August Book Favourites
I don't want to brag, but August was my best reading month so far in terms of number of books read. This is because I'm still on summer break, but I won't let that diminish my accomplishment. Here are my faves of the month!
This is the big book of the summer, so when I got my hands on a half-price copy I had to try it for myself, especially since it's getting interestingly mixed reviews. Plus it's about a polar explorer, and with Becky as a sister I couldn't help but be drawn to it, especially since I was already familiar with Graham Gore because of her.
I don't even really like rom-coms, but I did love this book! I have no explanation for why I lose interest in most romances about halfway through, while I inhaled this in one day. It's about a woman who loves rom-coms and gets tasked with helping her favourite screenwriter, who hates them, write a good one. Of course they clash and then fall in love. Even though the plot of this one isn't particularly new or interesting, something about the writing or tone or something ticked all my unlabeled boxes to make it a rom-com I adored. It's funny and sweet, and closed-door for those who prefer that.
I wasn't too excited to read a book about a celebrity, but I should've trusted Alice Oseman to not take the usual route. The story of a fangirl meeting her celebrity crush sounds like it'd be a cute romance, but this is not that at all. Angel is obsessed with The Ark and especially frontman Jimmy, a trans boy, and she's been waiting to go to their concert with her online best friend for months. But things don't go to plan, especially when she realizes that what she sees online might not be the reality. Jimmy loves playing music with his two best friends, but the pressures of fame are getting to him and making his panic disorder worse. As they're about to sign a new contract, things start falling apart more and more. It takes quite a while for the two to meet - over halfway - but even before that it's fascinating to see the disparity between what they're experiencing. Angel has a parasocial relationship with Jimmy, while Jimmy is having trouble even feeling anything other than resentment for their fans. This is a very emotional book about very flawed, mentally ill people. But also a fascinating look at fandom and celebrity culture, and it made me think and feel a lot.
Ante is a young Sami boy living in Sweden, and ever since he realized he had a huge crush on his friend Erik, he's had trouble feeling like he belongs. He doesn't know any gay reindeer herders, and homophobic talk is common. But he doesn't know how much longer he can keep it hidden when he can't seem to act normal around Erik anymore. The way this book captures the feeling of a teenaged all-consuming crush! Reminded me of exactly how painful it is, when you're aware of your body and your crush's at all times, and every moment feels loaded. The relationship between them is the main driving force of the book, but there's also Ante exploration of his Sami identity when he comes upon a book about racist genetic ideas, which gives this book more weight and staying power than a typical queer awakening story. It's a very emotional book that does contain some homophobia, but is ultimately hopeful.
This is a gorgeous book that is hand-drawn and hand-lettered, about the author and her boyfriend spending close to a month on the Trans-Siberian Railway, travelling from Beijing, through Mongolia, and then through to Moscow. I specifically decided to read it because I find Mongolia fascinating and wanted to know what travelling there was like. The author did a great job balancing stories, information, and art, which made the book entertaining, informative, and a treat to look at.
Another banger from Kingfisher! Cordelia is a young girl living with her evil mother, who manipulates people with sorcery. Her mother has her eyes set on a squire to marry and take his money, so she convinces him to invite them over. The squire's sister Hester doesn't have a good feeling about her though, and tries to find a way to keep everyone from her clutches.
This book is kind of regency and fantasy, but with horror vibes in parts of the book. Kingfisher is just so good at creating interesting vibes. I also liked that the main characters in this one were a 14-year-old girl who's timid and awkward, and a 50-year-old woman who's no-nonsense and has a bad knee, but determined. Just not the usual 18-year-old chosen one girls we see so often in fantasy.
This book is kind of regency and fantasy, but with horror vibes in parts of the book. Kingfisher is just so good at creating interesting vibes. I also liked that the main characters in this one were a 14-year-old girl who's timid and awkward, and a 50-year-old woman who's no-nonsense and has a bad knee, but determined. Just not the usual 18-year-old chosen one girls we see so often in fantasy.
This is the big book of the summer, so when I got my hands on a half-price copy I had to try it for myself, especially since it's getting interestingly mixed reviews. Plus it's about a polar explorer, and with Becky as a sister I couldn't help but be drawn to it, especially since I was already familiar with Graham Gore because of her.
The UK government has mastered time travel, and a civil servant gets the job of bridge to the time traveler Graham Gore, a real-life member of the Franklin expedition, to help him adjust to the present. But she starts to fall in love with him, plus of course the government hasn't been entirely honest about why they're bringing people from the past. This book is a lot, with a mishmash of genres of themes, and it's weird that it's essentially self-insert Terror fanfic written as lit fic, but I found I didn't care. I thought it was clever, thought-provoking, fascinating, and like nothing I've read before. Plus just a really good time.
I wasn't too excited to read a book about a celebrity, but I should've trusted Alice Oseman to not take the usual route. The story of a fangirl meeting her celebrity crush sounds like it'd be a cute romance, but this is not that at all. Angel is obsessed with The Ark and especially frontman Jimmy, a trans boy, and she's been waiting to go to their concert with her online best friend for months. But things don't go to plan, especially when she realizes that what she sees online might not be the reality. Jimmy loves playing music with his two best friends, but the pressures of fame are getting to him and making his panic disorder worse. As they're about to sign a new contract, things start falling apart more and more. It takes quite a while for the two to meet - over halfway - but even before that it's fascinating to see the disparity between what they're experiencing. Angel has a parasocial relationship with Jimmy, while Jimmy is having trouble even feeling anything other than resentment for their fans. This is a very emotional book about very flawed, mentally ill people. But also a fascinating look at fandom and celebrity culture, and it made me think and feel a lot.
Ante is a young Sami boy living in Sweden, and ever since he realized he had a huge crush on his friend Erik, he's had trouble feeling like he belongs. He doesn't know any gay reindeer herders, and homophobic talk is common. But he doesn't know how much longer he can keep it hidden when he can't seem to act normal around Erik anymore. The way this book captures the feeling of a teenaged all-consuming crush! Reminded me of exactly how painful it is, when you're aware of your body and your crush's at all times, and every moment feels loaded. The relationship between them is the main driving force of the book, but there's also Ante exploration of his Sami identity when he comes upon a book about racist genetic ideas, which gives this book more weight and staying power than a typical queer awakening story. It's a very emotional book that does contain some homophobia, but is ultimately hopeful.
This is a gorgeous book that is hand-drawn and hand-lettered, about the author and her boyfriend spending close to a month on the Trans-Siberian Railway, travelling from Beijing, through Mongolia, and then through to Moscow. I specifically decided to read it because I find Mongolia fascinating and wanted to know what travelling there was like. The author did a great job balancing stories, information, and art, which made the book entertaining, informative, and a treat to look at.
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