Welcome to Quick Lit, where we share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately on the 15th of the month.
I’ve had a great reading month: I’m blazing through a series and I’ve been listening to more audiobooks than usual. I’ve also been reading up a storm for our Fall Book Preview, coming September 1.
Today’s list features a little bit new, a little bit old, in a variety of genres. I always welcome your book recommendations, and in light of my intention to read more science fiction this year (more on that below) I’d especially appreciate your recs for that genre. Would you share them in comments?
This is only a small smattering of the books I’ve read since our last round of Quick Lit. If you’re interested in hearing more about my recent reads, I highly recommend tuning into my podcast What Should I Read Next. In a show about books, I can’t help but discuss my current reading.
I can’t wait to hear about your recent reads in comments.
What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable
Lock In: A Novel of the Near Future
Truth or Beard
Shiner
Not So Pure and Simple
Hieroglyphics
The Guest List
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
P.S. 7 ways to discover your audiobook style. Plus 15 fabulous debut novels and 10 comforting classics.
P.P.S. For the top photo I scooped up a variety of pretty new releases and advanced review copies; I’ve only read three of them so far! If you have thoughts on the titles shown there I’d love to hear in comments.
136 comments
Thanks so much for the link up, Anne! I love finding great new books every month.
Please visit my Cozy Burrow to read about my July highlights. I’m sharing my three favorite books of the month, as well as a few peeks into my notebooks!
https://katiegilley.com/2020/08/04/july-2020-highlights/
I just finished The Guest List on audio and loved it!
For this month’s Quick Lit post, I’m sharing reviews of three novels that everyone was taking about this summer, a back list title from an author I’m loving, and a timely anti-racism read.
https://kendranicole.net/quick-lit-august-2020-reading-wrap-up-part-two/
I have nine book reviews, including a five star August new release to share! https://neverenoughnovels.com/2020/08/10/august-2020-book-recommendations/
Hi Friends!
In THE BOOKBAG * NESTING EDITION –
* Myquillyn ‘The Nester’ Smith’s upcoming Welcome Home
* And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
* You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters
* Grisham’s latest – Camino Winds
http://www.lindastoll.net/2020/08/the-bookbag-nesting-edition.html?m=1
Wow, there are so many books on this list that sound right up my alley!! I’m from East TN so I really want to read Truth or Beard, and an Agatha Christie retelling sounds perfect.
Like you, I’ve been breezing through a series (actually two!) as well.
https://readeatrepeat.net/2020/08/15/books-in-progress-what-ive-been-reading-lately-august-2020/
I’m interested in Hieroglyphics. But I’m barely making progress on my TBR as it is. Here’s what I read in July.
https://shannanenjoyslife.com/2020/08/14/quick-lit-next-page-please-july-2020/
Please email the contact you have for photos as I love who does yours. Im late to HomeGoing but man do I love it! Im following you Shannen and wish you well!!!
When I was rebooting my reading life, Taylor Jenkins Reid’s, Maybe In Another Life: A Novel was one of the first books I read based on a WSIRN episode. I love all things Taylor Jenkins Reid but Evidence of the Affair was really amazing, the whole premise was so intriguing to me!
I finished several great books this month on anti-racism. I hope I can take what I’m learning and put it into action.
I’m currently reading “Ask Again, Yes” as my fiction pick this month, and a few nonfiction advanced reader copies. “Love Matters More” and “Beyond Your Bubble” are two standouts so far.
Here are 7 books I recommend from what I just finished reading:
https://www.lisanotes.com/books-i-recommend-july-2020/
Enjoyed the Guest List! I’m currently reading The Night Swim by Megan Goldin and it’s the perfect summer mystery thriller!
Just finished The Night Swim and loved it!
I need a perfect summer thriller! I added “The Night Swim” to my TBR. Thanks!
Just finished Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Aside from the beautiful, tear inducing writing, it was poignant to be reminded of a time when books were treasured as precious.
Sci fi: can’t go wrong with Blake Crouch. Dark Matter is my favorite.
I’ve also read both of these titles and wholeheartedly agree!
Blake Crouch was who I immediately thought of in answer to that question. I am eager to read Lock In!
I LOVE Book Woman of Troublesome Creek! I had not heard of that medical condition and found it fascinating on top of the history of the Pack Horse Librarians.
Just finished the murmur of bees – an absolutely wonderful book – highly recommend. you are completely transported to another world even as the murmur of bees resonates with you through sound and sight. mystical realism with a profound story to tell.
Good to hear! I have had this for quite a while and haven’t read it yet.
I listened to this-it was great!
One of my favs! That book stays with you – beautifully written. Great recommendation!
By far my f0avorite read of the past month: Boyfriend Material ❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙
Listened on audio and have been relistening to fave parts and rereading ebook.
