn't like most of the characters, I found most of them bland or stereotypes/cliches so none of them were super compelling to me. Most people like this story because of the atmosphere, which was one of the better aspects of the writing. However, I found the constant flips between now and then to be distracting and not that helpful with setting the tone or building intrigue. I also should just mention I wasn't captivated by most of the plot, I would almost say I was bored and just waiting for something substantial to happen.

I also am disappointed by the ending. It felt very incomplete, both because it ends very abruptly and it feels like none of the characters gets closure at all except maybe Aoife? Like Hannah said, many of them went through things too terrible to heal completely from no matter what happens, but still it would have been nice to know how the story played out afterward. Like what about Johnno? Aoife? It just felt like the last few chapters/plot points were missing. The whole point of an epilogue is to wrap up the book and explain the characters' ending outcomes, and this epilogue did none of that for any of the characters.

I feel like this review is very negative for it being a 3 star book so I want to go back to some of the things I liked. The twists were pretty shocking, and despite me previously saying the plot bored me at points, the twists were what made the plot more good than bad. Also, I did get a feeling of creepiness at all the right moments. When Jules narrates the scene of finding seaweed in the bed I shivered a bit in my seat. I also generally liked the setup of the book - the fact that the whole thing takes place over 24 hours was interesting. I liked the fact that there were so many perspectives, although the fact that one of the main characters doesn't have a perspective chapter until the end of novel is kind of telling about who the bad guy is. Still, there were plenty of twists within that that I didn't see coming.

I would recommend this to people who love loads of twists/connections in their thrillers, and anyone who likes the secluded-setting murder mystery. I understand why people love this book; it just personally wasn't my idea of a 5-star book.

Review for "Conversations with Friends" by Sally Rooney

I kept reading this, wanting it to get better, and it just never did.

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1.00/5)

I'll preface this with my reason for picking this up in the first place. I had never heard of this book before, it was not even remotely on my radar. The only thing I knew about the author was that she had a wildly popular book last year, Normal People. But look, I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan. If you didn't know, Taylor Swift released her eighth full-length studio album on July 24 of this year. There is one song on the album, illicit affairs, which always reminds me of a book called My Dark Vanessa. Then I heard a rumor that the inspiration for illicit affairs was actually a different book called Conversations with Friends. I'm not sure if that's even true, but I figured if there were similar themes between that song and this book it was worth checking out. After reading the book, I can confirm that the two plotlines are similar, so the rumor may have truth to it. Unfortunately, everything Taylor Swift did right in her songwriting, Sally Rooney did wrong in her novel-writing. 

I disliked every single one of these characters, (except maybe Phillip who is in about 5% of the novel). Not in the way where you dislike a character but can appreciate the realism of their moral grayness, but in the way where they are all just pompous, insufferable bastards. The way Frances and Bobbi would go off on holier-than-thou political tangents was the most pretentious thing I’ve had the displeasure of reading, and it was constant in this novel. 

It was also very difficult for me to empathize with Frances as a protagonist because she was so undeserving of empathy. She sleeps with a married man and is openly hostile to his wife even though she’s the one in the wrong. This book was just the most stereotypical version of an extramarital affair ever - an older married guy with a young woman who believes that he loves her enough to leave his wife for her. It was cringe-inducing to read.

Another thing I hated regarding the characters - it does that thing where all the female characters swear that this guy is sooooo great when all evidence points to the contrary - the man in question being Nick of course. Bobbi and Frances both mention how Nick really is a good person, while at the same time recognizing and accepting the way he is manipulative (that being his habit of being super submissive so he doesn’t have to take any blame - a really common manipulation tactic of abusers especially those who target younger women). Obviously Frances showed poor judgment in a lot of areas, but I still couldn’t help thinking, “what does she SEE in this guy?”

It doesn’t help that the relationships are not well-developed in a show-not-tell manner. We don’t get a feel for Frances and Nick’s relationship because Francis just tells us everything about how she feels about him, rather than the reader getting to experience that firsthand. I guess that’s just a general complaint about the writing - it seemed very monotone. Like Francis was just relaying events instead of living them. The result is reading about a lot of sex and not a lot of feelings.

Having finished this, I just don’t understand what the point of it was. I kept reading, waiting for it to get to the good part, the plot twist, the substantive part of the plot, but there was none. I am shocked at how many people were giving this 4 and 5 stars. 2 stars I understand, even 3 stars. But I just don't see any good in this. It was just this mess of a cheating scandal drawn out into 300 pages. It was not enjoyable and I do not recommend. I'm going to try to not associate this book with illicit affairs, lest it ruin a beautiful song.