My Month in Books | July and August 2024

Another (couple of) month(s), another reading update. The seasons are changing and I somehow feel like my reading mood is changing as well. It’s September already, I feel like I already kicked off my fall reading list. But before I get too deep into it, I figured a lookback for this summer’s reading life is in order. So here goes my month(s) in books for July and August 2024:

Books I’ve read in July

• Sugar and Vice (A Cookie House Mystery, #2) by Eve Calder – 4/5☕ [series review]
• Just For the Summer (Part of Your World, #3) by Abby Jimenez – 4.5/5☕
• A Tale of Two Cookies (A Cookie House Mystery, #3) by Eve Calder – 4.5/5☕ [series review]
• You’re That Bitch: And Other Lessons About Being Unapologetically Yourself by Bretman Rock – 4/5☕

July saw me start to pick up my energy to read again. I finished the last two books of my beloved Cookie House Mysteries by Eve Calder: Sugar and Vice and A Tale of Two Cookies. I fell in love with cosy mysteries these past months (and year) and it’s been going on smoothly and consistently so far. There are a lot of things to adore about this books but this series in particular was one of the best I’ve read in a while, specially the first book. (Read: A Cookie House Mystery by Eve Calder Series Review) I also finished reading Abby Jimenez‘ most recent book, Just for the Summer – and by doing so, I officially read all Abby Jimenez works published. Reading her works always felt like a therapy session in a bottle – ah, the tears I’ve shed. This is a mong my favourites (3rd, after Life’s too Short and The Friend Zone) in her books. I also finished listening to Bretman Rock’s memoir, You’re That Bitch. I didn’t really have a lot of expectations going in to this book but boy did it deliver. It reminded me a bit of Jonathan van Ness’ memoir, Over the Top. I loved how it highlighted the Filipino immigrant experience (from receiving balikbayan boxes, having your parents work abroad to give you a better life in the province, then eventually moving, trying to fit in, finding your identify) – it’s a lot of things, wrapped in an unassuming but sassy package. This is highly recommended for anyone wanting to find inspiration in loving yourself more and knowing your worth.

Books I’ve read in August

• I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron – 4.5/5☕ [book review]
• Drop Dead by Lily Chu – 5/5☕
• Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida – 3.5/5☕
• Oh Miriam!: Stories from an Extraordinary Life by Miriam Margolyes – 3/5☕

I went into a Nora-Ephron-obsession phase after I read I Feel Bad About My Neck. It led me to watch You’ve Got Mail for the first time (I know, I’m sorry I only watched it now) – and makes me want to re-watch When Harry Met Sally (which is definitely in my fall to-dos). I can see why Dolly Alderton loves her so much and can see the little things that inspire her writing tone. I wanna be friends with Nora – I also want her to be my adult imaginary friend. I kept coming back to Heartburn (and some of her scripts) and I love how absolutely witty, crazy, and authentic they sounded. This is the book that I was clawing at and holding on for dear life to distract myself of the pain when I was having my first ever tattoo (!!!). Nora distracted me in ways my phone cannot. So yes, this book will always be memorable to me. And it will always transport me to sunny Amsterdam in the middle of August. Glad I liked it so much!

During my trip to Amsterdam, I also started listening to Drop Dead by Lily Chu. It’s sort of an enemies-to-lovers kind of book combined with the only-one-bed trope (in this case, they’re stuck in a house). I know I make it sound so simple but I really loved this audiobook to bits. Misogyny in the workplace, familial and work pressure, legacy, familial obligations, ethics, or just even trying to make a difference wherever you’re at – there’s a lot to be had in this book that the eventual romance just fades away in the background. I remember, I finished listening to it while on a train going to the Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam to go to London and I felt silly because I was actually tearing up listening to those last few paragraphs. That’s how nice it was. It’s also my only 5-star read these two months, so that’s saying something.

I also listened to Oh Miriam! by Miriam Margoyles during my walks this August. This audio book is great for easy listening, and such good fun. I just love how unapologetically herself she is and that she’s not afraid to express her opinions from food to world politics. I probably would listen to her earlier book, which is her memoir, because I loved listening to her stories so much.

And then there’s the last one: Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida which is an impulse buy from London – just because the blurb said that it’s a ‘must-read for Murakami fans’. Obviously, I was sold. The book felt like a dream, the moment I read the first few pages. This reminds me of Murakami’s After Dark (for some reason), but with a whimsical twist. Intersecting stories set in twilight Tokyo. I thought this would be much darker than it actually is, but it turned out to be a cosy read.

