One of these days I might write more substantial reviews / remarks on the books I’ve read. Today is obviously not that day. Nonetheless here are my short remarks (same as on my Storygraph) on the August collection. As always in order of my favourite down to the one I basically half skimmed through in the end.
Tausend Zeilen Lüge: Das System Relotius und der deutsche Journalismus, Juan Moreno, 2019
A German book about the huge scandal at SPIEGEL magazine a few years ago, when it turned out that their star reporter had faked almost everyone of his stories. This is the report of the free lance journalist, who uncovered it and it was such a great read.
Falling in Love Montage, Ciara Smyth, 2020
This was a lovely sapphic love story of two teenage girls in Ireland. Some of the background story felt a bit too constructed, but all in all I enjoyed it. I definitely cried more than I expected.
Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Man-Made World, Elinor Cleghorn 2021
This was such an important book and very informative for anyone interested in women’s rights issues and also health and history. Sometimes it felt a bit too detailed and thus it took me a while to get through it, but maybe that’s just me.
The Connellys of County Down, Tracey Lange, 2023
I was a bit let down by this story to be honest. I enjoyed Lange’s debut “We Are the Brennans” (which locations make sort of a cameo here, which was a nice wink) and there were parts in this one that I enjoyed as well. I liked Tara and Conor and Tara and her “gamer boy” bosses and some other stuff. Geraldine’s tendency to avoid difficult things felt a bit too close to home for me, which isn’t necessarily in a bad thing to take away from a novel. Some of the siblings dynamic I could relate to and most of them made sense knowing their backstory. All in all I still didn’t really connect with either of the characters and I couldn’t bring myself to care all that much. I guess that’s why the truth about the crime Tara went to prison for caught me by surprise.
My main problem with the main plot was that Brian’s behaviour was soooo unprofessional. From the start of the story. From way before the start of the story as it turned out later. So many no-gos. I guess that’s also what kept me from being invested in their relationship.
With the Fire on High, Elizabeth Acvedo, 2019
This was a bit different young adult novel than I usually read them, as the main character has a 2 yo daughter. I sort of enjoyed following her through her senior year at school and find out what she wants to do with her life after graduation. Neither the plot nor the characters had me really hooked though. It was fine.
Wahala, Nikki May, 2022
This did not go the way I expected it to and the final revelation of the plot sort of ruined it for me. I just thought it was unrealistic that someone is as sociopathic as this person. But maybe I’m naive. I sort of liked getting a glimpse in a different – from my own – culture of bi-racial (Nigerian / British) women. The lives as such was the same as many mid-30 women in London and I sort of enjoyed that, but the plot as such dragged on a bit. As mentioned above the end kind of mostly ruined it for me. Bummer.
Totally Folked, Penny Reid, 2021
I had bought this as ebook years ago and thought maybe it’s easy reading enough for my state of mind right now. And it was. It started out a bit too smutty for my taste to be honest. I didn’t really connect with either of the main characters and they plot dragged on for a long time IMHO. Maybe just not the right setting / plot for me after all.
When Stars Collide, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, 2021
I remember that I liked many of the previous books in this series, so this latest one was on my list for a long time. Sadly, I was quite underwhelmed by this plot. Too many false friends and intrigue and the last bit so far fetched. Neither did I really buy into the attraction between these two. I skimmed through the last third or more just to get it over with.