Also loved Lab Girl, swinging wildly to a totally different genre!
Dear Emmie Blue was good, recommended in a recent podcast of yours.
Autopsy of a Boring Wife and The Housekeeper and the Professor are recent books in translation gems.
Just realizing all of these were on audio. Read Party of Two with my eyes in one sitting the other night. Might be my fave Jasmine Guillory.
I listened to Lab Girl a few years ago and still think about it frequently!
I also listened to Boyfriend Material in July and absolutely adored it (even made my husband listen to it some too!)
Yes, Jasmine Guiillory! Read The Wedding Date in July and just finished The Proposal. Can’t wait to get my hands on more.
I LOVED The Housekeeper and the Professor! Such a quiet and beautiful book about friendship!
I want to thank Anne for putting “Beach Read” by Emily Henry on my radar. I just finished it yesterday, and I am still in book hangover mode. I loved it so much. Can’t wait to add a few of the above to my TBR as well!
I agree 100%. I don’t usually enjoy romance, but this story sucked me in with its incredible sense of humor.
Yes. Agree 100% Beach Read was so much better than I expected! I was grinning to myself through so much of the audio book
Yes! I wouldn’t have picked it up without Anne’s recommendation, but it was very good! If I had seen it at the store I would have judged it by its cover. The story and writing are well done, with quick, witty dialogue throughout.
This month, I read The Mothers, which I loved A LOT; I listened to Girl, Woman, Other, which I found difficult in some parts because of content and very real and horrific struggles, but it’s so well written and important; and I finally picked up Olive Kitteridge (recommended to me multiple times) but I just can’t get into it – I need plot! I’ve put that aside to read American Dirt because someone loaned it to me. That one I’m loving, though it hurts my soul sometimes.
I got through Olive Kitteridge and it wasn’t bad, but Olive Again was so hard. I tried and it just didn’t get going. Not one of my most favorite series.
I would recommend the classic sci-fi series Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov.
I really loved The Mothers too! If you’re interested, book discussion questions are here: https://styleandsavings.wordpress.com/2017/02/26/themothers/
I read and loved Florence Adler Swims Forever, The Pull of the Stars and Everything Inside. I just began Lions I’d Fifth Avenue.
I loved The Pull of the Stars, too. So timely right now. And the other two are on my library holds list!
The Pull of The Stars was *excellent* on audio. Emma Lowe is my new favorite narrator.
So MANY great books this month. I was all over the place with genres. These are the best ones:
Memoir: Hollywood Park by Michael Jollett.
Historical fiction: The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue;
The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai;
The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau.
Thrillers: A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight and
Fair Warning by Michael Connelly.
Literary Fiction: The Second Home by Christina Clancy;
Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner;
Deacon King Kong by James McBride;
Miss Austen by Gill Hornby and Sea Wife by Amity Gaige.
Thank you for the list. I am eyeing Shiner by Amy Jo Burns! I am waiting to get The Guest List in my book box soon. I can’t wait to get started on these two books. Love your recommendations and little reviews.
I just finished reading Ordinary Grace, The Comeback and Deacon King Kong. All were really great summer reads. Currently reading A Woman is no Man.
My reading always slows down in the summer, but I did manage what I know will be one of my best books of 2020: a lesser known Daphne Du Maurier novel, The Parasites. Highly recommended for Du Maurier fans!
https://susandcook.blogspot.com/2020/08/quick-lit-august-2020.html
American Dirt by Jeanie Cummins was a great novel I just finished. Loved it
American Dirt was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time–well written and suspenseful.
Thanks for your take on your current reads, Anne. Always so helpful.
I previewed Homeless Bird by Gloria Whalen before giving it to my 12 year old niece for her birthday. Captivating story of a 13-year-old Indian girl in an arranged marriage that goes bad. Appropriate for all ages. I read it in an afternoon and loved it.
I also got sucked into Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter when I was researching Project Gutenberg for my top picks. Even though the ending of Pollyanna is a little trite, I still enjoyed her sunny personality and the similarities to Anne of Green Gables.
The other top picks are on my blog post.
https://purplecrayonyourworld.com/the-19-best-project-gutenberg-books-with-links-to-begin-reading-immediately/
I have wanted to try Penny Reid forever but I am confused by your write up – are you reading two different series of hers? Two different books are mentioned but I assume the write up is for Truth or Beard not the Neanderthal one?
Hi there! The Winston Brothers series is its own series with Truth or Beard as the first book. However, the Winston Brothers series is a spin-off of Penny Reid’s series, Knitting in the City. The Neanderthal book that Anne mentioned is the first in that Knitting series (The Winston Brothers are a spin-off of the book ‘Beauty and the Mustache’ in the Knitting series). I love these books, especially the Winston Brother series, and would recommend reading them!!
