August 2022: Working through some book series

Hello book buddies,

Our summer vacation time is almost over and I begin my last full semester of school this Fall. I certainly don’t mind being a student, but I’ve got two more teaching practicums to complete that will be a lot more intense than being a student.

I’m very pleased with the books I’ve completed this month. Everything felt truly impressive and stimulating and I’m still trying to cram as many books into my head before school starts.

Here’s what I read this month:

A book for those who adore a story with multiple points of view (POV):
The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
- Recommended to me by a subscriber, we begin in Quebec in the 1950s with pregnant sixteen-year-old Maggie. Once she gives birth, her daughter is passed off to an orphanage and (without Maggie’s knowledge) all the paper trails leading to her daughter are erased. In this novel, we get to see Maggie’s POV from her young age into adulthood as well as how her daughter grew up in the orphanage. I’m usually not into historical fiction, but this one was insanely captivating. Oh, and a little heartbreaking. And profound. Just great, really.

A captivating conclusion for those who love a series:
The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman
- This is the last in the Arch of the Scythe trilogy. Read about what I had to say about the first installment here, and the second installment here. All I’ll say is that I’m deeply satisfied with this trilogy.

A novel for the one that wants something a little more than a basic rom-com:
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
- This novel follows recent MFA graduate Chani Horowitz when her writing makes it big after she composes a noteworthy feature of the new Bond actor, Gabe Parker. We see them ten years later when they have a reunion of sorts for another interview. I found Sussman’s novel pleasurably easy to fall into and with a lot more intrigue than your regular rom-com. I like how Sussman wove news articles into the narrative too.

A book for the royalty lover:
Rivals (American Royals #3) by Katherine McGee
- I’m confident that I’ve spoken on here about my intrigue with royal fanfic. And it still lives on! I’ve been reading each book in this series when they come out and am pretty fulfilled with each one. This volume felt like a slow burn but McGee left us with an excellent cliffhanger. I’m definitely ready for the fourth one in 2023.

A collection of essays for those who want to be reminded of the good people in this world:
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
In her main essay in this collection, Patchett reflects on how she spent her two months in isolation when COVID shut down the world. It was so wonderfully crafted and beautiful that it felt overwhelming at times. I loved every part of this!

A book to celebrate Woman In Translation Month:
Where the Wild Ladies Are by Aoko Matsuda, translated from Japanese by Polly Barton
- In this collection of short stories, there were several recurring themes and characters, making it feel like a novel in short stories rather than a series of individual stories. I think with the connectedness in each piece throughout the book, this collection is a good intro to short stories for the novel reader. Each story is based on Japanese folktales and has a heavy feminist influence. The book felt very unique and enjoyable.

A novel for those who prefer an easy romance (like my mom!):
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
- I finished reading this book about 10 days ago but truly have no memory of it (I had to go on GoodReads to read the synopsis to remind myself). Even though that may sound like a negative review of Henry’s latest novel, I don’t view it as such. This book was a charming and light-hearted romance, with a touch of family drama. It’s entertaining while reading, but you’ll most likely forget about it after a few days, and that’s totally fine!

A novel for those who love a good YA (young adult)/romance/fantasy story:
Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo
- In this book, we meet Alina, a low-level cartographer for Ravka’s army, when she is discovered to have a magical power that could save her war-torn country. Unfortunately, it was only about halfway through the book when things finally got super interesting, but otherwise, I was decently fond of this book. Sometimes romance in YA novels is a little cringy and this was no exception.

A book for those that want to be taken through all the emotions:
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
- This was hands-down my favourite book of the month, possibly year. We follow two families that move from Pakistan to California and what they sacrifice to achieve the American dream. Not only was this book told through two high school students’ POVs, but we also get to see the first-person account of one of their mom’s stories before she moved to the States. I felt angry, frustrated, and sad, but also hopeful while reading this novel.

A novel for those who are looking for something quaint:
Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber
- When Anna Kate’s grandmother dies, she makes a trip to a small town in Alabama to bury her. Instead of leaving as soon as possible, she ends up making connections with the people in the town and even running the cafe that her grandmother owned. I was surprised to like this book as much as I did. It appears to be a simple story but Webber intertwined family secrets, old grudges, and even several elements of magic to add depth to the novel. (And this novel also was told through multiple POVs).

PICTURE BOOK HIGHLIGHT
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich
- A grumpy cactus learns that his negative behaviour is pushing people away. In an attempt to not feel lonely anymore, the cactus makes a plan to get a hug from a friend. There’s nothing crazy in this book, just an uncomplicated story of loneliness and one cactus’s shot at changing it. This was an effortlessly easy book to love and the kids at daycare thought it was enjoyable too.

Thank you again for reading another installment of my Blurbs. Feel free to reply to tell me about what you’re reading or if you have any recommendations for me.

Enjoy the rest of summer and happy reading!

Carissa

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