What I Read in August

Nine books down in August! Granted, five of the nine were read in the first five days of the month while we were in the Bahamas, but that’s okay! Beach reading is the best reading, and I got to do a lot of it this summer. I’m so thankful! Now that we’re deep into the fall, I’m leaning further into the thrillers, true crime, and cozy reads rather than beach reads, so those reviews will be coming soon! But until then, here’s what I read in August!

ONE TRUE LOVES BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID – 5 STARS

Taylor Jenkins Reid writes some fabulous books, and this one is no exception. I love all of her newer historical fiction books, but these older titles just hold a special place in my heart. And the opening line of this book is just so good. “I am finishing up dinner with my family and my fiancé when my husband calls.” I was hooked from the very beginning!

SUMMER PEOPLE BY ELIN HILDERBRAND – 2 STARS

Elin Hilderbrand also writes some fabulous books, but unlike Taylor Jenkins Reid, her early books do not hold a special place in my heart. This book was just hard to get through and slightly problematic. I do not recommend.

GLAD YOU’RE HERE BY WALKER HAYES AND CRAIG ALLEN COOPER – 5 STARS

I loved Glad You’re Here! We obviously all know and love Walker Hayes in pop culture these days, and I just found it incredibly fascinating to learn about his back story and the history of his career. But what I truly loved about the book was hearing the story of Walker Hayes and Craig Cooper’s friendship that ultimately led to Hayes’ journey to faith. They are both incredibly inspiring men of faith.

THE PERFECT STRANGER BY MEGAN MIRANDA – 4 STARS

I really love Megan Miranda’s way of weaving together a thriller-type story. This is the story of a girl in trouble who moves in with an old friend from college to get a fresh start. But when her roommate Emmy disappears around the same time a local woman is murdered, things start to unravel around Leah and she questions if she ever really knew her friend Emmy at all.

SOMETHING WILDER BY CHRISTINA LAUREN – 5 STARS

This book was so fun! Treasure hunting, long-lost romance, backstabbing and adventure in the wild west! Christina Lauren’s books are always fun romances, and while this was totally different from anything I’d ever read from them before, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend!

KILLING KENNEDY BY BILL O’REILLY – 3 STARS

I am very interested in all things Kennedy’s, so this book felt like a must. It follows the historical timeline leading up to the assasination of President Kennedy and the aftermath that followed. If you’re interested in this bit of history, I recommend!

PRESENT OVER PERFECT BY SHAUNA NIEQUIST – 5 STARS

I do not know how I made it to this year before reading a book by Shauna Niequist, but she has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time. The way that she talks about faith and grace and friendship and community and everything in between is absolutely stunning. This book is all about prioritizing the present moment over trying to do more, be more, and maximize productivity in everything.

HER PRETTY FACE BY ROBYN HARDING – 4 STARS

This book begins my weeks-long obsession with binging thrillers – oops! This is the story of Frances Metcalfe, an insecure woman navigating difficult motherhood and the dynamics of a bunch of snotty moms at her son’s private school. But when she makes friends with the beautiful and slightly mysterious Kate Randolph, things start looking up for her. Until a secret about Kate’s past threatens to break everything apart.

THE AU PAIR BY EMMA ROUS – 2 STARS

I saw this book shared over and over when it first came out, and so I was interested in picking it up, but it was so disappointing! This is the story of a set of adult twins whose mother killed herself the day they were born. After their father’s death, they find a family photo of their mother, but she’s only holding one baby, they learn about a mysterious au pair that worked for their family when they were born, and they begin questioning their upbringing and everything that followed. It was just so unrealistic and outlandish in a bad way. 

You can find all of the books I’ve read this year here:
What I Read in January & February
What I Read in March
What I (Didn’t) Read in April
What I Read in May
What I Read in June
What I Read in July