For sci-fi recs, Light from Other Stars by Erika Swyler has been one of my fave reads of 2020. If you want science fiction that’s also non-fiction and full of interesting factoids (humans used buttons as decoration for 3,000 years before using them as, you know, buttons), How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler by Ryan North was my fave book of 2018.
This month I finished “The Color of Water” by James McBride, such a beautiful tribute to his mother.
I finished “Valentine” by Elizabeth Wetmore and although I’m not a fan of multiple points of view, in the end the stories of these women tied together.
I also finished “Two Girls” by Louisa Lunna. I’ve been craving mysteries
and detectives and this one was good.
Currently, I’m reading Elsa Hart’s “Jade Dragon Mountain”, a mystery set in 18 century China and I’m enjoying it.
I began to listen to “The Fifth Season” by Nemisin, but since it is a long read I decided to wait for a copy at the library.
I’m also working through The Starr Series by L.M. Montgomery.
I’ve had a month of wonderful reading that I could hardly put down to get on with the rest of my life: Life After Life (fiction) by Kate Atkinson (why did I wait so long to read this!?); Hidden Valley Road (non-fiction) a fascinating story of a family and of a mental illness—of 12 siblings, six were diagnosed as schizophrenics; and James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time(essays): stunningly smart, insightful, and eloquent.
Anne, You didnt say what you thought of the John Scalzi book. I’d really like to know… I’m reading book three of the “Matched” Trilogy by Ally Conde. It’s excellent.
I read the Matched Trilogy years ago and really loved it also! Thanks for reminding me of that series.
I thought the same thing—Anne didn’t say what her opinion was. Are we to infer something from that…? It sounded really interesting.
Ooo, I put Shiner on my TBR list immediately! It sounds like it will be right up my alley!
My reading life has suffered a bit because we just moved, and any time not spent wrangling my three kids is spent unpacking. But I *did* manage to get a library card at our new place, so hopefully things will pick up again in September!
I did review the three books I’ve read, though (and detailed why I’m currently on a Susan Meissner kick):
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/08/14/loving-and-learning-lately-27/
I just got The Guest List from a friend and put it higher on my list because of your review. I’m going to move the Penny Reid books up the list too!
Here’s what my family and I have been reading including audiobooks, an upcoming release and out read alouds.
https://www.everyoneslibrarian.com/blog/quick-lit-august-2020
Ohhh, “The Guest List”! I’ve seen that around. This month, I’m listening to “Hot Ice” as part of Read Around the World! It’s set in Madagascar!
https://incessantbookworm.com/2020/08/15/quick-lit-23-what-have-you-been-reading-lately/
Wow this is a great list! I’ve seen “Truth or Beard” pop up everywhere. “The Guest List” and “Lock In” sound intriguing too.
I’m having an awesome start to my reading month! I’ve loved “The Testaments” by Margaret Atwood, “The Bromance Book Club” by Lyssa Kay Adams, and “Don’t Overthink It” by Anne herself!
https://lifesapearl.com/what-ive-been-reading-lately-august-quick-lit/
I too was reluctant to read John Scalzi as I am not a big sci-fi fan but I really enjoyed it and have read a few more. My fav. of his to date is Old Man’s War…but, hey, I am a senior! My favourite (Canadian, eh?) Book in ages though is Hamnet and Judith by Maggie O’Farrell. This is the first of hers I have read but won’t be the last. It tells the story of Shakespeare’s own family life and also that of his married life, moving back and forth between the two. The title characters are his twins and, as with many twins, they are incredibly close. When one is tragically lost the other is changed forever. Shakespeare, in this story, uses his literary creativity to deal with his grief and in the process leaves a masterpieces for the ages. His wife is actually more central to the story than he is but the author moves back and forth between them and between Shakespeare’s youth and his adult life in such a moving way. I can’t recommend this book strongly enough.
Another Canadian here, with Hamlet and Judith high on my TBR – good to hear you enjoyed it. (I loved Maggie O’Farrell’s novel The Hand That First Held Mine.) Also, Anne, I see you have the new Camilla Lackberg in that row of books – it’s also on my TBR, however, my sister – who is No Prude – says there is a lot of sex in that book. I guess it depends on what you can tolerate in a book. I am currently devouring The Winters by Lisa Gabriele and can recommend it to fans of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.
I also really liked both Lock In and Old Man’s War (but not enough to keep going on that series). Some of my favorite sci-fi is Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan series (Cordelia’s Honor–or the 2 books it contains, Shards of Honor and Barrayar–is a good starting point; my favorites in the series are Komarr and Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance), the Illuminae series by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (YA), and the Mars Evacuees series by Sophia McDougall (2 books so far, middle grade).
