What I Read ♥ August 2025

August was supposed to be a month where I took a break from reading to focus on other stuff, however, I still ended up reading more than my usual three books, I read four! LOL. I managed to read one of my books from my Leo TBR, and accomplished my goal of finally finishing We Love You, Bunny, which was one of my reading goals for August. While I don’t strive for monthly reading goals, since I started posting astrological TBRs, they have sort of become my unofficial reading goals. Anyways, my August reads where either really amazing and I awarded them a 5-star, or they didn’t impress me and I rated them a dreaded 2-star.

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.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you make a purchase with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer by Dylan Mulvaney ★★★★★/5
In Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, Dylan pulls back the curtain of her “It Girl” lifestyle with a witty and intimate reflection of her life pre- and post-transition. She covers everything from her first big break in theater to the first time her dad recognized her as a girl to how she handled scandals, cancellations, and . . . tucking. It’s both laugh-out-loud funny and powerfully honest—and is a love letter to everyone who stands up for queer joy.

When I found out Paper Doll was about TikToker Dylan Mulvaney, I didn’t know what to expect. I was drawn to this book because of the cute cover, and a book YouTuber who I follow mentioned this book in one of their book haul videos, and I was intrigued. In Paper Doll, Dylan shares their experience about transitioning into a woman while going viral on TikTok and living in the LA fame lifestyle. It’s very reminiscent of the mid-2000s era, when YouTubers were moving to LA to pursue entertainment careers. I always find it strange when people so young write a memoir. Dylan is only in their mid-20s, and they still have a lot of life to live! With that said, it was very fascinating and insightful to read and learn a lot about the trans community that I didn’t know. I listened to the audiobook and found listening to Dylan (she narrates the memoir) very fun, like you were listening to a girlfriend talk about their life.

My biggest concern with this book is the book title. I understand they chose the term “late bloomer” as a way to insinuate that Dylan thought they were late in becoming a women, though you are still young in your 20… But with all due respect, Dylan Mulvaney is no late bloomer. They knew what they wanted to do at an early age and had supportive parents who encouraged them to pursue a career in the fine arts. They also accomplished a lot before the age of 20, so yeah, not a late bloomer.

You can purchase Paperdoll here

When You’re Ready, This is How You Heal by Brianna Wiest ★★★★★/5
Healing is not a one-time event. It can begin with a one-time event — typically some form of sudden loss that disrupts our projection of what the future might be. However, the true work of healing is allowing that disruption to wake us from a deep state of unconsciousness, to release the personas we adapted into and begin consciously piecing together the full truth of who we were meant to be.

This was more of a 4.5 star for me. This was my second book by Brianna Wiest. Coincidentally, this is also Brianna Wiest’s follow-up to 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think, which was the first book of her’s that I read. I will say that even though I enjoy Weist’s books, they can be a bit difficult to swallow if you’re not in the right mindset. The title When You’re Ready, This is How You Heal, is actually the perfect name for this book! Wiest is no-nonsense with her advice and just tells you how it is. She’s like your honest friend that won’t sugarcoat anything because they want what’s best for you! When you are ready to heal and better yourself, this self-help book can really encourage you to take control of your life.

You can purchase When You’re Ready, This is How You Heal here

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay ★★/5
Since its publication in 1984, You Can Heal Your Life has transformed the lives of millions of people. This is a book that people credit with profoundly altering their awareness of the impact that the mind has on health and well-being.

In this special gift edition, illustrated by Kelly Rae Roberts, you’ll find profound insight into the relationship between the mind and the body. Full of positive affirmations, this practical book will change the way you think forever!

After reading the previous book, I was in a self-improvement mood, and then its book became available on Libby, so it was meant to be! However, after reading You Can Heal Your Life, I had to look up reviews because there were some very controversial parts. The “Body” chapter is especially troubling. In that chapter, Louise mentions that we basically create our own health issues, including Cancer, by our negative thoughts and that the only way to “cure” these issues is to think positively and address past trauma. While I can be a “woo woo” person, I’m also a very practical person who believes in the power of modern medicine. I do agree there may be some truth about that we create our own circumstances with our thoughts, but I do not agree that we create every health issue, and I think it’s very irresponsible to say stuff like this without a disclaimer. She’s also not a medical professional. It’s ironic, because the author herself had cancer, so what does that say about her?

This book isn’t all bad. She definitely has some good advice, but I wouldn’t recommend this book. There was too much toxic positivity in this book for me, and I’m not someone who thinks you can simply think yourself happy and healthy. There are plenty of better new age spiritual books out there that say similar things but with more medical and scientific evidence. For example, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, which I highly recommend!

You can purchase You Can Heal Your Life here

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad ★★/5
When We Love You, Bunny opens, Sam has just published her first novel to critical acclaim. But at a New England stop on her book tour, her one-time frenemies, furious at the way they’ve been portrayed, kidnap her. Now a captive audience, it’s her (and our) turn to hear the Bunnies’ side of the story. One by one, they take turns holding the axe, and recount the birth throes of their unholy alliance, their discovery of their unusual creative powers—and the phantasmagoric adventure of conjuring their first creation. With a bound and gagged Sam, we embark on a wickedly intoxicating journey into the heart of dark academia: a fairy tale slasher that explores the wonder and horror of creation itself. Not to mention the transformative powers of love and friendship, Bunny.

I received an advance copy of We Love Your, Bunny, a couple of months ago in a Goodreads giveaway. I started reading this around Gemini season, but had to put it down. This novel wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m not sure what this book was supposed to be a prequel? A Sequel? Something in between?

I thought We Love Your, Bunny was mainly going to be about the four bunny girls from the first book. However, they were only briefly mentioned in the beginning, and when they were, I found that only one or maybe two of the characters were fully developed. The other two were just a blur of an idea. I also found some of the changes they made to the bunny characters in this book strange and unnecessary. But, a majority of the novel revolves around a new character, which I wasn’t expecting! I found this new characer really dull and boring, so reading their parts in the book was challenging. If I’m honest, I skimmed through most of their sections, which was a heafty amount! To be honest, I probably should’ve DNF this book, but because this was a physical copy, I felt compelled to complete it.

I originally wanted to write a book review on We Love You, Bunny, but I guarantee you that it will be mostly negative, and since one of my 2025 reading goals is to be less critical I decided to not review this novel after all. Let me tell you, trying to tell someone with a Mars in Virgo to not be opinionated is very difficult! haha

You can preorder We Love You, Bunny here

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