What I Read ♥ August 2024

When I sat down to write this month’s ‘What I Read” post I thought August wasn’t the most successful reading month, however, after reflecting I ended up reading four books which is one book over my three books a month goal. In August, I read my last mermaid book of the season, published a book review, read an inspiring book, and granted another book a 5-star! In the end, it was a successful reading month after all. haha

Make sure to follow me on Goodreads to be updated on what I’m reading and on StoryGraph if you’re curious about my book statistics.

My star reading scale
★★★★★/5 – Loved it! Would reread and recommend it to others.
★★★★/5 – Kept me entertained. I would reread.
★★★/5 – Didn’t love or hate but would recommend to others.
★★/5 – Did not enjoy it and probably skimmed through most of it.
★/5 – I hated it and regret wasting my time with this book.
DNF – Did not finish. This will probably be rare because I like to finish every book I start.

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A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow ★★★/5
Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Nevermind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either

I really wanted to like A Song Below Water because it started off strong. This is about two black teenage girls who are sirens but have to hide this because if they were to expose their secret they would be treated. I loved the social commentary about Black Lives Matter, the talk of black hair, and what it’s like being black, even though they are sirens the author wrote these charaters to be really relatable. One of the charaters enjoys watching a YouTuber creator who specializes in black textured hair which I love because I’m obsessed with watching curly-haired influencers on YouTube.

Unfortunately, I felt like too much was going on. There are several other mythical creatures mentioned in A Song Below Water but I wish the author would’ve just stuck with sirens and mermaids because it got confusing to keep up with who was what and their special attributes.

You can purchase A Song Below Water here

101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think by Brianna Wiest ★★★★/5
A collection of author Brianna Wiest’s most beloved pieces of writing. Her meditations include why you should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thinking, see the wisdom in daily routine, and become aware of the cognitive biases that are creating the way you see your life. Some of these pieces have never been seen; others have been read by millions of people around the world. Regardless, each will leave you thinking: this idea changed my life.

This was such an inspirational book! I listened to the audiobook of this but already planning on picking up a physical copy because there were so many nuggets of wisdom that I wanted to highlight and annotate. I knew of Brianna Wiest’s books but I would’ve guessed she was in her 50s or older based on the inspirational books she’s released but after a quick search I found out she is only a year older than me! Wiest was only 26 when she released 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think in 2016! Amazing!

I deducted one star because I feel like the title fools you into believing that this is a book about essays written from several different perspectives but in reality, it’s just Wiest’s thoughts and opinions, and most of the chapters are read in a list format. It’s still a fantastic read especially if you want a no-frills personal development book to motivate you.

You can purchase 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think here

Oceansong by C.W. Rose ★★★★/5
Fish are mysteriously disappearing, starving the people in Angie Song’s Alaskan hometown. Angie, an aspiring marine biologist and dock worker, enthusiastically joins the hunt to find out where the fish are gathering. When her family and the villagers discover that merfolk are responsible, they vow to destroy every last one. In the midst of the conflict, Angie faces off with a merman and fails to pull the trigger.

Inquisitive Mer-Prince Kaden is just as snarky as Angie, but he’s willing to talk and stop the brutal massacring of his people. The two form a cautious alliance to broker peace between the humans and mer before any more of them die.

As tensions clash between the two races fighting to control the sea’s resources, Angie and Kaden’s forbidden relationship ignites. And as she learns about the mer’s mysterious world and the reason why the fish are gone, Angie starts to question who the true monster is, and where her loyalties lie. Taking the wrong side means choosing between family and her job, or the man she’s fallen for and the merfolk she’s come to respect-or losing it all.

I had originally planned on reading Oceansong back in July during the mermaid readathon but I had so many other mermaid books that I was reading so it took me longer than expected. I already wrote an in-depth book review on Oceansong so go read that if you haven’t yet already to hear my thoughts on this novel.

I’ve marked Oceansong as the last mermaid book of the summer because I’m all mermaided out! I’m so ready to start reading autumnal and spooky-themed books! haha

You can purchase Oceansong here

The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson ★★★★★/5
Growing up in 1980s Niagara Falls–a seedy but magical, slightly haunted place–Jake Baker spends most of his time with his uncle Calvin, a kind but eccentric enthusiast of occult artifacts and conspiracy theories. The summer Jake turns twelve, he befriends a pair of siblings new to town, and so Calvin decides to initiate them all into the “Saturday Night Ghost Club.” But as the summer goes on, what begins as a seemingly lighthearted project may ultimately uncover more than any of its members had imagined. With the alternating warmth and sadness of the best coming-of-age stories, The Saturday Night Ghost Club examines the haunting mutability of memory and storytelling, as well as the experiences that form the people we become.

Wow! I loved this! The Saturday Night Ghost Club is about a boy reflecting on some of the memorable moments he had in his youth that shaped him into the man he is in the present. The chapters start with the main character in his present and how a current situation reminds him of a pivotal time in his youth. I loved the relationship that the main character had with his uncle and his uncle’s magical yet bittersweet history. This is a nostalgic coming-of-age book set in the 80s. reading this felt like I was watching Stand by Me, It, or Stranger Things.

I rewarded The Saturday Night Ghost Club a golden 5-star because my heart felt so full after completing this, I had that good book high you get when you read a really good book! This is a wonderful book to add to your autumn tbr because it’s set between late summer to Halloween and reminds you of being a kid during a simpler time.

You can purchase The Saturday Night Ghost Club here

Have you read any of these books? What did you read in August?