Book Talk: What I Read in August
As you may or may not know, I’ve been up to a bunch of random educational stuff over the summer. It was an interesting experience. Long story short, there’s a reason I hated my (almost) alma mater. I spent the last five years romanticising what graduating from there would’ve been like. But after one six week program? No, thank you. With all respect.
Seriously, there’s a reason I didn’t stay at that university. The past week was quite difficult because I was balancing my job, a couple of side projects and finals (yay!). So, this week’s update is meant to be a little easy on my packed schedule.
So, this blog is about what I read in August. Not how my (almost) alma mater traumatised me for life. So, if you’ve been following my little side quest of reading at least one book a week for 2025, this one’s for you.
Let’s get started!
August Breakdown: Book Recommendations
Between studying and traveling to another city, I didn’t really get a lot of time to read a lot of books. I was actually super nervous about this, but turns out a four-ish hour train ride is perfect for reading. Seriously, I usually like to sleep or write when I’m traveling. But reading was fun. I usually only listen to audiobooks on buses.
Oh well. You learn something new every day and in my case, it took me twenty-seven years to read on a train. So, here’s a list of what I read in August:
- Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
- Love, Mom by Iliana Xander
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Book 1: Not Quite Dead Yet
- Author: Holly Jackson
- Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Why I Picked It Up
I’ve been wanting to read more of Holly Jackson’s books since finishing A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and I was curious to see how her latest one would hold up. Plus, I was in the mood for something fast-paced and twisty, and the premise was perfect for me.
Summary
Pippa Fitz-Amobi wakes up in a coffin, alive but with no idea who put her there or why. The last thing she remembers is getting ready for prom night. As she frantically pieces together the hours leading up to her abduction, she realizes everyone around her has something to hide. With time running out (and oxygen running low), Pippa has to solve the mystery of her own attempted murder before it becomes the real thing.
What I Liked
The opening scene is pure adrenaline; immediately claustrophobic, tense, and impossible to look away from. Holly Jackson keeps the pacing tight and the stakes high throughout; every chapter ends on a note that makes it impossible to put down.
The best part is how unreliable memory is woven into the mystery. Nothing is ever quite what it seems, and the slow reveal of Pippa’s fractured memories adds real psychological tension. I also appreciated that the plot never got too outlandish; even when things got dramatic, the emotional beats felt grounded.
Downsides
It leans pretty hard on classic thriller tropes, and if you’ve read a lot of these, some twists are easy to spot coming. A couple of the side characters are more plot device than person, and the dialogue can get a bit melodramatic under stress (which… fair, but still).
Also, the premise requires a little suspension of disbelief, but honestly, that’s part of the fun with books like this.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It
Not Quite Dead Yet is a fast, twisty YA thriller that does exactly what it sets out to do: pull you in, keep you guessing, and leave you a little breathless. If you’re in the mood for high-stakes suspense with a heroine who refuses to go down quietly, this one absolutely delivers.
Book 2: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
- Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Why I Picked It Up
This was one of those “how have I not read this yet?” situations. The title has been haunting me from every reading list, BookTok, and bookstore display for years, and I finally gave in. I was in the mood for a big, messy, character-driven story, and old Hollywood scandal is always a good time. Also, I needed something dramatic and slightly glamorous after a string of mysteries and thrillers.
Summary
Legendary movie star Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her scandal-filled life, and she wants unknown journalist Monique Grant to write it. As Evelyn recounts her journey from poverty to Hollywood icon, she reveals the real stories behind her seven marriages, her true loves, and the sacrifices she made for fame. What unfolds is a confessional: glamorous, ugly, and absolutely riveting, pulling back the curtain on identity, ambition, and the price of reinvention.
What I Liked
This book is pure escapism in the best way. Evelyn is magnetic. She’s complex, calculating, and unapologetic about the choices she makes, even when they’re morally gray. The storytelling structure (a memoir-within-a-novel) works so well; every husband is a new act, a new reveal, and a new way to peel back another layer of her character.
Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing has this addictive, cinematic quality. The emotional gut-punches land hard, and the glamour never completely hides the cost of Evelyn’s ambition. I also loved how queerness, race, and womanhood were woven in, not as “issues,” but as the bones of Evelyn’s story.
Downsides
Some plot twists are telegraphed a bit early, especially if you’re used to this kind of dual-timeline storytelling. Monique (the journalist) isn’t as compelling as Evelyn, and sometimes her storyline feels more like a device than a fully developed arc.
The dialogue can get a little melodramatic, but honestly, for a story about a fictional Hollywood icon, it kind of works.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is for anyone who loves character-driven drama, old Hollywood secrets, and stories about women who refuse to play by the rules. It’s equal parts dazzling and devastating, with a lead character you’ll admire, judge, and never forget.
Book 3: Everything, Everything
- Author: Nicola Yoon
- Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Why I Picked It Up
I needed something lighter after a run of heavier reads, and Everything, Everything has been floating in my TBR for a while. I was curious about the hype; every other YA reader seemed to have strong feelings about it, and sometimes you just need a sweet, quick read with a dramatic premise. Plus, I’m always down for stories about people breaking out of the bubbles (literal or otherwise) they’ve been trapped in.
Summary
Maddy has spent her entire life inside her house, supposedly allergic to the world. Her only contact is her mother and her nurse until a new boy, Olly, moves in next door. As their friendship grows, so does Maddy’s desire to experience more than just what’s in her sanitized, protected bubble. What follows is a story of first love, rebellion, and the risks we take for a shot at real life even when everything (and everyone) says it’s impossible.