What I’m currently reading

As usual, I am crippled by my short attention span so I am always starting new books even if I have stuff already plied open in my proverbial shelf. BUT these are the books I am actually actively currently reading:

• Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors – I honestly felt that starting this Coco Mellors book signalled the shift in my reading mood, in accordance to the season. Lit Fic Fall, as some would call it (technically, they call it Lit Girl Fall in Substack, but this is is how we roll) – and I am all for it. This book is deliciously gorgeous. I started it last Saturday and it sent me into a spiral. I love it so much. I love Coco’s writing so much. I am mesmerized by its cover. I wanted so badly to be someone that loves her books and, for so long, I was afraid that I probably just hyped it up too much in my head. And I think that’s the reason I delayed it this long. But I am glad that I am absolutely in love with it. Blue Sisters is a story about three sisters navigating their lives after the sudden loss of one of them. It touches a lot about things – growing up, trauma, pain, identity, family – but, most of all, grief. I have a complicated relationship with grief. And I’m not gonna lie, this book had certainly been triggering in certain points. But most times, reading about it feels like release. I’m not sure if I have favourite sister at the moment, but Avery is definitely striking a chord (mostly because of the eldest-sister sentiments). I am currently at 62% and I am still too excited to where this book will go.
• Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn – It’s been a while since I’ve put this on my list, I know. After attempting last February, I started to seriously read it again during my Amsterdam trip last August – but I’m still not finished. What I learned was that this is the kind of book that needs to be savoured slowly. The amount of markings and highlights I am making making is a bit much, maybe. But the small nuggets of wisdom here are the kind you have to sit down and contemplate on to properly absorb them. It’s a really nice compilation of things you need to understand and read at least once – on love AND living.
• The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore (Dream Harbour, #2) by Laurie Gilmore – The second instalment of the Dream Harbour series! The first book, The Pumpkin Spice Café, (which apparently got viral in TikTok) wasn’t exactly mind-blowing but it was a decent read and a nice way to pass time. I thought this would scream FALL again by just reading the title but apparently it is set in late summer (a missed opportunity for me). I have this on audio to balance out my reads and accompany me on walks. I am not feeling the main guy (Noah) at the moment but let’s see. It’s just surprising to me that I feel very mid about this book – plot and all – since it has all the elements of stuff that I feel like I would actually enjoy. But still holding out for this one! A cosy romance is always nice-to-have on my books.

What I’m looking forward to

• Botchan by Natsume Sōseki – reading this for our book club of two 😁. It’s like Japan’s version of The Catcher in the Rye or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and has been regarded as ‘probably the most widely read novel in modern Japan’, which is very interesting. This should be relatively short and I’m excited to dive into this sometime this month or so.
• The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain by Kazuo Ishiguro – First off, I am absolutely in love with this title. I am obsessed in the idea of this book ever since I came across this in one of Faber & Faber’s newsletters. This is a lyric book wit illustrations – Kazuo Ishiguro’s lyrics written for Stacey Kent’s album. I’ve read a couple of these lyrics and they’re incredibly atmospheric, the type that immediately transports you to a specific time and place. I’ve always loved this quality in songs I listen to. And I feel that, coupled with the illustrations, this book will be something special.
• Openings by Lucy Caldwell – I started this and was a couple of stories in already before I got distracted by other stuff. For this month, I want to finish this and finally tick this off my list. Lucy has always been one of the no-to-many short story writers that I admire. I recently discovered her when I read Intimacies. And in this collection, her fire hasn’t dimmed one bit.

Admittedly, there are a couple of audiobooks of series I was originally trying to follow that I would’ve wanted to be continue across 2024 but it just sucks that Audible somehow made most of them suddenly unavailable in my country (after I added a lot of them in my library 😢) – i.e., The Daisy Dalrymple Series by Carola Dunn and The Coffee House Mystery Series by Cleo Coyle. But oh well, I’ll just find a way to actually read them one way or another.

In any case, I am excited for what this September holds. It’s early fall already from where I am living so expect some autumn walks 🍂 [1, 2] coming your way with some book photoshoots here and there. Till next update! ✨

2024 Book Read Count as of writing: 32 /24

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P.S. When I examine or line up my book ratings, I sometimes feel guilty that rating an audio book that I downloaded to pass time a solid 5 star and then rating a memoir written by an icon just 3 stars. But then, at the end of the day, there’s really no defined rubric as to how I rate the books that I read. They’re an experience – so the only thing that matters is how they make me feel while I am engaging with them. I’m a mood-reader, and a mood-rater. End of story.

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HOW ABOUT YOU? HOW WAS YOUR READING MONTH THIS JULY and AUGUST? DID YOU HAVE ANY NOTABLE FAVE? 

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