Recently, I’ve enjoyed The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (the Hunger Games prequel, which I wasn’t sure I’d like, but she sure worked her magic), Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey (but VERY sad, not what I would describe as a beach read), and working my way through the Anne of Green Gables series (currently just finished Anne of Ingleside and starting on Rainbow Valley).
I loved Amy Poeppl’s MUSICAL CHAIRS & read it in one sitting! Perfect summer book about a Mom who’s looking forward to a romantic summer & instead is forced to hole up with her adult children in her falling down CT farmhouse. Meanwhile, she & her best friend / musical trio colleague have to decide what to do with their long-standing trio now duo. It’s well-written & a great read.
I also loved Lily King’s WRITERS & LOVERS, Cynthia Martin’s TIDAL FLATS, Sharron Harrigan’s HALF, oh and FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER by Rachel Beanland is fabulous!
Like Anne, I do not gravitate to sci-fi, however my book club chose Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky this month. Not only is it sci-fi, but comes in at 600 pages!! Somehow I’m over halfway through. It’s still not my favorite genre, but it’s good to read something so completely different for me.
My recent reads (mostly on audio- because – “600 page book”) include Hidden Valley Road (loved), Love Lettering, Clap When You Land (loved!), Not Like The Movies, and Why We Can’t Sleep.
This summer has been pretty good for my reading life! Here’s a few from the last couple of weeks.
https://anovellook.com/home/2020/8/10/final-maternity-leave-reading-recap
Those are all new-to-me titles! They sound so interesting
Here are my recent reads. My favorite was Red Sky Over Hawaii and Mother to Son
https://elle-alice.blogspot.com/2020/07/july-book-reviews.html
Ah more books to read to my growing TBR list. I manage to read one book. http://myviewofthehoneypot.blogspot.com/2020/08/what-i-read-august.html
It is hard when you rely on the library for your reading needs.
My sci-fi rec is the Scythe series by Neil Shusterman. So good! It really makes you think.
https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2020/08/reading-update.html
These are books 39-44 of the year.
I’ve also been listening to a lot of audiobooks, and the ones from this past month have been particularly delightful:
https://www.mindjoggle.com/august-2020-book-reviews/
I’m a relatively new follower and I’ve so enjoyed discovering new books and new-to-me genres through you. Thank you!
I have 3 teenage boys and a husband who are sci-fi fans. Some of my favorites in the genre are by Timothy Zahn. Icharus Hunt is a good stand alone. I also loved his teen Dragonback series. Our family has read through the series aloud and then we have each revisited it and re-read on our own.
I just finished The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson and loved it! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that kept me guessing as much as this one! Every time I thought I knew which direction the story was going, it would change – and it kept getting better!
I always add books to my TBR list after reading this post! I read 27 books in July, although several were duds.
I’m reading Catherine House and Miss Austen, with Before She Was Helen lined up next. More here: https://everydayhas.wordpress.com/2020/08/11/library-loot-new-releases-2/
I just finished listening to “Big Lies in a Small Town” by Diane Chamberlain (LOVED it!!). Read “The Guest List” by Lucy Foley and I really loved the twists and turns in that one. I am also reading a series by A.J. Rivers, starting with “The Woman in Cabin 13”- I am on book 4 right now-I love suspense thrillers/mysteries, so this is good for me 🙂
I’m reading The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin as I wait for her new or from the library holds list. I’m not a huge sci-fi person, but I’m quickly becoming a huge fan of hers. I’d recommend the Themis Files trilogy (Sleeping Giants is one of my all-time favorites), but I’m pretty sure I first heard about it on your show!
Thanks for the ideas! Definitely plan to read The Shine. And Night Swim & The Guest List also look very interesting!
Recent reads I highly recommend are: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
The Last Flight by Julie Clark
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Also found Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld very compelling (definitely weird to read the Hillary/Bill sex stuff but can see where is essential to telling the story).
Thanks for the list! More books for my TBR!
In terms of sci fi, I’m reading Becky Chambers’ “Record of a Spaceborn Few” right now, third in her Wayfarers trilogy. I love everything I’ve read by her!
For a very quick delightful easy read try Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson. Exceptional 9-year-old and young woman who is hired to take care of him while his mother writes a book. Funny, poignant, well written. Frank is the young boy who is probably on the autism spectrum but that is never mentioned. Read in a day.
My sci-fi recommendation: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. The movie doesn’t do it justice. If you haven’t seen the movie, read the book first! The entire Ender (and Bean) series is on my husband’s favorites list. I’ve only read the first 2 in the Ender series, but they are easily on my list, too.
