What. A. Month. This month was more difficult for me to focus. I was very anxious prior to school starting, and very tired once school actually started. While this was a “slow” month, I think overall finishing 7 books is still pretty dang good.
This was also the first month that I didn’t have a five star read! I have gotten feedback that some of my ratings might be slightly inflated, and it’s difficult to know which books I truly and whole-heartedly loved. From now on, I am saving a five star rating for books that absolutely changed me. Books that I ardently loved and would recommend anyone and everyone to read.
I think I may have overdone it a bit with thrillers this month. Anyway, here are my August reads:
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1. She Lies Close by Sharon Doering
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Thriller
Short summary: Grace Wright begins suffering from crippling insomnia when she discovers her new neighbor, Leland Ernest, is a suspect for the abduction of five-year-old Ava. Grace is a mother of two and is paranoid that they are not safe. As her obsession with discovering the truth takes hold of her, she struggles to distinguish reality from dream.
What I loved: Boy did this book give me the creeps! Sharon did a great job getting you into the mindset of Grace, who is, quite honestly, losing it. This is a great read for the fall and had all of the feels of Lisa Jewell’s And Then She Was Gone.
What I didn’t love: The ending was too abrupt. The twist felt like an afterthought. I do feel that the purpose of this book was not to have some crazy surprise ending, but rather to question Grace and her concept of reality (which was different and interesting).
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2. We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Short summary: It’s been a decade since Trumanell Branson, a beloved girl in a small town, disappeared, leaving only a bloody handprint behind. Her brother, Wyatt, is cleared of wrongdoing by the police but tried and sentenced in the court of public opinion.
What I loved: This one got you hooked in very quickly. I loved how the POV evolved throughout this story and how each chapter ended on a mini cliffhanger.
What I didn’t love: The ending fell a little flat and was wrapped up too quickly.
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3. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Rating: 4.25 / 5
Genre: Thriller / Horror
Short summary: Maggie Holt doesn’t believe in her father’s ghost story and well-known book: House of Horrors. While this story is supposedly based on their lives growing up at Baneberry Hall, she dismisses the Book as a tale of lies. After her father dies, however, she discovers that she inherited this estate and comes face to face with forgotten childhood memories and haunting ghosts.
What I loved: This was a fun, fast-paced read. I loved the spooky ghost vibes (even if I don’t believe in them).
What I didn’t love: Honestly, I think this book was overhyped and the ending far too predictable.
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4. Little Deadly Secrets by Pamela Crane
Rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Thriller / Women’s fiction
Short summary: Three friends, Mackenzie, Lily, and Robin are inseparable. Or so they believe. Nothing could come between these three best friends . . .Except for a betrayal. Nothing could turn them against each other . . .Except for a terrible past mistake. Nothing could tear them apart . . . Except for murder.
What I loved: I always enjoy a thriller with multiple POVs! This book had short chapters with multiple cliffhangers and was a really fun read cover to cover.
What I didn’t love: I think I was hoping for more in the end. It just kind of felt “meh” after the big buildup. I would still really recommend this one, though!
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5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Science Fiction / Classics
Short summary: Frankenstein is consumed in his curiosity of alchemy and the idea of creating a living being. After obsessing over his research, he finally produces a living creature, but to his horror, he actually created an unnamed monster that will cost him everything.
What I loved: This book is so eloquently written. The rich diction and imagery is absolutely excellent in this novel. There are so many layers to this book and I honestly could reread this one.
What I didn’t love: The beginning was so slow and the story is much more of a slow burn. But man is it worth it!
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6. The Second Mother by Jenny Milchman
Rating: 3.75 / 5
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Short summary: Julia Weathers has been struck by tragedy. After desiring change, she stumbles upon a job opportunity: “teacher needed in one-room schoolhouse on remote island in Maine. Certification in grades K-8 a must.” After accepting this position, Julia learns very quickly that everything and everyone on this island isn’t what it seems.
What I loved: This book definitely had the creepy vibes and was easy to follow.
What I didn’t love: The ending was really abrupt. Like all of a sudden it was over. I needed more closure about all that transpired.
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7. No Woods So Dark as These by Randall Silvis
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Mystery
Short summary: Former Sergeant DeMarco and his girlfriend are ready for some peace and quiet and in desperate need of a break from near death experiences. However, when two women are found dead in a smoldering car, along with a man brutally murdered nearby, they are dragged back in to solve the case.
What I loved: If you are interested in books with detailed criminal investigations, you would probably be interested in this one.
What I didn’t love: There wasn’t a plot twist and the story moved too slowly for my taste.
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Happy reading!
XO
Alaina
