Reading Lately – August Book Review

August is always a toss up for me when it comes to reading but I managed to knock out four books, 3 fiction and one really timely non-fiction. Here is what I’ve been reading. lately in my August book review!

Emily Henry is one of my favorite authors and Funny Story didn’t disappoint. A breakout, an unlikely attraction, some unresolved family trauma it’s all here. The main character was very likeable and easy to cheer on and the love interest was quirky and adorable. But will they be able to set their past aside and find a way to become a couple? You’ll have to read too find out! I loved this story and it may be my favorite of hers yet.

Summer Ever After felt like it drug on forever after to me. Maybe it just wasn’t my jam or maybe I was tied up with too many emotions with college drop off, but this read was just so so for me. A young couple who were clearly drawn together but then quickly broken apart without any real resolution as to why meet up again unexpectedly 10 years later. One is now married and the other, though she tries, is still finding him attractive. The story honestly is a decent one in theory but maybe I just wasn’t crazy about the way it all came together. The last quarter of the book picked up and I loved the ending so there is that! It is also a freebie on kindle unlimited so probably worth the download when in between other goodreads.

Historical fiction is always either a hit or a miss for me. Only the Beautiful was definitely a hit I couldn’t put down. While it’s sometimes hard to read about historical things and the way injustice was brought onto some people, I also feel like it makes us better to know. This is a beautiful, while tragic, story of a young woman who suffered to much loss and sufferred a huge injustice. The second half of the book revolves around another woman witnessing similar injustice in Vienna during WWII and then risking her own life to try and fight for those unable to fight for themselves. In the end these two women are tied together and it ends in a warm hearted yet still somewhat tragic way.

While I stepped officially into menopause in 2020, I’ve continued to battle with post-menopause ever since. No doubt if you are on social media at all you have heard of Mary Claire Haver as she is a HUGE advocate for womens health. This book, the New Menopause is a tremendous asset whether you are on the front end or post menopausal and just wanting a resource to help you be your best and healthiest self. The list of symptoms you can experience due to hormonal fluctuation is way longer than I ever dreamed. All I ever knew about was hot flashes and sleep disturbances but boy oh boy are there so many more. Dry mouth, joint issues, anxiety and depression, low libido, brain fog, are all just a few that I’ve personally encountered on this journey. While I have taken the HRT route, even that has so many different options and it’s just important to be well informed. I highly recommend picking this up if you or a woman in your life are peri or post menopausal.