What I Liked
This book is compulsively readable. The short chapters, illustrations, and text messages keep things moving, and Nicola Yoon’s writing style is warm without being cloying. Maddy is easy to root for—curious, smart, and very much aware of the stakes.
The romance is cute without being over-the-top, and there’s genuine tension in every decision Maddy makes. I also liked how the book handles the idea of risk: when is it worth it, and who gets to decide? The plot twist (no spoilers) worked for me, and made everything that came before it land a little harder.
Downsides
You definitely have to suspend your disbelief for the premise, especially as the story builds toward its twist. Some parts are predictable, and Olly doesn’t always get the depth he deserves. The ending wraps up a little too quickly for my taste. I wanted a bit more fallout, a little more mess.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It
Everything, Everything is for anyone who loves a good “what if” romance and isn’t afraid of a little melodrama. It’s sweet, fast, and surprisingly thought-provoking for a book that looks like pure fluff at first glance.
Book 4: Love, Mom
- Author: Iliana Xander
- Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Why I Picked It Up
I was in the mood for something a little more raw and real this month. Love, Mom caught my eye because I wanted to see how a story could be written through a series of letters and would land emotionally. Margaret Atwood does this in Alias Grace. (check out my March reading list for details). There’s something intimate (and a little voyeuristic) about reading someone’s unsent thoughts to their family, especially when it promises honesty about complicated relationships.
Summary
As I said, Love, Mom is a story told through letters from a daughter to her estranged mother. Each chapter reveals pieces of a relationship built on silence, missed connections, and moments of tenderness that don’t always add up to understanding. The book moves through anger, grief, regret, and hope, exploring what it means to long for a relationship that never quite works the way you want it to.
What I Liked
The format works really well. It’s honest without feeling self-indulgent, and the letter style makes everything more immediate. Iliana Xander isn’t afraid to sit with messy feelings; she lets anger and love exist side by side. There are lines that just hit, especially if you’ve ever struggled with setting boundaries or wishing for a different version of family.
I appreciated how the book doesn’t try to tie everything up neatly. The unresolved nature of the letters felt true to life: sometimes you don’t get closure, and that’s the story.
Downsides
The focus is very tight. If you want subplots or side characters, you won’t find them here. Sometimes, the letters loop back to the same emotional territory, which made a few parts feel repetitive. And the lack of outside perspective (we only get the daughter’s side) means you’re locked in one POV, for better or worse.
It’s also quietly heavy, definitely not a lighthearted family read.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It
Love, Mom is for anyone who likes short fiction about complicated families, awkward homecomings, and the things we never quite say. It’s best read when you’re in the mood for subtlety and want to sit with a story that doesn’t hand out easy answers.
Book 5: Fahrenheit 451
- Author: Ray Bradbury
- Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Why I Picked It Up
I’ve always meant to get around to this one. Fahrenheit 451 is one of those classics everyone references, and I felt overdue for some vintage dystopian doom. Plus, I was in the mood for something that would give me a little existential dread and maybe make me appreciate my overflowing bookshelves a bit more. Sometimes you just need to see what all the fuss is about with the OGs of the genre.
Summary
In a future where books are banned and “firemen” burn any that are found, Guy Montag is a loyal burner of words…until he isn’t. After a series of unsettling encounters, Montag starts to question everything: his job, his marriage, and the cost of a society that trades thinking for comfort. As he wakes up to the emptiness around him, rebellion slowly turns from thought to action, with consequences that burn more than just paper.
What I Liked
Bradbury’s writing is so weirdly poetic for a dystopian novel. The imagery is vivid, the world is both exaggerated and uncomfortably possible, and there are lines that just stick. I liked how the book doesn’t just focus on censorship. It’s about distraction, about trading meaning for noise, about what happens when we forget how to be curious.
Montag’s slow awakening is actually painful to watch, in a good way. There’s nothing slick or heroic about it. Just confusion, regret, and desperation for something more. Also, for such a short book, it packs in a lot: broken relationships, the loneliness of thinking differently, and that constant dread that the world might actually end up this way.
Downsides
You can definitely feel its age in some of the social commentary and in how the female characters are written flat, symbolic, and occasionally just props for Montag’s journey. The plot is more vibe than action, especially in the first half; sometimes it felt like the story meandered instead of building toward something.
Also, subtlety is not Bradbury’s strong suit. If you like your metaphors light, this is… not that.
Final Thoughts & Who Should Read It
Fahrenheit 451 is for anyone who likes their classics a little bit weird, a little bit heavy-handed, and a lot relevant. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if society stopped caring about nuance, or if you just want to appreciate your local library a little more, this is a must-read.
It’s short, it’s sharp, and it’ll probably have you side-eyeing every screen in your house for a week.
What I Read in August: Summary & Favourite (and Least Favorite) Book
August was one of those reading months that felt accidentally balanced: some dark classics, some messy contemporary drama, and a couple of stories that managed to hit too close to home. There were thrillers that kicked off with a punch, love stories dressed up as confessions, and family sagas that left me a little emotionally winded. Nothing on this list was an outright flop, but there were definitely a few books that made me want to immediately press “pause” and just…think.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo takes the top spot. No contest. Evelyn’s voice, her ambition, and the unapologetic way she tells her story had me glued to the page. I went in for the scandal and stayed for the heartbreak (and, honestly, the glam).
Probably Love, Mom. It wasn’t bad, just quieter and less impactful than everything else I picked up. I appreciate minimalism and subtle family drama, but this one left me wanting a bit more to hold onto.
And that’s a wrap on August.
What did you think of my list this month? Let me know in the comments!
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