I’m resisting the urge to start this post off with lyrics from Taylor Swift’s ‘August‘, but I do feel like this month really slipped away.

On one hand, I’m sad that the summer vibes are ending, but on the other, I can’t wait for fall. (Yes, I have already pulled out my Halloween decorations and have been burning the fall candles!) Despite how fast the month seemed to go, I did get in quite a bit of reading:

• Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
• The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
• Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
• In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
• Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
• The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen
• The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden
• Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
• The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

Let’s get into the reviews!

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

Hannah is bored and restless with her life. She’s disappointed with how things have turned out and expected to be further along in both her career and her love life at her age. Rather than deal with her problems, Hannah finds herself becoming obsessed with a string of murders in her community and latches on to true crime forums. After a suspect is arrested in connection with the murders, she can’t let it go and ends up writing him a letter. He writes back, thus beginning a messy chain of events for Hannah.

So, I feel that this book started so strong and then slowly became a bit repetitive. The he did it/he didn’t do it back-and-forth dragged on a bit too long for me. But, I did love the way that Tasha Coryell captured the struggles of a 30-something millennial woman.

Rating: 7/10

The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner

As someone that reads a fair amount of health and wellness books, there wasn’t necessarily a lot of new guidance here: Eat fruits and vegetables, have close relationships with friends and/or family, have a purpose, etc. However, I did enjoy the look at how different cultures live and view growing older.

I enjoyed the read, but I do wish more time could have been spent on the cultures rather than on the process of identifying ‘Blue Zones.’

Rating: 7/10

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Rune is a witch in a society that kills witches.

Putting herself at further risk, Rune runs a secret operation to rescue fellow witches who have been arrested. When one of her grandmother’s close friends gets arrested, Rune realizes her usual tricks won’t work. Rune needs to get close to a member of the Blood Guard in order to find where she’s being held before it’s too late. Rune sets her eyes on Gideon Sharpe. Only, Gideon has his eyes on her as well. Can Rune hide her secret identity as the ‘Crimson Moth’ or will her conflicting feelings for Gideon get her caught?

This had some enemies-to-lovers vibes, but I found myself getting a bit frustrated with both Rune and Gideon while reading. Still, I’m very intrigued to see what happens in the sequel. The ending to this one was rather surprising and left me unsettled.

Rating: 7/10

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Nora/Lee/Leo/Leonora (it’s a long story) agrees to attend the hen-do/bachelorette party for an old friend of hers. But once she arrives at the cabin for the weekend in the woods, Nora immediately regrets her decision. It’s totally weird to show up for Claire’s celebration when they haven’t spoken in years, right? Well, it gets worse once Nora learns who Claire is marrying. And, let’s just say the problems don’t end there…

If you enjoy books centered around remote, creepy cabins in the woods (like I do), this one is for you!

Rating: 8/10

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

This one is a bit complicated as it bounces between multiple points of view in different time periods, but it’s worth sticking with it!

A community has been changed forever after the disappearances of two women and a young girl named Delilah. Years go by without any answers, until one day, Delilah is rescued and returned home to her family. As she struggles to return to normal life, her family keeps pushing for answers as to what happened the day she disappeared. The truth slowly comes out.

I did not see the twists coming at all and I really enjoyed how the author tied everything together in the end!

Rating: 8/10

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Lara has been sent to the Bridge Kingdom to marry King Aren as part of a treaty between his land and her home. Only, Lara isn’t some innocent bride. She’s a trained warrior and spy who is determined to steal the Bridge Kingdom’s secrets.

As Lara begins to settle into her new life as Queen, she discovers that Aren isn’t what she expected. Lara soon finds herself torn between what she thought was reality and what she’s seeing firsthand. Can she stick to the mission in hopes of helping her people? And, should she?

As someone that enjoys fantasy series, I struggle with worldbuilding. I don’t want to hear about the world, I want to hear about the characters! For me, this was on the verge of describing the Bridge Kingdom too much, but I still want to know what happens next.

Rating: 7/10

The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

Spoilers are ahead! If you haven’t read The Housemaid (my review is here), I highly recommend doing so.

After the events that occurred at her former job, Millie is trying to stay out of legal trouble and has enrolled in college. To make ends meet, she’s resumed working as a maid. When she’s fired abruptly, she doesn’t hesitate to jump at the next job offer from a wealthy client. Douglas seems nice enough, but something about this wife, Wendy, doesn’t sit right with Millie. If you’ve read the first book, you know Millie just can’t leave some things alone.

I thought this is a good follow-up to The Housemaid! While I didn’t love it as much as the first one, I was still very entertained and can’t wait to read the the third book in the series.

Rating: 8/10

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg

I loved this book! Just read it.

Books like The Blue Zones always stress the importance of connecting with others and forming deep relationships. But how do we handle conversations when it seems like you aren’t understanding each other? Charles Duhigg dives into the secrets of supercommunicators and how we can all develop this superpower. Turns out, there are actually 3 types of conversations and it’s important for you to find out which one you’re in.

To help illustrate his points, Charles Duhigg used some fascinating examples! I especially enjoyed the example about the jury and the one about the CIA.

Rating: 10/10

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

This book is a bit complicated and it took me a few chapters to figure out what was really going on. So, if you’re just starting it and feeling a bit lost, it’s not just you.

Emory has always been a person to ask too many questions in a society that shuns questions and finds them uncomfortable. This makes her the perfect person to investigate after one of the island’s elders is murdered. But, she needs to act quickly. The death of this elder has triggered the island’s AI to bring down the island’s protective barrier, meaning the deadly fog that killed everyone else in the world is moving in. Can Emory uncover the truth even though no one can remember what happened that night? Some alarming truths about what’s really happening on this island come to light.

Rating: 7/10

Want more reviews? Check out what I read in July 2024!

As always, I want to know what YOU are reading. Leave your latest favorites in the comments below!