I read ten books in the month of August. There was a good variety in formats and topics. I branched out into some different genres and styles and, even though I didn’t quite enjoy them all, it was a nice change of pace to see what else was out there. Let’s get into it.
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
A very graphic tale of cannibalism. The character relationships were interesting and realistic. Especially between Marcos and his sister.
You could really feel Marcos’s pain and struggle throughout the entire book. With the loss of his child and the reality of what the world has become.
The message about government lies and control and the industrialization of eating humans was present, but never preachy.
The walk through the plan was done in such a detached tone, you almost forgot they were describing people.
The ending was quite a shock, but in a good way. Not sure if I enjoyed this book. But it was good.
A Game of Hearts and Heists by Ruby Roe
I loved this book. The characters were phenomenal and so funny. Every bit of their dialogue was fantastic.
The lust between Scarlett and Quinn literally jumped off the page and the heat was palpable.
Their mission was also exciting and full of tension. Even believing they’d make it wout alive, I was shocked at the crazy turn of events in the last few chapters.
Lovely story, can’t wait to start the second one.
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton
Amazing read.
I loved learning about how Tom ended up on Harry Potter. And it was enlightening to know it never went to his head. His brothers keeping him grounded was probably the best thing to happen to him as a child star.
I really liked all the behind the scene tidbits about the other actors and how they influenced him.
The end got me in my feelings though,a dn I hope he isn’t struggling as much now.
Also, I will never forgive them for cutting the part of Peeves the Poltergeist.
Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom
This was a good book and clearly well-researched. The mythology and backstory of Krampus was my favorite part. I’m just not sure how much I liked the book as a whole.
The characters weren’t very likeable. I didn’t root for any of them. And even the “happy” parts weren’t really doing it for me.
Overall, I’m glad I read it. But I probably won’t read it again.
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
A quick read with some dark twists and turns. I enjoyed the weird vibes and the darkness. I really enjoyed the climax and resolution. In true Lovecraftian style, we don’t really see the mosnter and there aren’t any clear explanations. But that’s what’s good about it.
I wish it had been a little longer. But a good read.
I’m So Effing Tired by Amy Shah
This wasn’t what I was expecting, but it was still very informative. It gave me a lot of insight into how my body works and what I can do to improve its performance.
Will be reading through it again to make notes.
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
There was so much amazing information in this book. I went through almost an entire pack of post-its.
This book really broke down why a book is good and how you can replicate the process. It gave me so many incredible questions to ask in my own writing. And I will definitely be utilizing its tips.
Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
This was a really nice follow up to My Heart is a Chainsaw. It did a really good job of bridging the time gap between them without huge info dumps.
Jade’s growth as a character was amazing. Every time she asked, “was I that annoying?” I laughed.
The mystery behind all the deaths was fascinating and I’m still a little unsure who was responsible for what.
The ending was a real gut punch. And I can’t wait for book three.
Things Have Gotten Worse since we Last Spoke and other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca
The first story was the only one I could call enjoyable. But even that is a stretch. The character relationship explodes out of nothing and I just didn’t buy it.
And then it was super gross and I’m not sure that type of horror is for me.
The second story was just odd and didn’t seem well thought out. The beginning and the ending didn’t seem to go together at all.
And the third one should have stayed in a computer file. Didn’t feel like it fit with the book at all.
I don’t know. This book was over hyped.
Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis
This book was weird and outrageous and seemed like it had zero plot.
I didn’t like any of the characters. And they didn’t seem to like each other.
Crazy events happened and they reacted in weird and unrealistic ways.
I felt like this book was gay and shocking for the sake of being gay and shocking. Sad to say I didn’t enjoy it at all.
Ended the month in a bit of a reading slump. I’m going to read a few easy books to start this month off and hopefully get out of it. I think the weird ones through me off a little. But I’ll get back to it, I always do.
Check back next week for my deep dive into my favorite read of the month – A Game of Hearts and Heists