I read quite a lot of excellent books this past month, and just one dud. Here’s what I’ve been reading.
July was a good reading month for me – checking off prompts for reading challenges, growing as a person with some anti-racism books, and planning for Women in Translation Month this month.
http://www.avikinginla.com/2020/08/what-ive-been-reading-lately-july-2020-witmonth-plans/
I put Shiner on my TBR list when I heard you talk about it on the podcast for Patreon. It sounds like a great book. The last few months have been good reading months for me. I have read a good mix of fiction and nonfiction. https://fromourbookshelf.com/recent-reads-lynn-2/
Hey Anne — Have you tried the Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal? I myself am not a huge sci-fi fan, but these novels are more like an alternate history — a reimagining of the Space Race with women at the forefront. A good mix of real history, some sci-fi, imaginative possibilities, and strong female characters.
My book club is reading The City We Became for our September meeting, so I’m looking forward to that sci-fi pick, per your Summer Reading Guide recommendation. 🙂
I LOVE the Winston Brothers series! July was a great and varied reading month for me, with some great reads and one that just wasn’t for me. I wrote more about it here:
http://www.anopenbookblog.com/what-i-read-july-2020/
As for science fiction, that’s not a genre that I spend a lot of time in, but the Lunar Chronicles are some of my very favorite reads from the past couple of years!
One of my favorite authors is Susan Wittig Albert (also under Robin Paige). I just finished reading her new trilogy of novellas: DEAD LINES; FAULT LINES; and FIRE LINES, which are available as e-books now and will be in a hardback Omnibus version in September. Jessica Nelson is a crime reporter for the Enterprise weekly newspaper in Pecan Springs TX, and she has an admirable gift for following tidbits of information to give her big answers. The final novella moves quickly to solving the mystery of who set fire to her home when she was a ten away on a school trip and her parents and twin were killed. Last year Albert wrote the CRYSTAL CAVE Trilogy of novellas about Ruby, a character in the China Bayles mystery series. I never thought I would like novellas, but these trilogies with connecting stories were excellent by a master writer.
July Wrap Up! 😍📚
https://readingladies.com/2020/07/31/july-2020-reading-wrap-up/
I just started Musical Chairs which is fun, so far! What else I’ve been reading is here!
Based on your recommendation from Episode 242, I am LOVING “Destiny of the Republic!”
https://bookshop.org/books/destiny-of-the-republic-a-tale-of-madness-medicine-and-the-murder-of-a-president/9780767929714
https://modernmrsdarcy.com/242-episode/
I’m a huge sci-fi fan, and one of my all-time favourite books is The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Not only is it a great “first contact” story, it’s also a moving exploration of faith. At its best, science fiction allows us to wrestle with deeply human issues by situating them in wholly “other” circumstances, and The Sparrow does an exceptional job at that. It’s also very character driven and not overly focused on the science, so I think it would serve as a good entry point to the genre.
I second this recommendation! Very easily my favorite, even though I have read much more sci-fi in recent years.
I just got the Penny Reid through your amazon deals post 👍 Here’s what I’ve been reading lately!
http://www.bornandreadinchicago.com/2020/08/july-book-reviews.html
Um, you may not be a Star Trek fan, Anne, but you are familiar with Kirk and Spock, right? William Shatner himself, along with the Reeves-Stevens, wrote a really good series of Star Trek books (nice hardcovers) starting back in the 90’s. The first is The Ashes of Eden. I know everybody that read them (including myself, a big Trek fan) was really enthusiastic about the whole series. Don’t you have any kids that are Star Trek fans?
My books for August were:
This Tender Land—I was a teensy, weensy wee bit disappointed that it wasn’t JUST like Ordinary Grace, I loved that book so much. But it was excellent, really.
Listening to American Dirt right now, nearly finished, really good story and very informative.
Convenience Store Woman—sorry, weird and dark! Toooo quirky.
American Royals—surprisingly fun!
Far From the Tree by Robin Benway, about adoption. Very good. One to discuss.
and Faceless Killers, the first Kurt Wallender novel by Henning Mankell. Also good, I will read more.
All Systems Red -Martha Wells, With the Fire on High – Elizabeth Acevedo (one of my favorite young authors this year), Soul of the Sword – Juie Kagwa, Wave – S. Deraniyagala, The Girl in the Moon- Terry Goodkind, How Happiness Happens – Max Locado, and Writers and Lovers – Lily King.
Photo comment: Bread and Wine must be a re-release as I’ve owned it for a while – a beautiful piece of Shauna’s work on food and life and the beautiful relationship we have. Love Shaunas writing always, but beware she can be hard to relate to for some. Currently listening to VICTORY GARDEN and just finished the Jane Austin Society which is my favorite summer listen/read so far.
