Each month I take a look back at what I’ve read and post my summaries and a link to the full review below. If you’re looking for a new book then there’s no better place to look than these lists. August featured four five-star books, possibly the most I’ve ever had in one month!
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I finished seven books over the month with two being epic fantasies, one historical fiction, one a fairly contemporary romance (I know, unlike me!) and the other three coming under the crime genre. If you’re a fan of epic worlds or are looking for a good murder mystery or just fancy an easy-to-read romance, then the books below will likely pique your interest.
So the seven books I read in the month of August 2022 are:
Malice by John Gwynne
Malice overall rating – 5/5
Despite two 4.5/5 ratings, Malice is not a four-star read, it’s definitely better than that. Gwynne’s ability to create a world, fill it with likeable and deep characters and then tell a believable, engaging and immersive story is a real talent. Malice’s sprawling lands, building conflicts and epic final 100 pages made this another fantasy by John Gwynne that I would happily recommend to any fantasy fan.
Pick up a copy from Amazon here.
The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler
The Perfect Couple overall rating – 3/5
The Perfect Couple spent a lot of its time reciting the facts and events we’d already found out and then dropping a quick twist on us at the end of each chapter. I’ll admit the twist at the end was good but dragged out and the rest of the book just felt very formulaic. The Perfect Couple is an easy read but not one that’ll blow you away.
Pick up a copy from Amazon here.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
Normal People overall rating – 4/5
I didn’t know whether to give Normal People 5 stars or not. I came out of it absolutely loving it – but I think this might be because I’d naively fallen in love with the relationship between Connell and Marianne. When I looked back at what had actually happened – the story, the key plot points etc, I realised there wasn’t a huge amount there. I’ll tell people I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it, however completely understand why some people might find it boring too.
Pick up a copy from Amazon here.
Death on the Pier by Jamie West
Death on the Pier overall rating – 5/5
Death on the Pier was an absolute delight to read. I could have sat and read this whole book in one day. It’s a clever crime book with a swash of fun characters and a genuinely likeable main character – and it’s all so easy to read too. If you’re looking for the perfect cosy read, I couldn’t recommend Death on the Pier more!
Pre-order a copy from Amazon here.
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
The Miniaturist overall rating – 4/5
Setting a great scene and filled with mystery and intrigue, The Miniaturist is a good book by Jessi Burton. Is it worth all the hype people have given it? In my opinion, no. But is it, without the hype, a great book by itself? Yes. With well-written characters, a swooping plot and some interesting points I’m looking forward to continuing in the sequel, if historical fiction is your thing and you like a splash of something unique, The Miniaturist might be right up your street.
Pick up a copy from Amazon here.
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
A Game of Thrones overall rating – 5/5
A Game of Thrones is the best opening book to a fantasy series you’ll find. It has become a sensation for a reason – the TV series is brilliant, yes. But the first book is probably better. You get such a great feeling of grandeur but also a really personal feeling from some of the characters. One moment you’re learning of great wars, deep histories and long legacies and the next you’re sitting by a campfire as Tyrion Lannister tells Jon Snow why he reads so many books. It’s an epic in every sense of the word and is, without a doubt, an absolute must for any fantasy fan and even those who don’t think fantasy is their bag.
Pick up a copy from Amazon here.
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
The Twyford Code overall rating – 5/5
Janice Hallett has done it again. She’s written a book that is so wonderfully clever in how it is composed and also filled with intrigue and page-turning plot twists. As was true with The Appeal, Hallett has written The Twyford Code to keep you on your toes throughout, flipping through the pages at a rate of knots to find out the truth behind it all. And then, at the end, she throws a massive curveball your way that reshapes everything you’ve just read!
Pick up a copy from Amazon here.
So there you have it
Those are the seven books I read throughout August. As you can see, there was quite an eclectic selection of books to choose from throughout August. There were a couple of epic fantasies, a fairly contemporary romance, some historical fiction and some crime.
I’d have to say my favourite book from the month was either A Game of Thrones or The Twyford Code. If I had to pick between the two, I’d possibly say The Twyford Code just because I feel I give fantasies 5* reviews easier as an author’s ability to build worlds, characters and stories always impress me whereas I’m harder to convince when it comes to other genres.
Let me know if you’ve read any of these books or whether you disagree/agree with any of my reviews, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you want to keep up with all of the books I’m reading, follow me on StoryGraph.
