What I Read in August

Unpopular opinions on a fan-favorite series + what may be my favorite book of the year

Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee

Do Nothing was a great way to think about life and slowing down in general. I think the book was long and a little preachy in some areas, but the overall messaging was worth it - especially for someone like me who defines their values (and something the value of others) based on their productivity.

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids by Carla Naumburg

This book was recommended to me but I can’t remember who recommended it. I liked the approach of this book. Again, it was a little long and I didn’t read every single page but the overall advice and application feel achievable. Reading it helped me realize that I have never just taken “20 minutes” to decompress instead of escalating a situation with the kids, and I really should have taken a page out of Chilli Heeler’s book to do that many, many times.

I also love that she started all of this by saying that you need to put your own mask on before helping others because as much as I believe this is true, I am awful about actually doing it. And then I lose my shit. I have lost my shit less since reading this book, which has been nice but it is still a work in progress. And Naumburg also let us know that we will continue to lose our shit, but now there is a toolbox to help us work through those moments too.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

This was a fun, sweet read! I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would have. Essentially, Sadie has a seizure and has to have brain surgery. The surgery results in her having face blindness and chaos ensues as she prepares to participate in a portrait competition and she meets her two “future husbands”. She’s also dealing with her truly awful family who have always treated her like crap because of her bully of a stepsister and her best friend runs off about halfway through the book, so Sadie is left alone to deal with all of this. I guessed what would happen in the book quickly, but I still enjoyed the telling of the story and the overall satisfaction of Sadie taking hold of her life.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Rebecca Serle’s books are hit-and-miss for me and this was no different. I liked it but overall would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. It felt more like a love letter to LA to me than an actual story. The summary is that Daphne receives a message from the universe letting her know how long each of her romantic relationships will be. She has gotten these her entire life, so it’s no surprise when one shows up for Jake but the note is missing the amount of time they will be together.

Throughout the book, we revisit Daphne’s past relationships as well. Spoiler: If you’ve read Serle’s book in the past, then you know there is usually an overarching theme of chronic illness and that is also true here. And while it is a challenge for Daphne, it also kinda felt like it was just thrown in. I didn’t love this book and I didn’t hate it it was solidly “meh”, in my opinion. Of Serle’s books I have read, One Italian Summer has been my favorite and I highly recommend that one!

The Wedding People by Allison Espach

The Wedding People is one of my favorite books of the year. I was a bit worried about the content being triggering as there are a lot of sensitive topics at play like suicidal ideation, infertility, infidelity, death of parents and spouse, etc.. Still, ultimately all of those topics were handled in such a perfectly human way. In summary, our main character Phoebe takes herself to the Cornwall Inn to find she is the only guest at this hotel that is not here for a wedding. Phoebe is depressed and suicidal when she meets the bride, Lila. Lila sort of forces herself into Phoebe’s life and confides in her once she realizes everyone just tells the bride what they want to hear. Phoebe is learning that she has to change how she has lived since it never got her anywhere and brutal honesty is top of the list.

I’ve never read a book that encapsulates the human experience quite like this one does. Maybe it’s because I’m around the same age as the main character, but it was all so relatable. I also adored how hilarious this book was. There were many dramatic scenes and then you’re hit with something I can only describe as “life happens.” Some scenes are some of the funniest I’ve ever read and never expected to find in this book. Then, there are lines of writing that make me so happy. I bought a physical copy of this book because reading it was so enlightening. And then the dialogue was something special. I realize characters typically have their own voice, but these were so unique and so well done.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The giddiness I felt when this library hold finally came through was like no other. I have no idea how long it’s been sitting there, but I finally got it! The story is that Caelena Sardothien is an assassin who has been sent to prison, but is now called to serve as the Prince’s champion in a competition to decide who will serve the King and ultimately be granted their freedom. Caelena travels to the castle for the competition where she is closely watched by the Captain of the Guard, Chaol, and the Crown Prince, Dorian. However, things quickly start to get real when those competing start to turn up dead outside of the competition.

I’m excited to read more of the series. This first book just wasn’t all I expected it to be based on everything I’ve heard about it. But I do think it was a great setup for the rest of the series. I just wanted to know more about each character’s past and we got so little of that that it made it difficult to understand their motives at times.

Throne of Glass is the third of SJM’s series I have started now (finished ACOTAR and have read the first CC book), and I have the unpopular opinion that out of the three first books of the series - Crescent City is my favorite.