I enjoyed all of Shauna’s books but understand completely how she can be hard to relate to.
Thank you for this fun link-up!
Since we are staying home this summer ~ I traveled in my reading.
https://joyinthemorning-joy.blogspot.com/2020/07/quick-lit.html
Adding The Guest List audiobook to my library queue! I loved the multiple narrators (and their British accents) in her previous book, The Hunting Party. I recently finished Mexican Gothic and bookstagrammed about it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDuqc_XFgbh/.
I’m currently reading “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larsen. I highly recommend it! Such an intimate look at The Blitz and Churchill. I also recently completed I was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman,
Radium Girls by Kate Moore, and
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict. All are highly recommended.
Just finished The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd. Excellent read. I gave it 5 stars. Highly recommend it.
Summer is my big time to read. By the pool, front porch, curled up on the couch. And thanks to Covid I lost my job, so plenty of time to get lost in books. Most recently:
“A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the América Spy Who Helped Win World War II.” Unbelievably good. Reads like a novel.
“Red Head By the Side of the Road“. Okay, but boring.
“Writers & Lovers”. Really didn’t like.
“American Dirt” One of the best books I’ve ever read.
“Big Summer” So so. Read on Audible and had a hard time getting past the annoying voice of the narrator.
Currently reading “A Rule Against Murder”. Having trouble getting into it.
“Pool and Its Role in Asian Communism”. Fiction. About a quarter through it and already a great book.
I just started reading the Winston Brothers series by Penny Reid also. (All on Hoopla.) I can’t stop and I have all these other books I need to read. I am on Beard Science now.
In July, I read Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, review here:
https://styleandsavings.wordpress.com/2020/08/11/style-and-savings-reads-party-of-two/
I also read Queen of Hearts, Dear Haiti,Love Alaine and Lakewood:
https://styleandsavings.wordpress.com/2020/08/11/style-and-savings-reads-july-2020/
Science Fiction can be intimidating, but like other genres there is almost always something for everyone.
There are definitely classics like Ender’s Game and Jules Verne (who helped define the genre), but I highly recommend Ursula K. LeGuin—she was an incredible writer and her work sometimes is fantasy or sci-fi or both. You can try A Wizard of Earthsea for a YA/juvenile fantasy example to get a feel for her writing.
One I really enjoyed and HIGHLY recommend is Ken Liu’s award-winning short short collection “Paper Menagerie.” It’s phenomenal.
For something lighter, I highly enjoyed the sci-fi/romance (more romance than sci-fi!) Crosstalk by Connie Willis.
It’s a genre that is often snubbed by the lit community but it really has so much to offer! I’m glad you’re diving in as I’m trying to do that more as well.
KT, I agree wholeheartedly at A Wizard of Earthsea. I’m not a big sci-fi/fantasy fan but that was phenomenol.
I agree – sci-fi is a big category and all sorts of stuff gets lumped in there. There is a lot of junk , but there are also some truly amazing books.
I love science and the sense of discovery and adventure. So there are certain types of books I tend to gravitate to.
Ray Bradbury – I grew up on his short stories. Also “Fahrenheit 451 “.
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. This is more hard-core science fiction (with emphasis on real science).
Spin by Robert Wilson (it’s more about people and how extreme circumstances may change them, but there is also the feel of curiosity and discovery throughout the book).
Roadside Picnic by Strugatski brothers (dark, brooding, a meditation on society). There is a movie that was loosely based on that story, called “Stalker” (directed by Tarkovskiy) – cinematography fans tend to love it.
Space Maugli by Strugatski brothers (one of my all-time favorites; sweet, short, an exploration of what it means to be human and touches upon what’s ethical in science).
Mack McDevitt has some books I really enjoyed: The Hercules Text, Eternity Road, Ancient Shores.
Vernor Vinge has good stuff, too.
I am not big on fantasy, but I did enjoy reading The Bear and the Nightingale (and the 2 follow-up novels) by Katherine Arden. I grew up in Russia, so the folklore was really familiar – it was fun to revisit that.
I’ve been scrolloing comments looking to see if anyone mentioned Ray Bradbury for Sci-Fi. So glad you did, his shhort stories are some of my favorites.
Lock In sounds great! I also added The Guest List because I love Agatha Christie. Here’s what I read in July: https://susanbowers.typepad.com/in_the_storm/2020/07/what-ive-been-reading-july-2020.html
And, after the latest podcast I did a Mid-Year reading goals check-in if you’re interested: https://susanbowers.typepad.com/in_the_storm/2020/08/2020-reading-goals-mid-year-check-in.html
It was wonderful to get back into sharing my reads on my blog, with this linkup! Here’s what I’m read this month: http://www.allmannerofinspiration.com/2020/08/15/summer-quarantine-reads-august-2020-quick-lit/
I wrote my blog post and then forgot to link here! https://alookatabook.com/2020/08/15/august-2020-recent-reads/
This was a pretty good reading month for me. And I’m looking forward to the reading to come!
I have really enjoyed the Rosie trilogy by Graem Simsion: The Rosie Project, The Rosie Effect, and The Rosie Result. The main character is a high-functioning autistic genius. All the characters are engaging and get into many humorous situations. Since the main character tells his own story, you also have to read between the lines to figure out what is really happening.
Oh, I feel so “on top of things”, I also just finished The Guest List! Really good. (Although, definitely could use some trigger warnings!) I share more of my current books here: http://www.thephilosopherswife.net/2020/08/our-library-bag-august-2020.html
I’d like to read The Guest List – I’m reading And Then There Were None, now.
Here’s my post: https://mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com/2020/08/coffee-books-august-2020.html
I’m always up for new Appalachian fiction, so Shiner is definitely going on my list.
I’ve been reading even more Anne of Green Gables books (they’re addictive, everyone) and a couple others that have kept me occupied. You can read about them here:
https://eclecticandeccentric.wordpress.com/2020/08/15/quicklit-august-2020/
In the past month, I’ve read:
*Machines Like Me – Ian McEwan (alternative history of Thatcher’s UK, with sentient AI)
*Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day – Winifred Watson (recommended here at MMD, but it was a little too frothy for me)
*Rebecca – Daphne DuMaurier (LOVED!)
*Let Me Sing You Gentle Songs – Linda Olsson (a very gentle and moving story of a friendship between an elderly Swedish woman and her young neighbour)
*Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (comfort reread!)
I’m currently reading ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ by Australian author Pip Williams. It tells the story of the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary through the eyes of a young girl who grows up to become involved in with the suffragettes of the early 20th century. Not sure when it’ll hit the US, but look out for it: it’s been a much-loved comfort read for us in lockdown and I know MMD readers will absolutely love it.
The Guest List sounds so good.
I don’t have any sci fi recommendations, sorry. I’m thinking I should read more too though since reading “real life” books where people don’t have to worry about wearing masks and social distancing is getting on my nerves.
Here’s what I read:
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/blog-1/2020/8/7/show-us-your-books-august-2020-amp-a-giveaway
Finished the second Neapolitan book, “The Story of a New Name.” I just love these novels. Also finished my first Marisa de los Santos book, “Love Walked In.” Love that it was a “light” read but not formulaic. Now I’m finally reading “Interpreter of Maladies” and loving it!!
I just listened to one of the beat online author discussions I’ve ever heard! Austen Vs.Bronte with Natalie Jenner, The Jane Austen Society and Finola Austin, Bronte’s Mistress, discussing their books and all things Bronte and Austen!
Amazing!! Presented by the Wellington Square Bookshop. It was on Zoom so I’m not sure it was recorded but well worth your time to see if you can find it!! Of course I read The Jane Austen Society for July MMDBC and after listening to this I ordered Bronte’s Mistress.
I’ve finished a couple of books lately. The Heart’s Invisible Furies – amazing, one of the top books I’ve read. The Woman in Cabin 10 – I was surprised how mediocre I found this book, considering how popular the author is. It might have suffered because I had just read such a well written book before it.
In the last month I’ve read:
Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson, 5 stars (memoir/call to creativity)
The Outsider by Stephen King, 4 stars (mystery)
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, 3.75 stars (mystery/soft horror)
The Absolutely True Diary of Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, 5 stars (memoir)
Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker, 3.75 stars (fiction)
Beach Read by Emily Henry, 4 stars (romance)
The Last House Guest, Megan Miranda, 3.5 stars (mystery/thriller)
The Other Bennet Sister, Janice Hadlow, 5 stars (fiction)
Anne, have you read Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton? The story takes place in an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic environment with characters living in the Artic and in a spaceship trying to get back to earth. Themes include loneliness, connectedness, purpose and regret. I would label it as literary science fiction; the writing is beautiful and the focus is on the thought life of the characters and their relationships with each other. It seems like the type of science fiction story you might like. 🙂
Shiner looks fantastic and went straight to my list!
This stress of 2020 has me reading less than usual, but so far I have three faves in my main genres.
Historical fiction: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Obviously a heartfelt and timely yet brutal story that I think should be required reading. I learned so much.
Fantasy/YA: Winterwood by Shea Earnshaw. Full of magical winter mystery set in a tiny town and a camp for wayward boys blocked off from the rest of the world.
Sci-fi: Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich. A near future where pregnancies suddenly become extremely dangerous and coveted as it appears evolution might be going backwards.
Happy reading!
I just read Sold on a Monday and I loved it! It was an unexpected twist on historical fiction. Also, I finished Love Lettering per your rec and I loved it also although I wish it weren’t so graphic so I could share it with my daughter 🙂
It’s so great to see Penny Reid on your list! She’s one of my favorite authors. She has also opened up her “universe” to other authors. And one of those books is on my list for audiobooks I recommend in August 🙂 (It’s the story of Steven from Neanderthal Seeks Human)
https://lovelyaudiobooks.info/audiobook-recommendations-august
Yay! Penny is one of my faves too! And I’m so excited that you mentioned the Smartypants books, I’m listening to them through Hoopla one at a time and am really loving them 🙂
I’ve got to get my hands on the book Shiner! Sounds like a literary gem. This summer has unintentionally been all about espionage in my reading (and TV watching) life. Reviews here! http://miathereader.com/a-summer-of-espionage-quick-lit-august-2020/
Locked In sounds wonderful!
https://www.tbretc.com/etc/whatireadinjuly2020withreviews
I recently finished Beach Read and absolutely loved it. This weekend I started the new Jasmine Guillory and so far, it’s fantastic.
Also, I *highly* recommend the audio versions of the Winston Brothers books!! I actually read the whole Neanderthal series on audio also and loved them, but the male narrator for the Winston brothers just adds so much.
Ooooo! Thank you for sharing! Just added three of these books to my library holds list!
Great list! I’m really thrilled that you included Penny Reid’s Truth or Beard. I started the Winston Brothers series at the beginning of the pandemic and flew through all seven (eight if you count Beauty and the Mustache) in just a couple of months. Now listening to them on audiobook and they are so great.
I just finished Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub and A taste of Sage by Yaffa Santos 🙂
I’ve just read “Olive Kitteridge” and loved it, and now I am almost finished with “Olive, Again” – thank you for the tip.
Before that I read “Recursion” and I thought it was too much over-the-top, like Butterfly Effect on steroids, but I loved the character Dr. Helena Smith and her growth during the story.
My next read is “Wonder”, but I will read it in Spanish – it will be my first ever book in Spanish! My mother tongue is Portuguese, which is close enough, and I studied Spanish back in university. So I hope I can read a full book now.
Binge reading a series isn’t really my thing, but I just did that with The Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin. Sci-fi isn’t usually my genre either, but I really loved the world she created. I was drawn to the series because of your recommendation of The City We Became, and then I noticed that this series had won consecutive Hugo awards. Totally worth the read!
I read- and loved! – Alex North’s THE WHISPER MAN when it first came out and was excited to read his newest one, THE SHADOWS. I really enjoyed it, too, but in a different way.
Almost done with Julia Heaberlin’s WE ARE ALL THE SAME IN THE DARK – it it is fantastic!
Here are two series that are Sci-fi that I really enjoyed. Time’s Eye by Arthur C Clarke is more traditional sci-fi.
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang is YA.
A fantastic historical fiction book that is not WWII is The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman. Set in 1918 Philadelphia during the Spanish Flu epidemic, the author draws the reader in from page one. There is so much to this story that will take you from highs to lows and back again.
I just finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and it shot to the top of my lifetime-favorites list. (Francie Nolan forever!!) After realizing I wished I was fitting in more time for classics in my reading life, a few years ago I started doing a “Summer of Classics”…I wrote a bit about it on my blog & shared some of my favorite classics from summers past.
So far in August,
Worth reading – Nobody Will Tell You This But Me (5 stars); I Was Told It Would Get Easier (4 stars); The Switch (this was an ARC – 5 stars); My One and Only Duke (5 stars); Christmas at the Island Hotel (4 stars)
Skip – Last Tang Standing (2 stars); The Friend Zone (1 star)
Why did you rate Last Tang Standing as 2 stars? Have you read The Crazy Rich Asians trilogy? I heard they were similar.
If you’re interested in reading more science fiction I highly recommend Martha Wells’ The Murderbot Diaries. The first book is All Systems Red. The books are funny, sarcastic, and never go where you expect. I’m normally not a science fiction fan but I really enjoy this series.
Shiner was an amazing book! The author also wrote a memoir called, Cinderland, which was layered in grief, acceptance, and moving on. I know the author and forwarded her the information that you were reading Shiner. I have been following you for years and would love to connect the two of you!
This is a great list. Every book on here interests me! How do I find the time?
I’ve been enjoying the Murderbot Diaries. By Martha Wells. 5 short books that are fast reads about a robot with a bad reputation, who is struggling with human emotions. I’m not a sci/fi reader but this series has been so fun to read.
Becky Chambers books are also good; Long Way to a Small Angry Plant is the first.